Our youngest son’s birth mother is having a baby. How will all of our kids relate to this new birth sibling?
“Finding Her Birth Mother, A World Apart”
Opening our daughter’s international adoption has allowed her to ask questions and receive answers, brought her birth mother a sense of peace from knowing that her child is alive, well, and happy, and given us the unforgettable privilege of personally thanking our child’s birth mother.
“Visiting My Daughter’s Birth Mother”
Taking my daughter to visit her birth mother, I found that, while shared genes make them alike in some ways, it’s shared experiences that make us family.
Imagining Another Life
As adolescents become capable of abstract thinking, they begin to wonder about the family and the country left behind — and the road not taken.
“Open Adoption Works for Us”
From a rocky start, we’ve built a relationship with our children’s birth families that has enriched their lives, and ours.
[Book Excerpt] Mamalita
Read a chapter of Jessica O’Dwyer’s adoption memoir Mamalita.
AF Reviews: Long Wait for Home
A film portraying the lives of birth parents in China.
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.
A Death in the Family
As children get older, they come to understand that everyone experiences loss.
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.
Contact with Birth Parents
We just brought our newborn home and are wondering how to communicate with his birth mother. How do we start?
The Good and Bad of Being “Chosen”
How to make sure your child feels good about being adopted.
“Guarding Tess” — A Father’s Story
I learned that the ultimate gift of love comes not from the receiver, but from the giver.
When Your Teen Starts to Date
As adopted teens enter the dating game, unique issues will arise. Are you ready to tackle them?
Imaginary Birth Parents
Your child may never have met his first mom and dad. But that doesn’t mean he’s not spinning stories about them.
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.
Nature vs. Nurture
When we judge our children’s birth parents, we often judge our children.
Proceeding with Caution in Birth Family Search
Adoptive parents sometimes initiate birth parent searches before their children are emotionally prepared to deal with the results.
“A Last-Minute Birth Mother Reunion”
Heritage trips help children discover their past — and influence who they become. Here, one family describes their journey back to their child’s birth country of Korea.
“Someone Who Shares My Joy”
Our open adoption allows us to share the love we have for our daughter with her birth parents.