Greetings!
I just joined this site today and look forward to meeting new friends here.
My kiddos are 22 and 16. I'm originally from New Orleans, but I have lived in Texas, Mississippi and all the way across the pond in the UK. I returned to the New Orleans area 3 years ago and glad to be back on this side of the pond again.
I have an Outreach program for abused women and offer support to parents of teens who self-harm. My daughter and I have been through some rough times and, although we have good days and bad days, I believe we're on the right path now. We've dealt with an abusive husband/father, divorce, self-harm, grief (her father passed away and then my mother passed a year later), truancy, transition to a new culture (which she moved from the UK to the US). We have a lot of insight to offer!
Please feel free to friend me and ask any questions you may have. I look forward to helping others with advice, support and understanding.
Kindest Regards,
Caeleyn
CandyOvercaffed
Wow - it looks like you have had an interesting life! So nice to "meet" you! :) How cool that you have an Outreach program for women and teens. What a great way to use your power and life for good. I look forward to seeing you around the boards!
Caeleyn
Thank you so much for the welcome! It's nice to "meet" you, too, and I look forward to getting to know you and everyone here better.
My daughter has certainly kept me on my toes. We've had our share of struggles and sometimes I feel like we're progressing at a snail's pace! I understand that it's not an overnight process but sometimes I just wish she would stop creating more problems for herself! I've realized that kids need to learn for themselves, even though we try to give them the benefit of our wisdom. Thank goodness for "me-time" while she's at school, that's all I can say. lol
Thanks again for the welcome!
Kindest Regards,
Cee
sunnykathleen
Thank you for your introduction and for being so open with everyone. I sure look forward to all that you have to offer this site. Welcome!
Caeleyn
So pleased to meet you! I do hope I can offer some helpful insight to the other parents here. :)
Thanks for the welcome.
MommyUnwired
Hi, Caelyn, nice to meet you. I bet with your experience, you can share a lot to us parents of teens :)
Caeleyn
Nice to meet you, too! I look forward to being a more active participant in these forums and getting to know you and everyone here better. :)
Frugal Minded M...
So love seeing people here with older kids. With my oldest being 17 I still have things to learn about those teen-age years.
Caeleyn
I know what you mean! I think that I still won't know everything about teenage years, even when my daughter reaches her 20's. It seems like every age has unique challenges that totally catch us off-guard. Right now, I'm just waiting for the day when my daughter has the ultimate "lightbulb moment" and realizes that I've had her back all along.
Nice to meet you! :)
CraigK
When does the moment come where they're supposed to realize that you're actually their friend, and not trying to sabotage their lives? Because...can we skip to that please?
Caeleyn
Hi Craig!
I had a huge lightbulb moment when I held my son in my arms for the first time. Everything my mother ever did made perfect sense instantaneously and I totally understood where she was coming from.
Nice to meet you! :)
beachcitymom
Hi!Nice to meet you. I used to be a domestic violence advocate and worked with women survivors and ther children Kudos on having an outreach program!
Caeleyn
Thank you! Nice to meet you, too. I'm currently working on two books associated with abuse ~ one is a general self-help book, with shared experiences all throughout and the other is the entire story of the time I was married to my abusive ex. Look forward to learning more about you. :)
beachcitymom
Nice to meet you! Thanks! That is wonderful you are writing books to help others. I plan to do that in the future too. I used to run support groups and hope to do that again one day.
jonbonjovious
Hello! While it is unfortunate you have had so many trials, I commend you for using your darkness to help others find the light. You are important to so many people and the symbol of hope for those who feel so tired from the struggle. I applaud you.
OptimisticMommy
Welcome to Kids in the House, Caeleyn! We're glad you're here! I admire you so much for having the outreach program. It's sad that it's needed, but it's great for the women who need it!