Apr 26, 2010 Posted by Jolene

The Coffee Klatch: A Great Forum for Parents Like Us

One of the hardest things about being the parent of a child with special needs is the sense of being alone. Even though you know there are other families out there dealing with struggles similar to yours, it’s hard to find them when your child requires extensive care. Twitter to the Rescue Well, thanks to a Twitter group called The Coffee Klatch, you can hang out with parents of kids with special... read more

Oct 11, 2009 Posted by Jolene

Nine Ways to Live Triumphantly…Audio Version

A few weeks ago Lisa Copen, founder of Rest Ministries, a website for chronically ill adults, asked me to participate in her Invisible Illness Week Web Seminar. She wanted me to encourage chronically ill parents who have special needs kids. I felt a little funny addressing those parents since I don’t have a chronic illness. But since my dad was chronically ill, and my son had special needs, I said... read more

Oct 1, 2009 Posted by Jolene

Nine Ways to Live Triumphantly with Special Needs Kids, Part 2

In the first post in this series, I shared three commonalities of parents who live triumphantly with special needs children. Today we’ll look at three more. As was suggested in the previous post, don’t implement all the ideas immediately. Concentrate on one until you master or complete it before going on to a new one. #4 Triumphant parents advocate for their children. They advocate at school, becoming... read more

Aug 13, 2009 Posted by Jolene

Why I Don’t Know How You Feel

When I wrote A Different Dream for My Child, the meditations addressing the death of children were the hardest ones to complete. Why? Because my child lived, and I felt hypocritical trying to comfort parents who have lost much more than I have. God’s Holy Work If my editor hadn’t insisted, I wouldn’t have tackled the subject. And even though several parents agreed to share their stories... read more

Aug 13, 2009 Posted by Jolene

Five Things to Do when Your Child is Hospitalized

When a child is unexpectedly hospitalized, having a clear-thinking parent by her side is very good medicine. Here are  five things clear-thinking parents do to help their hospitalized children: #1 Stay Calm It’s hard to stay calm when a child is in distress, on the way to surgery or enduring a difficult treatment. But conscious or unconscious, children pick up their parents’ emotional vibes.... read more