An adoptive parent wonders how to respond to an only child who keeps asking for a sibling. Real parents share their advice and stories.
Book Review: I Love You Like Crazy Cakes
A seven-year-old adoptee from China shares her thoughts on an illustrated children's book about adoption.
Parent-to-Parent: “Do You Talk with the Teacher About Adoption?”
Do you tell the teacher that your child was adopted at the start of a new school year? See parents' answers.
Letters to the Editor, RE: August 2017
Readers share feedback about articles published in the August 2017 issue of Adoptive Families magazine.
“Our Summer Vacation House Swap”
One summer, we traded our Hawaiian home for Berkeley, CA so our son could learn about more ethnic differences and similarities.
Heritage Camp: It’s for the Whole Family
I can't imagine sending my children to an experience this profound without being with them.
The Literal Child
In their "black and white" world, how do children handle the grays of adoption?
Helping Teens with Transitions
Avoid sit down lectures and look for teachable moments to get your teen to open up.
How to Talk About “Dad” in Single Mother Families
Single-parent homes are more common now, but kids still grapple with the daddy question.
“How We Created My Son’s Unique Family Tree”
The family tree project can be a particularly tricky one for kids who are adopted. Here's how one family tackled the assignment.
Helping Preteens Build a Life Story
As preteens strive to define themselves, they must work adoption into the story.
When Teens Want to Search for Birth Parents
Part of how teens form identity is by finding ways they are alike and different from their family. They may want to search for their genetic relatives to figuring out who they are and how to emotionally put pieces in place.
“5 Things I Wish My White Parents Knew”
Transracial adoptees often grow up knowing that their families love them, but not truly feeling included or close to them. Here’s what would have helped in raising a black child in a white family and a racist world.
Navigating the Teen Years, Part 2: Maintaining Your Emotional Connection
Teens don't tend to talk with their friends about their feelings about being adopted, being teased, or other tough topics. But if you have a healthy, trusting relationship, they'll open up to you. An adoption therapist advises on maintaining an empathic connection with your teen.
“Seeing the Bigger Picture in Adoption”
I used to see adoption from only one viewpoint—that of the adoptive parents. But working in the field before becoming an adoptive mother opened my eyes to how complex and bittersweet adoption can be.
Ask AF: Family Interactions After Kinship Adoption
"We are adopting my sister-in-law's teenage son after fostering him for five years. What can I say to her at family gatherings, to family who still don't get that we'll be his legal parents—and to my son, who hears all of this?"
Ask AF: Transitioning Children to Calling Us “Mom” and “Dad”
"My husband and I are working to adopt from foster care. How do we transition a child from calling us our first names to calling us 'Mom' and 'Dad'?"
Parent-to-Parent: My Best Domestic Adoption Travel Advice
If you traveled domestically to adopt, what's one piece of advice you can give others as they prepare to do the same? See parents' answers.
“I’m Disabled. I Adopted.”
An accident left the author disabled, but not defeated. Having a physical disability doesn't have to prevent you from adopting.
Your Guide to Adoption Travel
The big day is finally here. Referral or hospital address in hand, you're ready to meet your child. But before you board that plane, learn from our experts (read: adoptive parents) how to make your adoption trip the journey of a lifetime.