Answers to your parenting questions.
“Upon a Star”
The movie Pinocchio resonates in the heart of our adopted daughter, Emma.
“Wait Gain: How We Dealt with a Wait That Kept Growing”
Waiting can be brutal, but there are some benefits. Take it from someone who endured 30 months before she got to hold her son.
“Three Little Words on My Adoption Day”
A decade of disappointing foster care placements made me doubt the two people who had taken me into their hearts.
“Our Foster Adoption Journey” — Six-Part Series
Real parents who navigated the Fost/Adopt system successfully write about their rewarding experience in this six-part series.
Healing from Food Insecurity
If your child is prone to overeating or hoarding food, help her move past her food insecurity with these tips.
Wanted: Teens
Adopt an adolescent? People do, all the time.
“I Am Not My Face”
We’d been prepared to help our new daughter deal with stares and questions about her disfigurement. Instead, she taught us a powerful lesson in courage.
“What We Wish We Had Known”
Looking back, I began the journey of adopting an older child somewhat naively. My daughter and I agree that these seven truths could have made our path to happy a little bit easier.
“A Fearless Love”
I expected that my new daughter would need some time to get used to me, but I never thought she’d be frightened by me.
Ask AF: Creating a Lifebook for a Teen
One adoptive mother wonders if she should make a lifebook, even though she doesn’t have many photos of his life before he came to her. AF readers respond.
Parenting an Older Child Through the Testing Phase
Our readers asked how to parent their adoptive children through the testing phase. Our expert has answers for dealing with lying, carelessness, and anger.
In Memory of Fisseha “Sol” Samuel, 1994-2014
The full text of the moving eulogies given by Melissa Fay Greene and Lee Samuel for her 20-year-old son, Fisseha “Sol” Samuel.
The Truth About Older Child Adoption
The first year after bringing home an older child is complicated, isolating, utterly frustrating…and amazing.
“Adopting Teenagers From Foster Care”
“My boys were teens when I adopted them, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t need a mom. Even if I was only 25 at the time.”
“The Day I Joined a Forever Family”
A 10-year-old recalls the day a foster family became a forever family for him and his sister.
“Pushing Past an Older Child’s Barriers”
What we learned about talking about a child’s past and attaching in the present after adopting a 10-year-old from foster care.
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.
Easing an Older Child’s Adjustment
The transition from foster care to forever family can be difficult on a child. Use these strategies when bringing home an older child.
“Teaching Our Daughter That Her Needs Matter”
My little girl didn’t fuss, never cried, and was utterly compliant. It was up to us to teach her to shove, yell, and demand — and find her voice.