“Last week, my teenage son told me that he was tired of having to explain himself wherever he goes. Why is this happening, and how can I help him?”
“A Mother’s Day Not About Me”
To the birth mother of my three children through adoption, wherever you are, I say thank you for allowing me to be their “other” mommy.
Sharing Difficult Details with Your Child
Experts offer talking tips and sample language for discussing neglect, abuse, abandonment, and other painful parts of your child’s adoption story.
Child-Created Lifebooks
Even if you’ve made a scrapbook or lifebook for your child, kids this age like to tell their own stories. Here’s how to help.
“Googling Her Birth Parents”
Would it really be possible to fill out my daughter’s hazy memories by typing names into a search engine?
“Re-Celebrating My Daughter’s First Nine Birthdays”
My daughter’s tenth birthday was the first birthday party she’d ever had. Here’s how and why we decided to redo all the others.
Adoption Films for Family Movie Night
Use this guide to plan a family movie night or two this season. These flicks will captivate your kids, and open up adoption talks long after the credits have rolled.
“Inside/Outside”: The Transracial Adoptee Experience
30 years later: A special report on the Korean adoptee experience
A Mother’s Day Ritual
A simple ceremony with flowers and candles helped my children celebrate their love for two mothers.
What Preschoolers Can Understand About Adoption
When your preschooler asks questions about adoption, use these age-appropriate answers that emphasize your family’s love.
Preparing for Questions About Adoption at School
Before first grade, parents need to teach kids how to respond to unwelcome comments about adoption at school.
Ask AF: Talking About Adoption with Tweens
My 12-year-old son came home upset the other day—a classmate had told him he felt sorry for him because he doesn’t live with his “real parents.”
Adoption Scrapbooks Made Easy
Tips for capturing the journey leading up to your child’s adoption, and the precious moments after, in scrapbook your family will cherish forever.
Responding to “Invisible” Racism
Our society has gotten to the point where most people can agree that overt racism is wrong. Few would argue that segregation or using a racial slur is acceptable. But many more subtle forms of racism persist. Here’s how to combat them.
Let’s Play Adoption
Want to get your young child to open up about adoption? Stop talking and start playing!
Ask AF: Talking to Preschoolers About Racism
We’re ready to talk to our child, who is black, about racism before she starts school. What should we say?
Talking About Race and Racism
Racism exists, and it’s our job as parents to talk about it with our kids. Here’s an age-by-age guide to handling those conversations.
Explaining a Birth Parent’s Drug or Alcohol Abuse
“How can we explain birth family’s drinking or drug use?” Older child adoption expert Gregory Keck, Ph.D. answers a reader’s question.
Responding to “My Real Mom Would Let Me!”
When they’re angry at us, teens may bring up the subject of birth parents. Here’s how to answer calmly.
Budding Curiosity – Adoption Talks with Preschoolers
AF takes you inside the mind of your preschooler, and offers tips for answering their first questions about adoption and talking about how you became a family.