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Seasons

100 FREE OR CHEAP SUMMER ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS (PLUS FREE SUMMER BUCKET LIST PRINTABLE)

July 3, 2019 11 Comments

Huge list of free/cheap activities to keep your children happy this summer - with FREE summer bucket list download! #kids #summer #bucketlist #activities #free

Summer's here, and the holidays are looming - which, if you're a parent of school-aged kids, means kiddoes everywhere, all the time - argh! Someone pass me the gin. Before you start with the sand and the shovel, though, I have good news for you: here are 100 free or cheap summer activities for … [Read more...] about 100 FREE OR CHEAP SUMMER ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS (PLUS FREE SUMMER BUCKET LIST PRINTABLE)

Family Life· Parenting· Summer

A FATHER’S ROAD TO ADOPTION

June 13, 2019 13 Comments

Brilliant book outlining the adoption journey of an adoptive Dad and his wife, detailing the emotional rollercoaster of their process.

Is anyone else scrabbling about, the day before Fathers' Day, trying to think of a suitable gift for their kids' dad? Or is it just me? DesertDad is incredibly difficult to buy for. He doesn't really want anything, bar a decent whisky, and then I'm caught between whether it's appropriate for … [Read more...] about A FATHER’S ROAD TO ADOPTION

Adoption· Adoption process· Books and resources· Fathers' Day

MOTHERS’ DAY AND BABY LOSS

March 27, 2019 6 Comments

Too Soon by Jane Clamp (SPCK), book review, baby loss, miscarriage, The Hope-Filled Family

Approximately 1 in 8 pregnancies end in miscarriage. It's a startlingly high figure, and I count myself as guiltily fortunate to be excluded from it. But so many of my friends have experienced miscarriage in a variety of ways, at a variety of stages, that despite being daily driven up the wall by … [Read more...] about MOTHERS’ DAY AND BABY LOSS

Books and resources· Discipleship for parents· Mothers' Day

30 SIMPLE LENT ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES

February 28, 2019 13 Comments

Creative Lent ideas for families.

Want some creative Lent activities for families and children this year? Nope, thought you didn't. Because, if I know you well (and I'm starting to think I might), I know that you show up to this blog exhausted by parenting and life and everything in between. You really don't need anything … [Read more...] about 30 SIMPLE LENT ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES

Books and resources· Discipleship for kids· Easter & Lent· Faith· Family Life· Parenting

HOW NOT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR IN-LAWS

December 20, 2018 Leave a Comment

What kind of relationship should we have with our in-laws?

A couple of weeks ago I was having a text conversation with my sister-in-law about some of the family arrangements for Christmas. At one point, I was about to type a reply saying, "Your family is ridiculous!" Allow me to back-track and give some context. I get on really well with my in-laws, and … [Read more...] about HOW NOT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR IN-LAWS

Christmas & Advent· Faith· Family Life· Marriage

‘BABY SHARK’ NATIVITY SONG (AND THE ADOPTIVE ROLE OF JOSEPH)

December 17, 2018 3 Comments

Baby shark Nativity song

One of the important spiritual preparations I've made this Advent to enable my heart to draw closer to the Christ-child, to recognise the wonder of God-incarnate, sent from heaven to rescue us from ourselves, is... ...to re-write a Nativity version of "Baby Shark". Yeah, that kind of sums up my … [Read more...] about ‘BABY SHARK’ NATIVITY SONG (AND THE ADOPTIVE ROLE OF JOSEPH)

Adoption· Christmas & Advent· Faith

WHAT GOES IN OUR ADVENT BASKET?

December 3, 2018 13 Comments

Creating an Advent basket is a simple but wonderful family tradition for Advent and Christmas. Here's what to put in it.

The kids and I love Advent, and all the fun preparations for Christmas. We have loads of little traditions that we look forward to, and try to focus on sharing the story of Jesus' birth in creative and fun ways. One of these traditions is our Advent basket. You may do something similar in your home … [Read more...] about WHAT GOES IN OUR ADVENT BASKET?

Books and resources· Christmas & Advent· Discipleship for kids· Faith· Family Life· Parenting

END-OF-TERM TEACHER GIFTS: ARE THEY COMPULSORY?

July 14, 2018 5 Comments

Do I have to buy my child's teachers an end-of-term gift?

It's that point of the year when we're all (figuratively, if not literally) crawling our kids to school, fingernails scraping the parched grass as we pant towards the finish line of next Friday. Of course, we're aware of just how much our children's teachers have done for them this last year, and … [Read more...] about END-OF-TERM TEACHER GIFTS: ARE THEY COMPULSORY?

Education· Family Life· Parenting· Summer

WHY MY SON TORE UP HIS MOTHERS’ DAY CARD (AND IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK)

April 6, 2018 8 Comments

An insight into the destructive behaviours presented by adopted/fostered children - why they happen and what they look like.

As an organised, sentimental yet time-starved Mum, my approach to archiving all those special bits and pieces that your kids produce (and which you want to keep because, my gosh, some of it is truly awful), consists of throwing them all into named box files. It works pretty well: each child has a … [Read more...] about WHY MY SON TORE UP HIS MOTHERS’ DAY CARD (AND IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK)

Adoption· Explaining adoption to others· Family Life· Mothers' Day· Parenting· Parenting an Adopted Child

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The Hope-Filled Family - UK Christian parenting and adoption blog by Lucy Rycroft
Should you send your child to a school in special measures? What if the local school is failing? What do you do? Read our story here.
This article explains why adopted children are more susceptible to pre-birth factors which might affect their development, such as domestic violence, drinking alcohol and substance abuse. It counters the argument that just because a child is taken into care at birth they will be 'fine'.
For those days (or weeks, or months, or years) when you feel like you're failing at parenting, here is your hope, your encouragement and some practical ideas.
How to have great family bible time for kids when it’s noisy and chaotic. The best family devotionals often happen in the chaos, and this post tells you why.
Looking round prospective schools with your adopted or fostered child? Here are the questions you need to ask.
The four attachment styles are explained in this clear, no-fuss blog. What they are, how to spot them, and how to parent your child with this knowledge.
How adoption/fostering might affect toddlers' behaviour.
Is church just an extra curricular activity? Is it important for my family to attend church? What happens if we skip church?
Are you a lonely parent? You're not alone - literally. Many of us struggle with social isolation when we become parents. Here are some ways to combat it.
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