No parent wants to hear a new baby scream with pain, but we know it is going to happen at each of those early well-child checkups. Immunizations always make parents feel a little guilty because we have to help hold our baby still while the nurse injects their little legs. When the child being immunized is newly placed with you for adoption, it is even harder to be the injection helper. You are trying to bond with your baby and you really don’t want to be associated with painful experiences. I learned a little trick 24 years ago when my oldest son was born to help with immunization... more

If your adopted children are anything like mine, they tend to get colds or some type of illness frequently, especially during that first year of placement. All but one of my adopted children came to us through the foster care system so we have some experience with new germs entering our home. Colds, especially when accompanied with constant coughing and runny noses, are a nuisance. When the coughing goes on all night long, interrupting your sleep, you can become desperate for some type of help. When the colds spread to all of your children, you can become really desperate.... more

This morning, my eight-year-old son, Ty, met me coming from the shower with a hot cup of perfectly prepared coffee. He had a dollar bill taped to the outside of the cup. He handed it to me with pride in his voice and said, “Happy birthday, Mom.” He watches me make my coffee sometimes, and he got it just right, a splash of milk, and a tablespoon of French vanilla creamer. He is one of those really neat kids, who always knows the right thing to say and do. If any of us are looking for a lost article, we need only to ask Ty. He always knows where things are. This is quite an accomplishment... more

Perhaps you would like to share your opinion on this topic. Call it one of my pet peeves, tell me I am wrong if you want, or jump on my bandwagon. When I took the girls in for their six month dental cleaning, I was informed by the dentist that I needed to make separate appointments for fillings. Of course, the hygienist was trying to lighten the impact by telling me what beautiful teeth the girls have. They should, they brush and floss at least twice a day, sometimes with my help. Why did my adopted children need fillings in their beautiful teeth? Because they were sneaking chocolate... more

Families who adopt infants sometimes believe that with their love and care their child will develop normally, without any special needs. However, if there are older siblings, it is wise to consider their diagnoses if they have them. Many conditions are hereditary in nature. While a loving and stimulating environment will give a child the best possible future outcome, it doesn’t erase genetic predisposition.

I have a friend who adopted two brothers, 11 months apart in age. The boys were placed in her home at birth, through the foster care system. She had met four of... more

An older child can raise their hand during a screening test for a hearing loss. What about babies? They can't raise their hand and say "Yes, I heard that."

If you have recently adopted a baby domestically, your child was probably screened before they ever left the hospital. If your adoption was international, however, it might be very unlikely that your child's hearing was tested with any level of sophistication. Even if their medical report shows normal hearing, adoption specialists recommend that your child receive... more

When you adopt a new child, especially internationally, adoption specialists recommend a complete physical check-up. Included in the suggested battery of tests is a hearing screening.

I belong to a Yahoo group of parents who have adopted Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing children. Unlike most on the group who knowingly pursued the adoption of a deaf child, every couple of months a parent joins whose foundation was rocked because the child they adopted - whom they assumed... more