From the Child’s Point of View

 Posted by Lisa on April 29, 2011  General  No Responses »
Apr 292011
 

The other day I was channel surfing and I stopped when I saw a familiar face. It was M. Gary Neuman. I feel like I know Gary because I read his book, Helping Your Kids Cope with Divorce the Sandcastles Way, and I have seen him on Oprah. There are a lot of self help books out there, and a lot of divorce books, too. But what really got me about Gary’s book is that he gets kids and when you read his book, you get a better understanding how all the marital turmoil affects children.

Gary provides insight into the world of children. Pictures, letters and quotes from kids are included. You can probably get a copy at the library.

On the Joy Behar’s show Gary said something like this: “During divorce parents are at their worst (hurt, angry, financially and emotionally wrecked), and that is when their children need them the most.” Many parents get stuck in their bad place and the kids are left feeling alone and confused. Continue reading »

Let It Be!

 Posted by Davis on April 28, 2011  General  1 Response »
Apr 282011
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajCYQL8ouqw

I was overwhelmed with gratitude and humbled by the many heartfelt responses I received about my blog  Breaking Up IS Hard To Do! last week. I was also astounded by how many people chose to share. I thank each of you who read and did share it on your facebook or twitter pages. As much I love for all of you to post it, what is more important is that I gave you something that you could feel, learn from, and be better for. I have found the more vulnerable I am while writing these blogs each week, the more they touch people.  I  suppose it is because we have all ‘been there’ and we all respond to the vulnerability of another. And…boy did I let myself be vulnerable on that one!

I usually start pondering the next blog around Tuesday if something doesn’t hit me before that. This week was a little different. Monday night Scout and I were hanging out and she said out of the blue, “Let’s listen to the Beatles ‘Let It Be’.” I was in the middle of working and by the time I was done we had both moved on to other things.

Then the next morning when I woke up everything felt fresh again. Remember when I wrote last week ~  “It will be hard to go to sleep alone but it will be harder to wake up alone?”  That’s how I woke up – feeling alone. I started thinking about everyone who may have woken up that morning feeling alone, overwhelmed, stressed, angry, grief stricken, in pain, worried, etc.   Continue reading »

The Ugly Truth by Jennifer Maggio

 Posted by Jennifer on April 27, 2011  General  2 Responses »
Apr 272011
 

It is always exciting to see young people grasp hold of the passion God has given them and embark on their life’s journey.  We have all been there.  You take that first job as an entry-level John Doe, in hopes of one day climbing the Corporate Ladder.  You cut that first head of hair, as an official barber.  Whatever it is.  But…..if you are not careful, the passion that drove you into your career will one day dwindle and the harsh reality of what you are left with is complacency. 

The ugly truth is that you know the complacency of which I speak.  The even uglier truth is that it can happen to you.  The one that leads you to give less-than-mediocre service at a restaurant or business.  I have also seen it, on occasion, from teachers who had been in the industry so long that they were tainted with years of disobedient children and bureaucracy and forgot their love of children. 

I was thinking of this very thing, recently.  As I have mentioned many times, I love single moms and have a passion to help hurting women — all kinds.  I have heard just about every story you can imagine.  There are only so many abuse stories you can hear that move you to tears and honestly, at some point, you become a little numb.  That was certainly the case with me, until I met “Natasha”.  I was sitting with her and listening to her tragic story of abuse and it just never ended.  The more I sat there, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat, leaning in, and hanging on her every word.  Continue reading »

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A Letter To Myself ♥

 Posted by Michele on April 25, 2011  General  3 Responses »
Apr 252011
 

Dear Me:

It has been such a long time since I have taken the time to write you a letter and I wanted to reach out and let you know that I have missed you and would really like to reconnect with you. It seems we have lost touch in the past several months and I am a bit worried about you. Where have you been?

