Adoptive Families

9 Pre-Adopt Must-Reads

September 29, 2024

How to Adopt from Foster Care
Adopting a Baby: The Truth About Domestic Infant Adoption
“Writing, Then Re-Writing, Our ‘Dear Expectant Mother’ Letter”
The Top Ten Myths (and Facts) About Adoption
Building Your Family – The Infertility and Adoption Guide
International Adoption – Country Overviews and Agency Listings
Surviving the Home Study
Hiring Your Adoption Professional
Surviving a Winding Road to Adoption

Adoptive Families

Home
The Process
- Share Your Story: Who Helped With Your Adoption? - April 1, 2017
- Ask AF: Why Just One Adoption Attorney Won’t Do - July 8, 2016
- Ask AF: Adoption Fraud - February 29, 2016
- What Happens if my Agency or Attorney Screws Up? - December 21, 2015
- Questions to Ask Your Potential Adoption Attorney - December 18, 2015
View all
- “For Their Children” - October 3, 2018
- “Uncharted Territory” - December 19, 2017
- Parent-to-Parent: Preparing for the Adoption Home Study Visit - November 16, 2016
- Baby Safety Tips - July 27, 2016
- Ask AF: Revealing Health Problems During a Home Study - July 23, 2016
View all
- Ask AF: How to Cope with the Disappointment of Not Being Chosen by an Expectant Mother - June 6, 2019
- Parents Share: The “Match Meeting” with an Expectant Mother - April 23, 2019
- Ask AF: Advice for Our “Ice Breaker” Meeting with a 10-Year-Old Boy? - January 29, 2019
- Parents Share: Our Last-Minute “Stork Drop” Adoption - January 29, 2019
- Parents Share: Deciding What Age Child to Adopt - October 29, 2018
View all
- Ask AF: How to Cope with the Disappointment of Not Being Chosen by an Expectant Mother - June 6, 2019
- “The Advice I Wish I’d Gotten While Waiting to Adopt” - January 29, 2019
- Ask AF: Feeling Depressed When Friends Announce They’re Pregnant - November 28, 2018
- Ask AF: Responding to Insensitive and Discouraging Comments During the Wait - May 24, 2018
- Ask AF: Because Baby Showers Are Bad Enough Without Nosy Questions… - March 16, 2018
View all
- “The Advice I Wish I’d Gotten While Waiting to Adopt” - January 29, 2019
- From Only Child to Oldest - October 4, 2018
- How to Photograph Your Adoption Trip - March 30, 2018
- 10 Tips for Adoptive Parents - March 5, 2018
- Ask AF: When and How to Find a Pediatrician During the Adoption Process - February 21, 2018
View all
- Ask AF: What Adoptive Parents Need to Know About Hepatitis B - September 28, 2016
- List of Recommended Post-Arrival Medical Evaluations - September 17, 2016
- Questioning Medical Myths About Adoption - August 3, 2016
- Ask the Doctor: Pre-Adoption Medical Assessment - July 25, 2016
- Ask AF: Building a Good Relationship with Your Pediatrician - July 7, 2016
View all
Bonding
- “Breathing” - January 14, 2021
- Thank You, Bàba - September 22, 2020
- “Finding My Inner Mom” - June 6, 2019
- “How We Bonded with Our Child” - October 27, 2018
- “Fool for Love” - October 2, 2018
View all
- “Breathing” - January 14, 2021
- Thank You, Bàba - September 22, 2020
- “From Waiting Mom to Flexible Working Mom” - February 21, 2020
- Ask AF: What to Do the First Time a Foster Child Comes to Stay with Us? - April 23, 2019
- Ask AF: Rivalry with a Newly Adopted Sibling - January 29, 2019
View all
- “Finally Father’s Day” - October 1, 2018
- “Baby Benjamin’s Adoption Day” - August 23, 2018
- “Motherhood, Cleaved.” - July 24, 2018
- Parents Share: Celebrating with an Adoption Shower - May 24, 2018
- Adoption Day Gifts From Russia, with Love - February 13, 2018
View all
- “It Takes No Special Power to Love a Child” - July 30, 2021
- “On Parenting from Afar” - February 21, 2020
