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Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: How can I support siblings who have been separated by foster care or adoption? How can I help them build long-term secure attachments?
Sibling Relationships (Resource page)Working as Part of the Foster Care Team (Resource page)Creating a Family Online Facebook Group
Resources:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Children who have been sexually abused can heal. Join our conversation with Dr. Eliana Gil to learn how. Dr. Gil is the founder of the Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of trauma in children, especially those who have been sexually abused. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, and a Registered Art Therapist.
What type of abuse is considered âsexual abuseâ?Parents often donât know before fostering or adopting or taking in their grandchild that the child has experienced sexual abuse. What behaviors might indicate that a child has been abused sexually?What kids are at greatest risk for being sexually abused? Brief refresher on typical psycho-sexual development in children without abuse and how sexual abuse can alter this.How does the impact of the abuse differ on the child depending on their relationship to the abuser?Children can and do heal from sexual abuse. What are the long-term impacts of having been sexually abused?Not all kids who were sexually abused become sexual abusers. Is there research on this? How common is this?Guilt because they may have enjoyed part of the experienceâphysically or the attention.The presence of a supportive adult who believes the child can make a difference in how a child recovers.How should a parent respond if a child discloses sexual abuse?How can parents help children heal from sexual abuse?What protective factors in children or families make recovery more likely?What are some practical tools and talking points to assist a child in the re-learning of healthy boundaries and expressions of healthy affection? How to find a therapist to help a child heal from sexual abuse?What safeguards should a family have in place when accepting placement of a child who may have been sexually abused? How to protect other children in the home?
In this episode, we cover:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
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Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: For someone who is looking to become a foster parent should they go with a public or a private foster care agency? Which is best?
Choosing a Foster Care AgencyBecoming a Foster ParentWorking as a Part of the Foster Care Team
Resources:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Do you struggle with getting your child to sleep? Join our conversation with Macall Gordon and Kim West, co-authors of the book, Why Wonât You Sleep?!: A Game-Changing Approach for Exhausted Parents of Nonstop, Super Alert, Big Feeling Kids.
In this episode, we cover:
Why are some kids just harder to get to sleep or harder to keep asleep?Why is sleep so hard for some kids?How does trauma impact a childâs ability to fall and stay asleep?What are the biggest sleep issues for these kids and what can we do about them?OvertirednessProblems with the lead-up to lights out (transitions and routine)Parent is a required part of the go-to-sleep and back-to-sleep patternPast inconsistency (trying a method then stopping too soon or only partly trying)Parents worry that if they donât immediately respond to their childâs cry, they will damage the attachment or that their child will feel unloved.Thoughts on co-sleeping or the family bed.Thoughts on books on tape or video?AD has been with us since she was 1, is now almost 7. She's always required us to be with her to fall asleep, occasionally waking in the night. Now for about 2 months she basically needs my husband or I to sleep in her room. If we aren't there, she wakes multiple times, crying for us.She says she's afraid of bad dreams and bad thoughts inside her head, so no lights, monster spray, soothing music, etc. have helped. There is no event we can recall that started this, the only thing that fits time-wise is an age-appropriate storybook we read about adoption, with a happy ending.We are happy to give her the connection she needs but we are also tired... Any ideas on how to help?
This is not a newborn sleep training book. This is for those exhausted parents of kids from about age 1-6 who have tried it all and their child still wonât fall asleep easily or put themselves back to sleep when they awake in the night.Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: I'm interested in adopting an older teenager (16 or 17). An agency worker shared that many older teens don't want to be adopted, and just want to age out of foster care. Is this true, and if so, is adopting an older teen a reasonable goal?
Foster Care Adoption (Resource page)Adoptee & Former Foster Youth VoicesFoster Care (Suggested Books)
Resources:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Join us for this interview with former NFL Running Back and Super Bowl Champion Ricky Watters. He is an adoptee, an adoptive dad, and author of a new children's book on adoption, A Gift Called Shane.
How old were you when you learned you were adopted and how did you find out?When you discovered you were adopted, you mentioned in your NFL movie that it put a big chip on your shoulder. How has that chip served you well as an adoptive dad? How has it been a detriment?Why did you decide to adopt?Why did you decide to adopt internationally?Did your experience with finding out late that you were adopted affect the way you discussed adoption with your son?Do you see any signs of a similar âchipâ in your son that you had when you found out you were adopted? How do you help him navigate it for his own success?How did you prepare your biological son for the adoption of his brother? How do you support your adopted son in his questions about identity, birth family, etc.?Are you in reunion with your biological family?How has your adoptive family handled your reunion with your birth family?How excited were you for fellow hometown boy Shady McCoy to get into the Eagles Hall of Fame?What was your experience with playing at Notre Dame?
