We asked our reader panel: How did you celebrate your first Mother's Day or Father's Day? What's since become an annual tradition?
“An Imperfect Family” – Remembering My Brother Through Foster Adoption
My family couldn't give Darrell the storybook life we'd all have liked. But with us, he learned to embrace the joy in life.
“Pushing Past an Older Child’s Barriers”
What we learned about talking about a child's past and attaching in the present after adopting a 10-year-old from foster care.
Recapturing the Heart of Your Child
When a foster child who has been in your care goes back to live with his birth family, and then comes back to your home, a different child returns.
Celebrating Russian Christmas
How do we celebrate the holidays? In all sorts of creative ways. Here, gifts of love exchanged by families in open adoptions, along with an assortment of customs, crafts, and recipes just right for our multicultural families.
Celebrating Kwanzaa
How do we celebrate the holidays? In all sorts of creative ways. Here, gifts of love exchanged by families in open adoptions, along with an assortment of customs, crafts, and recipes just right for our multicultural families.
Celebrating La Navidad
How do we celebrate the holidays? In all sorts of creative ways. Here, gifts of love exchanged by families in open adoptions, along with an assortment of customs, crafts, and recipes just right for our multicultural families.
“Jon’s (Finally) Fearless Smile”
A little boy. His new mom. What ultimately brought the two of them together? Music, sweet, sweet music.
How to Adjust Invasive Assignments
Parents should expect school assignments that are difficult for their children. So be prepared.
Revealing Painful Adoption Details
Children need to know their full stories before the teen years. Why, and how, to explain troubling information.
No More Bedtime Battles
The safety and predictability of a regular evening routine can end go-to-sleep struggles with your preschooler.
Talking with Teens About Sex and Dating
Having "the talk" with your teen is necessary — and it can turn into an emotional conversation about birth parents.
“Our Visible, Multiracial Family”
Although my wife and I talked a great deal about race before we decided on a transracial adoption, we didn't fully appreciate how conspicuous our family would become. Quite simply, we now stick out in a crowd.
Birth Parent Fantasies
Your child's birth mother looms large in her imagination now. What's your grade-schooler really thinking?
“Digesting Her Adoption Story, a Piece at a Time”
As my daughter grows, she slowly and sweetly puts together the facts of her birth and adoption.
“A Complicated Privilege”
Was hiring someone to search for our daughter's Guatemalan birth mother the right thing to do? We decided we had no choice but to try to meet her.
Readoption: The Final Step
An attorney explains how to ensure that your parent-child relationship is recognized under U.S. law after an international adoption.
“Did You Try to Have Your Own Kids?”
My wife was deluged with questions at a new moms' group, each one more personal than the last.
Learning About Prenatal Drug Exposure
"The baby we're adopting may have been exposed to drugs in utero. What does this mean for our child?"
Easing an Older Child’s Adjustment
The transition from foster care to forever family can be difficult on a child. Use these strategies when bringing home an older child.