After adopting older children, these parents found that maintaining a family photo album was a useful tool to encourage bonding.
Family Activities (That Don’t Involve Screens)
It can be a challenge to tear tweens away from their screens for some good old fashioned family bonding—until you try one of these activities!
Conscience Development in Preschoolers
Many children in foster care have delays in conscience development. A few have no conscience. It is important that parents understand conscience development and identify ways to facilitate growth in this area.
Music Is Our Family Tradition
We’ve been discussing family traditions lately. The other night at dinner, our 10-year-old, Yakob, said, “You know, we should have family movie night. We could each pick a movie to watch.”
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.
Teaching Kids to Say Thanks
What do you do when your three-year-old announces that he doesn’t like the new socks your mother gave him as a gift? Or he’s too busy devouring a cookie to show his appreciation for it?;
Chicken Feet for Thanksgiving
Tradition and ritual, especially during the holidays, signal security and family pride. And if you get creative, they just might reflect your distinct personalities, too.
2016 Cover Photo Contest Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 Adoptive Families Cover Photo Contest! See the nine photos selected from more than 1,000 entries, and read stories from the proud parents.
Ask AF: Handling a Difficult Adjustment After Older Child Adoption
A single mother who’s adopting a boy from foster care seeks advice on a challenging older child adoption adjustment. Parents who have adopted older children respond.
Ask AF: When Children Face Adoption Questions and Stigma at School
“After my daughter told classmates that she was adopted, they responded that they ‘feel sorry’ for her. What can I do to help?”
News Brief: Expanded Definition of Parenthood Tested in New York Court
In August 2016, New York state expanded its definition of a parent to include caretakers without biological or adoptive ties. In September 2016, a first court case put that definition to the test.
Share Your Story: Holiday Traditions
We asked the Adoptive Families Reader Panel: How do you integrate your child’s culture of origin and/or adoption story into your family’s holiday rituals?
Lending a Hand
Finding ways to “give back” as a family can be fun—and rewarding—for ‘tweens and parents alike.
Teaching Emotional Regulation to Preschoolers
Little ones can be overwhelmed by excitement during the holidays. Here’s how to help your preschooler regulate her emotions.
Surviving the Holidays After Adopting
The arrival of a new baby during the holiday time can be overwhelming for new parents—here’s how to have a sane season.
“My Child, Myself”
What do we teach our children, and what are the born knowing?
[Book Review] When the Brain Can’t Hear: Unraveling the Mystery of Auditory Processing Disorder
Dr. Teri James Bellis, author of When the Brain Can’t Hear, is an audiologist who herself developed APD following an automobile accident. She clearly knows APD from the inside out.
When Should My Child Be Vaccinated?
The truth about vaccinations for infants, and how to protect your child.
When Should You Schedule Surgery?
You may want to postpone elective surgery until your child has been home for four to six months.
Ask AF: What Adoptive Parents Need to Know About Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a contagious virus that can be passed from a mother to a baby at or around the time of birth. It can also be passed from one child to another in an orphanage, through blood or body fluids.