"They're just doing it for attention."Thankfully this isn't something I come across often, even with parents stretched thin. More often I hear parents say "You wouldn't believe the amount of attention...

“The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit.”This is an interesting one that’s going to land differently depending on what’s going on for us.When we’ve been showing up, pouring in lov...

“Don’t believe everything you think.”This little quote, on a pin badge my other half bought me for Christmas, has been sitting with me today.It’s a powerful reminder that some thoughts we have don’t d...

I had a conversation with a parent this week they said “I don’t like who I become when my child pushes me to my limits?”It got me thinking - we are all that person. And if you think you’re not, you ar...

I had a conversation with a parent this week they said “I don’t like who I become when my child pushes me to my limits?”It got me thinking - we are all that person. And if you think you’re not, you ar...

“Don’t believe everything you think.”This little quote, on a pin badge my other half bought me for Christmas, has been sitting with me today.It’s a powerful reminder that some thoughts we have don’t d...

It’s been a bumpy ride over the past few months. My girls lost their mum unexpectedly late last year. There’s this idea that children who don’t grow up with their parents aren’t impacted, or are less ...

I was talking to a friend yesterday - an adopter and fellow NVR practitioner. I can’t tag her because she doesn’t have a page.The conversation was around how we often don’t know what we’re dealing wit...

Happy New Year from one courageous parent to another.This year, I’ve seen so much quiet courage - tough decisions that needed to be made, hard conversations that needed to be had, limits that needed t...

“Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind” – Brene BrownThis quote comes to mind often, because it’s so true - for our young people but also for us adults. We all feel safer when our environments and the peop...

“Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind” – Brene BrownThis quote comes to mind often, because it’s so true - for our young people but also for us adults. We all feel safer when our environments and the peop...

How was your Christmas?I’m not sure that a drama-free Christmas is possible for families raising children with significant early trauma. Because trauma isn’t something that lives in the past. When the...

As we get ready for the magic of Christmas, here’s a helpful list for mums and dads - a reminder that the joyful season isn’t always so joyful for children who’ve had a lot of disruption in their litt...

Join this free in-person workshop to learn about how to respond to challenging behaviour displayed by children in kinship care.

A Christmas shout out to teachers.One of the inadequate tools that teachers are trying to work with is school behaviour policies.Had a great discussion with a group of early help workers last week. We were talking about the policy of giving out behaviour points for children who haven’t got a pen. Without being curious about why they don’t what they need for the day. Are things at home so chaotic or difficult that there’s no headspace to remember a pen for school? Is that the reason? Does the chi

A Christmas shout out to teachers.One of the inadequate tools that teachers are trying to work with is school behaviour policies.Had a great discussion with a group of early help workers last week. We were talking about the policy of giving out behaviour points for children who haven’t got a pen. Without being curious about why they don’t what they need for the day. Are things at home so chaotic or difficult that there’s no headspace to remember a pen for school? Is that the reason? Does the chi

A reminder that children who are grieving continue to grieve over Christmas. Adults too. In our home, Christmas needs to be a quiet and restful time - respectful of the loss and grief that comes with and out of adoption. Pretty lights and gentle Christmas carols. Nice food. Family connection. Honouring needs and self care for children and adults alike.What does Christmas look like in your house?

We all make mistakes as parents. We all have regrets. We all feel shame sometimes.Give yourself permission to move on from the parent you were yesterday. In NVR the past is in the past. Mistakes is ho...

Parenting is hard. Really hard. Therapeutic parenting is beyond hard. In all the therapeutic parenting advice (specific to trauma/autism/ADHD/FASD etc), one thing that’s often neglected is the small i...

Content warning - suicide.Having recently discovered and started to engage in the world of AI, I'm impressed. Chat GPT and Copilot are transforming my work and personal life in small but significant ways. But there is a dark side. A recent news story talks about the experience of a 29 year old student. He was asking an AI platform for help and received an abusive response. www.cbsnews.com/news/google-ai-chatbot-threatening-message-human-please-die/In another news story, a parent is suing an AI c

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-59312659?fbclid=IwAR3ZrEE9c8SDniGR10ligXgRdeeaxia3pAP9FnCUtbO_xtCIiLG75bgKxy4 What do you see in the pict...

An adoption blog following a adoptive father's story and process Adoption Dad and his adoptive family

As we get ready for the magic of Christmas, here’s a helpful list for mums and dads - a reminder that the joyful season isn’t always so joyful for children who’ve had a lot of disruption in their litt...

Daniel Rolph is an author drawing from his personal experiences in the UK foster care system. His debut novel, Shattered Paths, tells powerful stories of resilience and hope, giving a voice to those w...

Cafs Strengthening Connections helping change violent behaviour.

Check out the gamer who plays with patients at a children's hospital

Research has proven that social health – wellbeing that comes from connection – is as essential as food and water, but it is vastly underappreciated

I saw this on Bluesky and was very moved. It's hard living with children who were hurt in the most awful ways and still respond from that hurt - because that's what happens with early trauma - it impa...

I love Suzanne Zeedyk's analogy of tigers and teddy bears to explain attachment.Unique and highly personal neural pathways significantly influence our thinking, feeling, behaving, and relating - neura...