Our sons stay in touch with their birth mom through a P.O. box...and something a little less tangible.
“Choosing to Adopt Our Second Child”
When this 20-something, fertile couple decided to adopt a child, they shocked family and friends–and so did their daughter's birth mom.
Q&A with Maggie Jones About Adult Adoptees Who Move Back to South Korea
We spoke with Maggie Jones about her NYT article on the wave of adult adoptees who are moving back to South Korea—how she came to write this piece, and the overwhelming response she's received.
“Watching Our Daughter Bloom”
Our conception came via e-mail and our pregnancy required a passport, but we still witnessed the miracle of life as our daughter bloomed before our eyes.
When Kids Worry About Being Perfect
We want our children to do well—but we also want them to enjoy being kids. How do we help them strike a balance?
Getting the Emotional Support You Want and Need
Open communication can help create positive relationships with family and friends.
When Teens Explore Religion as Part of Their Identity
Teens have a lot of questions — including some about family religion.
“Knowing Me As Mom”
Before we adopted her, Grace had never called anyone Mom or Dad. But she understood the concept of family with a wisdom beyond her years.
“Coming Into Focus”
Online images opened my heart, then my home.
“A Fearless Love”
I expected that my new daughter would need some time to get used to me, but I never thought she'd be frightened by me.
“Coming Clean About My Troubled Past with an Expectant Mother”
Coming clean to our birth mother about my unstable past helped us build a solid foundation for our future.
“Unexpectedly in Sync”
My daughter formed a swift, intense bond with her four birth sisters. The surprising love I felt for them blindsided me, but now it makes perfect sense.
Building “Nontraditional” Families
Our legal expert explains what gay, lesbian, and single parents need to know when building their nontraditional families during the process of adopting.
“Where Did You Get Those Dimples?”
Even among same-race families physical differences can prompt curious questions. How did you handle it?
Comments from Adults of Your Child’s Race
When you're raising a child of another race, you may find that adults of that race approach you with questions or comments. AF's transracial adoption expert explains what you can say.
“Letters to Noelle”
As my letter-writing to my son's birth mother has evolved, so has our relationship grown.
Are Adoptees Selfish For Wanting To Search?
Finding my birth family has never been an attempt to replace anyone else, but simply an effort to find myself, a desire my adoptive family understands.
“Prison Baby”
In this personal essay, one adoptee describes all the questions she wanted to ask her birth mother when she visited her birth country: a jail.
Ask AF: Creating a Lifebook for a Teen
One adoptive mother wonders if she should make a lifebook, even though she doesn't have many photos of his life before he came to her. AF readers respond.
Ask AF: Talking About a Birth Parent’s Death
Our expert explains how to navigate the difficult discussions about a birth mother death with a very young child: what to say, and when to start talking.