Remember just yesterday? (Okay, I don't remember what I wore or ate yesterday. Let me clarify.) Remember just yesterday when I talked about holding agencies, attorneys and the like to an ethical standard? And what would happen if our country imparted actual punishments to those who try to get past red tape and act in totally unethical and inappropriate manners? Did you think the sky would fall first, too?

Welcome... more

We have some unusual rituals in our house. Most people that hear them would think that we are just this side of insane. We probably are, but not for the reasons they think.

Way back in a former life, when I worked a full time job outside the house, I would drop Sammy off at school on my way to work. I was used to frequent phone calls from school because Sammy had gotten in trouble. Since Sammy is an oppositional child, we did “prescribing the behavior” before we knew it was a valid parenting technique for children like him.

Mornings were one of... more

First let me say: in this game, everyone is a winner. Why? Well, there are no physical prizes. Wait! Don't walk away! Instead, everyone who plays (or, really, reads) will learn a little something! Learning is good. I try to learn something everyday, not necessarily about adoption but about life in general. So, I though I would help expand your knowledge about birth parents and their place in the adoption triad and process.

And, truth be told, I think I'll make this a weekly occurrence! Learning things each week surely can't hurt!

The preface of... more

I've been talking over the past two days about wills and things birth parents might want to consider with regard to their relinquished child(ren). I gave my personal reasons for including my placed daughter in my will and as a beneficiary on my life insurance. To wrap this discussion up, I thought I might give some ideas of things that could be passed on to your placed... more

The lists for the most popular baby names of 2007 have recently been released. I always find naming trends so interesting and brought you the top baby names of 2006 last year, so I thought I’d do the same this year.

First of all though, let me remind those of you who are actively making adoption plans, that you still have the right to name your child. Yes, the adoptive parents will be your child’s parents and they have legal rights to change his or her name to a name of their own choosing.... more

The adopted brothers are currently three and five. The same family adopted them each at birth and they share the same birthparents so they are brothers by birth and by adoption. The boys have always been on the active side. Their parents rarely take both of the boys anywhere together unless both parents are going so each can keep an eye on one boy. Some older birth siblings have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD.) Since the boys really enjoy rough housing their dad and adult brothers have been teaching them wrestling moves. Their now... more

I was really excited to receive a new book in the mail about adoption issues. Adopted Teens Only A Survival Guide to Adolescence is 98 pages of clearly written, useful, and relevant information organized in a logical sequence. The book isn’t actually for adoptive parents although it can be eye opening for us to understand what our teens are thinking and going through emotionally. It is written for adolescence who were adopted and are trying to make sense of it all. The book was written by Danea Gorbett and published by iUniverse.... more

I saw a thread on one of the adoption boards that asked about good adoption stories. The poster said that all she read were scary stories. Well, most of the people who post on the boards have some kind of problem that they need help with, or need to vent some frustrations. Most people don’t post too often to say that life is wonderful.

There are good adoption stories. We are living one with Hannah, although her story did not start well. She was adopted into a family who loved her tremendously and worked very hard for her to open up her heart and be able... more

Yesterday I gave some advice to all birth parents regarding relinquished children and inheritance laws. Basically, if you missed the post (go read!), whether or not you want your relinquished child to have access to an inheritance, you need to specifically state your desires in your will. I am now going to share my personal reasoning for including my placed daughter in both my will and as a beneficiary in my life insurance policy.

Disclaimer: These are personal... more

Apparently American agencies, social workers and attorneys are not the only ones who are stomping all over father's rights. In this story out of New Zealand, we can see how the unethical practices of adoption aren't unique to our country. The problem is world wide and, really, that's scary.

However, the silver lining to this story is two-fold: the child was returned to his father after he started a legal battle and the attorney who advised the mother... more