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.
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.
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.
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.
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?”
10 Steps to Adoption
Step 1: “Forget everything you’ve heard about how impossible or hard it is to adopt.” Read this, and other pearls of wisdom from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Adoption.
“Uncharted Territory”
Sometimes, you go somewhere expecting it to be totally different, and it ends up seeming familiar. I had that feeling as I led a group of students on a trip to China—and then again, back home, as we met an expectant mother.
“My Journey Through the Stages of Adoption”
Much like the trimesters of pregnancy, I moved through phases of worry, disbelief, and pure joy while I waited to adopt.
Share Your Story: Announcing Your Adoption
We asked our Reader Panel: Outside of your immediate family, who was the first person you told about your decision to adopt, and how did you tell them?
“You Have to Be Perfect.” And Other Adoption Myths
Sometimes it’s not just those unfamiliar with adoption who are misinformed.
Online Adoption Resources for Prospective Parents
Our recommendations for online adoption resources — from government sites to attorney directories — selected by the editors of Adoptive Families magazine.
“Should We Keep or Change Our Child’s Name?”
We carefully choose our children’s names. But wait—our children will soon have their own ideas about who they are and what they should be called.
“The Perfect Season of the Heart”
A father and son find that, in the face of catastrophe, despair, and death, the antidote is life.
Getting in Shape for Your New Arrival
Babies are demanding little creatures whose needs for food and dry diapers and cuddling and comforting rarely occur only during the day. Here’s how adoptive parents can get ready.
One Partner Wants to Nest, the Other Wants to Wait
A hopeful adoptive mother who’s just started the adoption wait is ready to nest and get the baby’s room ready—but her husband wants to wait. Parents who have been there offer advice.
Adopt Again?
Adopting a second child is a big step. Here’s some been-there, done-that wisdom from parents to help you decide.
Ask AF: Readjusting to Younger Kids as an Older Mom
An older mom who’s enjoyed the relative freedom of parenting teens is nervous about readjusting to more hands-on parenting when she adopts a young child. Parents who have been there offer advice.
Share Your Story: Favorite Pre-adoption Books
We asked our reader panel to describe the books they find most helpful to prospective adoptive parents. Here are some of their favorites.
Share Your Story: Pre-Adoption Education
Some international adoption regulations require pre-adoption education for prospective adopters. Do you think this is a good idea? What kind of preparation did you have? Would you do anything differently?
Parent-to-Parent: Home Study Anxiety
The homestudy is a stressful experience for any prospective adoptive parent, but it can be especially nerve-wracking for those with health concerns or youthful indiscretions. Our readers offer advice on getting through this stage of the adoption process.