Search Results for: blog home and family grief

Tips For Gathering And Supporting Family

The month of December includes several holidays, including Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Solstice. Many people enjoy gathering together to celebrate with members of their families during these holiday celebrations. For best results, follow these tips for gathering and supporting family members. Plan Gatherings Around The Most Vulnerable Family Members CNBC News reported advice from Dr. Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her number one piece of advice is to plan gatherings around the most vulnerable family members. Vulnerable communities include people who are immunocompromised, children, and elderly people. Dr. Wallace listed the following examples of how … Continue reading →

Funerals and Finances

Have you ever stopped to think about your funeral? Most people don’t unless we’re at a service for someone else, and then we might comment to our spouse, “Don’t bury me in a coffin like that.” Then we just go on our way without saying much more. But you can save not only hassle, but money, if you take the time to think about it now. My dad passed away eighteen months ago. He and his wife had purchased a package from the local mortuary that included their viewing, caskets, funeral programs, embalming, flowers … the only thing it didn’t … Continue reading →

Utilizing Extended Family in Your School

Sometimes when we think of homeschooling, we tend to get caught in the rut of thinking we have to do everything ourselves. That’s overwhelming and can make us think there’s no way we can do it, but you know what? That’s not true. We can get outside help. We can go on field trips, we can co-op with other homeschoolers, and we can call on family members to help. My dad spoke Spanish, and before he passed away, I would take my children over to see him so they could ask him their Spanish-related questions. Even though it had been … Continue reading →

Handling Miscarriage and Loss

A local woman here in Australia, who suffered Neonatal Loss of her twin boys a couple of years ago, has come up with a novel idea for those who suffer a miscarriage. Erin Hartigan was 24 weeks pregnant when her her two boys were born prematurely. They only lived a short time. As a result of the pain and loss she suffered, she wanted to try and do something to help other mothers who had undergone a miscarriage or a similar experience of loss. This year on January 2 she had a dream about making a box to put all … Continue reading →

When Someone Very Special Dies: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief

When someone passes away and goes home to heaven, it is difficult for adults. Can you imagine how it feels to a child who understands “why” even less than an adult does? Children deal with loss a bit differently than an adult does. It is necessary to help them through the grieving process as much as possible. When Someone Very Special Dies: Children Can Learn to Cope with Grief by Marge Heegard is an amazing book where children are presented with a situation or a statement regarding their loss. On each page a statement is made similar to, “this is … Continue reading →

Warning: Grandma’s on Facebook

And her grandkids are not happy about it. Getting friend requests from your grandmother isn’t exactly “cool” in the world of social media obsessed teens. In fact, a new survey says that large numbers of teens are abandoning their Facebook pages because they no longer want to deal with older family members having access to revealing information they post exclusively for their “real” friends. According to the survey, the percentage of 15 to 24 year olds with a page on a social networking site has dropped for the first time ever, though not by a significant amount (from 55% to … Continue reading →

Stress, Weight Gain and Depression in Adoptive Parents

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“At least you don’t have to deal with the ‘maternity forty’!” chirped a colleague while I waiting for my third child’s arrival from Korea. Adoptive parents frequently hear comments like, “Oh, you’re doing it the easy way”. Now, having had a difficult pregnancy myself, I’m inclined to agree that MY adoption process wasn’t as difficult as my pregnancy. But I was blessed to have had the choice both to conceive and to adopt. Remember that many adoptive parents have been dealing with the grief of infertility. They often feel that their dreams of a family are at the mercy of … Continue reading →

Adoption in the Little House TV series, Season 9 and Final Movie

This is the last in a series of blogs dealing with adoption in the popular, still-airing-in-reruns show Little House on the Prairie. In season nine’s two-part opener, “Times are Changing”, Almanzo’s brother dies. Their niece Jenny will now live with them. They are perplexed at how to help her deal with her grief and with the changes in her life. Also in season 9 is “The Wild Boy”. A deaf boy has been kept in a circus show and drugged to act as “the Wild Boy”. Jenny Wilder, Dr. Baker and Mr. Edwards discover his true nature. Although the judge … Continue reading →

Does it Matter if You Don’t Go to Church and WorshipTogether?

How important is it in marriage to attend the same church and worship together? Does it matter if you are different denominations or go to different churches? Obviously the problem of different churches or denominations is not insurmountable but it certainly is something that needs to be taken into consideration and discussed before marriage. In many churches the number of women who attend far outweighs that of men. This causes an imbalance in churches. In a marriage situation this means that the husband is not taking the spiritual leadership role he should. Wives who go to church when the husband … Continue reading →

Public Memorial Planned for Jennifer Hudson’s Family

While Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and her sister grieve the senseless deaths of their beloved family members in private, residents in their Chicago neighborhood are planning a public memorial to honor the lives of Darnell Donerson, Jason Hudson, and Julian King. A statement just released by the actress’ rep reads: “The Hudson family welcomes anyone who wishes to attend and pay their respects to these three beloved members of the Chicago community.” The former “American Idol” contestant will not be attending the public service, nor will her sister Julia, the mother of 7-year-old Julian King, according to Hudson’s rep. However, … Continue reading →