If your child is the giver or receiver of unkind behavior, read on.
“I’m an Adoptee and Adoptive Parent”
My daughters and I have something important in common. We share the experience of joining a family through adoption.
“When the Heart Won’t Wait”
Desperate to be with her newborn son, one mother packs up her family and heads to Guatemala to foster him.
Summer Heritage Guide: If You Have a Weekend or Less
Great heritage ideas that dont require plane ticketsor even a full tank of gas.
Stepping Back at School
As your child progresses through elementary school, she should take more responsibility for handling tricky assignments. Here's how to hand off the reins.
Exploring Family Roots at School
The family tree assignment is a perfect opportunity to answer your child's questions about adoption.
Your First Meeting with an Expectant Mother
For prospective adoptive parents hoping to meet an expectant mother, few situations are more anxiety-inducing than their first encounter. Whether you plan to meet in person or over the phone, knowing ahead of time what questions to ask-and not ask-can reduce your anxiety and help you make the most of this opportunity to obtain information.
“Which Baby Gift Registry is Best?”
Readers share their registry experiences—and tell us which companies have adoption-friendly options.
Writing Your “Dear Expectant Mother” Letter
Keep in mind that your goal is to connect with the right expectant mother for you. Successful adoptions occur when prospective adoptive parents and birth parents make a strong pre-birth connection. So, resist making yourself into something you're not.
Adoption Through a Child’s Eyes
By tuning in to what children understand about adoption at different ages, our talks become richer, more intimate, and ultimately more effective.
How Preteens Can Answer Prying Questions at School
How to help your middle schooler cope with curious peers.
Letters to the Editor, RE: May 2017
Readers share feedback about articles published in the May 2017 issue of Adoptive Families magazine.
Adoption at the Movies
Films with adoption or foster care storylines, or with themes of separation, identity, or belonging, can spark tough, must-have conversations with your children. Ready to start watching—and talking? Start with one of these recommendations.
Dolls and Toys for Our Families
We asked readers, “Have you found any dolls or other toys that reflect your child’s race and/or birth culture that you would specifically recommend?” Here are the top picks.
“Letting the 13-Year-Old Drive”
How do you empower a child entering his teen years in a state of defeat, powerlessness, and utter self-disregard? You give him a key and tell him to take off!
“A Balanced View of Adoption”
With such a spectrum of opinions about adoption, it’s hard to know if we talk about it too much, or not enough, and in the right way. But watching my son navigate adoption comments at school reassured me of his comfort with it.
Ask AF: Our First Visit with Our Child’s Birth Parents
A mother is nervous about the upcoming first birth family visit, wondering what it will be like, how to react if she or the birth mother get upset. Parents in open adoptions offer advice.
Packing a School Lunch Your Picky Eater Will Devour
Picky eating is common in children—and as a parent, it’s probably driving you crazy. Here, simple strategies (like using a cookie cutter!) help make sure your child gets enough to eat.
Ask AF: My Child Said He Loves His Birth Mother More
"My six-year-old has been asking a lot of new questions about adoption and his birth mother. He's also told us that he loves her more than he loves us. How should we respond?"
Parent-to-Parent: My Best Advice to Myself
Adoptive parents share the best adoption advice they would give themselves if they could go back five years, whether that would take them back to the adoption process or the early days of parenting.