I honestly don't know, I stopped counting after 35. Hoarding food, mainly snacks, has been an issue with my adopted stepson for just about as long as I have known him. In all honesty, it has most likely gone on for the entire time that I have known him, it just took me a little while to catch on to how quickly certain items from the pantry were disappearing.

My adopted stepson's early childhood was not an easy one. Being raised by his paternal grandmother while his father was overseas in the military, and his mother was off doing her own thing, was a large enough hurdle for him to have to get over, but add to that, the fact that he was also growing up in... more

Three houses down from us a two-year-old child died today, under suspicious circumstances. Around eight police cars, an ambulance, and the Crime Unit van lined our street all day long, while plenty of reporters combed the area looking for statements from neighbors about the family. Bright yellow crime scene tape roped off the lawn, while almost the entire neighborhood wandered around outside in absolute shock. Sure our area has been hit with petty crime in the past few months, but absolutely nothing like this.

No one... more

Children who have grown up in unpredictable situations, tend to exhibit unpredictable behaviors, especially when they think that no one is looking. For quite some time (long enough that I do not care to think back and accurately recall just how long I was in daily misery) absolutely everyday was a struggle with my adopted stepson. If I wasn’t his shadow and literally two feet behind him, he was doing something that he definitely shouldn’t be doing.

Every morning my husband would give me a kiss and head out of the house, and I would... more

According to a recent article written by the Mayo Clinic, childhood obesity has doubled in rate for preschoolers and adolescents, and has more than tripled in rate for children whom are in the six to eleven age bracket.

This has really gotten me thinking of my own family, and even though none of us are overweight, we could certainly stand to be a more physically active family. While both my husband and myself have focused on the children being emotionally and physically healthy, we have seemingly let slide keeping all of us in... more

It is no secret that children crave sweets. What seems to be a secret is that those sweets do not have to be snack cakes, or the latest in snack chip flavors, but nature at its finest! The Agricultural Marketing Service has compiled a national database in the hopes of helping families to find the sweets that they crave, in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables, by developing a website which lists local farmers markets, state by state.

Currently in the United States, there are more people who suffer from obesity than who suffer from... more

Below is an interesting article on how the world is becoming more obese by the day. Without taking care of our own nutrition as adults, how can we expect our children to be healthy, as well as to make healthy living choices as adults? By finding the time, and making the effort, we can ensure that our children can grow up to be physically as well as mentally and emotionally stable and healthy adults. Without finding and making that time, are we doomed to being an overweight, and underproductive society? With all of the added issues that... more

Chances are someone close to your child does. With younger and younger children taking the risk, and trying illicit drugs each year, it is never too early to begin talking to your child, or children about the dangers of drugs and drug abuse, as well as educating oneself on what behaviors, signs, and symptoms to be on the lookout for in your child.

The world of drugs is an entire sub culture, complete with its own slang for every substance that a person can obtain a high off of. These slang terms are often used as code words, so that others around, such as parents,... more

Often times when families are considering a stepparent adoption, the abandonment of the child by the non-custodial parent is a factor, and a driving force for the adoption of the child by the stepparent. But many families are left wondering just what is considered to be child abuse in the eyes of the law. Below are the current definitions of child abuse and neglect, so that families can see if their current circumstances fall into the category of abuse.

Current through January 2005

You may wish to review this introductory text to better... more

Introduction Despite the efforts of the child protection system, child fatalities remain a serious problem.1 Although the untimely deaths of children due to illness and accidents have been closely monitored, deaths that result from physical assault or severe neglect can be more difficult to track. Intervention strategies targeted at resolving this problem face complex challenges.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics in this fact sheet are taken from Child Maltreatment 2002 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2004).

How Many Children... more

Children in West Virginia are more likely to die from abuse and neglect than kids in any other state, according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services.

Almost 100 West Virginia children have died from abuse and neglect since 2001, according to state and federal statistics.

While West Virginia’s numbers may be high because the states Child Fatality Review Team does such a great job tracking deaths, these numbers are still far too high, regardless of the reasons. This is why the state Supreme Court is publishing... more