As the mother of a daughter who has wrestled with addictions, self-injury, mental illness, and suicidal tendencies my wants during the holidays are few. If I could be a child...
A Hurting Parent’s Christmas Wish List
read more
true story
Four Golden Nuggets for Parents in Pain, Part 2
My wife and I were clueless when we began our journey of parenting a rebellious teen. We found an endless amount of information on how to raise a great kid, but little help when...
Four Golden Nuggets for Parents in Pain, Part 1
When we began our journey of parenting a troubled teen, my wife and I were clueless. An...
Lessons for Hurting Parents from the Las Vegas Mass Shooting
A few weeks ago we were shocked by the mass shooting that took place in Las Vegas. Dozens were killed and hundreds were injured, in need of immediate medical attention. Hospitals...
Five Things I Learned from Parenting a Challenging Child
My husband, Dave, and I were struggling with a boundary that needed to be set with our 19 year old daughter. Torn between the possibility of losing her or losing our other kids,...
10 Things God Wants to do for Your Troubled Child
Over six years ago my granddaughter was born 10 weeks early. Since she was a preemie, she spent the first couple of months of her life in an incubator. It helped sustain her...
Interview with Mom of Former Heroin Addict
Welcome to my blog struggling mom, dad, step-parent or grandparent. Today's blog is a true story. It's an interview with a mom whose adult son was a heroin addict. He also...
Interview with the Parents of a Former Prodigal Son
Do you wish you could sit down with a parent who’s further down the road of difficult parenting than you? You'd pepper them with questions and hope to glean something...
Five Things Parents of Addicts Need to Remember
This is a letter from an addict who didn't make it. She was somebody's daughter - their pride and joy . . . a long time ago. She wrote this letter to her sister. The family...
Five Things a Parent Can Do to Point the Way for Their Troubled Child
These comments were shared by Linda Dahl*, the mom of an addict, after her daughter's relapse. Linda vulnerably shared insights she’s gained along the way. Even if your child...
Depression Can Get to Anybody
Today's blog was authored by Richard Larson. It was his response to the suicide death of rock star musician Chris Cornell who struggled with depression most of his life –...
Six Ways Troubled Parents can Stay Emotionally Healthy
How can you stay emotionally healthy when your child is troubled? My daughter was losing her battle with addiction, mental illness and self-injury. She was an adult. I had done...