My 12-year-old son came home upset the other day—a classmate had told him he felt sorry for him because he doesn’t live with his “real parents.”
Answering Kids’ Questions About Reproduction
Kids’ questions about sex are a tad more complicated when adoption is involved. Here, our experts give you the answers you need.
Answering Relatives’ Tricky Questions About Adoption
Adoptive parents are used to fielding questions about adoption — and most of us have an arsenal of replies to give the stranger in the checkout lane, but when it’s a family member making the rude remark, snappy comebacks don’t suffice.
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.
Ask AF: Jealous of Dad
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Continuing Contact with the Birth Family?
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Birth Sibling in Another Family
When I adopted my two-year-old son, I was told that he has a biological sibling who was adopted by a family who lives in another state. My son is my only child, but his brother has adoptive siblings. How do I explain this to my son?
Ask AF: Sibling Adjustment
Our 16-month-old has been home for about a month now, and our three-year-old (who was also adopted) still sees his little brother as Public Enemy #1. Will this get better? What should we do?
Ask AF: Tweens and Teasing
My middle schoolers often get teased about the way they look or the fact that they were adopted. What can they say to the teasers?
Ask AF: Overcoming Fears
Answers to your parenting questions.
The Games They Play
Along with tea parties and superheroes, our children may incorporate themes like birth and adoption into their play.
Ask AF: Gaining Comfort with Adoption Talk
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Judgmental Questions About Adoption
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Affirming Belonging
An adoptive parent whose young child realized her skin color was different asks AF’s expert for help with talking about race and belonging in a blended family.
Ask AF: A More Multicultural Neighborhood
Part of growing up is learning to understand race. Experts explain how living in a diverse neighborhood can help your child put together the puzzle.
Ask AF: Older Child Adjustment
The older child we’re adopting is coming to us after seven years of foster care in another country. How can we make the transition easier?
Ask AF: Helping Kids who Feel “Different”
Your preteen wants to fit in, but how can she when she’s “different”? AF explains how parents can help.
Ask AF: Sharing Tough Information
“We have very little information about our five-year-old daughter’s birth parents, but what we do know is disturbing. When should we share this information, and how” Read Mary Ann Curran’s answer.
Ask AF: Time to Bond
When you finally bring your baby home, your family will probably be very excited to meet her. Mary Ann Curran suggests ways to explain the bonding cycle to them and gently request time to be alone.