Handle Sibling Fights and Nurture a Positive Attachment Every Day
BY BETHANY HALL If you are a foster, adoptive, or kinship family, then you know caring for multiple children isn’t easy. Squabbles, sharing, and getting under each other’s skin is bound to happen any time of the year. However, sibling fights and other behaviors tend to get worse during long breaks like summertime or holidays. Our […]
Screen Time: Summer Parenting Tips to Help You Manage
When it comes to screen time and kids, it is easy to feel like you are facing off against a monster. Television and video games have been around for decades, but in recent years, use and ease of access has exploded. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children until 18 to […]
Trauma Informed to Trauma Responsive Care
Loss hurts. Neglect and abuse cut deep. Early childhood trauma leaves lasting scars. Whether the baby in the womb adopted at birth, the 3-year-old being raised by grandparents, or the teenager in foster care, all children who have been separated from birth parents have experienced some level of trauma. As a result, these kids often face […]
Back To School Tips & Tricks
Back to School Parents may both cheer and dread these three words. Some feel hopeful about new beginnings, friendships, and learning. Others are anxious about learning struggles and loneliness. As parents of children who have experienced Complex Developmental Trauma, we have yet another layer to consider. Often, our children struggle with transitions. When our kids […]
5 Fun At-Home Activities to Build Connection with Your Kids
Play can help kids build trust, manage emotions, reduce anxiety, and grow relationships. You can build connection with your children anywhere—including your own home! Our Chosen staff has curated a list of their favorite stay-at-home activities to enjoy with the entire family. Most of these ideas don’t cost any money. 1.) Create an obstacle course A […]
A Few Small Steps & One Big Dream
Friends, I didn’t want to let today pass without memorializing such a special day. Twelve years ago, the idea for Chosen was conceived. On the start line of another inaugural race — the San Antonio Marathon — in 30 degree weather with 30,000 people around me, the buzzing air suddenly went silent as I had […]
ADHD and Children with Hard Histories
I love to spend time with my kids! But sometimes, I also dread helping them with homework. Though necessary, homework isn’t on my top ten list of “most fun family activities,” and I’m guessing I’m not the only parent who feels that way! When you are parenting children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), doing schoolwork can quickly shift from an annoying ritual to painfully frustrating. Why is schoolwork so difficult for children with ADHD? Consider […]
Saving Reasons Until the End
Devon* is an 11-year-old living with his grandmother. His mom left the family years ago and his dad recently went to prison. Devon misses his dad and doesn’t understand why his grandma acts more like his school principal than the fun lady who used to spoil him. He becomes emotional easily and sometimes has a […]
Strengthening Our Children’s Stories
“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.” Jonathan Gottschall Stories. We love the stories we find in books and movies. We love the stories we find in books and movies. Our culture spends significant amounts of time […]
In the Face of Adversity
Recently, I was asked by Unicity* to speak to city leaders on leading beyond the storm. My reflex response was that we must first lead ourselves before we can lead others. At this time, the stakes have never been higher for leadership and those we lead, the missions we advance. Remember when David was facing […]
The Power of Choices
When you are caring for a child from foster care, unexpected challenges can arise. Step into a day in the life of a foster family with Chosen Care Manager Bethany Hall to learn about their challenges and how to support them. This is not the story of one foster parent, but rather a combination of […]
Wait Until January
Over 125,000 children in the United States are waiting to be adopted. National Adoption Day raises awareness so that those kiddos move from foster care to forever families. Judge Michael Nash of the Los Angeles County Juvenile Court was the inspiration for this awareness day, as he opened his court on Saturdays with volunteers […]
