Posted on 1/2/2020
We adopted our son in October 2018. He was almost 3 years old. Right away I noticed he banged his head in his sleep or to go to sleep. Banged into his hands or pillow, almost rhythmically. I know...
Read MorePosted on 11/16/2019
After a long string of troubling incidents involving our 7yr old (soon to be 8) son, we decided to try John's "kicking out of the garden" strategy. We are going on vacation (gone 9 days) next...
Read MorePosted on 10/9/2019
We recently adopted a nine-month-old boy. He’s been delightful and sweet during the day but has trouble going down to sleep for naps and nighttime. He also wakes up several times at night and...
Read MorePosted on 8/30/2019
Will there be any parent retreats in 2020 on the east coast? We would be interested.
Read MorePosted on 8/30/2019
My husband and I recently legally adopted our six and half year old nephew who has been living with us since he was 2.5. He did not know us prior to him coming to live with us. He comes from a...
Read MorePosted on 8/5/2019
Our 6-year-old daughter will go to school in a month. Some doctors say she has ADHD. We take much effort to prepare her for school as she is falling behind on knowledge that is required for...
Read MorePosted on 7/30/2019
Hello. I adopted my son, now 5 1/2, at birth, and I am a single working (teacher) mother. He is close to my brothers and my dad and has never expressed a desire for a dad and when asked, will...
Read MorePosted on 7/24/2019
We live in an apartment. During the working days I am at work all day long. We have three girls: 6-year old, 4-year old and 3-month old baby. The two older kids have been adopted three years ago...
Read MorePosted on 6/12/2019
Hello, We are considering adopting a child who was addicted to methamphetamine in the womb. He also was exposed to marijuana and cigarettes. We have compassion for him, and we know it is not...
Read MorePosted on 10/22/2018
Our 6 yo girl went to school this year and she faced three problems there: First, she doesn’t recognize teachers’ authority (although she has due respect to us parents). This problem is further...
Read MorePosted on 8/20/2018
I have a 9 year old in school and a 2 year old foster child that we are adopting who was placed with us in February. When she was placed with us I cut back my workload to try and spend as much...
Read MorePosted on 8/3/2018
My 4 year old Grandson who has always lived with me seems to be having some new concerns regarding his Mom. His Mom, has not seen him since Christmas Day, and has not contacted me to do so. Yes,...
Read MorePosted on 6/4/2018
My husband and 19 year old son seem to have absolutely no relationship. (My husband adopted my kids) I’ve been urging them for years to go do stuff together, whatever. 2 weeks ago, our counselor...
Read MorePosted on 5/8/2018
Have custody of a now, 4 year old Grandson. Mom abandoned him at about 18 months old, moved to Florida to make porn. Returned after that didn't work for her. My husband and I refused to allow...
Read MorePosted on 2/27/2018
We care for a foster child who is 4, going on 5 in less than two weeks. He & his brother (age 6) have been with us for 2 weeks shy of a year. The 4 year old is extremely emotionally immature. We...
Read MorePosted on 1/22/2018
My six year old son is being expelled from his Catholic kindergarten. He says another child told him to ask a girl if a grown up ever touched her privates. She went home told her mother. He was...
Read MorePosted on 12/25/2017
Dear John and the ParentGuru crew, We have 5 years old daughter (adopted a year ago). The issue is that she can go to total strangers and hug them or chat with them whenever an opportunity...
Read MorePosted on 11/13/2017
I am a preschool principal, I have a 5 year-old child who has problems. He has been with us since he was 4 (we have used many ways to discipline him but it doesn't work). He is able to...
Read MorePosted on 9/29/2017
My son is 9 1/2. Over the last few months we have implemented the daily 6 block chart program after reading The Well Behaved Child in response to the defiance and attitude we had been seeing...
Read MorePosted on 8/6/2017
We have had legal guardianship of our great-grandson for the last 2 years. He is now 4 years old. The grandfather is disabled and both his parents are drug addicts. My question is should we...
