Category: Family

It's Great To Be Decent

Dad

My Amazing Father: The Original Decent Dad

One of my biggest blessings in life has been my father. There is nothing better than a Decent Dad. I’ve always had a deep respect and love for my Dad. My earliest memory is when my Dad came back from a year-long hardship tour in Korea. We were at my Grandma’s house and we were…
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adoption

Adoption Cancelled: Big Changes To Our Home

We canceled the adoption of our niece, Rana. It’s taken me a long time to decide whether to not to post this. It’s personal and if I write about it, how much can I write without offending family or putting too much out there? I’ve decided that since this is my website and it’s essentially…
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matters

Improvement Is The Key To Everything No Matter How Small: Start Today

When you have kids your focus seems to pinpoint. Things that you never paid much attention to seem insanely important. When it’s an infant you quickly learn that your home is full of danger and needs improvement. Toddlers make the rest of the world seem like a minefield, and every day that your child survives…
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Kids

Unplanned Adoption: A Course in Advanced Parenting Skills

On December 5th of 2017, I received a phone call that would change my family’s life forever. My sister-in-law had unexpectantly passed away sometime during the night. She was only 39 years old and had 3 kids without fathers.  The kids needed someone to step into parental roles immediately. Meet the kids Dawn, age 18 Dawn…
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For You: Dear Struggling Teenager…I see you.

Dear Teenager, I get it.  Those jerks at school just keep on pushing and don’t know when to back off. I don’t know why they target you, because you really are a good kid. Your parents aren’t who you need them to be either. Either they are crazy strict and don’t let you breathe…or they are…
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The Struggle of Parenting Is Real

Being a mom is a much bigger struggle than anyone has ever told me. You love your kid (or kids) so much and at times it feels like your heart is just going to explode with the pure volume of love. Even when they’re acting like fools, not doing what they’re supposed to, and driving you…
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Calm Kids – De-escalate An Upset Child Quickly

One thing you learn quickly as a parent is how quickly emotions can escalate. Whether it’s a crying baby or a toddler who throws tantrums hourly, emotions run high. When your child is upset and you need to get them to do something, it’s won’t happen if they are at DEF-CON 1. De-escalate the situation and…
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I’d Let My Kid Attend Every Party They Were Invited To (But No One Has Invited Him!)

A well written article on Scary Mommy (of course) is getting a lot of attention, and for good reason. It’s one that I can resonate with. I have two kids. One child is invited to a lot of parties, and I can’t let her go to all of them. I don’t like the parties because I’m…
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Can You Guarantee A Child’s Success?

You’ve seen it countless times.  A family with multiple children often (though not always) has a wild child, or black sheep.  This can occur even if children are brought up in similar manners, without trauma happening to one child and not the others.  So can you guarantee a child’s success? Meet the Johnsons The Johnsons were…
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Sisters Bond Beyond A Lifetime

Sisters understand one another like no one else ever can. Mississippi Man and I have been married 14 years and he is, without a doubt, my best friend. There are limitations to what he is able to understand about my upbringing. My sister, Amanda, has been with me through the most formative periods of my life…
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