FROM THE HEART NEWS FROM KIDS FIRST
SEPTEMBER 2014

Greetings to our friends and supporters,

Lots happening at Kids First as summer draws to a close and many of you are preparing to send kids back to school. Our after school divorce support groups for kids will all be starting up in September, as well as our Next Step Program: Putting Conflict Aside for parents. We also have a new Free Evening Workshop entitled "Step, Blended or Bonus: New Rules for the Modern Family" that's a good fit for both parents and professionals. At Kids First, we've been listening to kids for years and will share in this workshop what kids wish adults knew about stepfamilies.

If you are a professional working with families in transition, be sure to mark your calendars for our upcoming Fall Conference to be held on October 17th at the Harraseeket. And we hope that this change in seasons goes smoothly for you and your whole family - summer in Maine is a hard one to give up!

Warmest wishes,

Peg Libby

Executive Director

In This Issue

10 SIMPLE STEPS TO STOP TOXIC PARENTING

September 2014 Calendar of Events

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10 SIMPLE STEPS TO STOP TOXIC PARENTING

by Thomas G. Fiffer/Good Men Project

Perhaps the worst thing a parent can hear from a grown up child is, "I want you out of my life. You're toxic." It's a death sentence for the relationship, spelling a long period of estrangement if not a permanent break. It may be the healthiest decision for the child, but is a heartbreaking one that carves a deep wound in both psyches, making the road to reconciliation arduous and uncertain. No parent is perfect. We're all human, and we all make mistakes, including some whoppers. But there's a difference between screwing up while providing healthy love and presiding over a psychologically damaging childhood that will necessitate a lifetime of healing.

SEPTEMBER 2014 girl kissing father