A cry in the night reminds one mother how much families have changed and how much love stays the same.
When My Parents Divorced
A woman shares the story of her adoptive parents’ divorce.
Dealing with the Unwanted Spotlight
When children enter a family as older children or teens, or even when older children who are adopted move from one school setting to another, some of the ordinary issues of school life can become complicated for them.
Confronting Stereotypes and Prejudice About Adoption
“Adopted Teen Arrested,” the newspaper headline reads (never “Birth Teen Arrested”). Is this just another example of sensationalism by the media or do adopted teens get into more trouble than their non-adopted peers?
When Relatives Hold Dated Views About Adoption
“I need help dealing with unsupportive relatives who seem to think ‘adoption’ is a dirty word. How can I talk with them about adoption?”
Privacy, Please!
Surprised by your grade-schoolers sudden need for personal space? Don’t be. It’s normal.
Dealing with Loss of a Grandparent
Often, the loss of a grandparent will be your child’s first experience with death. If a child is close to her grandparent, the loss will be that much harder.
What’s on Their Minds?
As grade-school kids learn more about adoption, they begin to ask more questions. How do you respond?
“What is Adoption?”
When your child’s classmates have questions, you can provide the answers.
Learning to Make Mistakes
Some of our kids turn into perfectionists during grade school. Is there a link to adoption?
Supporting Your Teen’s Developing Identity
Questions from their peers get more complicated for our teens—and their peers’ questions may reflect their own worries about adoption.
“Is That Your Family?”
By now, you and your teen have established a firm family bond. But outsiders may not see it that way.
“Why Was I Adopted”
Your preschooler may hit you with surprising questions at the most unexpected times and places!
Television Shows That “Get” Adoption
Watching an engaging TV series that features a relevant storyline is a fun, low-pressure way to get your child talking about adoption. Here are five shows that mostly get it right.
“Which Ones Are Yours?”
There’s this poem I’m supposed to love. I first read it when we adopted our oldest son: Not flesh of my flesh nor bone of my bone/But still miraculously my own./Never forget, for a single minute,/You didn’t grow under my heart, but in it.
Searching for Family Resemblance
For a mom who was adopted as an infant, the realization that her children look like her takes on special meaning.
Bringing Birth Siblings Into Our Children’s Stories—and Lives
The vast majority of our children have birth siblings, yet parents may wonder how to approach the topic. Adoptive parents, birth parents, and adoptees share how they talk about biological siblings, and build brother-sister bonds.
“How I Deal with Nosy Questions”
Our daughter is not a public exhibit. She deserves to be protected from questions that undermine the legitimacy of our family.
“The One Place I Thought I’d Fit In”
I’d expected to fit in at the adoptive parents’ support group. At the first meeting, however, I found I was the only mom who’d adopted domestically, who looked like her child.
Ask AF: Roles and Titles in Kinship Adoption
“I adopted my grandson through a kinship adoption. He’s now six and has recently begun calling me ‘Mommy’ and saying he was in my tummy. Is this OK, or do I need to reiterate that I’m his grandmother?”