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.
“Why Did You Buy a Foreign Child?”
When an anonymous poster invaded our neighborhood message board, I knew I had to answer back.
Bringing Culture to the Classroom
A little culture can go a long way in explaining adoption.
Explaining Adoption in the Classroom
AF readers share their tips and tricks for bring adoption to their kids' classrooms.
“Yes, Black Women Do Adopt”
Talking with Black women about adoption became a routine part of motherhood for me, alongside diapers, homework, and the warmth I feel every time I look at my son.
“Collecting Children’s Books Carried Me Through the Wait”
How did I fill my time during the wait? By filling a bookcase for our child-to-be.
“Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hatches a Talk About Adoption”
A beloved children's book sparked a discussion with my three-year-old daughter about adoption and her birth mother.
Five Families’ Creative Connections to Birth Parents
When it comes to keeping their children's birth parents an active presence in their lives, many families are thinking outside the (mailbox and in)box.
Teens in Blended Families
When their family also includes biological children, adoptees can have complex feelings about siblings and their own sense of belonging.
“Adopting Our Son’s Birth Sister”
When we adopted our son's biological sister, it felt both eerily similar and completely different.