Concerned About How Your Children are Coping? Here is a Valuable Resource!

I am constantly scouring the web to find valuable information to post here. I was pleased to recently find an excellent website geared towards children’s issues. Kids’ Turn Central was a new find for me, but probably not for many parents and teachers. Wendy Hogan has cleverly integrated a plethora of diverse material, games and activities that are fun, safe and educational for children, including some cool “clipart”, into the website. She launched Kids’ Turn Central in September of 2001.

The page that I wanted to bring to your attention lists numerous books, child rights organizations, and other resources focused on children of divorce. With Wendy’s permission, below is a sample of its content. It is worth your time to check her website out thoroughly! I’ll bet that you will find material that will be both beneficial and fun, too!

It’s a fact. Every year millions of kids must go through parents divorcing.… View Full Article → “Concerned About How Your Children are Coping? Here is a Valuable Resource!”

In Camera Interviews of Children in Divorce Court

What is an in camera interview? The phrase “in camera” is a Latin term defined in Black’s Law Dictionary as: “In chambers; in private.”  The interview does not involve a camera or a videotape at all!  If a party is asking for the Court to have an in camera interview of a minor child, the request is for the Judge or Magistrate to interview the minor child privately with neither parent or his/her attorney being present.  An Appellate Court in Michigan said it very well years ago . . .

“A child custody determination is much more difficult and subtle than an arithmetical computation of factors.  It is one of the most demanding undertakings of a trial judge, one in which he must not only listen to what is said to him and observe all that happens before him, but a task requiring him to discern and feel the climate and chemistry of the relationships between children and parents.  … View Full Article → “In Camera Interviews of Children in Divorce Court”

Fact or Fiction: Biological Children Fare Better Than Adopted Children?

According to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 2.1 million adopted children and 4.4 million stepchildren of householders as estimated from the Census 2000 sample. Together, these children represented approximately 8 percent of the 84 million sons and daughters of householders in 2000.

It is a fact, based upon several recent surveys, that children in adoptive households are treated better than children in homes with two biological parents!  Adoptive parents were more likely to enrich their children’s lives to compensate for the lack of biological ties and invest more effort recognizing that adopted children needed more help to succeed. Nigel Barber, Ph.D., author of Kindness in a Cruel World, wrote a fascinating article in Psychology Today Blogs on June 1, 2009, about the subject (click here to read).  He analyzed two recent studies, both of which have findings that are inconsistent with the fairy-tale claim that parents cannot treat genetically unrelated children as well as their own kin.… View Full Article → “Fact or Fiction: Biological Children Fare Better Than Adopted Children?”

Preventing a Parentectomy After Divorce

One of the most interesting and well written pieces that I have read in a long time is a keynote address presented by Dr. Frank S. Williams to the National Council for Children’s Rights in Washington D.C. on October 20, 1990. Dr. Williams is a noted child psychiatrist and the Director of Family and Child Psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. While this presentation was almost 19 years ago, Dr. Williams’ sage advice is no less relevant now than it ever was!

During my 31-year law career, I have focused a large part of my efforts both professionally and as a member of various community organizations and non-profit Boards towards diverse child-welfare related causes. So with that stated background, I whole-heartedly encourage everyone to read Dr. Williams’ presentation in full, by clicking here.

I will attempt to capsulate some of the salient points as well as set forth the six (6) recommendations he made based on his extensive clinical experience to prevent parentectomies.… View Full Article → “Preventing a Parentectomy After Divorce”

A Dramatic New Guardian Ad Litem Rule in Ohio

The Ohio Supreme Court instituted new rules on March 1, 2009, regarding the role and responsibilities of a Guardian ad Litem (GAL).  Ohio Rule of Superintendence 48 codifies these rules.  As background, a GAL is a person appointed by the court in both domestic relations and juvenile cases to protect the best interest of the child.  The GAL typically issues a Report to the court detailing the investigation and setting forth a recommendation.  It is not uncommon for a GAL to be involved in most juvenile cases and in many domestic relations cases involving minor children.  Prior to Rule 48 there were no uniform GAL rules in Ohio, but many courts have had their own rules; and in addition, lawyers serving as GAL’s were bound by the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct.

The new Rule does several things.  But the most important may be establishing certain training requirements and defining the responsibilities of the GAL in his or her investigation.  … View Full Article → “A Dramatic New Guardian Ad Litem Rule in Ohio”

Children’s Extracurricular Activities A Delicate Balancing Act Post Divorce

In the second of a two-part series, attorney Robert Mues discusses the impact that a divorce may have on juggling a child’s activities and parenting time.

A recurring battle that I see in my family law practice is how to juggle a child’s extracurricular activities after a divorce.  There is no black and white answer, of course, to this question.  In many cases where there is shared parenting or both mother and father continue to communicate with each other and place the child’s best interest in perspective, both parents will attend the child’s after-school activities and will seamlessly foster the child’s continued participation in the activities no matter which home the child may be residing in.  However, in a large number of post-divorce situations, especially in high conflict cases or where the parties do not live in close proximity with one another, continuation of extracurricular activities can present a major problem.… View Full Article → “Children’s Extracurricular Activities A Delicate Balancing Act Post Divorce”

Children’s Extracurricular Activities Appropriate Or Excessive?

This is the first of a two-part series dealing with children’s extracurricular activities. Next week, I will address the impact the divorce may take on a child’s extracurricular activity schedule when the parents have conflicts with each other.

There is no doubt that extracurricular activities can be very beneficial to a child. According to a recent study by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, children who participate in after-school programs are more engaged and have a better attitude about learning, perform better academically and enjoy an increased sense of accomplishment, competence and self-esteem. Additionally, participation also lowers children’s risk of becoming depressed, using drugs and alcohol, and experiencing other behavioral problems.

Recently, while researching this topic, I came across an excellent article about how to choose after-school activity(ies) for children at www.scholastic.com. It also gives a breakdown discussing appropriate types and numbers of activities per week which are recommended based on the age and maturity of the child starting with kindergarten through middle school.… View Full Article → “Children’s Extracurricular Activities Appropriate Or Excessive?”

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