Three adolescents share their experiences with open adoption, and how they feel about their relationships with their birth family.
Helping Teens with Transitions
Avoid sit down lectures and look for teachable moments to get your teen to open up.
Writing Your “Dear Expectant Mother” Letter
Keep in mind that your goal is to connect with the right expectant mother for you. Successful adoptions occur when prospective adoptive parents and birth parents make a strong pre-birth connection. So, resist making yourself into something you're not.
“Which Ones Are Yours?”
There's this poem I'm supposed to love. I first read it when we adopted our oldest son: Not flesh of my flesh nor bone of my bone/But still miraculously my own./Never forget, for a single minute,/You didn't grow under my heart, but in it.
“The One Place I Thought I’d Fit In”
I'd expected to fit in at the adoptive parents' support group. At the first meeting, however, I found I was the only mom who'd adopted domestically, who looked like her child.
“A Different Definition of Family”
I am the white, single mother of an eight-year-old Asian girl, whom I adopted when she was six days old. As you can imagine, I have given a lot of thought to "the daddy question."
“Simplifying My Life as a Single Parent”
As crazy as it sounds, the transition from being childless to becoming a parent has given me time I didn't have before.
“Writing, Then Re-Writing, Our ‘Dear Expectant Mother’ Letter”
What do you write when the merchandise on offer is your heart?
When Kids Deny Their Adoption
It's not uncommon for preteens to pretend they weren't adopted, in an effort to not be different.
Understanding Open Adoption
Among experts who study it and families who practice it, open adoption varies widely. Here's a look at open adoption today.
Baby Shock: Dealing with Post-Adoption Depression
Your beloved child is home! You should be joyful, happy, ecstatic. But instead you're tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed. What's happening?
Recapturing the Heart of Your Child
When a foster child who has been in your care goes back to live with his birth family, and then comes back to your home, a different child returns.
[Book Review] Raising Nuestros Niños: Bringing Up Latino Children in a Bicultural World
Beth Hall reviews, Raising Nuestros Niños: Bringing Up Latino Children in a Bicultural World, a resource for parenting to preserve cultural traditions and values.
“We Are All Storytellers”
The desire to give our children a history is something we all share. Here's how I turned the story of bringing my son home into an adoption memoir.
What Your Child’s Teacher Needs to Know
Teachers are facing increasing demands in the classroom, so it's up to you to take the necessary steps to make sure your child's needs are met.
Mommy, What’s Donor Insemination?
How to answer this and other questions about how families are formed.
Finding Strength in Your Family’s Faith
If you identify with a religion, it can be another source of support and belonging for your child.
Feeding 101
Feeding is about more than just nutrition! Here, answers to all your feeding questions.