I know it has been a journey to say the least and while I know you are strong and a survivor at heart; it is clear that you are at times vulnerable and bleed like everyone else. Life has not always been easy and yet every time you have fallen down, you have stood back up with courage and grace. Regardless of the battle or how broken your spirit, you have never quit or given up on YOU or those you loved and held most dear.

You hold tight in your heart the experiences of loved ones addictions, abuse, miscarriages, divorce, tragedy including the death of your children’s dad and financial crisis. You have reeled from the pain of loss, grief, stress, feeling overwhelmed, fear, the challenges of single parenting and falling prey to destructive patterns to try and cope with it all. You have craved and needed to feel loved to the point you have sacrificed your own soul. You have, more than once felt like you could never be good enough and compromised who you were.  You have felt lost, abandoned and at times struggled to forgive yourself and yet you have continued to put one foot in front of the other with faith and hope. Continue reading »

Why Didn’t I Have Twins?

 Posted by Bill on April 25, 2011  Balancing Work and Children, Dealing with Divorce and Your Ex, Getting Your New Life In Order, Teenagers, The Craziness of Single Parenting  5 Responses »
Apr 252011
 

I have always said that I am the most blessed father in the world to have my children. Raising them on my own has definitely been a challenge, but with challenges come great rewards. I hope that I can just keep the two of them around long enough to realize this.

My son is now 17 and I am so proud of him. He and I have a bond that although not expressed daily, is there in our hearts. I have watched him mature more and more each day. His sense of humor is second to none.  The other night I told him that “Yes Jack we are going to eat together as a family” to which he replied “Dad I promise that if you let me eat downstairs in front of the TV, I won’t do drugs, get anyone pregnant or go to jail”. As he walked down the stairs to the TV, I wondered where he gets this from. Then I looked in the mirror J

My daughter who has been the apple of my eye since the day she was born has always been a joy. She has a heart of gold and a smile that stretches from here to eternity. She has never been a problem, just a good kid. That was until she turned 14 last August. I have heard stories of how girls transform at this age but hearing stories and experiencing it are two separate things. The other night Jack asked if we could just “put her down” There is that quick wit and humor again. What is it that turns little angels into devils at 14? Continue reading »

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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to a Spanking

 Posted by Bill on April 22, 2011  Balancing Work and Children, Dealing with Divorce and Your Ex, General, How to Communicate with Your Kids  1 Response »
Apr 222011
 

 

By Will McCormick Guest Blogger

I come from a long line of folks who take the biblical principle “spare the rod, spoil the child” to heart. My children’s mother was raised the same. Growing up in the deep South in strong Southern Baptist families will teach at an early age the consequences of poor decisions. I know first hand (switch and belt) what comedians mean when joking that growing up the entire neighborhood raised a child, and applied liberal discipline in the form of a swatting. Usually, your behind was so numb by the time you got home that your parents really were not going to do much more damage when their turn rolled around. Honestly, I had good parents, and I really can only remember a few spankings growing up. By most accounts, both of my kid’s parents turned out just fine. So it should come as no surprise that we decided when expecting our first child that we were going to spank our kids as a form of discipline.

A funny thing happened on the way to a spanking.

Michael was two years old when his brother Mathew entered this world. He had endured a long day of waiting at the hospital with extended family. We had decided that I would take him home to try to keep things as normal as possible for Michael while his mother and new brother rested in the hospital. I am not quite sure how much sugar he was given while in the care of others, but picture Taz on Starbucks. I could not get him to stay in his bed. Continue reading »

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Share Custody for the Holidays

 Posted by Lisa on April 22, 2011  General  1 Response »
Apr 222011
 

cartoons,competitions,Cybart,games,leisure,persons,ropes,tugs of war

Holidays are stressful for the single parent. Easter or Passover is no exception. With holidays come expectations and obligations and busy schedules and traffic ergo the stress. For our custody arrangement, we opted not to follow the court schedule of alternating holidays because

a.) we live close to each other Continue reading »

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