Navigating the Challenges of Raising Children with Complex Needs

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! 

This week I am joined with Daryl Potter. Daryl doesnt have adopted or fostered children but he does have a miraculous daughter with complex medical needs and another biological son. Whether your kids are biological, adopted, or fostered, there are universal truths in parenting and along with it circumstances which take us to the brink of our capacityphysical, emotional, mental and even spiritual. 

In this episode specifically we are looking at the unique challenges of raising kids with complex medical needs. Daryl shares his personal experiences, insights, and advice for you if youre in the trenches of that right now. This may be a calling on your life to adopt or foster children with complex needs or this is a circumstance out of your control in your biological children. Whatever the case may be, the grueling long nights in hospitals, the panic, the fear, the weight of it all can wear you down. This is why Daryl shares how mindfulness as found in Ecclesiastes is so powerful and a Biblical tool for managing it. 

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Navigating parenting with complex needs requires emotional resilience.
• Communication is key in marriage, especially during challenging times.
• Personal growth often comes from facing unexpected parenting challenges.
• Building a support network is crucial for families dealing with special needs.
• It's important to maintain perspective in difficult situations.
• Mindfulness can help parents enjoy the present moment.
• Parents should learn to express their emotions, including vulnerability.
• Children can be affected by the caregiving dynamics in the family.
• It's essential to listen to children's feelings and experiences.
• Finding joy in small moments can help alleviate stress. 

Connect more with Daryl on his website or social media. 

You can also check out his books! He recommends your local library but you can also purchase wherever books are sold. The books he explicitly mentions are: 

Something More: Living Well in a Broken World and Even the Monsters. Living with Grief, Loss, and Depression: A Journey through the Book of Job

Christian Parentings latest resource: Friday Favorites Newsletter 

You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected]. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! 

This week I am joined with an adult adoptee and new author, Emmanual Jean Russle. Emmanuel grew up in Haiti with his grandmother before being adopted into the United States. In our conversation, we briefly discuss his upbringing and transition to the states and then Emmanuel shares his passion for sharing this message: God has a plan for  every child. Emmanuel also offers encouragement to adoptive families navigating their unique journeys.

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Emmanuel's story highlights the importance of purpose in every child's life.
• Adoption can bring about significant changes, but love and support are crucial.
• Quality time spent with children fosters a sense of belonging.
• Every child's experience with adoption is unique and should be respected.
• Parents should treat adopted children as they would biological children.
• It's essential to acknowledge and celebrate a child's heritage.
• Prayer and guidance are vital for families considering adoption.
• Books can be powerful tools for understanding and discussing adoption.

Connect more with Emmanuel on social media. 

Check out his book: Hello! My Name is Emmanuel - An inspiring true story of adoption, celebrating new

Christian Parentings latest resource: Friday Favorites Newsletter 

You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected]. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! 

This week I am joined with Dana Hargrus, a mental health counselor with over twenty-five years of experience in trauma-informed care. We discuss the innovative approach of biofeedback in helping foster and adoptive parents navigate the challenges of caring for children from hard places. Dana shares her personal journey as a foster and adoptive parent, emphasizing the importance of connection and healthy attachment in mental health. The conversation highlights the need for alternative solutions to traditional medication and discipline methods, advocating for a more compassionate and understanding approach to parenting.

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Biofeedback is a form of brain exercise that helps improve mental health.
• Connection is essential for healing trauma in children.
• Punishment and discipline are often ineffective for children from hard places.
• Healthy attachment is crucial for mental health and can be developed at any age.
• Parents should focus on building connections rather than enforcing strict discipline.
• The current mental health system often fails children in foster care.
• Biofeedback can be a beneficial alternative to medication for managing mental health issues.
• Understanding a child's trauma history is key to effective parenting.
• Parents need support and resources to navigate the challenges of foster care and adoption.
• It's never too late for healing and change in a child's life.

Learn more about Danas practice Restore of Ada by calling 580-453-1076 or email them at [email protected] or you can find their website https://restoreofada.com/about-restore 

Check out Danas resource, a brief podcast about trauma: Find it on Apple or Spotify. 

You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected]. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Hey friends, today weve got something special for you: a bonus episode straight from the Pardon the Mess podcast!

Every Monday, host Courtney DeFeo shares a short prayer to help you lift up your kids. This years series follows Christian Parentings brand new prayer journal, A Great Cloud of Witnesses. 

Each week highlights a biblical hero of the faith, paired with Scripture-based prayers for your kids. Here is a sneak peek into week one:

This first week is all about Noaha man of incredible faith and obedience. While the world around him turned away from God, Noah walked in righteousness. Building the ark probably looked foolish to everyone else, but Noah trusted Gods word even when it didnt make sense. Thats the kind of faith we want for our kids: to listen to Gods voice over any others and walk confidently with Him even when it means standing apart.

If you love this episode and dont have your copy of A Great Cloud of Witnesses yet, its not too late to get yours! Go ChristianParenting.org to get your copy and follow along. And dont forget to tune in to Pardon the Mess every Monday for more prayer episodes. 

Order A Great Cloud of Witnesses today

Follow Pardon the Mess on Apple or Spotify

Called to Love is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! 

This week I am joined with Abby Halberstadt, whos been on the show before. Abby is a busy mom of ten biological kids, homeschools all of them, builds houses with her husband, and works as a fitness instructor, but most importantly she is a woman firmly planted on a Biblical foundation. In this conversation, we unpack the myth she shares in her recent book You Bet Your Stretchmarks which is a myth that your motherhood is wasted. Even though Abby has biological kids, all of us as foster and adoptive moms have the scars of motherhood and often the mundane and thankless jobs of wiping bottoms, sleepless nights, and sweeping cheerios can make us ask, Is this worth it? Abby reminds us that our motherhoods are eternally significant and callings from God. Even if our acts of love are unthanked and unseen, those sacrifices have an immeasurable impact. 

Abby also walks us through some of the lies in our culture that prey upon moms and their identities. She strongly encourages us to find our contentment in God and not in comparing ourselves to others. Our culture, and the Enemy through it, are feeding lies to moms that they are alone and the motherhood experience is all negative. We know, however, through scripture that nothing is wasted. 

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Motherhood is a calling of eternal significance.
• The 'wasted mother myth' undermines the value of motherhood.
• Daily sacrifices of mothers are meaningful and sacred.
• Creating rhythms in daily life can help manage overwhelm.
• Contentment comes from focusing on God's word, not worldly standards.
• Community support is essential but not always available.
• Every act of motherhood, no matter how small, has value.
• Mothers should not compare their journeys to others.
• Recognizing the mundane as sacred can transform perspective.
• Motherhood is a legacy that impacts future generations.

Learn more about Abby on her website and social media or buy her new book You Bet Your Stretchmarks! wherever you get your books, like Amazon. 

You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected]. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!