Christina Gochnauer
“The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing.”This quote was written by the philosopher Socrates. This was the first thought that I had as I stumbled on a zoom discussion with a group of adoptees on a hot July day...
Category - Parenting
Deirdre Parker
5 Questions I Always Get About Adoption
It’s early January in 2019 and my husband and I are sitting in a small breakfast cafe in a tiny town in Washington state. We don’t live here but have spent the past week sharing a twin bed and an air mattress in the...
Bayley Enright
“Why Aren’t My Eyes Blue?”: Answering Their Questions
“Why aren’t my eyes blue? Why is my hair a different color than yours? How come my skin is a different shade?” It’s no secret that children are filled with questions. From the moment words can spill from their tiny...
Janelle Oliveira
5 Goals for a Prospective Adoptive Parent
Being a prospective adoptive parent can be a very challenging role to step into. Prospective adoptive parents are full of love and want to share that love with a child. Many prospective adoptive parents have struggled...
Jennifer Autry
How Do I Improve Communication with My Adoptee?
Many parents, regardless of how their family is formed, are worried about having difficult and perhaps uncomfortable conversations with their children. Having a child who was adopted adds to this anxiety as most parents...
Katie Kaessinger
Songs About Adoption
When I think of babies, I instantly think of lullabies. As I hold an infant in my arms, I begin to hum and rock the baby back and forth. I can remember, listening to my mother hum constantly when I was a child. Whether...
Cindy Hill
Remembering the Father in Adoption
When my son’s birth mother, J, first contacted us about adopting her child, she was unsure about what the expectant father, S, was thinking and feeling. She had told him her plan to place their son for adoption and she...
Alicia Nelson
Post-Placement: Life After I Adopt My Baby
If you are a hopeful adoptive family, dutifully filling out forms and completing home studies, you are probably thinking, and often, “I can’t wait until I adopt my baby!” Or a toddler or an older child. You have...
Jamie Giesbrecht
Adoption Party Ideas
Adoption is a joyous occasion and deserves to be celebrated! An adoption party is a fantastic way to welcome a child into your family where they will be loved and cared about for the rest of their life. It may be...
Sierra M. Koester
How Can I Teach My Child About Adoption Language?
I know, I know. It always feels like there is something we have to sit down and talk to our children about. However, these intentional conversations are important. Your children can rely on you to have sound advice...
Julia K. Porter