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One Thankful Mom - Lisa Qualls

Honest reflections on family, adoption, foster care, and faith.

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Great Ways to Help Kids Process Scary Events

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If you’ve ever wondered how to help your child process frightening events, don’t miss episode #6 of my podcast and this great interview with Robyn Gobbel. Robyn is a therapist whose clinical practice is focused exclusively on working with families of children who have experienced a history of toxic stress and complex trauma. How should we […]

Are You Weary of Parenting?

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Have you ever felt discouraged and sad as a parent? I’m guessing you have. I wrote this at the end of our time on Whidbey Island. It seemed a bit whiney and maybe discouraging, so I didn’t post it. Today, I read it again and thought it may help you to know you’re not alone. […]

Talking with Annarose about Siblings

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If your family is a blend of kids by birth and adoption/foster care, or if you had an established family created by adoption and then added new children from “hard places,” don’t miss this interview with my daughter, Annarose. How do siblings in the family feel, and what do they experience, when you add children […]

Can Suffering Make You an Introvert?

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Last weekend I posted this on my OTM Instagram and Facebook page: This is the full text: Once upon a time, I was an extrovert, but that feels like a distant memory. The change may have begun as a slow draining away as we dove into parenting kids with lots of trauma, but our accident […]

A Three-Point Plan for Parenting Middle Schoolers

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Do you have middle schoolers? Are you wondering how to manage these years? As of today, I have five teens and one pre-teen (plus five young adults). I love teens, they’re interesting, fun to be with, and their worlds are exploding with opportunity. They also need a lot of guidance. Middle school is a time […]

Thankful for Vacation and for Going Home

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This morning I was up at 5:00 because the “silent” alarm on Russ’ Fitbit was going off every five minutes. He didn’t hear a thing. It’s our last morning on Whidbey Island and I’m thankful for the moments in the nearly dark and very quiet house, but after spending hours packing the house last night, […]

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  • If you’ve ever wondered how to help your child process frightening events, don’t miss this great interview with Robyn Gobbel. Robyn is a therapist whose clinical practice is focused exclusively on working with families of children who have experienced a history of toxic stress and complex trauma. How should we talk to our kids about scary events in the world? And what if we’re really afraid too? Robyn answers the question, “Should we fake it till you make it?” She also gives tips for calming ourselves and gives us a great example of how to help kids process traumatic events. Comment below if you would like a clickable link. #theadoptionconnection #trauma #adoption #fostercare #onethankfulmom
  • All right fellow parents, this post is honest. I wrote it a month ago and this morning couldn't be a better time to share it because I'm weary and discouraged. I'm praying, thinking, searching my mind for ideas or things I may be missing. • Therapeutic parenting is no joke; it takes a toll on us, the other kids, and our marriages. But God is with me, I know that - I just want Him to speak audibly to me because I can't seem to figure it all out. I'm asking Him for wisdom and strength. • Have you ever felt this way? • Link in profile. • #onethankfulmom #parenting #adoptivemom #theadoptionconnection #wewillnotbeshaken
  • If your family is a blend of kids by birth and adoption/foster care, or if you had an established family created by adoption and then added new children from “hard places,” don’t miss this interview with my daughter, Annarose. How do siblings in the family feel, and what do they experience, when you add children to the family through adoption or foster care? What if the new children come with lots of challenges? In this episode, I interview my daughter and middle child of eleven, Annarose, about the challenges and blessings of being a sister to kids through adoption. Comment if you want me to send you a clickable link to listen. • #theadoptionconnection #adoption #siblings #adoptionstrong
  • Dancing with my girls tonight at family camp. Such a fun weekend. • #teens #quallsfam #onethankfulmom
  • Many adoptive and foster parents have questions about how and when to talk with their kids about their stories. • What if your child’s story is really hard? Should you tell them the truth? How old should they be? • Don’t miss this interview with my mentor and friend Jayne Schooler. She is an adoptive mom, co-creator (with her husband, David) of Trauma Competent Caregiver training, and author of multiple books related to adoption and foster care. • Comment if you would like me to DM you a clickable link!
  • The night before the first day of school and these two are sitting on my bed talking. • I love teens, meaningful conversations, and laughter - these two definitely make me laugh. • Senior year for Zoe (in four months I can use her real name) and junior year for Claire. • #firstdayofschool #highschool #fostercare #fosterlove #onethankfulmom