Anyone who reads me often knows that there are certain publications that tend to put me off my lunch. The UK's Telegraph is one example, especially after a completely unprofessional sudden change of headline as an attempt to step back from a clumsy and irresponsible move.

Well, once again The Telegraph is annoying me.

This time, with ... more

When you were a child playing house, what sort of mommy or daddy did you look like in your head?

Were you June and Ward, all pearls and suits and "Wash up, boys!", while your little scamps got in to all sorts of hilarious and innocent high jinks that would unravel before their eyes, but come together within the alloted 22 minutes, usually about the time Father returned home?

Or the Nelson version of the same, where Harriet held down the tidy, calm, ultimately reasonable fort during the days as Ozzie vanished into a fog of... more

"Do you know how old you'll be when that kid is a teen?"

Heard that? Yeah ... I'll be you have.

Does it scare you? No?

What? Are you simple, or something? Because it certainly should!

Not that your status as an older adoptive parent should be the root of all fear. No. Any parent of any age should tremble at the thought of sharing space with raging hormones, perceptions of wisdom far beyond what years would indicate, and the potential for mistakes with dire and life-long consequences.

Teens are scary,... more

When Mark and I began our first adoption journey, like many people new to the concept I had the idea that it was girls that were most likely to be needing homes and families.

The UK's Channel 4 production, "The Dying Rooms" swept the world, and the terrifying view into the world of unwanted little girls in China convinced many that boys had it easier and were far less likely to be in orphanages.

For many reasons ...... more

Anyone traveling soon might want to brush up a bit on the problem of deep vein thrombosis, venous thromboembolism (VTE), since the WHO just issued warnings again in its Research Into Global Hazards of Travel project.

Referring back to the first of today's posts, the WHO says, "Travellers can take "common-sense" measures to reduce the risks of contracting... more

When my husband, Mark, was a child, his father was in the British army. The family was often separated, with Dad spending months at a time away from their home near whichever base in England or Ireland they had been pointed toward while he served in Malaysia, British Guyana, Germany and Northern Ireland.

For most of Mark's early years, paternal companionship came in short spurts followed by long periods where it was Mom or no one. When Mark was nine-years-old, John, my father-in-law, retired from the army... more

I do hate to break it to all you dad's out there, especially so close to Fathers Day and all, but in addition to having statistically shorter life spans ... although the divide there is shrinking as your habits get healthier ... your slope to mental decline is just ever so much more slippery and slick than that of us moms. Well, not just moms, but women in general tend to keep their grip better and longer than men do.

A new study ... a huge new... more

Thanks to suggestions from readers I've started posting some questions and answers on older parents. The introduction is here, followed by embarrassment and negatives here. SHB: Adopted by older parents as you were,... more

Thanks to suggestions from readers I've started posting some questions and answers on older parents. The introduction is here. SHB: Many older adoptive parents worry that their age will be an embarrassment to their kids when those kids hit the teen years. Any comment?

Kris: All parents are an embarrassment... more

I asked a while back for suggestions for topics for this Older Parent blog, as I was feeling idea-depleted. Some great thoughts came in, including a couple about seeking the perspective of adoptees who have parents that were up there in age when their kids came home. I put the word around in a few places I frequent that I had a few questions and was looking for people who'd be interested in answering. Here are brief descriptions:

Kris is 37-years-old... more