Watching an engaging TV series that features a relevant storyline is a fun, low-pressure way to get your child talking about adoption. Here are five shows that mostly get it right.
“On Choosing, or Changing, Schools”
As I weighed diversity, academics, and other factors when choosing schools for my transracially adopted children, I perpetually second-guessed myself. But now that my kids are teens, I’m ready to trust their decisions.
“Anniversary”
One year after my daughter came to live with me from foster care, the memory was still too bittersweet for her. But today, two years after becoming mother and daughter, we are ready to celebrate.
Friendships with Fellow Adoptees
Adoptive parents share whether their children have friends who are also adoptees and, if so, how the children met.
Ask AF: Readjusting to Younger Kids as an Older Mom
An older mom who's enjoyed the relative freedom of parenting teens is nervous about readjusting to more hands-on parenting when she adopts a young child. Parents who have been there offer advice.
Ask AF: How to Encourage a New-Sibling Bond?
"We adopted our 10-year-old daughter as an infant, and adopted her seven- and eight-year-old biological sisters last month. How can we help all three girls bond with each other?"
State Adoption Law Updates, February 2017
State adoption laws are always in flux. Read on to learn what changes have been made or are being considered as 2017 began.
Letters to the Editor, RE: January 2017
Readers share feedback about articles from the January 2017 issue of Adoptive Families magazine.
“Which Ones Are Yours?”
There's this poem I'm supposed to love. I first read it when we adopted our oldest son: Not flesh of my flesh nor bone of my bone/But still miraculously my own./Never forget, for a single minute,/You didn't grow under my heart, but in it.
Share Your Story: Favorite Pre-adoption Books
We asked our reader panel to describe the books they find most helpful to prospective adoptive parents. Here are some of their favorites.
The Best Adoption Books for Eager Readers
Now that your grade-schooler is reading on her own, she may rediscover some simple adoption books.
Capturing Our Favorite Family Photographs
We asked readers about your most treasured photos from your trips to the hospital or country where your children were born. Here are some of the most meaningful scenes and stories you shared from your adoption journeys.
“Adopting From Russia…Again?”
One thing led to another, and we became—unexpectedly—twice blessed.
10 Ways to Build Trust with Prospective Birth Parents
10 ways to show respect and build trust.
Webinar Replay: The Adoption Tax Credit
View the replay of the "Adoption Tax Credit Webinar" with Becky Wilmoth, EA, for an overview of the credit—what is covered, what is not, how the guidelines differ for families that adopt internationally vs. domestically or from U.S. foster care, and how and when to file for it.
Teens in Search of Romance
Families whose friendships cross racial lines send a clear message about whom their kids can date.
Alleviating Adoptee Stress at School
Every Sunday evening, at the Gordon house, 10-year-old Kelly began complaining about something. Her pains ranged from stomachaches to sore throats. She said she felt too unwell to go to school the next day.
How Did Your First Child React to the Arrival of a Second?
How did you work through sibling issues/rivalries at the time of the adoption and in subsequent years? How about instances in which one child receives more attention than another or silly questions? (Is that your "real" sister?) Our readers respond.
Searching for Family Resemblance
For a mom who was adopted as an infant, the realization that her children look like her takes on special meaning.
Sharing Our Children
"Adoptive families get to know their children for who they are, something that biological families usually don't do," says the author.