Category - Support Services

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7
Nov

What’s the Big Deal About Birth Order?

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in Support Services
As a budding young psychology student in the ‘70s, I remember reading The Birth Order Book: Why You Are The Way You Are by Dr. Kevin Leman and thinking “Wow, that explains so much!” As the oldest child in a large Catholic family, I now had an excuse for being an over-achieving, conscientious, cautious, perfectionistic, ...
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12
Oct

Adopting a Sibling Group

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in Support Services
Many families, when contemplating their adoption journey, may decide to adopt siblings. Each family seeking to adopt a sibling group will have their own reasons for making that decision. Some reasons might include the perception that it is easier to complete your family all at one time (adding a second child can be less expensive ...
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11
Oct

Ten Tips for Traveling with a Toddler

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in Support Services
In the spring, I traveled to Congo on an escort trip. Since I’m not yet a parent, traveling internationally with two toddlers back to the United States required some planning and some mental preparation. I had no idea what to expect, and thankfully my co-workers prepared me well. Here are some tips that I found ...
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10
Oct

When Can My Child Stay Home Alone?

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in Support Services
The children are back in school now, and Johnny comes home and asks, “Why can’t I come home after school like Bobby does, instead of going to the babysitter?” Regardless of the answer you give, his response will likely be “That’s not fair,” but it is up to you—the adult—to make this all-important decision for your ...
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4
Oct

What Can I Do with my Host Child?

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in Hosting, Support Services, Ukraine
You’re about to have an exciting time with your host child from Ukraine! They will be on their first overseas trip, and will be visiting a new country. You will be bringing a child into your home as you decide if international adoption is for you. You both will be building a new relational bridge ...
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26
Sep

Ten Tips for Surviving the “Trenches” in Adoption

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in Support Services
After about a year, I feel like my family is finally out of the adoption “trenches.” Sure, there are days when we’ve fallen back in, but for the most part we feel like we’ve made it up and out. There will continue to be many ups and downs, but my family survived, and so can yours! ...
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14
Sep

First Experiences With Your Child

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in Support Services
When you bring your child home to the United States, you will experience a world of “firsts” with your child: first time in an airplane, first time in a car seat, first time at the mall, first time in a church, etc. The list is endless! It is important, however, to remember that these moments ...
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8
Sep

How Snapchat Saved Our Summer

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in Support Services
Most of you have probably heard of Snapchat. If not, you’ve been missing out! I was skeptical at first, thinking it was just some crazy fad that all the teenagers were into. But I was wrong! This smart phone app literally puts a smile on my face every time I open it. Many times that ...
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29
Aug

Mantras for Connected Parenting

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in Support Services
One thing I’ve learned in parenting is that yelling is not effective. Yelling at my children creates fear and sends them into fight-or-flight mode. However, staying calm and not yelling when you walk into your daughter’s room after she’s poured lotion all over the carpet can be very difficult! Or when she’s flushed a hand ...
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10
Aug

Back-to-School Tips for Adoptive Parents

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in Support Services
As I prepare to send my kids back to school, I’m mentally making a list of tasks that I need to get done as the new school year approaches. If you’re a parent of a child through adoption, your list likely has additional tasks other than just buying school supplies, books, and clothes for the new ...
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3
Aug

Preparing Your Anxious Child for the Start of School

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in Support Services
Is it that time already? With summer winding down and teachers prepping their classrooms, you can almost hear the schoolyard noises starting to rise to a level of chaotic excitement. Sometimes, however, you may see that your child is not excited, but anxious and fearful over the start of school. School anxiety is common among ...
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2
Aug

Markers and Mandalas and Coloring Books, Oh My!

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in Support Services
If you have gone into any bookstore or big box craft shop lately or looked on Pinterest, you have seen them: the rows and rows of adult coloring books, in all shapes and sizes, with geometric stained glass windows and Hindu mandala designs, all begging for your individual time and attention. There are even themed ...
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20
Jul

So You’re Thinking About Adopting An Older Child…

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in Support Services
Older child adoption is available through MLJ Adoptions, a Hague-Accredited agency working with several intercountry adoption programs. We work with foreign countries where adopting an older child is an option because there are no adoptive homes for them in their home country. Because the term “older child” can mean any child 4 years of age ...
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13
Jul

The Pros of the Process

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in Support Services
We all know how tedious the adoption process can be. When all you want is to bring your child into your arms once and for all, it’s difficult not to crumble under the frustrations of paperwork and in-country turmoil. Lucky for you, I thrive on optimism. While there are certainly frustrations throughout, I am here ...
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6
Jul

What Should I Consider When Adopting An Older Child?

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in Special Needs, Support Services
Every adoption has both its challenges and rewards, and this is especially true when adopting an older child. Parents who choose to adopt an older child should have certain characteristics. While the desire to adopt and become a parent is, of course, the primary characteristic needed, there are some traits that seem to stand out in parents who ...
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29
Jun

Summer Sensory Play

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in Support Services
Children who have experienced trauma may develop sensory seeking behaviors. These behaviors happen because the child’s brain may not function as it should, and cannot access all of the information coming in from the body, especially from the vestibular system, which handles balance and spatial orientation. As a result, the brain and the body do ...
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22
Jun

Simple Tasks Can Lead to Big Breakthroughs in Adoption Attachment

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in Support Services
One simple step towards building an attachment with your older adopted child is letting him or her decorate their own bedroom. As unimportant as this may seem in this lengthy and often complicated process of adoption, it is actually vital to developing their sense of belonging in your home! Imagine that you have been moved, ...
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13
Jun

The Beauty of Giving Voice

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in Support Services
I am a new grandmother; well, seven incredible months into it. As Mumzi, which I am going to be called by my granddaughter, Fiona, I spend entirely too much time gazing at her pictures, re-watching her videos, and constantly being amazed at every point in her development. But really, isn’t that what a Mumzi is ...
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2
Jun

Changing Bedtime from Chaos to Calm

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in Support Services
Few children like to go to bed in the evenings. After all, they might miss something exciting if they go to sleep or they won’t get continuous one-on-one attention from you. Some children, if new to your home, can be fearful of going to sleep in their new environment, be afraid of the dark, have ...
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12
May

Four Activities to Promote Attachment with Your Adopted Child

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in Support Services
One of the most common things that parents worry about prior to bringing home their child is whether or not their child will attach well and bond to them. One of the things that you can do is prepare some activities which can assist the child with bonding. Attachment-based activities are activities that enhance the ...
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20
Apr

Meeting Your Adoptive Child for the First Time

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in Support Services
Meeting your adoptive child for the first time is no doubt a moment which you have been imagining for a long time. The thought of this first meeting may be both exciting and intimidating. To make this first meeting as positive as is possible, set your expectations low. What to expect from your child It ...
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