We asked our readers: "What did you do to welcome your child into your family?" Here are some of the letters we received!
“Running to Mommy”
I knew it would be hard for my daughter’s birth mother to give her up. But I didn’t think I’d feel so guilty for taking her.
“When Did My Little Girl Grow Up?”
My daughter is still very much a little girl. But with every passing week, it’s getting frighteningly easier to imagine her teen years.
Helping Your Child Sleep
Last month we asked: Have you discovered ways to make bedtime easier or to help your child sleep through the night?
“Someone I Will Never Know”
I had never met my child's birth mother. Could I learn to love her?
“Knowing Their Brother’s Birth Mother”
We knew that our youngest son's birth mother would be a powerful force in his life. We didn't anticipate the impact she'd have on his older brothers.
“My Mother’s Ring”
This heirloom bridges the past with the future, connecting my daughter to our family in profound, unexpected ways.
“Becoming Your Mother the Moment We Met”
Still jet-lagged from a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, then another to Shanghai and another to your province, I awoke at dawn knowing that this was the day that I would finally meet you—my baby girl.
“Becoming His Sister’s Guiding Light”
One year after adopting an infant girl, we adopted a "special needs" child with a cleft lip and palate. Ever since his sister was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, he's become her guiding light.
“Blurring the Line”
Mississippi has the largest population of African Americans in the United States, and the color line seems to be drawn in permanent ink or, perhaps, in blood. Because of this, I always believed I would never go back after my daughters came home from Haiti.
Overcoming Sleep Problems
Our newly adopted child has problems sleeping. Some nights, she will resist being put to bed, and will wake up several times through the night. How can we help her get a good night's sleep?
“The Rhythm of Our Lives”
While looking to connect with our children's culture, we found the beat of the djembe drum would become a comforting family melody.
When Your Older Child Comes Home
We're about to adopt a seven-year-old. Does he have to start school right away? What about medical care? What can wait until we've bonded?
“My Son Who Refused to Give Up”
A doctor predicted our son, who has spina bifida, would never walk. But Mark has shown us what perseverance — and a keen passion — can do.
“Growing Up Feeling ‘Chosen'”
Children's understandings of and personal fantasies about their adoption stories may differ from what you tell them. My version saw my parents wandering the aisles of "Baby Market."
Feeling Guilt Over the Birth Mom’s Grief
"Many parents feel guilty because their joy is the direct result of a difficult decision by the birth mother — someone you may have grown to care about. So when a new adoptive mother sees the birth mother in intense pain, she asks herself, 'Was adoption really the right thing to do?'"
[Book Review] The Connected Child
An adoptive parent reviews The Connected Child by Drs. Purvis and Cross, a book about helping children overcome early trauma.
[Book Review] Growing Girls
Read AF's review of Growing Girls, a memoir about being a mom, adoption issues and all.
“They Remembered Me”
A Korean adoptee learns that human nature doesn't always follow perceived "best practices."
[Book Review] In Their Own Voices
In this collection of candid interviews, adoptees shed light on the complex and controversial topic of transracial adoption by sharing their own experiences.