Making Sense of Adoption: A Parent's Guide (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I was having dinner out with my children, who are both Asian-American..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

When to tell, What to tell, and How to tellChildren who are adopted have predictable and often unspoken concerns about themselves and how they joined their families. In this wise and timely guide, Lois Melina, author of the classic manual Raising Adopted Children, helps parents anticipate and respond to those concerns in ways that build self-esteem. Through sample conversations, reassuring advice, and age-specific activities parents will find answers to such questions as:

-- When should I give my child the letter her birthmother wrote?
-- How do I share information that might upset my child?
-- How can I know when my child is wondering about adoption?
-- What should I tell school personnel about my child's history? What about family and friends?
-- How can I be sure we talk about adoption enough, but not too much?Whether parents adopted traditionally, as stepparents, or through donor insemination, surrogacy, or in vitro fertilization, Making Sense of Adoption will open the door to a lifetime of growth and understanding for adoptive families.

About the Author

Lois Melina is the editor of Adopted Child newsletter and serves on the board of directors of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of information about adoption and providing guidance for practice and policy change in the field. Melina speaks frequently about adoption to professional organizations and adoptive parents throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. She is the author of Making Sense of Adoption and coauthor of The Open Adoption Experience.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; 1st Ed. edition (September 13, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060963190
• ISBN-13: 978-0060963194
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #713,951 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like a "Dr. Spock" for adoption issues., August 23, 2000

By A Customer

Excellent and extremely useful book. For example, the chapter on the Middle Childhood Years is entitled, "Why didn't they keep me?" and is full of useful advice about how to answer that critical and inevitable question.