Tween adoptees may walk away from their cultural heritage, family outings, and even their family as they try to fit in with peers.
“Who am I?” The Complex Quest of Adolescent Adoptees
Every teen is involved in the complicated process of forming an identity. For adoptees, the process has a few extra layers.
“Don’t Tell Anyone I Was Adopted”
The school year brings the realization that not every child has two sets of parents. Here’s how to help your child cope.
“A Gift in the Mail”
Games of being found and reunion can comfort all children.
Real Parents Provide Discipline
Setting limits can be tough for parents–but it’s important to discipline our children anyway.
Alleviating Children’s Money Worries
The recession is a grown-up problem, but kids may be having money-related concerns of their own. Here’s how to calm their fears.
Can My Child Handle Sleep Away Camp?
Parents wonder if preteens will experience separation anxiety at sleep away camp. Learn how to tell if yours is ready, and then ease the transition.
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?
Dealing with Adoptee Fears of Loss
Do adoptees who’ve already experienced the loss of birth parents worry more than other kids about their parents dying?
Minimizing Placement Trauma
Pre-adolescents have special needs in a foster care placement. Our expert provides tips on how to make the transition to an adoptive home a little easier.
Mommy, Where Did I Come From?
Many adoptive parents mistake talking about the culture or place their child is from is enough. Learn why talking about birth parents matters.
Different, Yet the Same
Playmates and mentors can help children find common ground.
“When Did My Little Girl Grow Up?”
My daughter is still very much a little girl. But with every passing week, it’s getting frighteningly easier to imagine her teen years.
Saying “No!” (Without Guilt)
Your preschooler pleads for things and refuses to listen. Why is it so hard to set limits?
“What an Embarrassment!”
As my daughter approaches the tween years, she’s becoming more aware of who she is and of how others see her — and me.
Revealing Painful Adoption Details
Children need to know their full stories before the teen years. Why, and how, to explain troubling information.
No More Bedtime Battles
The safety and predictability of a regular evening routine can end go-to-sleep struggles with your preschooler.
Talking with Teens About Sex and Dating
Having “the talk” with your teen is necessary — and it can turn into an emotional conversation about birth parents.
Birth Parent Fantasies
Your child’s birth mother looms large in her imagination now. What’s your grade-schooler really thinking?
Teens in Blended Families
When their family also includes biological children, adoptees can have complex feelings about siblings and their own sense of belonging.