Adoptive parents sometimes initiate birth parent searches before their children are emotionally prepared to deal with the results.
Pursuing a Second Adoption
Parents who confidently dove into the unknown for their first child are sometimes more hesitant when it comes to doing it again.
[Book Review] The First Year: Hepatitis C
Written by two HCV postitive women, this book can help adoptive parents understand and manage the hepatitis C virus.
PSYCHē
Start your mental wellness journey from your own home with PSYCHē PLLC’s online therapy. Explore individual therapy services, join a DBT skills group, connect through family therapy online, or receive guidance with parent coaching services. Our network includes licensed psychologists, adolescent therapists, and experienced family therapists. They specialize in a wide range of services, including<a href="https://www.adoptivefamilies.com/directory/psyche/" title="Read more" >...a>
2019 Cover Photo Contest Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Adoptive Families Cover Photo Contest! See the nine photos selected from more than 500 entries, and read stories from the proud parents.
“Finding My Inner Mom”
For years, I felt ambivalence about becoming a parent, and worry that I wouldn’t be a “perfect” mother. In an open letter to my daughter, I look back on that moment of calm and utter clarity when we met.
Enter Our 2019 Cover Photo Contest
Do you want to see your child on the cover of Adoptive Families magazine? Enter our annual Cover Photo Contest today!
“Sliding Doors”
We all imagine different ways our lives could have played out. For adoptees, these fantasies may seem particularly compelling: ‘What would my life have been like if I had not been adopted?’
Letters to the Editor, RE: Nov/Dec 2018
Readers share feedback about articles published in the Nov/Dec 2018 issue of Adoptive Families magazine.
2018 Cover Photo Contest Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 Adoptive Families Cover Photo Contest! See the nine photos selected from 1,000 entries, and read stories from the proud parents.
Letters to the Editor, RE: October 2018
Readers share feedback about articles published in the October 2018 issue of Adoptive Families magazine.
[EXCERPT] Those Three Words
Christine Bauer’s revealing memoir begins when she hears those three words (“You are pregnant”) and faces an unplanned pregnancy, and takes readers through her open adoption decision, and the ensuing three decades as a birth mother and mother. In this excerpt, Bauer relates the complicated emotions that accompanied her second pregnancy, 11 years after placing her daughter for adoption, and the birth of her oldest son.
“How We Bonded with Our Child”
All prospective adoptive parents wonder whether they'll be able to attach to heir newborn baby before adoption. AF readers describe their concerns—and what they did to alleviate them.
From Only Child to Oldest
Preparing your child for a new sibling can be a challenge at any age, but especially when she is a sensitive teen.
“For Their Children”
Years ago, when my son and I were at the kitchen table, a work-related call interrupted our conversation. He said sadly, "Mom, you spend more time helping people have children than you do with your own."
“Fool for Love”
From the start, silliness and laughter have bolstered the bond between my daughter and me.
“From Then to Now”
I don’t think about adoption on a daily basis; I am just a dad, after all. But when I do, it’s these moments that rise to the surface, indicative of so much else along the way.
“Bonding or Discipline?”
As I sit in the pediatrician's waiting room, all of my parenting skills are called into question. Do I focus on disciplining or bonding with my daughter?
The Story Behind the Cover Photo: “The Words I’ll Never Forget”
“Looking back on this picture, I see a child who was confused, but yearning for what we all want and need: security, a family, and love. The picture is about hope.”
Journeys of Discovery
A homeland trip can help kids connect "where I come from" to "where I'm going." Having traveled with thousands of adoptive families, I'm delighted to share my thoughts on the impact of homeland travel on identity formation.