The desire to give our children a history is something we all share. Here’s how I turned the story of bringing my son home into an adoption memoir.
Ask AF: Tailoring Talks to Understanding
If your child is developmentally delayed, you may wonder what adoption language is appropriate for him. Ronny Diamond answers.
Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child
In this excerpt from her book, Jayne Schooler offers adoptive parents tools for helping their children make sense of the past.
Ask AF: Telling Children About a Birth Child
A parent who placed a child for adoption wonders how to go about explaining a biological sibling to her current children. Adoption expert Brenda Romanchik answers.
Ask AF: Explaining the Death of a Birth Father
Adoption expert Debbie B. Riley, LCMFT, discusses how to explain the death of a birth father to your child, especially when the birth father has been rarely mentioned.
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?
Freeing Your Child To Feel
The child that doesn’t talk about adoption may have emotions that need to be explored.
Ask AF: Telling Children About a Change of Heart
Adoption expert Ronny Diamond outlines how to tell children when an expectant mother match falls through, after they’ve become attached to the idea of a new brother or sister.
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: Separation Anxiety?
Some adopted children may have some sort of separation anxiety, and need constant reassurance that you are indeed their “forever parents,” advises Joni Mantell, LCSW.
Should You Tell All?
Think carefully before sharing your child’s story with others.
Making Peace with Missing Information
We may not have the answers to all of our children’s questions about adoption and their birth families. But we must accept that fact, so we can help our children come to terms with it, too.
Ask AF: Sibling Prep in a Domestic Adoption
Ronny Diamond discusses how to prepare your child for a second domestic adoption and the idea of a baby sibling.
Ask AF: Birth Family Request for a Closed Adoption
Our child’s birth family does not want any contact with our family. How can we explain this to our son?