[MomToThree]

My DH and I adopted 3 children in 2005. In February 2007, my middle son was caught stealing at school, and "begged and cried" that the teacher and assistant teacher not tell his parents because he would "have to eat liver with hot sauce".

Many of you may think liver as a punishment is wrong... but it worked. The hot sauce was always a threat if he didn't hurry up and eat.

Anyway a Social Worker visited, and he admitted that this was stupid and a waste of his time but his supervisor made him investigate. I explained all my disciplinarian efforts which includes paddling and I asked what I needed to do to just make him go away. Afterwards, I received a letter that me and my DH signed saying that we would not use hot sauce as a punishment, and that the case was closed and no further action was necessary.

Please understand that the two youngest boys were and are to some extent stubborn, and were a trial in the beginning. But we have finally gotten to a point where our biggest problem is that the youngest child sometimes refuses to do his class work or home work.

Our whole family... me, my DH, and each child have looked at a listing online for a sibling group where one child is 16 and the other 12 and would really love to add them to our family. We have enough room and would love to include these kids into our lives, but the county refuses to license us because of this liver/hot sauce incident. They also disapprove of the fact that we paddle.

We would really love to add to our family, but don't know how at this point. Until this, we were considered excellent adoptive parents. What should I do? Also, please be kind with your responses... my three were very difficult the first 2 years, and are now pretty much acclimated. My kids really want another brother and sister... not to mention how we parents feel.

Thanks for any advice you give.