top of page
Lauren Flynn
Jan 11, 20215 min read
The land of living ghosts (a plea for openness in adoption)
There's a lot of debate among those who have adopted, especially out of foster care, about the level of openness one should offer after...
859 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Jan 4, 20215 min read
Standing your ground with (and for) your aggressive child
One of the most prevalent reasons foster parents and even adoptive parents give for choosing to have a child removed from their home is...
1,720 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Dec 27, 20204 min read
The truth about wanting a baby
Here's the thing: I get it. The truth is, there are babies that I really, really want, that I long to hold so much it physically hurts.
501 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Dec 21, 20203 min read
Autism and adoption: helping a child on the spectrum transition to your home.
This was written back when our youngest son first joined our family. I had to take it down because of confidentiality rules while he was...
669 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Dec 7, 20205 min read
Surviving a Childhood in Foster Care: Melanie's Story, Part 1
I "met" Melanie Ketchum (total superhero name right?) on social media, but I already feel like I know her. She's living her best life as...
499 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Nov 2, 20205 min read
The ones who wait
Some of them, like my oldest son, are adopted into their foster family. That's how it should go, when the need for adoption arises. Thats...
490 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Oct 21, 20207 min read
A lot of the time, the problem is me
When I first started parenting kids with a trauma background, I thought that all of the challenging behaviors and tough days we had...
293 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Oct 13, 20207 min read
Emily's Kinship Story: Part 2
What was it like for you to have to go up against children's services like this? What effects did the experience have on your life and...
157 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Oct 5, 20206 min read
Emily's Kinship Story: Part 1
It's the middle of the night, and you're awakened by a phone call. A social worker on the other end hurriedly explains to you that you...
385 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Sep 12, 20205 min read
Against all odds: Educating disabled students in a pandemic
We had our first week of virtual learning this week. My amazing co-teacher and our dedicated support staff and I all worked tirelessly...
87 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Sep 5, 20205 min read
Praying for failure: All the ways I've sabotaged reunification
E, this is a list of the ways in which I let you down. Sorry doesn't cut it, I know that now. If I had known better I would have done...
476 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Sep 1, 20203 min read
"Nonverbal"
Nonverbal is a really weird term the way that it's used in our society. It can mean a person who doesn't use verbal speech at all ever...
135 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Aug 31, 20209 min read
A social worker spills the tea
As a foster parent, I've worked with more than a few social workers. And I definitely have had some, ahem, less than kind thoughts about...
521 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Aug 29, 20206 min read
Real-life mothering: A puke story
I am not a good homemaker by any stretch of the word. Our house vacillates between basically-cleaned-up-but-those-baseboards-need-Jesus...
174 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Aug 14, 20205 min read
Aging Out of Foster Care: #notthisonechallenge
I think most of us would agree that 18=a baby adult right? I don't know about you guys but when I was 18 I was definitely not ready to...
1,405 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Aug 10, 20205 min read
Still so thankful: an adoption anniversary update
One year ago (over the phone in an Ikea parking lot, cuz out of state adoptions are weird like that) a judge made legal what was already...
259 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Aug 9, 20205 min read
Q&A: What is it really like to adopt and raise disabled kids? Part 2
All posts in this series are dedicated to J and Y, our dynamically disabled duo. "And once our eyes are opened, we cannot pretend that we...
277 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Aug 6, 20205 min read
Q&A: What is it really like to adopt and raise disabled kids? Part 1
All posts in this series are dedicated to J and Y, our dynamically disabled duo. "And once our eyes are opened, we cannot pretend that we...
235 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Aug 3, 20205 min read
But what if you have to say goodbye?
We've thought about doing foster care. We really love babies and children and we think we'd enjoy caring for another child in our home....
148 views0 comments
Lauren Flynn
Jul 30, 20204 min read
When Teens in Foster Care Run Away from Home
Recently, in a Facebook group for foster parents, there was a post about teens and running away. I have a 17 year old foster daughter who...
147 views0 comments
bottom of page