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Parenting Your Child From Birth to Adulthood

Resources to inform and help adoptive families talk about adoption with their children, understand typical school and sibling issues related to adoption, and anticipate the impact of adoption during different stages in their child's development.

• How to talk about adoption
• School issues
• Siblings
• Developmental stages

Selected Resources Parenting Your Adopted Preschooler Series Title: Factsheets for Families Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway Availability: View Download (PDF - 1,625KB) Year Published: 2009 - 12 pages   Children ages 3 to 5 are growing and changing rapidly, beginning to understand their place in their families and communities. Being adopted adds another layer of complexity to this process. This factsheet helps parents of preschoolers understand their children's developmental needs and how adoption-related experiences may impact development. It also provides practical strategies to support positive communication and effective discipline for adopted children. Parenting Your Adopted School-Age Child Series Title: Factsheets for Families Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway. Availability: View Download (PDF - 356KB) Year Published: 2009 - 17 pages   Adoption can add layers of complexity to the developmental tasks of school-age children--those between the ages of 6 and 12. This factsheet is designed to help adoptive parents understand and respond to their school-age child's developmental needs. It provides practical strategies to help them foster healthy development, including approaches for building attachment, talking honestly with the child about adoption, acknowledging his or her adoptive history, using appropriate discipline, and enhancing the child's school experience. Parenting Your Adopted Teenager Series Title: Factsheets for Families Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway. Availability: View Download (PDF - 325KB) Year Published: 2009 - 14 pages   During the teenage years, youth form an identity that is separate from their parents. Adoption adds complexity to the normal developmental tasks of teenagers, even for those who were adopted as newborns. This factsheet is designed to help the adoptive parent understand their teenager's needs so they can respond with strategies that foster healthy development. It presents tips for talking about adoption with their adopted teen, strategies for providing guidance, appropriate discipline, and opportunities to master adult tasks as he or she takes on greater independence.

Updated on February 24, 2010