Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Writing to a Birth Father
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Contacting a Birth Mother
A parent asks whether contacting her child’s birth mother while the child is still a preteen is a good idea. Read Ronny Diamond’s response.
Ask AF: Sudden Secrecy About Adoption
When your child reaches his preteen years, he may deny his adoption to fit in with peers. Ronny Diamond explains how parents can cope.
Ask AF: Sharing Tough Information
“We have very little information about our five-year-old daughter’s birth parents, but what we do know is disturbing. When should we share this information, and how” Read Mary Ann Curran’s answer.
Ask AF: Alleviating Sibling Rivalry
“Our three-year-old daughter still has not adjusted to our new son, two, who came home a few months ago. She was expecting a ‘baby,’ not someone who is already walking, talking, and taking attention away from her — and she’s been taking it out on him. Help!”
Ask AF: A More Multicultural Neighborhood
Part of growing up is learning to understand race. Experts explain how living in a diverse neighborhood can help your child put together the puzzle.
Ask AF: When Is Cuddling Appropriate?
Your child might love hugs and cuddles to reinforce attachment. Diana Schwab, M.Ed., LSW, suggests other ways you can affirm your bond at those times when cuddling’s not appropriate.
Ask AF: Post-Adoption Services
An adoption expert answers a question about post-adoption services after finalization, and whether parents can get help for a special needs child.
Ask AF: Ending the Comparison
An adoptive parent asks about a birth mother continuously pointing out physical resemblances, and wonders how to smooth out an open adoption arrangement. Read Joyce Maguire Pavao, Ed.D.’s response.
Ask AF: A New Line of Questioning
Recently, my 7-year-old has been asking me rather vague questions, such as, “Where am I?” or “Where do I belong?” I don’t want to attribute every element of his development to adoption — but could that be behind these questions?
Ask AF: Breast Milk or Formula
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Sleep Setups
Answers to your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Building Relationships
Our toddler bonded very quickly with our immediate family, but she still refuses to allow anyone else to hold her, including our relatives. Is this normal for a two-year-old?
Ask AF: An Invasive Assignment
An adoptive parent asks how to react to her middle schooler’s assignment to write a report about his birth. Adoption at school expert Lansing Wood offers guidance on speaking with the teacher.
Ask AF: What’s the Big Secret?
My 8-year-old has always seemed comfortable about adoption. Recently, though, he’s been telling classmates that he was adopted, but asking them to keep it secret. Should I be worried?
Ask AF: Baby Shower Timing
Answering your parenting questions.
Ask AF: When Pets Need a New Home
Adoptive parents who have made the difficult decision that their pets need a new home worry about sharing this news with their children. Diana Schwab, M.Ed., LSW, suggests ways to explain.
Ask AF: Introducing Solid Foods
Answering your parenting questions.
Ask AF: Talking About Sex & Marriage
Ronny Diamond discusses introducing conservative views on sex and marriage to your adopted child, without appearing to judge their birth family.