In this episode, we discuss:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: My husband Sean and I are here in Canada and early in the adoption process. We are looking at private infant adoption through an adoption agency. My question is around getting ready. When we successfully match it is almost a certainty it will be with a newborn and thereâs a 30% chance itâs a no-notice match and we have days rather than months to get ready. How would you recommend preparing? Do you think getting a crib, clothes, etc. is overkill? Iâm a planner, so I love to be prepared! Thanks!
Suggested Books for AdoptionCreating a Family Online Support GroupTransitioning a Child to Your Home
Resources:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Can our kids heal from all the hard things they've experienced? Is there something we can do to help? Join us today to learn about the power of positive childhood experiences with Dr. Robert Sege, the director of the HOPE National Resource Center at Tufts Medical Center. He holds a MD degree from Harvard Medical School and a PhD degree in biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
What are some of the benefits to kids from having positive childhood experiences?You have identified four building blocks for positive childhood experiences. What are they and give us specific examples of what parents and caregivers can do in each block to promote these experiences? How do these positive childhood experiences differ by age of the child? Can positive childhood experiences mitigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences? How can we help our kids be more resilient?Are all stress and negative experiences in childhood bad for our kids?Are there particular ages where kids are more receptive to the healing impact of positive childhood experiences?Our audience includes foster, adoptive, and kinship parents. While adoptive parents have a lifetime with the kids (and kinship caregivers may also have the same), foster parents are usually a temporary landing place for a child while their parents work on getting them back. How much impact can you have if you only have the child for a few months or a year?
In this episode, we cover:Resources:
HOPE National Resource CenterSupport the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: My husband and I were foster parents in the US, and have since relocated to Denmark for his work. We both still feel called to adopt from foster care, and would like to do that from the US. We know that the US and Denmark are both members of the Hague Convention, and can adopt from each other. You have great resources about international adoption, but usually from the perspective of a person in the US adopting from a foreign country. I'm wondering if you would consider doing a podcast episode on the process of a US citizen habitually resident in a foreign country adopting from US foster care.
Foster Care AdoptionChoosing a Foster Care AgencyThe Creating a Family 3-Step Process for Choosing an International Adoption Agency
Resources:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Are you planning to adopt or have you recently adopted? If so, you need to listen to this discussion about what to expect during the first few weeks or months you are home! Our guests are Michelle Kennedy and Deborah Artis. Michelle Kennedy has been a social worker with Methodist Home for Children for 27 years. She has direct care experience in residential and foster care services and has been working with youth and families in the foster-to-adopt process since 2005. Deborah Artis is a social worker and the Senior Program Director of foster care, adoption, and post-adoption with Childrenâs Home Society, where she has worked for 30 years.
What are some common emotions when adopting a newborn?What are some common stresses when adopting a newborn?How may the revocation period affect the transition to new adoptive parenting?Expectations of extended family during this transition period.How do the stresses of newly adopted families differ from a family that gives birth to their child?How does the pre-adoption process affect this transition to new parenthood?What are some feelings that come up about birth parents after the baby comes home?Handling grief of the birth family.Realities of open adoptions.Feeling like the presence of a birth mom makes the adoptive mom less of a ârealâ mom.The balance of power shifting from the expectant/birth mom to the adoptive mom.How much of your childâs âstoryâ should you share?How can infertility struggles impact the transition period?
In this episode, we cover:
Adopting a NewbornAdopting a Child Past Infancy
What are some common emotions when adopting a child from foster care or through international adoption?What are some common stresses when adopting a child past infancy?Integrating the new child into a family with other kids.How to help your child and you settle into becoming a new family.Post Adoption Depression
What is post-adoption depression?What are the symptoms?Blocked care.How can post-adoption depression impact parenting?How common is post-adoption depression?Can fathers also have post-adoption depression?Who is at risk for post-adoption depression? Are there ways to predict which people are more prone to post-adoption depression?What are some steps to take to prevent post-adoption depression?What should you do if you think you are suffering from post-adoption depression?Additional Resources:
4 Tried and True Tips for a Smooth Transition Home with Adopted KidsTransitioning Home with Your Newly Adopted BabySupport the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: My husband and I adopted our nephews four months ago. The two boys are sons of my niece; she gave her kids to the Family Department five years ago, and last year, we at last knew about the boys. They've been a year with us. I have a daughter, 21, and a son, 17, who were okay with the adoption, but now they say they feel this is not their home; they donât feel at peace in their house and think It was not a good idea to adopt, because of the hard situations with the kids. How can we affirm to our biological children that we did the correct thing to give the kids a family and that there is a process we must go through as a family to adapt?
