If there are children already in the family, parents need to prepare them for the adoption of a new child. How you approach this preparation depends on the age of your children and the age of the child to be adopted. In this course, we interview Patricia Irwin Johnston, noted speaker and expert on adoption and author of many books on adoption, most specifically the wonderful book, Adopting: Sound Choices, Strong Families; and Karla Thrasher, Executive Coordinator of International Programs with Lifeline Children’s Services, and China Program Director.

This course covers the following topics:

  • How do parents prepare preschoolers and school age children for the adoption of a newborn?
  • How do parents prepare children in the home for a transracial adoption?
  • Should you involve your children in the meetings with the prospective birth mother?
  • If you have children by different types of adoption, how do you explain the different degrees of information that you have for each child?
  • What should you do when one child in the family has a closed adoption and the new child will have an open adoption?
  • Should you avoid the birth and pregnancy stories of your birth children in order to protect the feelings of your adopted children?
  • How should parents handle sibling rivalry between biological children and adopted children?
  • What are some things parents can do to prepare their existing children for an adoption of an older child?
  • What are the typical stages families go through, post adoption, when trying to integrate newly adopted older children into the family?
  • How do families handle grandparents who are against or do not support your adoption plans?


*Your course will remain active for 180 days from purchase date.

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