There was no time for fun in the orphanage. But at home in America, four-year-old Jesse discovered water balloons, trampolines — and his inner Hercules.
“She’s Leaving Home”
My daughter, whom I swear I just brought home yesterday, is gracefully settling into college.
“Do Fan Dances and Tea Ceremonies Really Teach Us Anything?”
The museum view of culture and heritage ignores the realities of life as a racial minority. But there is a middle ground.
The Reluctant Family
You're ready to adopt, but your spouse is reluctant. How can you get your "other half" (and family members) on board?
Flights of Fantasy
Imaginative play can bring your preschooler hours of fun — and offer a window into her adoption story.
“Loving My Children’s ‘Ingredients'” – Nature vs. Nurture
Parenting children with different DNA opened up new worlds for me. Loving who they are means parenting their DNA and not my own agenda.
Ask AF: Explaining Biological Siblings to an Adoptive Sibling
We have an eight-year-old biological child and a six-month-old we adopted as a newborn. Our younger son has several biological siblings—and I'm wondering how to explain this to my older son.
Telling the Tough Stuff
Here's how to tell your child the difficult facts about his adoption in positive, age-appropriate ways...and how to keep the conversation going.
7 Ways to Give Your Child a History
When a child is adopted from foster care at an older age, he needs to understand his story up to placement and the significance of his joining a new family forever. Here are hands-on activities you can use to start this conversation.
“I Was Afraid to Adopt. I Was Afraid Not to Adopt.”
"It's hard to believe how reluctant I once was to adopt. In hindsight, I can see how much I needed this all along." — Dennis Kneale
“Two Very Different Paths to Attachment”
Our kids both came to us at 20 months old, but bonding with each child required very different tactics.
Small Wonders: Adopting a Toddler
Straddling the line between infancy and autonomy, toddlers experience adoption in unique ways. Here's what you need to know to face the challenge.
Gearing Talks to Your Child’s Development
Let what your child can understand about adoption guide what you tell him about his story.
Ask AF: Working with Two Agencies
Answers to your parenting questions.
[BOOK EXCERPT] Attaching Through Love, Hugs, and Play
Using fun and games to connect with your child can reduce stress for both of you and lead to a secure, enjoyable relationship. A leading attachment therapist explains playful yet powerful ways to build lasting bonds.
Ask AF: What to Talk About with the Expectant Mom?
I am curious as to what prospective adoptive families and expectant moms talk about during the match.
Ask AF: Finding Birth Family on Facebook
My 11-year-old son has been saying he'd like to meet his birth family.
Ask AF: Birth Sibling Contact
When kids find out they have birth siblings, they're usually interested in meeting. Here's how parents can help facilitate the relationship.
Ask AF: When Bonding Takes Time
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Continuing Contact with the Birth Family?
Answers to your parenting questions.