You know I am not one for resolutions. Sure I think that they are cute to make, and there are those who can stick to the ones that they make, however I am not one of those lucky people who can do such a task. I seem to do better if I label mine as goals, I have a higher success rate of obtaining goals than I do in sticking to resolutions.

We were at Walmart this afternoon, so that my adopted stepson could spend one of the gift certificates that he received for Christmas this year, that has been burning a hole in... more

Adopted stepchildren can often have a hard time finding their place in the family. Since they are not biologically related to everyone in the household, he or she may feel as though they do not quite fit into the family. If the parents decide to have another child after the adoption of the stepchild, this can lead to even more feelings of insecurity for the child.

Whether... more

My adopted stepson will be turning sixteen at the end of this year. With only a few years left until he is out of the house and off to college, lately my mind has turned to the bond that he has with his little brother, and how I would like it to be stronger before he is out of the house and starting his own life as an adult. While I know that he loves his little brother, they tend to have a hard time getting along.

With such an age gap between the two of them, they both seem to have a hard time understanding that each goes by a ... more

In many cases of stepparent adoption the child is not only losing one of his or her biological parents, but half siblings as well. Even when the children do not know one another very well due to the distance between the two or the infrequency of contact, the loss of the relationship that they could have had with each other is a very painful one for the adopted stepchild.

It is important that both the custodial parent, as well as the adoptive stepparent remember that the child is going to grieve the loss of his or her sibling, along with the loss of the biological parent. The parents are going to have to watch the child... more

When a new baby comes into the family quite a fuss is always raised about the new addition to the family. Everyone wants to see the baby, everyone wants to hold the baby, and everyone wants to hear about the baby, often leaving the older sibling(s) feeling left out and jealous towards their new... more

When we told our family that my husband and I were expecting a baby, you could have heard a pin drop in the room. It’s not that everyone was unhappy with the news, as a cancer survivor I had been told that I would not be able to have children, yet became pregnant shortly after finishing my chemotherapy. Everyone was absolutely shocked, and then absolutely thrilled, except of course for my [then] stepson.

He was the only child in the house, and was quite happy with that. He had been pushed aside greatly after his biological mother... more

With stepparent adoptions being a streamlined process in most states, it can leave parents with a very positive feeling about adoption. Even when the process is long, drawn out and riddled with problems, many parents still have warm feelings towards adoption simply because of the end result, the adoption of their stepchild. Our family has always been interested in adoption, and is thinking of doing it again.

While my adopted stepson has had many ... more