by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Jul 8, 2025 | Uncategorized
It’s humbling to consider what’s happening in the brain of an infant. Even before birth, a fetus is shaped by its mother’s rhythms—walking, sleeping, talking—as well as her emotions and the substances she ingests, from caffeine to sedatives. These experiences can...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Jan 17, 2023 | Thoughts for Families, Uncategorized
(5-minute read) I’ve gotten hooked on a TV show on the History Channel: Alone. I enjoy several things about it. The variety of skill sets brought to the situation by the group of contestants is truly impressive. Some approach the experience with great shows of bravado...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Dec 15, 2021 | Thoughts for Families, Uncategorized
I’m going to focus on a concept possibly unfamiliar but worth your attention. Dosing is a word used by Dr. Bruce Perry of the Neurosequential Model to describe the role a caregiver has in controlling how much stress children with chronic trauma histories can...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Jun 15, 2021 | Thoughts for Families, Uncategorized
Skin color matters. Hair texture matters. History matters. I know I risk angering some readers with these ideas but that has never stopped me before. I hope you will stay with me. 1. My daughter’s best friend in high school was a black girl whose daddy had served in...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | May 13, 2021 | Thoughts for Families, Uncategorized
We are into this pandemic for over a year. I hope you are able to get vaccinated. So many of us have health issues that prevent us from getting vaccinations; it is up to the rest of us to do what we can to achieve herd immunity. I had no problems with the first...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Jul 24, 2020 | Thoughts for Families, Uncategorized
I’m thinking a lot about what it means to have a traumatized teen enter my home. I’ve told him that in this home we don’t have sex with kids or hit them. I’ve told him the household routines he can expect. I’ve made sure that coming to my home was his choice, not...
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