We’d had seven days notice for our first adoption. For our second, four. Now, two. It was as if we’d been training for this moment, and we were at peak performance.
The Truth About Older Child Adoption
The first year after bringing home an older child is complicated, isolating, utterly frustrating…and amazing.
“The Most Natural Adoption”
As a newly minted adoptive mom reveling in my bond with my daughter, it just seemed natural to me when a mother goat on our farm took in a baby lamb.
Ask AF: Transition to Daycare
Answers to your parenting questions.
(Finally!) Feeling Like A Parent
We asked our readers, “When did you know in your heart that you were a mother or a father?” Here’s what they had to say!
“Just a Simple Scar”
A daughter joins her family with a mysterious scar on her leg, adding another piece to the puzzle that is her young life.
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.
Is There a “Best” Bottle?
Practical aspects of bottle feeding, tailored to your baby’s needs.
Adapting Expectations
When you adopt a toddler or an older child, be prepared to encounter some surprising behaviors. Experts and parents share their strategies and successes.
Adoption Medicine — Formula Facts
Use the following guidelines to help you and your child’s doctor make the best formula choice for your infant.
Overcoming Sleep Problems
Our newly adopted child has problems sleeping. Some nights, she will resist being put to bed, and will wake up several times through the night. How can we help her get a good night’s sleep?
When Your Older Child Comes Home
We’re about to adopt a seven-year-old. Does he have to start school right away? What about medical care? What can wait until we’ve bonded?
Feeling Guilt Over the Birth Mom’s Grief
“Many parents feel guilty because their joy is the direct result of a difficult decision by the birth mother — someone you may have grown to care about. So when a new adoptive mother sees the birth mother in intense pain, she asks herself, ‘Was adoption really the right thing to do?'”
Ten Tips for Helping Babies Adjust
AF’s best strategies for bonding with your new baby.
“A Home for Helen”
She was a motherless five-year-old living in an Ethiopian orphanage. The package in her hands promised a brighter future.
All Through the Night
Parents and experts weigh in on the best ways to get our kids to sleep.
Letting Go: The Truth About Adoption Disruption
The decision to disrupt an adoption is agonizing. But if it’s been made, we must focus on the child’s best interests rather than on placing blame, say families and experts.
A Family Identity
A family value statement can build strong bonds and see you through both good times and bad.
“The Tie That Binds”
Whether you follow rituals from your own childhood or establish new ones, one truth remains the same: Traditions are what memories are made of. Here, four families share their stories.
“Until the Real Thing Comes Along”
After adopting in mid-life, I found I welcomed the role of single parent. Perhaps this is because I can deal only with one big relationship at a time, and my daughter takes up all the room.