There are hundreds of adoption-related books available. Below are the ones I have read (or plan to read). If you are interested in learning more about adopting, parenting an adopted child, or supporting others who are adopting, perhaps one of these will help.
Adoption Parenting: Creating a Toolbox, Building Connections
by Jean MacLeod and Sheena Macrae
Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child: From Your First Hours Together Through the Teen Years by Patty Cogen
This book is targeted specifically towards international adoption and it gives some great insight into the challenges internationally adopted children face as well as encouragement on overcoming those challenges. This is probably one of the most informative books I've read so far -- mostly because it focuses solely on the international situation. There are real-life examples of ways to overcome various issues (including daily games or coping strategies), explanations on why a child may behave a particular way and more. It will be an excellent resource once Oliver comes home!
In On It: What Adoptive Parents Would Like You To Know About Adoption. A Guide for Relatives and Friends.by Elisabeth O'Toole
Our social worker recommended this book as a resource for friends and family. It isn't targeted toward one type of adoption so it can be useful for many situations. I found it to be interesting and a relatively easy read. We gave a copy to each of our parents to help them understand things, such as why we will be asking them not to hold or feed Oliver at first. From the feedback we received, they did find it useful (my Mother-In-Law also noted that the approach to raising an adopted child has changed since she was in our shoes!). Highly recommended.
Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past
by Betsy Keefer, et al
I found this book emotionally challenging but ultimately a worthwhile read. As with much of the adoption literature, there are some rather difficult issues to read and learn about. I think one or two chapters nearly brought me to tears and left me feeling hopeless. By the end of the book, however, I had a better sense of how important it is for us to open and honest with Oliver about how he came to join our family. The authors also reinforced the idea that our child's past is ultimately his past, and therefore his to share with others (not ours). This is a great book if you are considering adoption or foster care, especially if your child has a difficult past or is a bit older and can remember life before your family.
Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's ParentsBy Deborah D. Gray
Aside from 'Your Two-Year-Old' this book is last one lingering on my shelf and I dug into it with a bit of reluctance. Attachment is a heavy topic and I just haven't felt "up to" reading more on how challenging it can be, how important it is, etc. I read the introduction and first chapter closely, but will admit to skimming the rest of the book in one evening. I think this book can be a valuable resource as it covers a laundry list of topics and issues. However, I think that reading it cover to cover right now will only overwhelm and scare me. Therefore I read through items that seemed valuable today and made note of the variety of topics I may need to dive into once Oliver is home. One thing that a reader might find worthwhile is that the author has peppered personal stories throughout to show examples of frustrations, successes and more. Overall it will be a good resource but it's a bit too specific to read at this point.
By Louise Bates Ames
There is a series of books by this author, covering each year through the early teen years. The social workers at our agency highly recommend them as an overview of each age. These are not adoption-specific but are about children in general. While they were written decades ago most of the information is still pertinent to today. I found it to be easy to read and, as a new parent without a child here yet, very helpful. Highly recommended for all parents!
Your Two-Year-Old: Terrible or Tender
By Louise Bates Ames
With Oliver turning two, the time to read this book has arrived. I found it interesting that the book was basically divided into Two and Two-And-A-Half. According to the author, two-and-a-half is where things get "terrible," which will likely be when we bring him home. I may need to refer back in the near future!
No comments:
Post a Comment