- Ask AF: What to Do the First Time a Foster Child Comes to Stay with Us? - April 23, 2019
- Ask AF: How to Discourage Indiscriminate Affection - April 23, 2019
- Media Focus: Lissa Schneckenburger - February 28, 2019
View all
Talking
- Ask AF: Should We Tell Our Child She Has a Birth Sibling if They Can’t Be in Touch? - June 6, 2019
- 8 Keys to Talking About Adoption - April 23, 2019
- Ask AF: Seven-Year-Old Has Been Saying She Doesn’t “Belong Here” - February 28, 2019
- Ask AF: Worried My Daughter Will Think Her Birth Mom Is More “Fun” - October 29, 2018
- Ask AF: How to Help Our Teen Through Depression? - October 5, 2018
View all
- Parents Share: No End to the Nosy Adoption Questions - February 21, 2020
- “I Can Still Be Shocked” – Encountering Ignorance About Adoption and Race - June 6, 2019
- Ask AF: How to Discourage Indiscriminate Affection - April 23, 2019
- How Adoption Grew Secret - October 20, 2018
- Support Groups for Adoptive Parents and Families - October 6, 2018
View all
- “Sliding Doors” - April 23, 2019
- “This Is For Real” - April 15, 2018
- “Finding Peace Through the Adoptee Community” - January 24, 2018
- Teens Speak Out About Open Adoption - January 17, 2018
- “Mom, Were You Alive During Woodstock?” - November 30, 2017
View all
- Capturing Your Child’s Journey Through Life - September 21, 2018
- Creating a History for Your Teen During Infancy - December 29, 2016
- Child-Created Lifebooks - June 20, 2016
- Adoption Scrapbooks Made Easy - June 17, 2016
- A Tale to Treasure - June 12, 2016
View all
- Ask AF: Worried My Daughter Will Think Her Birth Mom Is More “Fun” - October 29, 2018
- Ask AF: Sharing Difficult Details with a Seven-Year-Old - September 26, 2018
- Ask AF: How to Tell My Son That I Can’t Adopt His Biological Sister? - August 28, 2018
- The Talk: Revealing the Realities of Racism to My African-American Child - May 30, 2018
- Ask AF: How to Explain to My Child That His Birth Mother Was Addicted to Drugs? - May 24, 2018
View all
Transracial
- An Overview of Heritage Travel - October 19, 2018
- Books and Articles for Introducing Race and Racism to Children - September 16, 2018
- “Bagels and Pho” - September 12, 2018
- “Back to Bucaramanga” – Meeting My Daughter’s Birth Mother in Colombia - August 28, 2018
- AF’s, Complete Guide to Heritage Travel - August 18, 2018
View all
- The Grammar of Untold Stories: An Interview with Lois Melina - March 17, 2021
- How to Be an Anti-Racist Adoptive Parent - August 7, 2020
- Mothering Children of Color Who Are Becoming Adults - June 12, 2020
- “I Can Still Be Shocked” – Encountering Ignorance About Adoption and Race - June 6, 2019
- “Home Safe Every Night” - October 29, 2018
View all
- “Almost Famous” - February 28, 2019
- Connecting With the Black Community - May 23, 2018
- “How I Parent My Transracial Family” - October 30, 2017
- “Keeping Up Appearances” – Our Skin and 4C Hair Care Routine - October 24, 2017
- “Memory Givers” - September 1, 2017
View all
Openness
- Ask AF: Letting a Preteen Take the Lead in a Birth Parent Relationship - February 21, 2020
- “A New Path in Our Adoption Journey” - April 23, 2019
- Parents Share: Birth Sibling Connections - November 28, 2018
- [EXCERPT] Those Three Words - October 29, 2018
- Parents Share: “Our Open Adoption Over the Years” - August 28, 2018
View all
- The Grammar of Untold Stories: An Interview with Lois Melina - March 17, 2021
- Thank You, Bàba - September 22, 2020
- Ask AF: Should We Tell Our Child She Has a Birth Sibling if They Can’t Be in Touch? - June 6, 2019
- “A New Path in Our Adoption Journey” - April 23, 2019
- Ask AF: Should I Try to Contact My Children’s Birth Siblings? - February 28, 2019
