Families can look very different but still be a family….This is important for all adoptive families, even those who are more normative because all adoptive families are “different” by virtue of the fact that they grew through adoption. We have a fundamental vested interest in tolerance and acceptance.
Summer offers a wonderful opportunity to build positive memories of time having fun together. Fun is FUN-damental to building strong family ties. It’s a Firefly Night by Diane Ochiltree captures one delightful moment. The reader senses that this is a treasured ritual that the child shares with her daddy an something she will treasure down the years of her life. Betsy Snyder’s luminous art brings the rhyming/counting text to life. Children can make a game of searching for and tracking the number of bugs, flowers, etc. And have fun in the process!
It’s easy to feel insignificant in a big and sometimes scary world, just like little Cloudette. In Tom Lichtenheld’s Cloudette, adorable pictures are mixed with a “big” message teaching us that sometimes you have to look at the beyond to
School is one environment where kids makes rapid–and inaccurate–conclusions about their abilities. They decide if they are smart or not, capable or not, interested or not … AQ* Lens: Encouraging and nurturing competence is an essential part of parenting–especially adoptive parenting. Grief and loss issues chip away at self-esteem. It requires intentionality to build confidence, pride and capability on evidence that kids can believe and trust. One tiny step at a time, parents can help children build experiences of success onto success. It takes time to establish this resilient attitude.
Families need not “match” to go together; they are created by caring and love. Families come in all shades and groupings—bio families, step families, foster families and adopted families.
While this lovely book is intended for youngsters, like Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss, I would assert that it will touch #AQParenting Perspective: Adoptive families can feel the message of this book deeply because our lives have been shaped profoundly by the losses and gains inherent in adoption. I Wish You More lends itself to conversations about how positives can replace negatives, happiness trumping sadness and gains bridging losses. One does not erase the other; each is real, touches us deeply and sculpts our lives. I enjoy the fundamentally optimistic tone of the book and rate it 5 stars.
So often, kids (and adults) think, “I’m only one person. What difference can I make?” The power of one is deceptive. One quiet voice, one brave stance, one impassioned believer can shift the moment, the life, the course of history. Perhaps
Families come in such diverse variety. As adoptive families we search for opportunities to highlight this range of difference in a way that equates with “interesting” instead of odd or abnormal. Diana Hutts Aston’s fascinating book, A Nest Is Noisy delves into the natural world to depict some of the many wonderful ways that animals prepare to house and protect their young. Illustrated with exquisite detail by Sylvia Long, the book is a feast for the eyes as well as a smorgasbord of interesting information.
Special Giveaway to Bring in the Month of May. To celebrate Children’s Book Week I will be taking part in this *Kindle Fire Kids Edition* hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews as a sponsor. Make sure to check out some
Mastering the subtle, non-verbal social cues is a daunting task. For kids with a less than smooth start in life, often this skill is poorly developed or is overwhelmed by hyper-vigilance. Unless children are taught how to read the “secret”