LIfe through the eyes of another Cinderella

When a child misses out on the experience of a loving consistent caregiver especially during the first 2 years of life, the consequences can be devastating . If a caregiver is detached, physically or psychologically absent, Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) may result. Without learning to trust others in early childhood, these children go on to lack healthy relationships later in life. Seven years ago, my husband and I learned the very real definition of RAD when we decided to adopted a set of siblings from the foster system. We had no idea the impact this would have on our very blessed and peaceful life. The window pictured above is a symbolic and actual view into the chaos we live with everyday caused by one of the siblings who has this disorder. This is a window that our daughter broke during one of her multiple daily rages. It resembles how broken and ugly she feels on the inside. RAD is incurable. It is a process that we face every hour of everyday. We face constant judgement and ridicule from people on the outside looking in at the ugliness without an understanding of how it got there. I am hoping that this blog can serve as a tool to educate others about this terrible disorder and the impact it has on all of it's victims. It doesn't just impact the child who has it. Collateral damage is inevitable.