Read MorePosted on 8/4/2017
We have an adopted son, almost 16 yo, who has been with us for 2 1/2 years. He spent most of his earlier life in an over-crowded orphanage, with very little male influence and little supervision....
Read MorePosted on 5/17/2017
I have a soon to be 9 year old adopted daughter (who was adopted at birth) that is starting to ask a lot of questions about how a woman gets pregnant. She is adamant that she wants to adopt...
Read MorePosted on 5/9/2017
Our 5 year old adopted child was born drug addicted, had a trach and gtube for first 4 years of her life. In NICU for first 6 months. To comfort herself she rocks back and forth, slams her back...
Read MorePosted on 3/4/2017
Our five year old (foster) son has begun stealing things from other children's book bags (or toys that are left out) at his after-school program. He's a curious little fellow and has a hard time...
Read MorePosted on 11/4/2016
I said he had tried. Having been a foster parent for many years, I am well aware of the need to be vigilant. Most of my adopted children entered my home with the mindset that behavior was just...
Read MorePosted on 11/1/2016
At my wit's end. You told me it would get harder before it gets better, but we are merely warehousing this boy. At fifteen he does whatever he wants whenever he wants. We have successfully used...
Read MorePosted on 10/1/2016
Adopted Female child age 10; neglect and multiple traumas, sexual abuse. She is in complete safety for 4+ years now, yet she is Hypersensitive, intense, social issues, cannot get along with...
Read MorePosted on 8/21/2016
I am a kindergarten teacher and have a student with anger management issues. When he has to clean up what he's playing with or something doesn't go his way, he gets out of control...throws chair,...
Read MorePosted on 6/25/2016
I have a very energetic defiant adopted daughter. She was diagnosed with ADHD. We have given her medicine in the past but after reading John's book have taken her off and are trying consistent...
Read MorePosted on 6/17/2016
My 14 years old son wants to taste alcohol regularly. He recently told us that he would buy vodka with his money (we indicated that if we ever have a doubt about him buying alcohol/drugs with the...
Read MorePosted on 6/6/2016
Hello- I have a 3 year old female toddler and I adopted her as a single mother. She often says I am gonna tell Daddy- where is my Daddy? She craves male attention and my 70 year old Dad lives 8...
Read MorePosted on 5/19/2016
What can you tell me about my, and my son's rights in open adoption? The mother has missed last two court scheduled visits. Made no other contact since. Father missed last scheduled visit. Wants...
Read MorePosted on 4/30/2016
We've very recently taken legal custody of our 8 yr old granddaughter and truthfully do not know what kinds of behaviors to expect of 8 year olds. Of concern is that she has extreme mood swings...
Read MorePosted on 9/29/2015
We Just adopted our 3 year old great grandson. What is the best way to explain it to him? It was an open adoption. Should he still call us Mima and Papa, or are mom and dad better for him?
Read MorePosted on 9/4/2015
My almost three year old is adopted. Our arrangement with her birth-mom, was that we would allow supervised visits for so long as the relationship was healthy for our daughter. The birth-mom is...
Read MorePosted on 7/3/2015
Thanks, Carrie, for answering. We had just recently restored the things to his room. He leads a very isolated life due to his behaviors and that is difficult. We recently sent him off to find...
Read MorePosted on 6/30/2015
Back again with a question concerning our now nearly fourteen year old boy. John told us that fourteen and fifteen would be worse. In some ways it is, in others, not so bad. But a couple of...
Read MorePosted on 1/5/2015
I have 2 children, my daughter is adopted from China. Husband and I make sure she knows she is very loved and wanted, I tell her I am open to ANY questions she has regarding her beginnings....
Read MorePosted on 10/30/2014
My wife and I are trying to adopt older children from Ethiopia. Our Christian faith-based adoption agency required us to study lessons in a video training course called Because They Waited which...
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