I've been lamenting my youngest son's first lost tooth, and thinking about milestones in general. As he and I were talking in the car tonight (about the lost tooth, of course!), I was thinking about how much progress this boy has made in just a year!

When we first began our long distance relationship with them while they were still in foster care in another state, both kids had a Southern accent so thick you could cut it with a knife! I loved it and thought it was so cute,... more

I bought my first cell phone when I was 34 years old. Somehow, I managed to survive the teenage years, college days, and travel without a cell phone. Of course, now I don’t go anywhere without it. I feel completely lost if I accidentally leave it at home during a simple trip to the grocery store. When my teenagers start driving a car I make sure they own a cell phone and keep it with them. I feel much safer with them on the road knowing they have a cell phone with them. Whenever, my teenage sons go away for a weekend, I make sure they take their older brother’s cell phone... more

Whether you ride bikes with your children as a family activity, or they ride together without you, it is great fun and exercise. I remember riding all over the neighborhood with my siblings when I was growing up. Now, my children enjoy doing the same thing. We live out in the country so the nearest store or gas station is about five miles away. Once the children reach the age of 10, I will let them ride their bikes that far if they wear their helmets and take along a sibling.

It seems to be a great bonding experience for them and a way for them to get to know their... more

If you have adopted an older sibling group, you may need to encourage each child to seek their own friends and hobbies. That might not be as easy as might expect it to be. If the siblings had to depend on each other in their previous home for comfort, food, and protection it may be difficult for you to establish yourself as the parent. The children will naturally try to continue their established roles in your home. The older children, who provided the parenting roles, may not appreciate having their roles usurped.

It can also be difficult to get the younger children... more