Should I Sign my Kid up for Sports? Continue
Still round the corner
there may wait,
A new road or a secret gate.
J.R.R. Tolkien
To say that “Life is a journey” is an accurate statement. Oftentimes that journey takes us to unexpected places. Sometimes we end up lost, confused, stuck, or hurt along the way. When our life takes a turn (expected or unexpected) we have to adjust. Some adjustments are easier than others, and can be navigated on our own. Other times we need support and guidance along the way to fight against discouragement, hopelessness and fear.
Patrick Ward PhD is someone who can work alongside you on your journey. He has experience and extensive training that can help you navigate through difficult places. Then, having achieved success, you can continue on with a renewed hope and a sense of adventure.
Since the 1990’s “Asperger’s Syndrome” has gradually gained widespread attention. People hear this label, but in the general public it remains an enigma. The term “Asperger’s Syndrome” was first used in 1981, but refers to research by Viennese pediatrician Hans Asperger. In 1944, Dr. Asperger conducted research on a small group of boys that he observed to have atypical social and thinking patterns. As research and understanding of Asperger’s and autism in general expanded, Asperger’s Syndrome came to be understood as a form of high functioning autism. Continue
Sharing custody means that a child’s parents or guardians do not live together and must negotiate caring for the child or children from two different homes. Usually this is due to a marital divorce or separation of cohabiting couples. Shared custody, or co-parenting, presents unique challenges for the parents who are trying to carry out the “best interests of the child.” Continue
Over the last forty years the percentage of adults who are married has dramatically decreased. This is due in part to steady increases in divorces, but also due to people choosing to live together without getting married. Nevertheless, in 2007 the Washington Post issued a report that the fertility rate was the highest it’s been in 35 years! What this means is that more and more children are being born to parents who aren’t married. Relationship stability is lower on average for cohabiting couples than for married couples. A report on the website “smartmarriages.com” explains that 75% of children of cohabiting couples will experience their parents splitting up before the child turns 16. This rate goes down to about 33% for children of married parents*. So what this really means is that more and more children are living in situations where custody of the child is shared between two or more households. Continue
Think about the following questions, and take some time to come up with your answers. What’s most meaningful to you about the holidays? What would your Thanksgiving and Christmas be like if they were truly wonderful? What makes it all worth it? Many say that what makes it wonderful is time to enjoy relationships with family and friends, a time to refocus on what’s really important, celebrating Jesus’ birth, doing good for others, and so on. Continue
