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.
“Our Kids Are All Right”: Birth Siblings in Open Adoption
Was moving from a semi-open adoption to a fully open one, with visits, the right decision for my birth son and for the daughter I was raising?
“My Parents Never Judged My First Mother”
With her swollen belly, my classmate reminded me of my own first mother. People expected her to be ashamed, but I wondered, how can someone be ashamed of the mother without also being ashamed of the baby?
“A Table Laden with Meaning”
While a meal might seem trivial at one level, it may also be filled with lessons about identity, culture, and family.
Why We Chose Adoption
Parents share the story of how they decided to become parents through adoption, and what factored into their decision.
Ask AF: No Longer the Only Boy
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: When Preteens Face Prejudice
My 12-year-old, adopted from China, has recently been saying she doesn't want to go to school. Last night I finally got her talking. She said, "There are kids who disrupt the class and are racist. They tell Asian jokes." Her school is diverse, but there are few Asian students. How can I help her?
“Our Frantic 24 Hours After Getting the Adoption Call”
We had only been "active" with our adoption agency for two months. So when my husband went on a camping trip with no cell reception, we thought, "What could go wrong?"
“Finding Peace with My Adoption Plan”
As a birth mother, my path to adoption was full of conflicting feelings. But at the moment my son was born — when two women came together in the same instant to love him — I felt at peace.
“The Decision to Adopt a Child with Prenatal Drug Exposure”
Typically, I would have spent weeks — if not months — gathering information and exhausting every possible scenario. But there wasn't time for analyzing. My son needed me.
“Blood Doesn’t Mean Family”
After reuniting with my birth family and studying in my birth country, I felt closer to my adoptive family than ever.
“Teaching Our Daughter That Her Needs Matter”
My little girl didn't fuss, never cried, and was utterly compliant. It was up to us to teach her to shove, yell, and demand — and find her voice.