Customer Reviews

Adopting On Your Own: The Complete Guide to Adoption for Single Parents

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I know many singles who have considered adoption who found this book to be very helpful, so I was eager to read it myself as I began the adoption process as a single. Although I can see how this book would be helpful to many, it was not the book for me. Most of the book is devoted to helping the reader make the decision of whether or not they want to be a single parent at all, and then deciding if adoption is the right path for them. I had already made both of these decisions, so the book was not at all helpful to me. There is almost no information about *how* to adopt as a single. I wouldn't object to this so much if the book didn't claim to be a "complete" guide. A better title would be "Adopting on Your Own: Making the Decision to Adopt as a Single". I would not recommend this book to anyone who has already decided to pursue adoption as a single parent, but I can see how it would be helpful to those still making this decision.

I had been considering adoption as a single parent, and wanted as much information as possible (so I thought!) When I started digging, I got a bit more than I bargained for and quite frankly was overwhelmed by all the information available. The title of the book caught my eye and did NOT let me down. Ms. Varon's book was by far the most comprehensive of all the books I have read, which are many. It was to the point and what I call a quick reference book and for someone like me, that's important. Just when I thought I had considered everything..Ms Varon raised another issue. I highly recommend this book for anyone considering single parent adoption.

Lee Varon competently covers the vast emotional and practical realm of prospective single parent adoption. In a warm, experientiallly-based manner, this adoptive parent offers opportunities for readers to examine areas like "hopes, fears and realities", the positive aspects of single-parenting as well as predictable issues occuring within this kind of family structure. Sections like "The Needs of Adopted Children" allow us to visualize a future in which the parent and child/children find the best of what creating family and love can offer us. As a single parent of two internationally adopted children, I highly recommend this book as essential reading for prospective parents as well as others involved in this important field.

This book was excellent! Lee Varon provides a wealth of information in a clear, well-organized format. She guides the reader through a thoughtful decision-making process that helps you examine your own thoughts, needs, questions, readiness to be a single parent, etc., to determine whether adoption is right for you, and if so, how to go about starting the process. I found it to be just the right balance of practical detailed information, questions and issues to consider, brief stories and examples, and lots of ideas about how to gather further information and follow the path that's right for you. Highly recommended.

Varon's book is invaluable for anyone who plans to adopt a child. As the single parent of an adopted child, I wish this book had been available to me when I was going through the process of adoption. The book will help you to make an informed decision on whether or not adopting a child is right for you. As a single parent herself, Varon gives a warm, heartfelt, and practical approach to the ups and downs of single parenting.

Adopting on Your Own is a very cool book!

I've only had the book for a couple of weeks. I purchased it after several months of trying to clarify my own thoughts about adopting a child.

What the book has done is provide me with a clear view of what's involved. It's helped me tremendously in examining my own motives. There are a lot of factors brought up in the book that I'd left out in my original thinking. There are also a lot of resources and tips on getting through the adoption process that I know will be helpful if I do decide to adopt.

"Adopting on Your Own" is the most comprehensive single resource I've seen on the subject. It's well worth the money. My copy is getting pretty dog eared already.

This book has been absolutely priceless in my journey toward adoption. The exercises are beneficial and the information is straightforward and unbiased. Best of all, it's written by someone who, like me, is single and career-oriented but made it work. This has not only helped me, but I shared it with my family and it helped them to understand just what I'm going through.

I'm only partially through the book...not sure I'll finish. The exercises are helpful, and the general information is quite good. That said, much of the information is too dated and perhaps a bit too "PollyAnna". The copyright is 2000, and international adoption processes change too rapidly for this book to be entirely accurate/relevent today.

The book is quite optimistic about everyone being able to adopt -- people 50+ yrs old, single males, homosexuals, people on public assistence, etc. In everything else I've read, each of those groups seem to face significant biases and challenges from U.S. adoption agencies as well as foreign agencies/orphanages/governments. I'm not sure the book adequately portrays the challenges each demographic group may face.

Whether just beginning to consider adoption or in the midst of the process, this is a thoughtfully written and well organized book addressing the often confusing process of adopting as a single parent. With honest insight into some of the unspoken pitfalls and prejudices of single parent adoption, Lee Varon shares both her personal experience and those of many she has worked with who have successfully navigated these issues. The end of the book is stuffed with all type of resources.

This book allows you to look into several aspects of adoption. Adoption isn't just about being financially prepared, its like preparing an "entire village" for the arrival of a child. More than the economics and legal sides, its the non-tangibles that would really matter (family support, your personal issues with being single, your real reason for adopting, the reality of raising a child on your own in a world where couple-hood has been hammered into our psyche, having to explain to friends and family that you can love and care for a non-biological / non-blood relative ... and just simply raising a child on your own by choice). Honestly, I found myself shedding tears while leafing through the book because the issues the others are facing are the EXACT SAME ISSUES i am facing now. And it was such a relief to realize that i am not alone and that i am not "crazy" to want to become a parent in the future, albeit single. Ive read the book through, some chapters more than twice. Its a joy to read. If you have the slightest desire to adopt but still feel that you are at a 10% YES and 90% NO, i still strongly suggest that you give this book a try because it clarifies things and answers questions. If you decide that adoption is not for you, then the book gives you a better view of what adoption is all about. Win-win :) by the way, i do hope to meet the author and some of her clients in the near future! That'll be the day!