Birthdays may be difficult for me.
I want you to take the initiative in opening conversations about my birth family.
When I act out my fears in obnoxious ways, please hang in there with me.
I am afraid you will abandon me.
The voices of adopted children are poignant, questioning. And they tell a familiar story of loss, fear, and hope. This extraordinary book, written by a woman who was adopted herself, gives voice to children's unspoken concerns, and shows adoptive parents how to free their kids from feelings of fear, abandonment, and shame.
With warmth and candor, Sherrie Eldridge reveals the twenty complex emotional issues you must understand to nurture the child you love--that he must grieve his loss now if he is to receive love fully in the future--that she needs honest information about her birth family no matter how painful the details may be--and that although he may choose to search for his birth family, he will always rely on you to be his parents.
Filled with powerful insights from children, parents, and experts in the field, plus practical strategies and case histories that will ring true for every adoptive family, Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew is an invaluable guide to the complex emotions that take up residence within the heart of the adopted child--and within the adoptive home.

"From the Trade Paperback edition."

As an adoptee, do you have mixed feelings about your adoption? If you do, you are not alone - adoptees often experience complex feelings of grief, anger, and questions about their identity. Sherrie Eldridge is an adoptee and adoption expert, and in this book she draws on her personal experiences and feelings relating to adoption as well as interviews with over 70 adoptees. Sherrie reveals how you can discover your own unique life purpose and worth, and sets out 20 life-transforming choices which you have the power to make. The choices will help you discover answers about issues such as: Why do I feel guilty when I think about my birth parents? Why can't I talk about the painful aspects of adoption? Where can I gain an unshakable sense of self-esteem? Sherrie also addresses the problem of depression among adoptees and common dilemmas such as if, when and how to contact a birth mother or father. This fully updated second edition includes new material on finding support online, contacting family through social media, and features three new chapters, including Sherrie's story of reuniting with her birth brother, Jon, in adulthood.

Meet Lucie - she is a rambunctious, inquisitive, seven-year-old girl who was adopted! Lucie has lots of questions about everything. When Lucie's pregnant Aunt Grace and Uncle John come to visit, new curiosities bubble into Lucie's mind. What does the baby do in there? Does he eat? That night Lucie has an amazing dream, that her birth parents are a king and queen who live in a castle. She knows she grew in her birth mother's tummy, but if her birth parents lived in a castle, why didn't they keep her? The next day, Dad helps her to make an amazing discovery - he tells her how to find a special connection with her birth parents, and how you can too! Forever Fingerprints is a heartwarming, fun story written for children aged 5-11 which uses an everyday experience to embark upon a gentle exploration of some of the difficult questions and feelings commonly expressed by children who are adopted. Adoption expert Sherrie Eldridge also provides a valuable 'Parent Tools and Activities' section, with ideas for creative activities and suggestions on how to explore issues such as belonging, identity, self-esteem and connection.

Under His Wings is a life-changing resource for: - adoptees - orphans - foster children - children waiting to be adopted Effective for children, ages nine and upward. Also, orphan ministry training materials for leaders. Healing tool for parents and children to complete together.

Written by an adoptive mother and an adoptee daughter, Before You Were Mine offers a unique Christian perspective on creating a Lifebook that commemorates your child's birth story. Complete with worksheets and advice from adoptive families, you'll find that remembering and celebrating your child's history can be fun, rewarding, and even redemptive. You'll discover how to uncover and organize details of their birth story, make the story both truthful and positive, and use the Lifebook to trace God's faithfulness. This powerful concept takes the guesswork out of how and when you'll talk about your adopted child's beginnings---and offers him or her a lasting memento that helps them overcome uncertainty and fear to rest in Christ's unconditional love. How will you embrace your child's birth story as part of God's plan? Before You Were Mine will help you relax and rejoice in the beautiful story God is writing for your child.

Do I have what it takes to be a successful adoptive parent?
Does my child consider me a successful parent?
Will I ever hear my rebellious teen say, "I love you"?
What tools do I need to succeed?
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"In her groundbreaking first book, Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew, " "Sherrie Eldridge gave voice to the very real concerns of adopted children, whose unique perspectives offered unprecedented insight. In this all-new companion volume, Eldridge goes beyond those insights and shifts her focus to parents, offering them much-needed encouragement and hope.
Speaking from her own experience as an adoptee and an expert in the field of adoption, Eldridge shares proven strategies and the moving narratives of nearly one hundred adoptive families, helping" "parents gain a deeper understanding of what is normal, both for their children and themselves. By first strengthening yourself as a parent, you'll be able to truly listen to your child, and to connect with him on every level, by opening the channels of communication and keeping them open forever. Then you and your child can grow closer through the practical exercises at the end of every chapter.
Discover how to
- be confident that your role in your child's life is vital and irreplaceable
- pass on the legacy of healthy self-care by assessing and regulating your stress
- communicate unconditional love to your child
- talk candidly with your child about her adoption and her birth family
- teach your family how to respond positively to insensitive remarks about adoption
- connect with other adoptive families-and build a support network
- plus learn to become a "warrior" parent...settle the "real parent" question...cope with emotional triggers-what to do when you "lose it" . . . celebrate the miracle of your family...and much more