We knew it was possible for the girl we were fostering to be reunited with her birth mother. But that didn’t make it hurt any less.
“Is My Asian Son a Whiz Kid?”
When my son was five months old, friends predicted he would be a good student — probably a mathematician.
“The Day I Gave My Heart Away”
A birth mother shares her feelings and thoughts about making an adoption plan for her child.
“Older Mom, Growing Older”
After catching baby fever at age 40 and adopting a newborn at 45, I’m aiming to live till 100.
“Bigotry, Blindness, and Basketball”
What started off as a fun day on the courts left my heart hurting for my two brown boys, and the kids who excluded them.
“Slipping into Parenthood”
I bought that stuffed animal — and that book, and that baby hat — in a moment of weakness. But as the wait stretched on, I realized those slip-ups are what kept me going.
“Letters of Love”
Sometimes I read the warm, loving letters my birth daughter’s parents send and feel almost incapable of responding. But I always do.
“Having ‘the Talk’ with My Black Son”
It’s not easy to teach your child that people may fear him because of the color of his skin—but it’s something parents through transracial adoption must do.
“Writing, Then Re-Writing, Our ‘Dear Expectant Mother’ Letter”
What do you write when the merchandise on offer is your heart?
“How to Be His Mother”
Twenty-six years after placing my son for adoption, we found each other. That’s when I started learning—the hard way—how to be a mom.
“The Fierce Feelings of Motherhood”
In this personal essay, the author reflects on the surprising fierceness of feeling like a mom.
“The Blank Spaces” – Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Effects
I am angry at the price my son has to pay for his birth mother’s decision to drink while pregnant — but I can’t be angry at her.
“How Do You Define Motherhood?”
To many people, sharing DNA and giving birth are the prerequisites to being a “real” mom. As my children’s mommy, I know better.
“We Wanted to Adopt White Children”
I chose our route because I didn’t feel comfortable adopting outside our race. Six bittersweet years of motherhood have taught me to look beyond appearances.
“Joining an African-American Church”
My wife and I were nervous the first Sunday we attended an African-American church. Would they welcome us? Would they stare? We should have had faith.
The First Year of an Open Adoption: Four Families Share
Families with different levels of contact offer glimpses into their relationships with birth parents during their first year home.
“The Stages of Waiting”
Are all the bewildering ups and downs I’ve experienced during our wait typical of the international adoption process?
“Older, Wiser, and Warming Bottles”
Adoptive parents pushing the mid-century mark are joining playgroups and diggingDora the Explorer. What’s age got to do with it?
“An Unmatched Set” Can I Love a Child Who Doesn’t Look Like me?
Could I love a child who doesn’t look like me? Yes. More than I’ve ever thought possible.
“What the Books Didn’t Tell Me”
When Christopher joined our family at age three, I had to set aside my tried and true parenting methods in favor of the sort of nurturing he’d never known.