Outline for planning an Adoption Story

Telling a story with photos or video requires a certain amount of planning or organization. At a minimum your digital photos, elements, or video should be organized chronologically or tagged descriptively for later reference. Pulling this material together and adding comments then depends on whether you are creating a Travel Journal, an Adoption Memory Book, or a Traditional Lifebook. The primary goal of most Adoption Lifebooks are to communicate to the child his story, to build his self-esteem, to reinforce to the child a sense of heritage and family culture, and begin your family history together. In most cases, unlike the stories passed on from generation to generation by grandparents and siblings, the parents in an adoption are the only ones able to share information about the child's past. A Lifebook type story provides you with the opportunity to communicate with your child about their adoption, their heritage, and their biological adoptive family. As you create your childs Lifebook you will have the opportunity to think about your feelings about the adoption and your child's history. This will be a step in preparing yourself to talk to your child about adoption. Below are some suggested "Scenes" or "Pages" in the story you may want to build for the child, and yourself.

Introduction - "This is (child's name)  story"
Referral picture
Pictures of the first year, highlight favorite pictures
Dedication letter to the child

My Parents
Who they are as individuals, a couple
Thoughts on becoming a parent

My Parents Story of their adoption decision
Adoption process
Preparing the child's nursery/room
Letter to your child explaining your decision to adopt

The Rituals My Family Shares Together
Family history, gatherings (holidays celebrated)
Pictures and names of extended family members

Important People Who Cared for Me before My Family
The Special People Who Took Care of Me Before I Came 
Names and addresses of. ( if available)
Include pictures of caregivers, foster parents, etc with your child (if possible)
Picture of where your child lived (orphanage, foster home, other children)

Then there was me
Child's name, how it was chosen, and the meaning of it
Statistics received (height, weight, date of birth, etc.)

They're Coming To Bring Me Home
Pictures of packing and suitcase
Pictures at airport(s), inside the plane(s)
Pictures on arrival in child's birth country or state
Copies of flight itinerary, tickets, boarding passes

Here I Am
Include as many pictures as possible
Include adoption announcement
Include welcome note from the President of the United States

Events In the Country (International) of the Child's Birth
Any Country specific news
Official Adoption Interviews/Ceremonies
Agency Events/Parties 
Obtaining US Visa at Consulate

Events In the State (Domestic) of the Child's Birth
Any State specific news
The hospital
The doctor, nurses
Baby bracelet, footprint

Images from the Land/State Where I was Born
As many pictures as possible of EVERYTHING.

Coming Home
Picture at the airport(s)
Child in car heading home
Pictures of the homecoming
Pictures entering new home

My New Home
What you did that first day/night home
People who may have visited that day
First meeting with siblings/pets
Picture of child in nursery or bedroom asleep
Picture of child playing with toys or investigating the house

My First Visitors
Pictures of all visitors.  This can range from the first day to the first few weeks

Telling a story with photos or video requires a certain amount of planning or organization. At a minimum your digital photos, elements, or video should be organized chronologically or tagged descriptively for later reference. Pulling this material together and adding comments then depends on whether you are creating a Travel Journal, an Adoption Memory Book, or a Traditional Lifebook. The primary goal of most Adoption Lifebooks are to communicate to the child his story, to build his self-esteem, to reinforce to the child a sense of heritage and family culture, and begin your family history together. In most cases, unlike the stories passed on from generation to generation by grandparents and siblings, the parents in an adoption are the only ones able to share information about the child's past. A Lifebook type story provides you with the opportunity to communicate with your child about their adoption, their heritage, and their biological adoptive family. As you create your childs Lifebook you will have the opportunity to think about your feelings about the adoption and your child's history. This will be a step in preparing yourself to talk to your child about adoption. Below are some suggested "Scenes" or "Pages" in the story you may want to build for the child, and yourself.

Introduction - "This is (child's name)  story"
Referral picture
Pictures of the first year, highlight favorite pictures
Dedication letter to the child

My Parents
Who they are as individuals, a couple
Thoughts on becoming a parent

My Parents Story of their adoption decision
Adoption process
Preparing the child's nursery/room
Letter to your child explaining your decision to adopt

The Rituals My Family Shares Together
Family history, gatherings (holidays celebrated)
Pictures and names of extended family members

Important People Who Cared for Me before My Family
The Special People Who Took Care of Me Before I Came 
Names and addresses of. ( if available)
Include pictures of caregivers, foster parents, etc with your child (if possible)
Picture of where your child lived (orphanage, foster home, other children)

Then there was me
Child's name, how it was chosen, and the meaning of it
Statistics received (height, weight, date of birth, etc.)

They're Coming To Bring Me Home
Pictures of packing and suitcase
Pictures at airport(s), inside the plane(s)
Pictures on arrival in child's birth country or state
Copies of flight itinerary, tickets, boarding passes

Here I Am
Include as many pictures as possible
Include adoption announcement
Include welcome note from the President of the United States

Events In the Country (International) of the Child's Birth
Any Country specific news
Official Adoption Interviews/Ceremonies
Agency Events/Parties 
Obtaining US Visa at Consulate

Events In the State (Domestic) of the Child's Birth
Any State specific news
The hospital
The doctor, nurses
Baby bracelet, footprint

Images from the Land/State Where I was Born
As many pictures as possible of EVERYTHING.

Coming Home
Picture at the airport(s)
Child in car heading home
Pictures of the homecoming
Pictures entering new home

My New Home
What you did that first day/night home
People who may have visited that day
First meeting with siblings/pets
Picture of child in nursery or bedroom asleep
Picture of child playing with toys or investigating the house

My First Visitors
Pictures of all visitors.  This can range from the first day to the first few weeks