"Are we there yet?"

I'd like to thank David Giles in Canada for the comments on his Silence No More blog about my friend Tom Porter at Vision4Children.

David says:

"We must become a united front, locally, regionally and nationally, for our voices to be heard, to help each other in our struggles to allow our children to be raised equally by both parents, and to effectively lobby for changes to existing legislation. We must put aside our bitterness and anger and be inclusive to all parents, regardless of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other trait that one might not agree with. If we are unable to overcome these barriers, I fear that we will yet again lose another generation to fatherlessness."

I agree with you David.

full post




I'd also like to thank Dr. Charles Sophy with the Keep Them Off My Couch! blog for this helpful post on teaching good communication skills to children.

excerpt:

As parents, we strive to address all of the questions asked by our children. If we don’t have the answer, or don’t like the question, we would never think of ignoring the child. We do not accept improper communication as acceptable behavior. Most parents, however, are quick to excuse or overlook the behavior of their child when he / she reacts the same way and are often left wondering when the lines of communication broke.

If your child has already grown accustomed to this style of communication, here are some essentials to assist you in addressing the situation:

Talk: To your child, and explain to them in age-appropriate terms how they are communicating and why it doesn’t work.

Show: Your child how to communicate effectively, even when the questions are hard. Role-play a conversation to show them a more effective way to communicate.

Practice: Be sure you are aware of yourself and the way in which you communicate to others. Children model adult behaviors. Be sure you are not guilty of poor patterns of communication with your spouse or parenting partner.

Be Consistent: Be constant in the manner in which you communicate with you child. Send the same message with each and every interaction. Allow your child to see that you will call their attention to those times that the unwanted behavior rears its ugly head.

Remember: Kids will be kids and they will sometimes be distractive and non-communicative. You are the expert in knowing your child’s behavior and can best judge the improvement in their communications. The best way to ensure healthy communication patterns is to model positive communication skills.

full article

He's got another good post on helping your children handle divorce.




Don't get me wrong, I support and appreciate the work being done by Planned Parenthood, but I have to agree with others who have come out against the new promotional video featuring "superhero" Dianysis. They're saying this video is hateful, and I agree. The hypocrisy was almost too much to bear. Here was a woman supposedly standing up for freedom , yet she killed a man when his only crime was having a different opinion than hers. Here was a woman criticizing intimidation and violence, yet she dipped a man in acid. She proclaims to him, "No one is above the law." Uh...Dianysis, that includes you. My superhero friends stand up for truth, justice, and equality, and they do not harm anyone. I resent Planned Parenthood for tarnishing their image. You, Dianysis, are NO superhero!

I would include the link to the movie...but it has been removed from the website.





(My heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Lionel Richards, a dedicated crusader from Australia, who passed away Saturday at the young age of 58 due to a heart attack.)