Shaken Baby
When the doctor first places your sweet bundle of joy into your arms, it’s hard to imagine the lifetime of joys and frustrations that are ahead of you. The first smile, first words or first steps can make your heart … Continued
Seuss
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Dr. Seuss Dr. Seuss knew how to engage children while communicating big messages to adults at the same time. What a great reminder – a person has rights, boundaries, worth, … Continued
Self-Care 2018
Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes professional level skills in child development, domestic arts and diplomacy – especially when you have more than one little one at home. Mothering, in particular, can be a challenging role in … Continued
Scrooge
Keeping Christmas All The Year “And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.” Written more than 150 years ago, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol … Continued
School Supplies
If you have been to Walmart lately, you likely have noticed the school supplies prominently displayed. Part of me cringes seeing this. They popped up not even a week after July 4th. I’m trying to enjoy and make the most … Continued
Ray of Hope FAQ
At Ray of Hope Advocacy Center, we hear a lot of tough questions with complicated, deep answers or, unfortunately, no easy answer. Our agency has been working hard this year to ensure that the community understands our organization and the … Continued
Ray of Hope EE
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. In reality, child protection is a year-round community issue and responsibility. That’s why Ray of Hope Advocacy Center is excited and honored to partner with the Examiner-Enterprise in launching a weekly column focusing on … Continued
Recognize, Report
In Oklahoma, a mandatory reporter includes every person with reason to believe that a child under the age of eighteen (18) is a victim of abuse or neglect. So by law, this includes all of us – you, me, every … Continued
Q & A Ray of Hope
Describe the mission of Ray of Hope. Ray of Hope Advocacy Center is a nationally accredited, 501(3)3 organization, focused on providing healing, hope and help to victims of child abuse and their families. Our mission is to facilitate a coordinated, … Continued
Purple Crying
“This baby just won’t stop crying! I have tried everything to no avail – fed, burped, changed, cuddled, swaddled, rocked. Nothing works. It must be me! The baby must hate me. Why won’t he/she just stop crying!?” – almost every … Continued