Can birth parents and adoptive parents really enter into a supportive relationship with one another, and put the needs of the child before anything else? Yes! We believe they can. And in today’s episode, you’ll find out why…
Earlier this week, my daughter and I had the opportunity to pre-screen the Disney Pixar film Onward. In today’s post, I’m giving you my full take on the film.
This post is written by Kristin, Kristin is an adoptive mom, an adoptive big sister, an adoptive aunt, and the granddaughter of two adoptees.
It can be a difficult thing to not do, at times, because your child’s storyline may not be very positive. But it’s critical that we never bad mouth our child’s first family. Here’s why…
We are living in a world that, for the most part, drastically misunderstands the ‘why’ behind adoption. This can often bring on unwanted praise and adoration from outsiders. How do you handle this when the point of adoption is not to receive accolades?
Your child will always have first family. And as much as possible, we believe you should work to formulate a solid relationship with them. After all, they gave your child life. But what if there’s a possibility this will hurt your child in the long run? It’s a valid question: “Will visiting with birth parents, or having a relationship with them, hurt my child in the long run?” We understand where this comes from. But we also know that oftentimes, birth parents get a bad rep thanks to current news media, and unwarranted or unfounded fear. There are situations that
Woo Hoo! Fall 2017 enrollment is open now at Oasis Community! In celebration, we are excited to share another one of our favorite Oasis “Backstage Pass” interviews from this past year. An adoptee herself, Sherrie Eldridge has a passion for helping adoptive parents understand, and respond empathetically to, the unique emotional needs of their children. You will be encouraged as Sherrie shares her story with Mike, and reflects on the journey she has taken to get where she is today.
The holidays can be a difficult season for children in foster care. It’s also an emotional time for the parents caring for them. But if this isn’t you, there’s still so much you can do that’s helpful. Here are some ideas on how others can serve families like ours during the holidays. Feel free to share this post with them. That’s why we wrote it…. 🙂
We are mixing it up this week on the Honestly Speaking Podcast, as Mike heads over to the other side of the microphone, where he is interviewed by Sandra Flach, from Justice for Orphans ministry, and he shares what HE and Kristin have learned from their own 16-year adoptive journey. Mike and Kristin have 8 children ages 8-31 whom they have adopted over the past 16 years. They have adopted domestically through both private adoption and foster to adopt. Mike and Kristin have faced many struggles along the way including learning how to parent children who have FASD and having a
Foster care has gained a global spotlight over the past few years thanks, in part, to movies and media coverage. Many people are choosing this path. But, there’s a right reason and a wrong reason to choose this journey.
We talk often about forming positive relationships with birth families. But what do you do when you can’t get past the anger you feel toward them? If you know us, you know we are strong advocates for open adoption. We often write and speak in favor of open relationships with a child’s birth family. In our own family we have regular contact with biological parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and even brothers and sisters. We feel that if it is possible and safe to have an open relationship with a child’s birth family, you should.