Sibling RelationshipsHandling Negative Impacts of Adoption on Children Already in the HomePreparing Children Already in the Home for AdoptionHow Does Adoption Affect Siblings Already in the Home
Resources:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Do your kids drive you crazy over the holidays? Does their behavior escalate? Join our conversation to learn why and what you can do about it. We will talk with Erin Nasmyth is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a Masterâs in Social Work. She is the co-founder of Adoption Support Alliance, which provides services and support to adoptive families. She has worked in the public and private adoption and foster care system.
Is it common to see behavioral changes for the worse during the holiday season?What are some of the behaviors you might see that allow our kids to drive us crazy?What are some of the stressors that we may not recognize that cause these behaviors? New thingsNew peopleChange in routinesParental distractionPast history with holidaysToo much of everything-sensory overloadPractical ideas of how can we make the holidays smoother for our kids and for youIdeas on how to get our family onboard for making these changes to our holidays to make it easier for our kids?
In this episode, we cover:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: I see that you have information regarding prenatal substance exposure. Is there information regarding biological mothers that hate their pregnancy or their baby, but carry it to full term and put it up for adoption? Are there resources that would address the emotional impact on the baby?
Understanding the Birth Mom/Parent's ExperienceTalking with Kids About AdoptionRaising a Child with Prenatal Substance Exposure
Resources:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Do you wonder if your child was prenatally exposed to alcohol or drugs? There may be nothing in the files, but something feels not right? We talk about diagnosing and treating these kids with Dr. Larry Burd, a professor of pediatrics at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and the Director of the North Dakota Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center.
Most of our audience is foster, adoptive, and kinship parents and professionals. Often they donât know for sure if a child has been exposed. The US government estimates that about 10% of all children in the US have been prenatally exposed to alcohol or drugs. Do you have a feel for the percentage of children in foster care or who have been involved with the child welfare system? International adoption? Domestic infant adoption?Does prenatal exposure increase the likelihood of a disruption to a foster or adoptive placement?How is prenatal exposure to alcohol detected or diagnosed?What type of training do pediatricians receive during their education or residency on prenatal exposure and on how to diagnose?Can you tell at birth or in infancy if a baby has been exposed to alcohol in utero?How is prenatal exposure to drugs detected or diagnosed?How does birth order change the likelihood that a child who is at risk has been exposed during pregnancy?What are the long-term impacts of alcohol exposure? What are the symptoms that are most noticeable to parents, teachers, and other professionals working with these children?Alcohol exposure affects multiple systems in the body.Does it matter what type of alcohol was consumed?Who can diagnose a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?What are the long-term impacts of the following drugs?OpioidsHeroin and FentanylDepressants (benzodiazepines, such as Valium, Xanax)-Prescribed and unprescribedStimulants-Prescribed and unprescribedMethamphetaminesMarijuanaTobacco/NicotineDo pediatricians have a body of resources to offer parents regarding raising a child with prenatal exposure?Tips for parents.
In this episode, we cover:Tronick's Still Face Experiment
Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: I will ultimately decide on whether to try induced lactation to breastfeed an adopted baby on other factors, but I would like to make my decision with my eyes wide open. I like my breasts as they are, but I have been told all my life that pregnancy and breastfeeding change the breasts (making the breasts saggy and the nipples larger). Do adoptive parents who induce lactation suffer from similar issues? I have also heard of mothers who enter a depressive state during breastfeeding. Can you outline any other negative side effects of induced lactation?
Breastfeeding the Adopted ChildCreating and Cultivating Attachment with Your Adopted ChildPost Adoption Depression
Resources:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Should you adopt a child of a different race? What things should you consider? Join our conversation with Dr. Gina Samuels, an adult transracial adoptee and a Professor at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago. She is also the Faculty Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture. Her scholarly interests include transracial adoption and mixed-race and multiethnic identity formation. We are honored to have Dr. Samuels as the Chair of the Creating a Family Board.
If you are a White parent, are there different issues you need to consider depending on the race of the child you adopt?Some families prefer to adopt a bi-racial child rather than a child who is all Black or all Latinx. What are the issues to consider?Is there a difference between transracial and transcultural adoption?What does it take to raise a child to have a healthy self and racial identity? How do they differ? Unconscious overlap between self and racial identity for White people.What are some of the issues parents should think about to determine if they are a family that should adopt across racial or ethnic lines? What should parents be prepared to do in order to help their children develop a healthy sense of self?Adoption is a family affair, so how should prospective adoptive parents prepare their extended family members for the adoption of a child of a different race or culture?How do you protect your child from family members who may not approve or are racist?What to do if you have someone in your family that you fear will not be accepting or will not treat your child fairly or is a racist?How do you find role models that racially mirror your child? Politic of transracial adoption in minority communities. What does the research show on how transracially adopted children are doing?What issues may come up with open adoption when adopting across racial lines?Preparation for transracial adoption goes beyond hair care; hair and skin care are important. What should parents know?
