January 04, 2016

Adoption News Roundup

Happy New Year!

We hope you had a wonderful holiday and are ringing in the new year with a fresh perspective on life, happiness, health and family. We’re not big into big, bold resolutions. For us, it’s the intentionality of every day moments that really make a difference.

A new year means lots of interesting content is floating around out there. Here’s what’s been keeping our minds occupied recently.

“Dear Adoptive Parents Walking the Hard, Hellish, Lonely Road Trauma…THIS POST IS FOR YOU. AND ONLY YOU.” This searingly honest essay from an adoptive mother dealing with a child who has endured trauma will strike the very soul of any parent who is experiencing the same and feels entirely alone in their journey. However hard it is to hear, it is so refreshing when someone speaks their truth. Likely there is someone out there who has been needing those very words. “You wake up every day exhaling a supernatural prayer to inhale supernatural peace and supernatural strength, because it’s harder than hell to navigate this dark and untrodden road. You are depressed because darkness and strife have taken over your previously semi-docile home. You are scared because you never know what the day will hold—violent threats? police visits? psychiatric hospital? having to gather up your littles and leave the house in a moment’s notice—But the eggshells are a guarantee. Always the eggshells. So you’re always on edge. Anxious. Waiting for the shoe to drop. Because it always, most definitely does.”

“Please don’t tell me I was lucky to be adopted.” It’s a common response adoptees hear, but have you considered how it might actually make them feel?

What’s it like to field judgment because you look different than your adoptive family?

15 things not to say to a parent of a child with special needs. Note: telling them how to better discipline their child will likely not be well-received.

15 ways to be a better person in 2016 according to the New York Times Style section, including wearing more comfortable underwear and being nice to babies. We feel pretty good about both of those things.

Do you have a mental health disorder? You may fear it will impede your ability to adopt. This adoptive mother shares her story.

Speaking of mental health…we could all use a re-boot. Taking better care of ourselves inevitably makes us better parents as well, in addition to mirroring healthy habits our children can learn and incorporate into their own lives. The Huffington Post has some great tips for improving mental health in 2016.

Let’s get more hands-on with our kids this year! We love these educational activities from Parents.com, all for stimulating the minds of children.