Talking with Kids about Adoption

Talking with Children about Adoption

Talking with Kids about Adoption

Talking with Children about AdoptionMany parents fear having “the adoption talk.” They worry that it will be awkward, that it will make their child feel less special, that they should have done it sooner, or that they will make a mistake that will permanently damage their precious child. No need to worry, we are here to help.

Talking with kids about adoption is not a one-time event. Rome was not built in a day, nor is adoption explained all at once. Parents must gear their information to the age and developmental stage of their child.

Two of the best ways to begin the conversation and become more comfortable with the conversation are:

  • Reading books about adoption to your children. We have an extensive list and reviews of the best adoption books for kids, and we break them out by type of adoption and age of the child.
  • Creating a Lifebook for your child.
What Is a Lifebook and How to Make One?
A lifebook is the story of how your child came to be yours and the story of his life before he came to you. Adoption is only one aspect of your child and at some point his life merges into your life and a separate book is not needed since he will look at the family photo album and scrapbook for that part of his life story. However, he had a life before he came to your family and his Lifebook tells this part of his story.

Check out the following Creating a Family resources to help you get started:

Creating a Family has many resources on how kids understand adoption at different ages and how to talk about adoption with kids to help you every step of the way. A few we think you will find particularly helpful are:

Many more Creating a Family interviews with experts, blogs, and fact sheets on talking with adopted children about adoption can be found at the icons below.

Additional Resources

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Creating a Family Radio Shows on Talking With Kids About Adoption

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Creating a Family Blogs on Talking With Kids About Adoption

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Creating a Family Factsheets, Tips on Talking With Kids About Adoption