The Official Website of
Jim McConnell
Author
Jim’s Parenting Book
Adopting and
Fostering Kids
When Jim and his wife, June, decided to become foster parents, they had no idea of the journey ahead of them. Excited to love and help kids, they welcomed numerous foster children into their home. They could never have imagined the unique challenges they would face dealing with the foster care systems intended to help those children.
In addition to foster parenting, Jim and June adopted a number of children into their family. In The Never-Ending Joys of Parenting, follow Jim as he shares insights and instruction from a lifetime of love, while he recounts the experiences and lessons learned along the way.
Jim tackles various aspects of raising children and offers guidance in sometimes-tricky subjects including:
- Parenting
- Adoption
- Foster Parenting
- Child Rearing
- Loss and Grief
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
- Working with DSHS Case Workers
- Developmental Stages
- Homeschooling
- Special Education
Meet Jim McConnell
Jim has a BA in math education and an MS in counseling psychology. He taught math for eight years along with several other subjects and served as a high school counselor for thirty-four years. He and his wife, June, were foster parents and adoptive parents, and now enjoy being grandparents. They make their home in Vancouver, Washington.
Email Jim:
jim@jimmcconnellbooks.com
What Others Are Saying
I was honored to have the opportunity to read The Never-Ending Joys of Parenting: Adopting and Fostering Kids prior to its publication. This charming book about parenting is primarily from the perspective of the Dad. This Dad, Jim, and his wife, June, fostered children and adopted several. Today they are grandparents, with the “right” of spoiling the darlings, then sending them home to their parents.
Over and over, Jim spoke of his love for his children. Jim and June provided every resource available to their foster and adopted children to make each of them as successful as possible. Jim spoke of his strong emotions when any one of their children demonstrated competence and/or accomplishment, as well as when there was a disappointing turn of events. Even today Jim grieves over broken relationships with a couple of his grown children.
Over the years, Jim learned as much as he could about parenting, adoption, fostering, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and has included an entire chapter about FAS in his book. He is a speaker on these subjects at high schools in his community. Jim weaves this material through his delightful book, and it is amazingly pertinent to life in our culture today. Read! Enjoy! Be informed!
The Never-Ending Joys of Parenting was a quick and informative read. I thought it might not apply to me, having never adopted, but – let’s face it – parenting is parenting! We all share the joys and trials. This book is insightful and honest; not sugar-coating the dark moments, but always celebrating the good times. I love the way the author gives so much credit to his wife, June, who is the glue that holds the whole glorious mess together. This is a family I would like to get to know better!
In Jim’s book, The Never-Ending Joys of Parenting, the love Jim and June have for their children is amazing. Most of their children had medical, emotional, or mental problems. The couple loved them even more. They set house rules so the kids knew what was expected of them. They did everything they could for the children in their care. Many trips to the doctors’ offices or hospitals were taken. They were involved in the children’s education and physical, emotional, and mental needs. This is a great book about families.
I was pleasantly surprised by the insightful outlook I found within the pages of The Never-Ending Joys of Parenting. Thank you, Jim, for articulating the good, the bad, and the ugly of the foster system. I wish there had been a resource like this when my wife and I had started our family.
I highly recommend this book to all current or future parents and anyone with a heart for children.
I enjoyed reading Jim McConnell’s book and could relate to a number of the topics he covers. I was adopted as an infant into a home where alcohol was never used. Yet by the age of 13, I became an alcoholic and struggled with it for 20 years until I was finally able to quit. I always wondered why. After reading this book I now have a much better understanding of the causes and prevention of alcoholism.
Where to Purchase
Digital & Print
