Showing posts with label Pinterest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pinterest. Show all posts

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Day 21: Bedtime, Spanking, & How We Parent


Our conference ended last night. Today we're driving up to Estes Park, CO for some hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

I'm exhausted and wondering how long it's going to take me to recover from all this fun.

I can't believe we're at Day 21 already. I could not have done this series without the help of an amazing group of guest bloggers. Did you see Robyn Gobbel's post on negative behaviors on Friday? If you're creating an adoption toolbox board on Pinterest, that's one you want to be sure to pin.

And I'll tell you a secret: Robyn is our guest blogger tomorrow with another post you don't want to miss!

Today I'd like to talk about choosing an appropriate parenting style when adopting an older child. I'm going to link to two posts I wrote a while back, specifically challenging some parenting techniques and philosophies prevalent in Evangelical Christian churches today. Even if you aren't a part of that community, I hope you'll still take a look and ask yourself what you believe about parenting, especially when it comes to disciplining your newly adopted child. This is a huge part of preparing to parent.



Both these posts generated some lively comments. Feel free to add your voice to the conversation!
Start here to read the whole series.

Ni Hao Yall

Monday, July 1, 2013

Day 1: Drowning in Paperwork


The Panic-Inducing Pile of Paper
If you're in the process of adopting an older child, you are probably drowning in paperwork. I don't know why, but the paper chase phase made me really nervous. I was terrified I'd mess something up. 

And while it was a completely necessary part of the adoption process, all that paperwork did absolutely nothing to prepare me to actually parent my newly adopted older child. 

Sometimes I even think all the hoops adoptive parents have to jump through make us feel kind of entitled. You know, "Look how hard I worked and how much I sacrificed to bring you home." Just keeping it real here. 

So I can't help you with your paperwork. I'd probably have a mild panic attack just looking at it. But I am excited to share what I've learned about parenting my older adopted child. 


When you're adopting an older child, you need to hear stories that paint a picture of older child adoption in real life -- because it may be different than what you expect.

When you're adopting an older child, you need to add new tools to your parenting toolbox, because many times, your old tools simply don't work.

When you're adopting an older child, you need relationships with other families like yours -- even if those relationships are online.

For 31 days this month, you'll find all those things here at Death by Great Wall.

My family was blessed by adopting an older child.

To make the most of the next 31 days, I'd like to ask you to do three simple things today.

1. Whether you're a regular here or stopping by for the first time, please leave a comment and introduce yourself. I'd love to know who's reading, and truth be told, that first comment is always the hardest. We'll have better discussions over the month if you go ahead and introduce yourself today.

2. If you use Pinterest, make a new board. Call it Older Child Adoption or something like that. As you pin helpful resources over the next 31 days, you'll be creating your own adoption toolbox. 

3. Share this series on Facebook or with your adoption support group. You can use the little buttons at the bottom of this post. Thanks for helping me spread the word to parents who might benefit from this series.

See you first thing tomorrow morning!

Here are all the posts in this series so far:
Day 1: Drowning in Paperwork
Day 2: A History of Loss
Day 3: Tantrums
Day 4: Parenting with Connection
Day 5: Prayers for the First Days Home
Day 6: Others Share about the First Days
Day 7: The Best Advice
Day 8: How to Get the Help You Need
Day 9: Things People Say to Adoptive Families
Day 10: More Things People Say
Day 11: Unexpected Challenges
Day 12: Unexpected Blessings
Day 13: Manipulation and Control
Day 14: Sharing Control
Day 15: Packing with Attachment in Mind
Day 16: Kids Camp Two Years Later
Day 17: Listening to Adult Adoptees, Part I
Day 18: Listening to Adult Adoptees, Part II
Day 19: Understanding Negative Behavior
Day 20: Does Race Matter?
Day 21: Bedtime, Spanking, & How We Parent
Day 22: So. Your Adopted Child Hoards Food
Day 23: A Movie I Recommend
Day 24: Bullying
Day 25: The Post I Wish I Didn't Have to Write
Day 26: Stitch Fix Just Keeps Getting Better
Day 27: Naming
Day 28: How to Help Your Church Help You
Day 29: A Dad's Eye View of Adoption
Day 30: Online Might Be Your Lifeline
Day 31: Look How Far We've Come

Shared at WFMW.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

How I Use Pinterest

In my opinion, Pinterest, used purposefully, is an amazing tool.

If you've been around here long, you know that I'm an information junkie. I'm constantly reading and researching things. In the past, I'd often spend a whole evening on Google, trying to find an article I'd previously read online or a photo I remembered but couldn't seem to find. Pinterest gives me a quick and easy way to archive useful information that I might like to revisit at a later time.

To show you how I use Pinterest, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite boards.

Pinned Via Pioneer Woman
Tried It, & It Was Yummy! - I have a Pinterest board of recipes I'd like to try, but this is different. This is a board where I pin recipes I've already tried that were winners. This is the digital version of a recipe card file. Tonight, I cooked that yummy dish pictured above. I love this board!
Pinned Via Brabourne Farm
Bedrooms for Girls - One day, I hope my girls will be able to have their own rooms. So when I see a pretty bedroom online that would work for tween/teen girls, I just pin it to this board. It's the digital version of tearing photos out of decorating magazines. I love this board, too!

Via Pinterest
Hair - Just getting started on this one, but it's fun to be able to pull a Pinterest photo up on my phone to discuss with my stylist. Don't tell anyone, but I even started pinning photos of gray hair, in anticipation of the day -- a day in the very distant future -- when I decide to grow out my natural color. Shhh. . .

Via Pinterest
Building a Wardrobe - I started this board to help my Stitch Fix stylist, but it's really helping me as well. It's helping me define my style so I don't make impulsive purchases, just because something's on sale. It's also helping me think about the clothes I already have, so I can be purposeful about future purchases. This is the digital version of window shopping.


Older Child Adoption - I'll say it upfront. I LOVE THIS BOARD! This is a board where I pin articles from Death by Great Wall, along with great posts and resources from around the web. New adoptive parents glean tons of helpful knowledge by hanging out on this board. Along those lines, I think every adoptive parent should create an adoption board on Pinterest. Probably not the last time you'll hear me say that!

Parenting with Connection - This is a new board I created just this week. I'm especially excited about this board because it's a collaborative effort. A group comprised of parents, bloggers, and even a counselor who works with adoptive families will be pinning to this board. We all want to encourage a parenting style that promotes a secure attachment in our kids. There's a little overlap with the Older Child Adoption board, but there will be different material as well. I think most adoptive parents will enjoy following both boards.

So that's how I use Pinterest. It's fun, it's helpful, and it works for me!

works for me wednesday at we are that family

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Pinterest



Do you use Pinterest?

I love Pinterest, but I try to use it purposefully. I don't think it's a good use of my time to sit at my computer, mindlessly "pinning" for hours. But used intentionally, it's a great tool.

I just updated two Pinterest boards I thought you might like: Art Projects for Kids and Older Child Adoption Resources. Take a look!