Tapestry Adoption Story Digital

Printed Adoption LifeBooks

There are so many choices out there, or are there?
So what really make a good Adoption Lifebook, and why does Tapestry Books only carry a few? We carry the ones that over the years have proven to be popular, to best facilitate a conversation between Professional or Parent, and an Adopted Child. Our staff carefully screens new Adoption Lifebooks coming out, as well as reviewing ones we have carried in the past to offer the "Best" of what is available.

'An Adoption Life Book is a chronological and evolving record of the child’s life. While an Adoption Lifebook contains pictures and facts, it also helps children work through losses and difficulties in their lives, celebrate their strengths, and continue to develop a positive sense of self as they grow. For a child, Lifebook work is a path to their memories and to a reinterpretation of their memories. It is also a path to understanding and integrating their memories."

You can read more about Adoption LifeBooks on the Tapestry Books web site, where we have posted an article, and videos. Of all the choices available our first choice for an Adoption LifeBook comes from Beth O'Malley, especially her Teen LifeBook:  For When I'm Famous: A Teen Foster/Adoption Lifebook

"A wonderful workbook that allows teens to express their goals and dreams while learning more about their own life. There are lots of pages that challenge the teen's viewpoint on their past, present and future. FOR WHEN I'M FAMOUS is a great filling in the blanks workbook for both foster and adopted children."

In addition there are newer Adoption LifeBook type workbooks available. We just reviewed one that we liked, and will be telling readers about in the next few weeks. Stay tuned...

Tapestry Adoption Books "Widget"

Tapestry has developed a "Widget", (a dynamic Flash application) that can be placed on a blog or a web site, just for Adoption Books. The Tapestry Adoption Book Widget starts with 4 lists that are based on our customers ratings of Adoption Books.

By simply embedding the code supplied on your web site you can offer your visitors the most popular Adoption Books, lists that update dynamically, with new ratings and current books. It is a great way to keep fresh content on your site, about Adoption, from the Premiere Adoption Bookstore on the Internet.

Tapestry Books: Articles, Videos, Books

Tapestry Books Home page offers links to helpful articles and book resources.

Considering Adoption :

Are you considering adoption ? Learn all you can about adoption, then ask how to adopt to make the right choices for you. Adoption research makes for fully informed parents, and adoption preparation helps parents form realistic expectations. All parenting is a leap of faith, however, and at some point of readiness prospective parents simply open their hearts and take the plunge…

Adoptive Parent Preparation  :

Adoptive Parent Preparation begins with the realization that expectant adoptive parents can proactively plan to help their adopted children transition into the family with a little upfront advice from adoption professionals and experienced parents.

Once prospective adoptive parents have begun the adoption process with an agency or an attorney there will be a window of time to educate oneself and prepare to parent an adopted child.

How to talk to your child about Adoption :

How to talk to adopted children whether to explain adoption or about other difficult subjects depends on encouraging safe communications. Parents that understand the real, underlying reason for a child’s emotional reaction will be able to address the child’s core issue and talk to the child with empathy instead of bewilderment or anger.

Adoption, abandonment, birthparents, loss, grief and fear are themes that can produce anxiety, outbursts or dead silence—not the kind of conversation starters that families like to bring up at the dinner table. However, it is exactly this type of subject matter that impacts adoptive families on a regular basis, and parents can either ignore the issues, or learn to look at an adoption related talk as an incredible opportunity for building family intimacy. Adoptive parents can use the power of talk to connect with their child, explain adoption to their child, create history for their child and help heal their child.

Featured Product Goes Dynamic

Affiliate can now place a "Featured Product" banner on their site, linked to their Affiliate number, and each month the image automatically features new books.

TAPESTRY'S FEATURED PICK: ADOPTION AWARENESS: HANDLING AWKWARD ADOPTION QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

"Why didn't your real mom want you?"

"They're not real brothers, are they?"

These types of questions can leave both adoptive children and parents feeling hurt, defensive, insecure, and even angry. Christine Mitchell's new guide, Adoption Awareness: Handling Awkward Adoption Questions and Comments, helps adoptive families respond to questions and comments respectfully, without necessarily sharing private information or personal feelings. When adoptive families have the tools to discuss adoption, they feel more confident handling insensitive questions and remarks.

~ A Tapestry Interview with the author HERE

~ a Tapestry eBooklet Exclusive by Christine Mitchell HERE

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LIFEBOOKS: THE ORIGINAL FOSTER CARE TOOL GOES INTERNATIONAL...

Lifebooks were originally designed for children transitioning through domestic foster care. The books helped to document a child's history, provide a sense of identity and self-worth, and record memories of the families the child was part of while 'in the system'. Lifebooks also addressed an adoptee's feelings, and inspired opportunities for adult-child discussion. While still very much in use in foster care, international adoptive families have also recognized the benefits of this tool for their children with little-to-no records of early childhood, and have created lifebooks to capture general information and to introduce difficult adoption material.

NEW! TAPESTRY LIFEBOOK VIDEOS

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Tapestry: Considering Adoption

Tapestry: Adoptive Parent Preparation

Tapestry: How to Talk to Your Child