Lois Melina offers personal reflections on making relationships between birth parents and adoptive families healthier—for the sake of our children, using the principles of The Four Agreements.
Share Your Story: Choosing a Gender
We asked our readers: should adopting parents be allowed to choose gender? This is what real parents shared about their decisions.
How to Understand Your Child’s Learning Style
When it comes to the way kids learn, one size definitely doesnt fit all.
Learning to Be Mother and Son
"A lot of people didn't believe," Ms. Horton said. "But I believe in my child. And his therapist believed."
“Presenting Adoption to My Fifth Grader’s Class”
Adoption presentations in first and second grade are easy. Then what?
“How Jesse Learned to Play”
There was no time for fun in the orphanage. But at home in America, four-year-old Jesse discovered water balloons, trampolines — and his inner Hercules.
Post-Adoption Check-Ups
When you bring your child for their first post-adoption check-up, what should the doctor be looking for?
“Face of the Future”
From the moment her image first appeared on my computer screen, I was her mother.
Should You Tell All?
Think carefully before sharing your child's story with others.
When a Teen Needs Help
Be open to the idea that your moody teenager may benefit from counseling.
When Your Child First Notices Race
How do you make sure your child feels good about herself?
When a Birth Parent Moves On
It's not that she doesn't care, it's that life takes twists and turns.
A Death in the Family
As children get older, they come to understand that everyone experiences loss.
After the Bliss
For many adoptive moms, post-baby depression is a real and painful ordeal. Shelley Page reports why it happens and how to feel better.