Empowered To Connect » Fear

Giving the Gift of Voice

Michael Monroe — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:51:37 +0000

Giving ‘children from hard places’ the gift of voice allows them to replace fear with trust. Giving them voice enables them to learn how to ask for their needs appropriately. Giving them voice helps them to begin to express what they are feeling. But these children will not find their voice on their own — they need insightful and equipped parents that are willing to give them voice.

Watch as Michael Monroe explains what it means for parents to give their children the gift of voice.

What Every Adoptive Parent Should Know

Michael Monroe — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:19:12 +0000

In order to truly understand children from hard places — what they have experienced, the impact of those experiences and how we can help them heal and grow — it’s important that we understand some of the basics. That’s why we have put this collection of eight Empowered To Connect videos together — to introduce (or re-introduce) you to some of the most important basics that we believe every adoptive parent can benefit from.

Effective Ways to Deal with Sleep Issues

Michael Monroe — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:51:15 +0000

Sleep related issues and challenges are all too common for children from hard places. Watch as Dr. Karyn Purvis offers insights and strategies to help parents effectively respond to their child’s fear associated with sleep issues and build connection in the process.

Engaging Food Battles with Connection in Mind

Michael Monroe — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:25:09 +0000

Food battles can be challenging for any parent, and especially for adoptive and foster parents. Many children from hard places struggle with food-related issues and parents are often at a loss to know how best to respond to these challenges.

Watch as Dr. Karyn Purvis offers insights to help parents engage “food battles” while keeping connection in mind.

The Impact of Fear

Michael Monroe — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:26:10 +0000

Fear is very real in the lives of children from hard places. In fact, fear often ‘bullies’ our children into much of their misbehavior. As a result, it is critical that parents of children from hard places approach fear and fear-driven behaviors with compassion, insight and wisdom.

Watch as Dr. Purvis explains the impact of fear and how parents can begin to help their children learn to trust and let go of fear.

For more insight about the impact of fear, read Chapter 4 (Disarming the Fear Response) of The Connected Child, as well as Chapter 4 of Created To Connect: A Christian’s Guide to The Connected Child.

Provide Familiarity and Continuity

Michael Monroe — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:58:26 +0000

Watch as Dr. Karyn Purvis encourages adoptive and foster parents to provide familiarity and continuity for their new child, including familiar foods and smells, elements of their native language and culture and, where appropriate, contact with familiar people. This video is part of the Insights and Gifts video series, which includes a small group discussion guide that you can download here.

Give Your Child Predictability

Michael Monroe — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:20:59 +0000

Watch as Dr. Karyn Purvis talks about the importance of predictability for children from hard places, and how parents can help children succeed by enabling them to know what to expect. This video is part of the Insights and Gifts video series, which includes a small group discussion guide that you can download here.

Give Your Child Playfulness

Michael Monroe — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:30:04 +0000

Watch as Dr. Karyn Purvis focuses parents on the need to use playful engagement to help disarm their child’s fear response and enable a stronger connection. This video is part of the Insights and Gifts video series, which includes a small group discussion guide that you can download here.

To learn more about the importance of playful engagement and how parents can use it to both connect and correct, check out the Playful Interaction DVD from the TCU Institute of Child Development.

Empowering, Connecting & Correcting Principles DVD

Michael Monroe — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:11:45 +0000

The Institute of Child Development at TCU has created a nearly two-hour presentation available on DVD in which Dr. Karyn Purvis explains her research-based approach with children who come from what she calls “hard places.” This DVD offers a very helpful overview of the three principles that serve as the foundation of Dr. Purvis’ approach to help parents better understand how to connect with their children in order to help them heal and reach their highest potential.

In this presentation, Dr. Purvis explains how harm during the critical stages of brain growth can cause significant disruptions in a child’s development and behaviors, and offers strategies to overcome these challenges. This insightful and educational presentation is designed for parents, ministry leaders and adoption and foster care professionals alike.

You can order the DVD online from the Institute of Child Development for a price of $30 (plus shipping). To view a preview of the DVD, click here.

Insights & Gifts Discussion Guide

Michael Monroe — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:17:10 +0000

Empowered To Connect has created a discussion guide for the Insights & Gifts Video Series. This discussion guide was designed primarily for use in a small group setting where parents have the opportunity to share openly and learn from others. However, we believe that parents will also find this video series and the discussion guide beneficial for individual use or use as a couple.

Download the Insights & Gifts Discussion Guide free of charge by clicking here. View the Insights & Gifts Video Series by clicking here.

After viewing each of the Insights & Gifts video segments, participants are encouraged to thoughtfully consider and discuss the Questions for Discussion in the discussion guide. We have also included additional questions for each segment, Questions for Going Deeper, that require a bit more self-evaluation and vulnerability, as well as some suggestions for additional resources that may be helpful.

We pray that parents (and parents-to-be) will be greatly blessed and encouraged by the Insights & Gifts Video Series and this discussion guide.