Children who have suffered the loss of one of their parents, even at an age in which we would assume would be too young for the child to remember, will most likely at some point or another in their lives suffer from bouts of depression as a direct result of that loss. Depression symptoms can often be overlooked in children, especially when parents think that the child does not have anything to be depressed about.

If the child was adopted at a very young age, the... more

There is a wonderful little list on adoption.com that has ten tips on speaking with your child about his or her adoption. The list gives some great suggestions on not only what to say, but more importantly how to say it. If you are thinking about talking with your child about his or her stepparent adoption, and not quite sure how to approach the subject, or if you should approach the subject, stop by this... more

Yesterday I wrote about some different ways to approach the subject of adoption with your adopted stepchild. One of the ideas on broaching the topic was to read stories about adoption with your adopted stepchild. Adoption.com has a wonderfully written, and heartwarming story written by Mark Schneider, for his adopted children, about their own adoption and how their family came to be. While writing a story for your child is an excellent idea, those... more

Very young children may not be able to understand what adoption truly means, but they will be able to pick up on mom or dad’s body language, and if the parents seem uncomfortable, and nervous, then the child will feel the same way. Children should not feel uncomfortable about their adoption. It is part of them, and their life story, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. If the parents seem confident and upbeat, the child will feel the same, and have no issues bringing the topic back up when they have more questions. If the child feels that his or... more

Again on the adoption.com forums, this is a hot topic. Some lawyers require that the child be told before they will go forward with a stepparent adoption case, some families get pressure from friends and family members, and some parents are simply not sure as to when the right time to ‘reveal’ to the child that he or she is adopted should be. Some feel that waiting is best, while others want things out in the open as soon as possible, and are just unsure... more

Sure you may think that you live with a lazy, or less than enthusiastic worker, but I tell you now that they all report to my adopted stepson. Yes ladies and gentlemen he is without a doubt their leader, the absolute king of the ‘just enough to get by’ club. He has one chore in the house, and that is to do dishes, and I tell you it is like pulling teeth to get him to do it. He will space the dishes out in the dishwasher so that the most minimal amount of dishes will fit in, turning... more

While it is never a good idea to bottle up emotions, many of us, either children or adults do it. While keeping emotions locked up inside is never a good idea, causing them only to fester and grow, often eating us alive from the inside out, once we have been traumatized by a life altering event, it can be difficult if not seemingly impossible for us to share even the safest of emotions. Once trust and faith in others has been shattered, there seems to be little reason for us to open up and expose ourselves to that type of possible trauma once again.

Some... more

...Continued from Part One

I gave her a call, and one ring away from the answering machine picking up she finally answered the phone. I chatted with her for a bit, before asking her the big question of “do you remember what time ____was born.” She immediately became flustered, stammering and stuttering, and thinking away, she tried very hard, but just could not pull it back. Finally, after trying to remember for several minutes, the only thing that she could come up with was to check... more

Recently I picked up a book from the bargain book section of our local bookstore. My little one was busy searching through comic books, of all things, so I thought I would take a moment to look around myself while he picked out the perfect Simpson’s comic book. I found a rather large, just short of huge, book which showed one how to make their own astrology chart, and map out their personalities. For just under five dollars I figured that it would bring some entertainment to the household, if nothing else.

We paid for our two books,... more

Adoptive stepparents can become consumed with guilt when it comes to their adopted stepchildren. Some knowing the pain of losing a parent, and others only guessing at the emotional turmoil that their now adoptive stepchild, or children, is going through and want to do something to make up for the hand that life has dealt the child, or children. As parents we have a great need to make ‘it’ better for our children, no matter what the ‘it’ happens to be at the time.

We see our children... more