I’d like to shield her from life’s unhappiness, but my daughter’s spirit needs to lead her.
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.
“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.
Birth Parent Fantasies
Your child’s birth mother looms large in her imagination now. What’s your grade-schooler really thinking?
Easing an Older Child’s Adjustment
The transition from foster care to forever family can be difficult on a child. Use these strategies when bringing home an older child.
Bringing Culture to the Classroom
A little culture can go a long way in explaining adoption.
Explaining Adoption in the Classroom
AF readers share their tips and tricks for bring adoption to their kids’ classrooms.
Birth Parent Fantasies — and Fears
An adopted child may imagine life with her birth parents as “the road not taken.” Parents should share what they know and support exploration.
Kids May Worry About Their Birth Parents After a Natural Disaster
Here’s how to help your child regain her sense of security when current events trigger hidden fears.
Open Adoption and the Family Tree Assignment
Your child was just assigned the family tree in school. What now?
When Parents are the Educators
Raising adoption awareness at school can protect your child from thoughtless remarks and benefit classmates, teachers, and the school community. Just be sure to tread lightly and respect boundaries, especially your child’s.
Empowering Kids to Handle Sticky Assignments
When adoption comes up in the classroom, you can’t always help your child handle it. Here’s how to set up your child to advocate for herself at school.
How I Explained Adoption to the First Grade
Using a favorite doll and a logic children can follow, one mother enlightens her daughter’s curious class about adoption.
Clearing Hurdles to Learning
For children with learning disabilities, early intervention can make the difference.
What Your Child’s Teacher Needs to Know
Teachers are facing increasing demands in the classroom, so it’s up to you to take the necessary steps to make sure your child’s needs are met.
Friends Like Me: The Value of Adoptee Peer Groups
Want to do something wonderful for your grade-schooler? Hook her up with other kids who were adopted.
Peers, Pressure, and Popularity
“Come on, everyone else is doing it.”
Out On Their Own
At school, children have to fend for themselves. Here are words they can live by.
The Kindergarten Transition
Starting school is exciting for kids, but it can also be a little scary. A mother of two shares her experiences and some tips on how to cope.