by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Mar 18, 2024 | Thoughts for Families
I’ve had a health scare recently and have noticed myself doing things about “the future”. Thinking this far ahead is new to me. I typically struggle to hold in mind the idea that there is a vacation scheduled 6 months from now. So, as I reflect on this, I’ve decided...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Feb 20, 2024 | Thoughts for Families
Most of us approach parenthood with an idea of what kind of parent we hope to be. Usually, we look to our family of origin for our role models, taking what seemed to work for us and putting aside what we, as children, really didn’t like. Sometimes, however, we look at...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Jan 16, 2024 | Thoughts for Families
If you’re familiar with my earlier columns, you know that I think you are highly likely to be the most important person in the life of your foster, kinship, or adopted child with an early trauma history. As a reminder, I add the word early because when prenatal drug...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Dec 15, 2023 | Thoughts for Families
The holidays are upon us. Many foster, kinship, and adoptive parents or guardians strive to respect the culture and religious traditions of the children in their care. This is not an easy thing to do! I think about how my family of origin celebrated the holidays (one...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Nov 17, 2023 | Thoughts for Families
As I sit down to write this morning, I’m listening to an interview with Barbra Streisand on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. She’s promoting her new memoir. She was huge when I was a teenager. I love some of her songs but was never a serious fan. Until this morning… She...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Oct 9, 2023 | Thoughts for Families
I don’t want to bore you with stories from my childhood but, suffice it to say, there was plenty of trauma to go around for me and my 3 sisters. The 4th birth was even blessed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Not fun. I do, however, want to bring a few things to your...
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