June 25, 2015

Adoption News Roundup

Happy Friday! Who doesn’t like a good roundup to pass the time on a Friday? Here are the articles that caught our eye this week:

Childhood trauma is bad for many obvious reasons, but one thing it has a grave impact on is brain development. This interview with a psychiatrist and stress trauma expert goes deep into the ways that childhood trauma actually reshapes the brain. Fascinating and devastating at the same time.

Are you pregnant and considering adoption? Or do you know someone who is pregnant and considering adoption? It’s a hard, emotional decision, and we’re always lauding the benefits of some good, solid reading material. Here’s a great list of resources for those thinking about and looking to learn more about the adoption process.

Have you ever heard someone make a disparaging comment about adoption in the workplace?

This couple has fostered over FOUR HUNDRED children! Super. Heroes.

Has your child written to their birth family? What kind of emotions did that conjure for you?

Are you going to a shower for an adoptive-mother-to-be? This is a great little list of potential gift ideas! Of course adoptive moms need all the same things any mother needs, but it’s nice to also have options that are customized for the experience and speak to the incredible journey that is adoption.

We totally agree with the notion that superhero pajamas are a metaphor for adoption. “It strikes me that the Superman pajamas are a metaphor for your place in our family. You are different, because you were adopted. To deny that difference is to invite a world of angst beyond what you already experience. But you are also the same, because you belong in our family, our team, our clan, and that sameness glues us together.”

What do you think, should adoptive parents never, ever do any of these 8 things? Can you really make an overall ruling about something a parent should never do? We certainly agree with many, but would love your opinion.