Adoptive parents are used to fielding questions about adoption — and most of us have an arsenal of replies to give the stranger in the checkout lane, but when it's a family member making the rude remark, snappy comebacks don't suffice.
The Reluctant Family
You're ready to adopt, but your spouse is reluctant. How can you get your "other half" (and family members) on board?
Domestic Adoption Showers
When their adoption date was uncertain, our readers took the opportunity to celebrate with their children in tow. Here, they share their experiences.
Adoptees on Open Adoption: “I Have All My Pieces”
Teen and young adult adoptees who grew up in fully open adoptions talk about their relationships with their birth parents and adoptive parents and the many benefits openness has brought them.
Ask AF: Explaining the Birth Mother Relationship
My husband and I have a friendly relationship with the birth mother of our 3-year-old daughter. We talk on the phone, exchange letters regularly, and visit a few times a year.
“Parenting a Child Who Was Terrified of Love”
When you adopt an older child who pushes you away in anger, you learn a different way to parent, to give love without immediately receiving it in return.
When Kids Deny Their Adoption
It's not uncommon for preteens to pretend they weren't adopted, in an effort to not be different.
“I Want the Same Hubbub That Surrounds Pregnancy!”
When I announced our adoption plans, I hoped for the same kind of excitement that pregnant women get. After all, the happiness we're expecting is the same.
“Teaching My Children That Black Is Beautiful”
I tell my African-American children that they are smart and beautiful because I know that the world may tell them otherwise.
Ask AF: Sleep Routines That Promote Attachment
Our newly adopted, 1-year-old daughter wakes often throughout the night, crying and wailing. If I rub her back or pick her up, she stops almost immediately.
Is It Adoption, or Is It Life?
Five of the country's top adoption therapists tell us what we need to know to support our children.
What Can We Learn from Our Kids’ DNA?
As genetic testing makes its way into the adoption world, our families discover its promise — and its limitations.
Establishing a Healthy Sleep Routine
Help your child sleep through the night while promoting her attachment to you.
Flights of Fantasy
Imaginative play can bring your preschooler hours of fun — and offer a window into her adoption story.
“Loving My Children’s ‘Ingredients'” – Nature vs. Nurture
Parenting children with different DNA opened up new worlds for me. Loving who they are means parenting their DNA and not my own agenda.
Ask AF: Sex Education Assistance
Can you recommend some books that will help us explain the facts of life?
“What We Wish We Had Known” – Older Child Adoption
A mom and her daughter share lessons learned about older child adoption.
Understanding Open Adoption
Among experts who study it and families who practice it, open adoption varies widely. Here's a look at open adoption today.
Post-Adoption Check-Ups
When you bring your child for their first post-adoption check-up, what should the doctor be looking for?
Your Earliest Adoption Conversations
Not sure when — or how — to bring up adoption with your toddler or preschooler? Here's where to begin.