Adopting E-Magazine, December 2012
Adopting Announcements
Photolisting: Now is the perfect time to raise foster and adoption awareness in your community. If you have your own blog or website, perhaps you would like to add our Photo Listing Widget to help raise awareness of foster children nationwide.
Would you like to help more children from your agency get adopted faster? Click here for a form to add children to our photolisting. This service is FREE to all states and includes a team of technical support and customer service staff to maintain the Photolisting.
Don't see any children from your state? Please contact your local officials to let them know you would like to see children from your state.
Blogging: Have you thought about starting a blog to share your adoption journey with friends, family or others in the adoption community? We're always looking for volunteer or guest bloggers with an authoritative voice on adoption topics, such as international adoption, foster care, unplanned pregnancy, search and reunion etc. for AdoptionBlogs.com. This may be the perfect time to voice your adoption experiences and share with our community!
Celebrating the Holidays Pre-Finalization
Making it through the adoption process can be difficult. It can be long, drawn-out, and emotionally, mentally, and physically taxing. You may experience setbacks, unexpected requirements and expenses, and emotional frustrations. And all these experiences and emotions can be heightened during the holidays. If you're waiting for adoption finalization, the holidays may be one of the most difficult times in the process, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't still celebrate with your loved ones, even though your family is not yet complete. And just because your child is not yet with you, that doesn't mean you have to necessarily celebrate without him or her. Your child can and will still be in your heart during this season's festivities, and here are some ideas to implement for the next few months of this wonderful holiday season.
Record a Message - Don't bury your emotions. It doesn't matter whether you're happy or sad, record your emotions. You can write a letter to your child and keep it in a scrapbook or you can record a video or audio message that you can show to your child when he or she gets older. Your child may not know right away that you're thinking of him/her this holiday season, but one day s/he will. This method will also help you in coping with the hole in your heart. And soon, your child will come to your home and family and you will feel complete.
Inclusion - Even though your child may not be there with you, you can still include him/her in the festivities. If you celebrate Christmas, hang a stocking for your child, and you can even include a few presents under the Christmas tree for later when the adoption has been finalized. The same idea goes for any holiday you celebrate.
Grateful List - Sometimes the best way to lift your spirits is to make a list of things you're grateful for. Every day, try to write down five more things to that list. It can be something as simple as food on the table or something bigger, like your belief and value system. Knowing that you have a lot to be grateful for can help ease the pain of waiting. It may not take it all away, but it can make the wait more bearable.
Prepare for Finalization - Staying busy is a good way to keep your mind and your heart from becoming sad, angry, or depressed. If you have things to get done on your end before finalization, devote yourself to the task. If you don't and you're simply waiting on others, you can still keep yourself busy by decorating and stocking your child's room. This can help lessen the sadness and increase the excitement for finalization.
The holidays should be a time of joy, peace, and happiness. It's about family and being with your loved ones. When that isn't possible, the best way to stay positive is to keep them in your mind and in your heart. The same goes for your child that you're in the process of adopting. Be grateful for where you are in the journey. You've come a long way and each step deserves to be celebrated.
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The information and links displayed above relate to profile posting services provided on the ParentProfiles.com web site, which is a service of Adoption Profiles, L.L.C., who sponsors this section and is solely responsible for its content.
Adopting Blogs from AdoptionBlogs.com
The Adoptive Family Unit
It is amazing the amount of growth that African adoptions on the whole have seen. This comes at a time when transracial families have become accepted...more
Vietnam Working on Hague
It is always difficult to track the progress of a country that is not open. This is the case for Vietnam and the United States.... more
Adopting Community, News & Events
General Adoptive Parent Support - Confessions...
General Adoptive Parent Support - Agency requirement on Smoking
General Adoptive Parent Support - American Adoptions
General Adoptive Parent Support - Facebook Announcement
Add your non-marketing adoption related event at no cost. Get started today by registering for an account.
The Adoption Photolisting
Adopting Tip of the Month
If religion plays a large role in your life, you may be able to find an adoption agency that is closely affiliated with your beliefs. This could be a good way to feel respected and understood when it comes to your needs.
In Your Words
"My husband and I have been working on our adoption for what feels like an eternity! As a birthday gift, my husband gave me a "temporary" parenting experience. He rented us a Realcare Baby Simulator. This was by far the most treasured gift my husband has EVER given me. We toted that baby everywhere for 9 glorious days. It woke us up at all hours of the night needing to be fed or changed, and it was a real jolt to the senses! I really needed this experience. We really needed this experience. I sincerely hope that other adoption-seeking couples find this information helpful, as I have come to find so much great information here for our adoption process. God Bless and Happy Holidays." - Sandy
Share Your Thoughts with Us
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