“Our adoption profile was shown to an expectant mother, and she selected a different family. We knew this was a possibility, of course, but feel disappointed. How to cope?” Readers offer advice.
Parents Share: The “Match Meeting” with an Expectant Mother
“Be yourself” and more real-life advice for the “match meeting” with an expectant mother.
Ask AF: Advice for Our “Ice Breaker” Meeting with a 10-Year-Old Boy?
“We are adopting from foster care and have an ‘ice breaker’ meeting with a 10-year-old boy scheduled for tomorrow. I’m super nervous. Can anyone share advice about forging a connection?”
Parents Share: Our Last-Minute “Stork Drop” Adoption
We asked, did you get “the call” that you’d been selected by a birth mother after the baby was already born? Parents respond with their experiences and been-there advice.
“The Advice I Wish I’d Gotten While Waiting to Adopt”
Most prospective adoptive parents don’t get cards or baby showers, or even much excitement. It’s time to change that. Buying something for your hoped-for baby won’t ‘jinx’ your plan to adopt, and 11 more things I wish someone had told me during the wait.
Ask AF: Feeling Depressed When Friends Announce They’re Pregnant
“Does anyone else feel jealous, weepy, depressed, and even a bit angry when friends or family members share the joyous news that they’re pregnant? I am truly thankful for my daughter, adopted five years ago, but at the same time, their news reminds me of how little control I have over growing our family.”
Parents Share: Deciding What Age Child to Adopt
From newborns to teens to sibling groups, adoptive parents share the thought process behind their age preferences when adopting.
From Only Child to Oldest
Preparing your child for a new sibling can be a challenge at any age, but especially when she is a sensitive teen.
“For Their Children”
Years ago, when my son and I were at the kitchen table, a work-related call interrupted our conversation. He said sadly, “Mom, you spend more time helping people have children than you do with your own.”
The Story Behind the Cover Photo: “The Words I’ll Never Forget”
“Looking back on this picture, I see a child who was confused, but yearning for what we all want and need: security, a family, and love. The picture is about hope.”
“First Words”
We may not have heard our children’s very first words, but we’ve heard many others in our journey through infertility and foster adoption—and now, as family.
Ask AF: Responding to Insensitive and Discouraging Comments During the Wait
“I’m so excited to be moving forward in the adoption process, but, when I share that news, I’ve been surprised and frankly dismayed at some of the reactions I’ve gotten. These range from dismissive to fearful and discouraging.”
Ask AF: How to Explain Fostering and Concurrent Planning to Our Children?
A parent wonders how to explain the painful possibility that a foster child might return to her birth family to the young child she’s already parenting.
How to Photograph Your Adoption Trip
Whether your adoption takes place in the US or abroad, its sure to involve travel to another city. Here’s what you need to know to bring back memorable photographs and video footage of your adoption trip.
Ask AF: Because Baby Showers Are Bad Enough Without Nosy Questions…
When you struggle with infertility, baby showers can be painful reminders — and often lead to nosy questions, like, ‘So, when are you going to have a baby?’ Parents who’ve been there advise on how to respond.
10 Tips for Adoptive Parents
Step 1: “It is possible for many people to adopt children, babies and older kids.” Read this, and other pearls of wisdom from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Adoption.
Parent-to-Parent: The First Time You Saw Your Child
We asked our readers: Tell us about the first time you saw your child. Was in the hospital or in a referral photo?
“A Child’s Garden”
First I looked through the pages of Adoptive Families with a sense of duty. Then, the hope I felt looking at the made me realize, “I want to adopt a child.”
Ask AF: When and How to Find a Pediatrician During the Adoption Process
“We would like to find a pediatrician during the adoption process, so we have someone to help guide our decisions. How to do this?”
Parent-to-Parent: How to Get Through a Failed Match or Placement?
We asked our readers what advice they would give to a hopeful adoptive parent who just had an adoption situation fall through. Read the answers.