April 13, 2018
Adoption and Parenting Reads of the Week
Happy Friday!
We’re got a banner list of reads this week, covering topics like odd things people still believe about adoption, 40 excellent adoption books, dos and donts of adoption financing, specialty summer camps for adoptees, understanding your child’s trauma (and how it makes them behave), tips for a successful open adoption and much more!
Enjoy, share, and have a lovely weekend.
<3
Helpful advice:
Five odd things that people still believe about adoption. (No, not all adopted children come from orphanages.)
We always love a good list of adoption books — and here are 40 of them!
This mother who adopted a 14 year-old boy shares some powerful lessons learned. Love this one: “Time-outs aren’t just for teens. We all benefit from taking a step back and calming down when things get heated. In our house we refer to this as ‘chill time,’ and when things are escalating we call for ‘chill time’ and give each other space to decompress. We then meet back up in fifteen minutes to work toward a resolution.”
Young children share what it’s like being taken away from their families.
Not sure whether you’re interested in fostering or adoption? Here are a few thoughts that might help you make the decision.
Four reasons you should support your child’s search for their birth parents.
Do you fully understand your child’s trauma, and how it makes them behave? This couple, who have adopted children with traumatic backgrounds, share the power of finally unveiling deeper insight into their children’s behavior. “Speaking of compassion, I came across this quote recently, by Annette Breaux, that said, ‘Nine times out of 10, the story behind the misbehavior won’t make you angry, it will break your heart.’ So, so true! And there’s a lot of breaking to be had when our eyes are finally opened, the blurriness from our vision lifts, and we now see situations, and moments in a new light. When you understand how trauma impacts your children, you become compassionate. Your heart breaks and you grieve their great loss. Plus, it helps you parenting them very different than you did in the past…We interact with our son completely different now.”
Always helpful advice: top ten tips for a successful open adoption. “Before the child is born, set up a specific pattern for communication for the first couple of months post adoption. You can always alter it later, but it helps to specifically discuss and write down what both sides want for the emotionally charged and confusing first few months. Who can initiate contact? How frequent? What is the preferred method of communication: telephone, text, visits, Skype, Facebook?”
LOVE! Specialty summer camps that are geared toward adoptees (with 2018 enrollment).
Financing is a big topic in the adoption world. Here are some helpful dos and donts.