Author Archives: Shoshanna Grey

I Forget We Don’t Look Alike

“Are you his mother?” I was really surprised when the nurse asked me that question. We were at the doctor for another of Jayden’s ear infections and had just walked into the room. Jayden was cuddled close to me and holding on tight because he is terrified of all things related to doctors. My first thought was, “Of course I’m his mother!”. Then I remembered that we don’t look a thing alike and so I kindly answered “Yes, I’m the mother. He was adopted from Guatemala.” The nurse smiled and we went on with the appointment. I remember reading an … Continue reading →

Baby Wearing and the Adopted Toddler

If you have done much reading on helping your adopted child attach then you probably have heard of baby wearing and are familiar with its’ benefits. Just in case you have never heard of baby wearing, though, here is a simple definition: Carrying or “wearing” your child close to your body in a sling or other carrier in order to promote bonding and attachment. Baby wearing has been shown to have many benefits for all children, but especially for adopted children. It provides closeness that encourages bonding, it keeps your child at your level and it allows your child to … Continue reading →

Relocating for Your Adopted Child

We recently moved to a different part of Texas in order to be closer to Deaf resources for Laney. When I tell people that we moved across the state for the sake of our soon-to-be-adopted daughter, they usually react as though we cut off an arm. We must be amazing, wonderful, selfless people to uproot our lives “just” for our adopted child! Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. We didn’t relocate because we are saints, we relocated because it was the best thing for our family. Just because our daughter isn’t home yet, that doesn’t mean that … Continue reading →

Introducing Myself – Again!

It has been a long time since I have written and Familes.com has gained quite a few new members in the time I was away. Because of that, I wanted to introduce myself again so that you know who I am and where I am coming from when it comes to the world of adoption. My name is Rachel and adoption has been on my heart since I was a teenager. I didn’t really get to do something about it, though, until the fall of 2005 when my desire to adopt became too strong to ignore. My husband and I … Continue reading →

I Wish I Had Known – Christian Adoptive Mothers Share

I am part of an online group of Christian adoptive mothers. Most of them have several adoptive children and they all have been parenting their adopted children for a number of years. I thought it would be interesting to get their thoughts on adoption now that they have been “into it” for a while. The question I asked was, “What do you wish you had known when you started out in adoption?” Here are a few of the responses I received: “I wish I had known how the love for your child grows and grows and grows before and after. … Continue reading →

Attaching from Far Away – Older Children

Yesterday, I posted a blog on how to begin to facilitate attachment with adopted babies and toddlers before they come home. Today, I want to talk about doing the same with older children. One of the benefits of adopting an older child is that your older child will likely be aware that they are being adopted. Older children have the chance to prepare emotionally for the changes that are about to happen. It is important that you take advantage of this and do everything you can to help prepare your child. Though it may be limited, you should be able … Continue reading →

Attaching from Far Away – Babies and Young Toddlers

Often when adopting a child internationally, you will know about your child several months (or possibly longer) before you are able to bring them home. During this time, most adoptive parents will begin to feel an attachment to their child. Many hours are spent staring at pictures, preparing a room, shopping for toys and clothes. By the time this long-awaited child arrives, the adoptive parents already feel very close to him or her. However, for the child it is a completely different situation. A baby or younger toddler does not know that they are being adopted. As far as they … Continue reading →

Should You Adopt a Child From A Photolisting?

Since I have become immersed in adoption, one thing that has always drawn me is the photolistings. The faces of those children staring back at me makes me want to fill my home with adopted children. Many of the agencies that use photolistings are very ethical. They use them as a way of spreading the word about children who need homes. However, there are also some agencies that use photolistings as a way to bring in clients because they have trouble finding them in any other way. They count on potential adoptive parents falling in love with a cute face … Continue reading →

Interview: Adopting from Ethiopia and Liberia

Nancy Sanderson, from Champion, New York, is a single mom of 9 adopted children. Five were adopted domestically from American foster care and four from countries in Africa. Nancy took time out of what must be a very busy schedule to answer some questions about her experiences in adopting form Africa. Me: Why did you decide to adopt from Africa? NS: When I decided to pursue an international adoption I was amazed at the price differential and decided that it made the most sense to adopt 2 or 3 or 4 kids from Africa for what it would cost me … Continue reading →

Interview: In Process for Liberia

I love to hear the experiences of people who are involved in the world of adoption. This week I will be interviewing people who are adopting (or who have adopted) from countries in Africa. This interview was with Sue Richardson of Bloomington, MN. Sue and her husband are in the process of adopting a sibling group from Liberia. Me: Please introduce yourself. SR: My name is Sue Richardson, I am married to Scott Richardson. We have been married for 5 years and have a 2 year old daughter named Annie. I am a television news reporter. My husband runs the … Continue reading →