A recent "adventure vacation" I took with my daughter brought back memories of the scariest leap of all — becoming a single mom.
“A Homeland Trip with My Teens”
I planned our homeland trip, hoping to see my children's birthplaces. Surprisingly, those proved elusive, but we found meaning at every turn.
“Intimate Strangers”: Birth Parent Contact in Foster Adoption
The 894 pages of my daughter's foster care case history described her birth mother's hard life, scarred by poverty, drug addiction, and homelessness. I never expected to meet her—much less like her.
Ask AF: Academic Difficulties
Answers to your parenting questions.
“Babies and Birth Moms and Bellies, Oh My!”
When our two children began to ask questions — lots of questions — my partner and I found answers in homemade adoption storybooks.
A Mother by Any Other Name
Is the term 'birth mother' an example of appropriate, positive language — or an offensive and demeaning label?
A Striking Resemblance!
Families who "match" don't have to answer many nosy questions. Instead, they must decide whom, when, and what to tell.
“Moving Past My Infertility”
My infertility was in the past. But was I ready to laugh at immature teenage jokes about adoption?
“Nursing Matthew”
Breastfeeding my baby has been one of the most challenging — and rewarding — things I've ever done.
Ask AF: Teen Friendships
Answers to your parenting questions.
Birth Parent Search in International Adoption
Adoptive parents around the globe are seeking their children's first families — even before these children voice an opinion on the matter. But do we know what we're doing?
“How Our Family Approached Our Birth Parent Search”
Three families describe their relationships with their children's birth parents — deciding to keep in touch, searching for birth parents, and managing an already open adoption.
Helping Family Understand Open Adoption
Your family — especially older relatives — may not get why you are choosing an open adoption. Adoption expert Kathleen Silber gives advice on what to say.
Finding Role Models of Your Child’s Race
Answers to your parenting questions.
“Missing My Mom as I Became a Mother”
After I lost my mother, parenting seemed too difficult to face. But her faith in me gave me the strength to push through.
“I Can’t Give My Daughter China. I Can Only Give Her Chinatown.”
Jin Yu is seven now, and lately she's been telling me she wants to go and visit her nannies, the women who cared for her at the orphanage in China. Not so much for herself, she says, but for them. Because she is sure they must miss her and wonder how she's doing. I promise we will try to go. "They are going to be so surprised!" she tells me.
Dealing with Stereotypes
When our children get hit with negative — or positive — labels, it robs them of who they really are.
Open Adoption Over the Years
Parents involved in open adoptions speak honestly about working through challenges and keeping the relationship going through life changes.
[Book Review] Adopting: Sound Choices, Strong Families
In Adopting: Sound Choices, Strong Families, Patricia Irwin Johnston tackles the tough questions prospective parents must ask before deciding whether adoption is right for them. Read the full review, here.
Building Identity: “Who Can I Be?”
From workshops and playshops to heritage travel and adoptee camps — there are tons of way to teach your kid about their culture!