View all
- [EXCERPT] Those Three Words - October 29, 2018
- Ask AF: Explaining to a Child That His Sibling Will Be Adopted By Another Family - December 22, 2017
- “Letting Go After Months of Struggling to Parent” - May 9, 2017
- Bringing Birth Siblings Into Our Children’s Stories—and Lives - January 25, 2017
- The Birth Parent Perspective: Stats and Chart - October 19, 2016
View all
- “Sliding Doors” - April 23, 2019
- Ask AF: Should I Try to Contact My Children’s Birth Siblings? - February 28, 2019
- Ask AF: Worried My Daughter Will Think Her Birth Mom Is More “Fun” - October 29, 2018
- How Adoption Grew Secret - October 20, 2018
- “Back to Bucaramanga” – Meeting My Daughter’s Birth Mother in Colombia - August 28, 2018
View all
Parenting
- Mothering Children of Color Who Are Becoming Adults - June 12, 2020
- “From Waiting Mom to Flexible Working Mom” - February 21, 2020
- Ask AF: Letting a Preteen Take the Lead in a Birth Parent Relationship - February 21, 2020
- “On Parenting from Afar” - February 21, 2020
- “She’s Leaving Home” - February 28, 2019
View all
- Parents Share: What My Child’s Friends Want to Know About Adoption - September 26, 2018
- “Life of the Party” - September 26, 2018
- Ask AF: How to Choose a School for Our Transracially Adopted Child? - August 28, 2018
- “Overcoming All Odds” - March 26, 2018
- 3 Tasks for College-Bound Adoptees - February 21, 2018
View all
- “It Takes No Special Power to Love a Child” - July 30, 2021
- “I Needed a Different Parenting Handbook…” – Parenting Children with FASD - June 6, 2019
- Ask AF: Worried My Daughter Will Think Her Birth Mom Is More “Fun” - October 29, 2018
- How to Raise a Bounce-Back Kid - October 25, 2018
- Raising a Child Who Loves Reading - October 24, 2018
View all
- “Breathing” - January 14, 2021
- “From Waiting Mom to Flexible Working Mom” - February 21, 2020
- 2019 Cover Photo Contest Winners - February 21, 2020
- Parents Share: How Is Parenting After Adoption Different? - February 28, 2019
- Ask AF: Should I Try to Contact My Children’s Birth Siblings? - February 28, 2019
View all
- Hosting Productive Play Dates - October 21, 2018
- Parents Share: What My Child’s Friends Want to Know About Adoption - September 26, 2018
- “But How Did He Know About My Mama?” - July 24, 2018
- The Wrong Crowd? - October 17, 2017
- Helping Teens with Transitions - September 6, 2017
View all
- Parent-to-Parent: Holiday Gifts for Your Child’s Birth Family - December 19, 2017
- 2020 Holiday Gift Guide – from Our Sponsors - October 13, 2017
- “Anniversary” - February 21, 2017
- Parent-to-Parent: My Favorite Adoption Memory - January 23, 2017
- “My Christmas Dream Come True” - December 19, 2016
View all
- “From Grief to Joy” - November 29, 2021
- “It Takes No Special Power to Love a Child” - July 30, 2021
- “Breathing” - January 14, 2021
- 2019 Cover Photo Contest Winners - February 21, 2020
- 2018 Cover Photo Contest Winners - November 29, 2018
View all
Archives

Archives

September 29, 2024

default-talking-explaining-adoption-to-others-ts-strollers

June 6, 2014

How to explain adoption to family and friends who ask questions

Two women talk while standing with strollers.

Search the Adoptive Families Library

Most Popular

“From Grief to Joy”

“It Takes No Special Power to Love a Child”

The Grammar of Untold Stories: An Interview with Lois Melina

“Breathing”

Thank You, Bàba

AF.com

About Us
Contact Us
FAQ
Terms
Privacy

Site Map

The Process
Bonding
Talking
Transracial
Openness
Parenting

Search the Adoption Parenting Library

Copyright © 1999-2024 Adoptive Families Magazine®. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Top