Open Adoption and Healthy Boundaries - Weekend Wisdom
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question:Â We adopted our son at birth, and he is about to turn one already. I deeply care about his birth parents and have tried very hard to maintain a relationship with them. Even during many months of no contact, I think about them every day. Our only post-placement visit with them was at 2 1/2 months. They have no-showed for all the other visits they asked for, and have gone several months at a time without responding to contact. They missed a visit 2 weeks ago and have finally reached back out asking to plan another. Visits require 6 hours of driving and coordinating time off from work. They do not drive and would not have any means of travelling to us. Our plan was to do visits 2-4 times a year. We offered to plan another visit the week of his birthday. I also offered to send weekly text updates. I work in healthcare and need to be very present in my job and prefer not to be on my phone when I am home with my family, so I do not text anyone much during the week. I am now being asked to provide daily updates and to do visits monthly. I don't even respond to my best friend more than once or twice a week because it is hard for me to keep up with messages. I am also not convinced that increasing the frequency of visits will help them follow through on attending them due to the pattern that has occurred so far. I am feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to move forward in a way that is loving and respectful, but also sustainable for our family and best for our son.Resources:5 Tips for Navigating Sticky Situations with Birth ParentsCreating Relationship with Birth Parents in Adoption (Even When It's Hard!)Mama on Earth: A Guest Article on Co-ParentingOpen Adoption Can Be MessyOur #1 Secret Tip for Navigating Open AdoptionSupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
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Navigating the Holidays With a Trauma-Sensitive Approach
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Why do our kids melt down, act out, or regress during the holiday season? Listen to our conversation with Dr. David Adams to learn what is going on and what you can do about it to make this holiday season more enjoyable for you all. He is an adoptive and foster dad, a licensed psychologist, and a licensed professional counselor. He is the Founding Director and President of New Life Psychology Group in Laguna Hills, California, and an expert trainer of Foster and Kinship Care Education (FKCE) at Saddleback College. He has also recently written and released the book, Trauma-Informed Foster and Adoptive Parenting: Methods for Managing Meltdowns, Mishaps, and Maladaptive Behaviors.In this episode, we discuss:What are some of the reasons that holidays are hard for children who are adopted or are in foster care?What kind of behaviors do parents and caregivers commonly see that are likely related to those challenges around holidays?Sleep challengesFeeding challengesIncreased anxiety, fear, insecurityImpulsivityDysregulation (louder than usual, bigger emotional response than normal for this child)How do these behaviors relate to the reasons holidays are hard for our kids? What’s the connection between that outward behavior and the internal need or hurt?Can you provide us with a few practical strategies for addressing these behaviors? Let’s break them down by age:Toddler and preschoolersSchool-aged childrenTweens and Teens (into young adults)What trauma-sensitive preparations or preventative actions can we take to minimize the challenging behaviors and help our kids feel safe, supported, and able to find healing?What is compassion fatigue? What signs should we look for to help us identify our risk during this holiday season?Strategies to help parents and caregivers plan now for a less-stressful holiday season.Additional Resources:Set Your Family Up for Success This Holiday SeasonTips for Managing Your Picky EaterStrategies to Manage Holiday StressSupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
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My Child's Birth Parent Contacted My Child - Weekend Wisdom
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: My adoptive child was contacted by the birth mother, never contacted us, it has caused chaos in our family. The parents that adopt kids are never considered after raising a child for over 20 years to give them back. Resources:Adoptive Mom Feels Left Out at Son’s Reunion with Birth MotherWhat You Need to Know about Open Adoption5 Tips for Navigating Sticky Situations with Birth ParentsAdvice to My Pre-Adoptive Parent SelfSupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
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Sleep Issues with Adopted, Foster, or Relative Children
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.How do you handle sleep struggles when raising a child who has been impacted by trauma, prenatal substance exposure, or other challenges? Listen to our conversation with Dr. Chris Winter, a sleep researcher and neurologist who has practiced sleep medicine and neurology since 2004. He is also the author of The Rested Child: Why Your Tired, Wired or Irritable Child May Have A Sleep Disorder--And How To Help, and hosts the podcast Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter.In this episode, we discuss:Understanding the value of sleep and reframing the conversation about expectations and what your child needs to support overall health, development, and wellbeing.What makes adopted, foster, or kinship children particularly vulnerable to sleep challenges?How might a child’s early trauma and experiences of loss — such as separation from birth families or multiple moves — show up in their sleep patterns? What effects do frequent environmental changes have on a child’s sleep?How might prenatal exposure to substances (e.g., opioids, alcohol, others) impact a child’s sleep?What may be the challenges that children with neurodiversity (Down syndrome, ADHD, ASD etc) experience?What are the practical strategies you have found successful in helping families with sleep disturbances?Why is it important to teach our kids the value of rest—even without sleep?What should we consider when setting up a consistent routine and sleep-friendly setting for our kids?When is it time to seek professional evaluation—like a sleep study or specialist referral for our kids?What guidance do you offer caregivers to help them stay consistent, avoid burnout, and model healthy sleep habits?Support the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
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Supporting a Child Who is a People Pleaser - Weekend Wisdom
Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Question: How should I deal with an adoptive child with a people-pleasing personality? I want to prevent the anxiety that comes with that, but I'm not sure how. Resources:6 Tips for Creating AttachmentHow to Cultivate Resilience in Your Kids7 Character Traits Your Kids Need to ThriveSigns Your Child Might Be People Pleasing and How to HelpSupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building
About Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care
Are you thinking about adopting or fostering a child? Confused about all the options and wondering where to begin? Or are you an adoptive or foster parent or kinship caregiver trying to be the best parent possible to this precious child? This is the podcast for you! Every week, we interview leading experts for an hour, discussing the topics you care about in deciding whether to adopt/foster or how to be a better parent. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are the national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: weekly podcasts, weekly articles, and resource pages on all aspects of family building at our website, CreatingaFamily.org. We also have an active presence on many social media platforms. Please like or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Listen to Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care, Aspire with Emma Grede and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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