About the book

Parenting Beyond the Breaking Point is the book I wish someone had handed me when I was barely holding it together.

This is not a parenting book about sticker charts and morning routines.

It’s for the parents navigating trauma, violence, addiction, extreme behaviors, and the quiet grief that comes when love doesn’t fix everything.

I grew up in a home shaped by instability and alcoholism. Because of that, I always believed family could be built intentionally — that love and consistency could offer healing. My husband and I opened our home through foster care and adoption while raising our biological children, believing commitment would be enough.

But no one prepared us for what came next.

There were moments of crisis.

Days filled with fear.

Seasons where my marriage felt fragile.

Times when I had to figure out how to keep everyone safe — the child in crisis, the other children in our home, and myself.

And beneath it all was one question I was almost afraid to ask:

What happens when love isn’t enough?

This book doesn’t offer easy answers.

It offers honesty. Language. Perspective. Tools.

Inside these pages, I share:

What it feels like to question your own sanity

How to respond to violence and risky behavior without losing yourself

Marriage-preserving tools when trauma strains your relationship

The difference between self-care and true soul care

Permission to protect your other children

The truth about disrupted placements and impossible decisions

And the steady reminder that you are not crazy — and you are not alone

I wrote this book for the parents hiding in the shadows. The ones who love fiercely and feel exhausted. The ones who wonder if anyone would understand what their home really feels like.

If that’s you, I see you.

And I hope these pages help you breathe again.