Let's do a roll call!
Find a Conversation
Let's do a roll call!
| Fri, 07-27-2007 - 8:38am |
Regulars, newbies and lurkers - take a minute to tell us a bit about yourself and your teens and answer the question - when does school start back up for you?
I'm Pam in central IL.

Pages
Hi all,
My name is Jason and I guess I am the token father on this list. Over the years (since 1972), as a single parent, I have raised 13 foster kids and an adopted son of my own. So between that and having worked in and run youth working programs and drug and alcohol programs for over 35 years, I have earned my black belt in raising teens and young adults, especially the male variety.
My son adopted me when he was about 16 after running away from his birth family for his own protection. We eventually made it legal and he chose to change his last name to mine. I normally just refer to him as my son. It seems like he was always my son. I am sure that our ending up together was Divinely inspired. There were many other kids in my youth program that I had way more contact with than I did with him and yet there was that connection that kept growing until it became very obvious that adoption was the next step.
I nearly lost him to a severe meth amphetamine addiction. Fortunately, he bottomed out without any lasting physical repercussions and no legal problems. That can only be for the grace and protection of God! On July 3rd of this year, he celebrated a year clean and sober. There is a saying in the recovery field that when a person stops using all those goodies, their emotional age is the same as it was when they started usuing. He started as a young teen, so for this last year we have been through a blitzkrieg adolescence. At the beginning of the year, I used to say he was 27 going on 13. Now I would say he is 28 going on 19. What a wonderful, bumpy ride. Although hell itself would be wonderful compared to the previous two years, it really has been a wonderful year. I finally have the loving, thoughtful, caring son back. He has been living with me, once again, for this year.
I absolutely believe that if we as parents stick in there, eventually, we will always win this parenting game. There were times when every bone in my body wanted to scream out, "Sc... you, you ungrateful kid!", especially when he told me at the height of his addiction that the only reason I ever adopted him was so I could put him down and make him feel bad. I had to go out in my garden, take many deep breaths, and remember that it was the drugs talking, not my loving son and remind myself that when I became a parent I committed to being a parent for the duration. Quitting is not part of this game. It is a life time commitment. Well enough of this, for now.
What I am doing these days is being in private practice as a Life Coach specializing in coaching parents of teenagers and young adults. I see no reason why parents need to reinvent the wheel. I am commitment to assisting parents in any way I can so that they do not have to figure all this out on their own, as I did. I was challenged by a professor in grad school many years ago, to make sure that I didn't go to my grave without first passing on the skills and knowledge that I had developed. I have a passion for making sure that lots of folks can spread these parenting skills and change how we raise our kids forever. I freely give it away, although it is nice occasionally to get paid as a coach.
Well enough out of me for a while. Thank you for the opportunity to tell you all a bit about me and my family and to be of service.
Jason Wittman
My website: http://TheParentsCoach.com
My parents blog: http://blog.TheParentsCoach.com &nbs
My name is Shelley and I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
My kids are 13,10,and 5 so I will be a part of this board for MANY
years to come!!DD is the middle child and 2 others are boys.
Evan starts back on Sept 4 in grade 8.We start school here later
but also go longer,ends around June 25.
I hope this year is better for Evan,socially,that is,academically
is great.
Have a great day,
Shelley
**********************************
www.LiveYourDreamsAtHome.com
sarichard1@pei.sympatico.ca
yahoo IM shelmomteam
Helping Moms Work From Home!!
"Anything is possible,you just need to believe!!"
"token father on this list"
nope, i think you guys make a trio now!
i don't post too often, but glad to have you men around for your point of view.
welcome aboard to all newcomers, i've been noticing quite a few lately!!
sallie
(Sorry, had to LOL at 'south of 80')
Sue
My name is Julie. I live in Southern Wisconsin, where it is hotter than you-know-what-this week. DH and I just celebrated our 26th anniversary. Our DD is 17 and will be a senior. This year we are hosting a foreign exchange student from Germany for the year. He will be a Junior. So, we will have two high school kids for a while.
School starts September 4th. DD starts swim practice and DFES starts soccer practice on August 12th.
Julie
We hosted 2 students from Germany! Our school only does a month-long exchange, though. First one was in the spring of 2004 - he was Jason's exchange partner and it was a wonderful experience - we are still in contact with him. Second time was spring of 2006 - Justin's exchange partner. That group that came over was just a lot different. Not bad necessarily but they all smoked (which is very common over there) and they all just seemed much more immature. I just never really felt like we 'clicked' with him. Both boys went to Germany to stay with their host families the following summers.
Rose is also from southern WI - the 2 of you could be neighbors! We did a college visit to University of Wisconsin Platteville last spring - very nice campus.
Aurelia (aka Real) here - I am a lurker but come out to post when I feel I can be of help and when I could use a good ear.
I live in Washington, DC with my Hubby, 7yo son Isaac, 16yo DD Isreal and 19yo DD Shayna. Isreal will be a Jr. in HS and Shay is a Junior in College at Florida A&M University.
Thanks Pam. We are very excited about our student. We knew back in February who we were getting and have been emailing and talking to him and his family since them. We we able to pick our student based on information he submitted through the program. When we saw his application, we knew instantly he would be a good fit for our family. We have been working long hours to get a room ready and make space for him. We'll pick him up at the airport next Saturday.
I'm feeling a lot of sympathy for his parents who have become very anxious since they recieved his flight information two weeks ago. I can't image how hard it is for them to let their son leave for such a long trip. I hope we have done enough to help them feel he will have a safe place when he gets here.
Our student tells me his favorite food is pasta. From your experience is our diet similar to that of the German students? I don't want to make him sick the day he gets here.
UW-Platteville? You have an engineering major in the family? I work at UW-Whitewater and my DD is planning to attend UW-LaCrosse next year. I think we have some good schools and very beautiful campus' in Wisconsin.
Julie
Hey Julie, I live about half way between UW-Platteville and UW-LaCrosse!
Pages