What’s it Like to Parent a Child who has Special Needs?

All children are unique. This means that your parenting experience will have some aspects that are different from what other parents may be doing. Sometimes, people will ask a mom or dad who has a child with special needs what it is like to parent their child. There isn’t a “one size fits all” answer to this question. Here’s a quick roundup of the answers given by some parents. NR Today has a post titled “Jemelene Wilson: Raising a child with special needs”. She is the mother of two children. One of her daughters is grown, and married. Her youngest … Continue reading

Mistake #2 Parents Make With Teenagers: Looking for Parenting Answers in Others

So far I have covered mistake #1 that parents of teenagers make, expecting the worse out of this stage of life.  The second mistake I am going to talk about is trying to find parenting answers through others. I know that sounds pretty strange, considering I am technically giving advice.  But at the heart of my message is this…every family is different, so you have to learn what’s best for yours. This doesn’t mean that help from others—whether it comes through books, seminars or blogs—shouldn’t be sought.  It doesn’t mean that you can’t be encouraged or inspired by others. But … Continue reading

Senator Franken Says Schools Need More Counselors

In the weeks after the tragedy that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Connecticut, there have been several ideas discussed about how to prevent something like that from happening again. Senator Al Franken says that schools need to have more counselors. He will push for federal funding to make that a reality. There are no words that can adequately describe the shock that people felt after learning about what happened in Connecticut in December of 2012. A twenty-something shooter went into Sandy Hook elementary school and opened fire. Twenty six people were killed that day – and twenty of … Continue reading

Making Christmas More Joyful for Kids With Special Needs

Many of us look forward to Christmas. Kids that have certain types of special needs might feel left out, or overwhelmed, by the ways that their family celebrates this holiday. Here are some quick tips to help make Christmas more joyful for kids who have special needs. It is a tradition that children write a letter to Santa. Sometimes, Santa answers that letter. When he does, it a note that is written on paper, (and possibly signed by Santa himself). This makes many children happy. However, it leaves out the kids who are blind or who have a vision impairment. … Continue reading

Free Halloween Apps for iPhone and iPad

Need some help getting into the Halloween spirit? Try some of these free Halloween apps for iPhone and iPad. I found some really cute and kid-friendly Halloween apps, and a couple that might be too scary for little kids to play with. They are not quite the same as the free Halloween apps for Android that I found for yesterday’s blog. Carve-a-Pumpkin is a free app from Parents Magazine. (It is created by Resolute Digital, LLC). This kid-friendly app is compatible with both iPhone and iPad. The app shows you an image of an pumpkin, and you use your finger … Continue reading

“Who’s Your Daddy?” DNA Clinic Answers Genealogy Questions

“Who’s Your Daddy?” is a mobile DNA testing facility. The purpose is to provide paternity testing for whomever comes in to request it. This could answer many questions genealogists have about their own family tree. Some wonder whether people are ready for this type of information. Paternity testing isn’t something new. It has been done for years. You may have watched a television program that revealed the results of a paternity test in front of a live, in studio, audience. Paternity testing is a good way to find a scientific, accurate, answer to the question of who the biological father … Continue reading

What is that Weird Tape on Some Olympic Athletes

I first noticed it on one of the Chinese synchronized divers, a couple of strips of bright blue align=”left” tape in two lines down her back. Did she have an injury? Was the tape a sort of rebellious fashion statement or a good luck charm? Was it some sort of pre-olympic ritual? I was curious but let it go. Then, the tape started popping up on other athletes. The German volley ball player with all sorts of thin weird stripes down her abdomen, and then, an American, Kerri Walsh Jennings, the beach volley ball star, had some on her shoulder. … Continue reading

Autism Answered has Information for Parents

Parents of children who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder tend to have many questions. It can be difficult to find resources that can give you the answers that you are looking for. There is a new Facebook group called Autism Answered. It might have what you need. Social media, at times, can be an excellent resource. You can get on Facebook and find news articles that your friends and family have posted on their pages. Sometimes, the news they post might be helpful to you, but, there will also be times when it is not. Today, when … Continue reading

We Teach Children, Not Lessons

Last night, we had our stake primary leadership training meeting. We had a great meeting and I left feeling inspired to be a better primary president for the year ahead. I wanted to share a few things that I learned from that meeting. First, they asked us what was the ONE thing we wanted our kids to learn this year. People gave answers such as that Heavenly Father loves them, or to Choose the Right and recognize when they make right choices, etc. They told us to keep whatever that one thing is in mind throughout the year as we … Continue reading

Getting Some Breast Answers and the Next Steps

Getting a late morning call to come back in to the radiology department after I had just been there for a routine mammogram was very unsettling. It took until the next day to get some answers from my doctor’s office. My doctor’s nurse called the next day, and I missed the call. I had taken my kids to the library and the park. Life goes on, right? I did feel less inclined to run around through the maze of the playground and more inclined to sit in the sun and read a book. Inevitably, though, there are one or two … Continue reading