Let’s have a conversation today about whether you think you were prepared ahead of time for adoption. This is for those who have adopted NSN and SN, domestic or international. There are a few things we need to know in order to put your comments into perspective: The year your home studies took place. The [...]

I do not believe that TwinkleToes had ever attached to anyone while in the orphanage. And being that she was almost two years old at adoption, the attachment literature would tell us that attachment with her should have been a nightmare. But really, it wasn’t hard at all. She did not attach right away, of [...]

Most of the attachment literature out there is aimed at the child who has never formed a really healthy attachment to anyone before, and who has to be taught about healthy attachment. Those books have you pretty much forcing the issue – sleeping with a child who would prefer to sleep alone, holding or wearing [...]

I’m on my netbook today so I’ll cheat and point to some videos so I don’t have to type so much. This first video shows joint compression, which made a world of difference in both of my girls. I do it slightly different, and was never taught the last part, but this gives an idea: [...]

Are you a “slowly peel it off” person, or a “rip it off all at once” person? If it’s on hair, then I’m a “take a long bath and then slowly peel it off” person. If it’s not on hair then I’m just a “slowly peel it off” person. I do not ever rip it [...]

As I’ve experienced adoption from China myself and through watching others come home with their children, I’ve come to the conclusion that non-special-needs is not an accurate description of the NSN program. Any infant or toddler who has been institutionalized is going to have some special needs – be they related to attachment, sensory issues, [...]