In this episode, we cover:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: My husband and I are nearing finalization of our five-month-old adopted son. We don't currently have any other children. Throughout our time in the adoption process, I have spent time learning about adoption trauma and the complexities of adoption. I want to be well-informed as our son grows up and aware of the difficulties he may face. However, my question is, are there stories of adoptees, especially males, who have experienced emotional health and emotional success in life? I have heard many stories, both about and from, adoptees who have challenges with identity, maladaptive behavior, and experiences with other trauma, which make them at risk for suicide, addiction and depression. Are there any adoptive parents out there who are doing it right, whose adopted kids grow up to be well-adjusted adoptees, emotionally healthy adults who can form good relationships? Is our child doomed for a future of emotional trauma and struggle? I would love to hear their stories and learn from them as well.
Adoptee VoicesParenting Adopted ChildrenTalking with Kids About Adoption
Resources:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Does your child struggle with planning/organizing, time management, and impulse control? Join us for our interview with Dr. Joyce Cooper-Kahn, a clinical child psychologist who specializes in the treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD, executive functioning challenges, and other learning disabilities. She is the author of Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parents' Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning.
What is executive functioning?Example of executive functioning skills?What is it like for kids, youth, and adults who struggle with executive functioning?What is the experience of families with a child/youth with executive functioning difficulties?Why do some kids struggle with executive functioning? What other disabilities often occur with this deficit?At what age do we usually expect executive functioning skills to start developing?Who can diagnose an executive functioning disability, and why is it important to get a diagnosis?What can parents do to help kids improve their executive functioning skills or learn to live without them?Use real life to teachTeach rather than punishCollaborate with the child or youthBehavior modificationAdjust expectationsWhen should you allow your child to experience natural consequences for behavior?Practical tools for helping kids plan and organize.Practical tools for helping kids shift gears or handle transitions.Practical tools for helping kids with working memory challenges.Practical tools for helping kids control impulses.
In this episode, we cover:Additional resources:
Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parents' Guide to Helping Children with Executive FunctioningBoosting Executive Skills in the Classroom: A Practical Guide for Educators
Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Question: My niece has been living with her paternal grandparents for two years. She is now four and they have decided that it is getting too hard for them. Weâve agreed to take her in. She knows us, but we havenât spent much time with her. Whatâs the best way to move her to our home that will cause the least psychological damage to her. She is very attached to her grandparents.
Kinship Parenting ResourcesTransitioning a Child to Your HomeCreating and Cultivating Attachment
Resources:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: -
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.
Join us to talk about how kids understand adoption and how best to talk with them about adoption. Our guest is Camillia Whitehead, is a MSW and a licensed clinical social worker, and the Founder of Wise Care Consulting, LLC.
How does a childâs understanding of adoption differ by age?Toddlers & PreschoolersSchool AgeTweens/TeensYoung AdultsHow does openness or lack of openness impact a childâs understanding of adoption?How does transracial adoption impact a childâs understanding of adoption?How to talk about adoption at different ages?What are the important points you want to make sure your child understands at each stage?What are some common questions children ask at different developmental stages?Why didnât my birth parents parent me?Can I go back to my birth parents?Do my birth parents think about me?Did my birth parents love me?Who do I look like?Why did they parent my sibling?How am I like my birth parents, and how am I different.âWhy not wait for your child to ask questions and then talk with them?What if your child shows little or no interest in their adoption story?What to say when you know very little about the birth parents?How can you talk about adoption and the role of the birth father with young children who do not understand the concept of sex?How to handle the âYouâre not my real mom or dadâ statement?How to handle hard birth parent stories? What to do when your cultural or ethnic background is strongly prejudiced against adoption? Donât outright lie. Think through carefully what you are afraid of by telling the child.That the child will be rejected by extended family?That you will be judged or rejected by extended family?That the child will share the information to others in your community?Accept that the odds are extremely high that the child is going to find out from over-the-counter DNA testing or someone in the family will tell or from 8th grade biology assignment. Accept that at some point the failure to tell is the same as lying. When adult adoptees who were not told by their parents were interviewed later in life they almost universally say that it was the lie that hurt the most and did the most damage to their relationship with their parents.Start laying the groundwork at an early age.Families are formed in different ways.All types of families are good.We had trouble having kids and we were so happy when you arrived.Try to establish connections with other adoptive parentsPoint out adoptive families when you see them in real life or TV or moviesReview your reasons for not wanting to tell and decide on an age that you will tell.Explain their adoption story.
In this episode, we cover:Support the show
Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: - Se mer
