Conversations about adoption are rarely planned, so parents have to be ready with details at a moment's notice. On a recent evening with my kids, I experienced that times three.
“Among Friends”
When it comes to socializing, my gregarious daughter has taught me a thing or two.
“How We’re Different, and How We’re The Same”
When talk turns to family traits—who got grandma's curly hair or daddy's big blue eyes—how does our child find her place in the conversation?
AF’s, Complete Guide to Heritage Travel
Heritage trips help children discover their past — and inspire who they'll become. Help your child prepare for the journey with these expert-tested tips.
Interview with Melissa Fay Greene
The adoptive mom and critically acclaimed author talks about her adoption of two brothers from Ethiopia, the AIDS crisis in Africa, and Haregewoin Teferra, the foster mother at the center of her book, There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Her Country's Children.
Ask AF: Doesn’t Our Child Have a Right to Know About Her Birth Mother?
We have a closed adoption, per our child’s birth mother’s request. How can I ever tell my child that I know who her birth mother is, but can’t share that information?
“Motherhood, Cleaved.”
My love for my youngest child, who was born to me, takes a different timbre from my love for my twins through adoption. Accepting this helps me understand the inimitable bond they share with their birth mother, and the ache she must feel.
[EXCERPT] That Kind of Mother
In this excerpt from That Kind of Mother, by Rumaan Alam, the white adoptive mother of a black child learns about importance of talking with her son about racism and interactions with the police.
“But How Did He Know About My Mama?”
When my transracially adopted son was teased about adoption at school, he came home upset—and also bewildered about how his friend could have known. When I heard this (and when it came out that he wasn't wholly innocent in the exchange), was it wrong that my reaction turned from anger to laughter?
Ask AF: When and How to Tell Our Child She Has Birth Siblings?
Our daughter knows she was adopted, but doesn't know she has younger half-birth-siblings. I worry about telling her, but I also I don’t want her to feel like we were hiding information from her.
Parents Share: “My Best Bonding Advice”
Adoptive moms and dads share their best advice for bonding with a newly adopted child, from taking time off to never leaving a child to cry it out at night.
The 5 Best Adoption Books for Preteens
Middle-grade readers will appreciate receiving one (or all) of these books for a birthday or holiday gift.
Once Upon a Time: Writing Your Adoption Stories
Many parents are putting their adoption stories in writing. Whether you publish or not, here's how to create a moving, quality memoir.
Primer for Talking About Race and Racism
Racism exists, and it's our job as parents to talk about it with our kids. Start with this glossary of important terms.
Reading List: Learn About Your Child’s Birth Country
These books can help your child connect with her birth culture. Add your family's favorites in the comments!
Letters to the Editor, RE: May 2018
Readers share feedback about articles published in the May 2018 issue of Adoptive Families magazine.
“‘Trashy’ Parents?”
At a recent gathering, an acquaintance made a comment based on the astonishingly misguided and downright vulgar assumption that my child’s birth parents are unworthy or subpar. Here’s how I responded.
Parents Share: My “Adoption Hero”
Adoptive parents pay tribute to their "adoption heroes," including a social worker, their child's birth mother, or their child.
Just Say “Yes” to Positive Parenting
If you’re parenting an oppositional child or teen, you probably say “no” a lot. You may say it so often that it’s become your default response, or you may be stuck in the perception that “no” is the healthier option. How can you bring positivity back into your parent-child relationship?