Trauma Informed Parenting

The girl’s biological mother was assaulted, she was strangled and very badly beaten. It happened on the 13th but they were unable to locate any family until last night. The man who did it is in custody. She has been on a vent since she was brought in, and they are trying very hard to get her off but so far they have not been successful. They don’t know what kind of brain damage she will have, or if she will ever come off the vent. When they lowered her sedation she did try to rip out the vent which can be a good sign? I don’t really know my place in this. The girls older sister is taking the lead but she is across the country and only 19 years old. The rest of her family wants nothing to do with her. I have been helping big sister as much as possible but no one has gone to see her, would that ever be my place? She is at a hospital two hours away. I could go, but I don’t know if she would even want that..

Pretty sure V is getting kicked out of the new school. This is a school made for behavioral kids. I don’t understand how this is happening. Her behaviors do not seem extreme to me, and I am trying to decide if I have become desensitized to extreme behaviors or if our school system sucks. I mean probably both.. also this kid is so good for me 98% of the time. Why can no on else handle her?! She cannot be that much of an outlier that there is no school that can handle her.

I am reading a pretty terrible book, but I can’t not finish a book. I can count on one hand the number of books that I stopped reading 1/2 way through. Why am I like this? I need to see it through.

Kiddo started her new school today, she got on a bus for the first time and had an excellent first day. It’s a 6:1:1 class but currently only 4 kids. It’s the only class in the school with two girls. I think the school only has a few girls enrolled. I hope this works for her, really really hope it works. She deserves a win, and to make friends, and to feel safe and happy in school.

Conversations with my very smart but a little sheltered kid who is currently inpatient at a psychiatric hospital:

Today is one of my kid’s birthdays. We are leaving in a few minutes to drive the two hours to visit her at a psychiatric hospital. We are leaving 1/2 the kids behind and won’t be back until later tomorrow. I am so sad I won’t be with all my kids on their birthday and Christmas. I don’t even have everything ready for Christmas, I am probably going to need to find a Walmart or Target tonight just to finish a few things up.