December 2014 - Motherlode - The Network of Care

Charities That Inspire Kids: The Family & Youth Initiative

Teenagers in foster care need the meaningful connections with adult friends and mentors that this organization provides. Sometimes those relationships become something more. Read More...

Published Wed, Dec 31 2014 8:04 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, foster care, Teenagers and Adolescence, Philanthropy, Adoptions, Highlights, Volunteers and Community Service

Charities That Inspire Kids: The African Library Project

Two families describe the fun they've had working with the African Library Project, which works with donors to start school libraries in Africa. Read More...

Published Wed, Dec 31 2014 7:26 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Books and Literature, Philanthropy, Highlights, Libraries and Librarians, Volunteers and Community Service

When It Takes a Dentist’s Chair to Disconnect

If I could lie in a dentist's chair for several hours, why not a lounge chair? Read More...

Published Wed, Dec 31 2014 6:09 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Work-Life Balance, Highlights

Charities That Inspire Kids: BlinkNow

A student is inspired by Blink Now, and her social studies teacher, to work for change for women in Nepal. Read More...

Published Tue, Dec 30 2014 1:33 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Women and Girls, Philanthropy, Highlights

Charities That Inspire Kids: Water for South Sudan

When middle schooler Grady Beauregard heard a boy around his age describe his life in Sudan, it inspired Grady to reach out to others and find out what he could do to help. Read More...

Published Tue, Dec 30 2014 10:21 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Philanthropy, Highlights, Volunteers and Community Service

Charities That Inspire Kids: Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation

Their family needed Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation's help, but found that their work to find a donor for their son helped others as well, and inspires them still. Read More...

Published Tue, Dec 30 2014 8:41 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Charities That Inspire Kids

With Deployment Looming, How Do You Measure a Year?

I remember us, the day our daughter was born after my husband's return from Iraq, telling our families that he wouldn't deploy again "until 2015." Read More...

Published Tue, Dec 30 2014 7:29 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Christmas, New Year, United States Defense and Military Forces, Deployment Diary

The Appeal of the Parent-Child Rom-Com

In movies where adults fall for children, parents, nonparents and children alike see an idealized version of what they want in their own family relationships. Read More...

Published Mon, Dec 29 2014 1:17 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: Movies, parenting, Highlights, The Sound of Music (Movie), About a Boy (Movie), The Switch (Movie)

Charities That Inspire Kids: Mobile Loaves and Fishes

Mobile Loaves and Fishes inspires Claudia Barlow and her daughter, Bailey, to work with a community of homeless and formerly homeless people in Austin, Tex. Read More...

Published Mon, Dec 29 2014 10:34 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Philanthropy, Homeless Persons, Volunteers and Community Service, Charities That Inspire Kids, Austin (Tex)

A Foster Teen’s Holiday and Uncertain Future

We have mentored a foster child through many "homes" and placements, and she has spent many holidays with us. This year, she's bonding (we hope) with a new family. Read More...

Published Sun, Dec 28 2014 5:39 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: foster care, Children and Childhood, Teenagers and Adolescence, Highlights, Los Angeles (Calif), Mentors

Charities That Inspire Kids: Sal’s Shoes

Sal's Shoes collects used shoes from families to send directly to children who need them. Read More...

Published Sat, Dec 27 2014 5:55 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Philanthropy, Highlights, Volunteers and Community Service, Charities That Inspire Kids

Training Children in Insomnia, and Embracing the Enemy

From the time our boys were babies, we were so desperate for a few hours of respite that we turned our house into a library with a nasty librarian. Now they can't sleep without silence — and I know how well that ends. Read More...

Published Fri, Dec 26 2014 5:50 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Highlights, Insomnia

Charities That Inspire Kids: St. Baldrick’s

The St. Baldrick's Foundation inspired two young people to give their passion, and to write in about it. Read More...

Published Fri, Dec 26 2014 5:20 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Cancer, Philanthropy, Youth, Highlights, Charities That Inspire Kids

Blue-Haired Bingo in Footie Pajamas

There’s a common perception that with cancer in the house, the mood is all death and dying, gloom and doom. But there can be laughter and humor, too. Read More...

Published Thu, Dec 25 2014 2:27 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Cancer, Christmas, Death and Dying, Highlights

Eleven, With Down Syndrome, and Still a Santa-Loving Little Girl. Maybe.

My daughter is still a little girl, with a stuffed Piglet and Velcro-fastened shoes. For years, she's dictated her letter to Santa to me. This year, things were different. Read More...

Published Wed, Dec 24 2014 5:32 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Christmas, Santa Claus, Down syndrome, Highlights

December 2014 - Motherlode

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