Our Own: Adopting and Parenting the Older Child - Softcover

Maskew, Trish

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0966970152 ISBN 13: 9780966970159

Publisher: Snowcap Press, 2003

Synopsis

Based on the author's experiences as an adoptive mother and foster parent, as well as interviews with numerous adoptive families, adoption professionals and adults who were adopted, Our Own thoroughly explores both the joys and the challenges of older child adoption. Suitable for families adopting domestically or internationally, it covers such topics as:

• Evaluating whether you have what it takes to adopt a child who's no longer a baby
• Choosing an agency and finding a child to adopt
• Dealing with school and language difficulties
• Recognizing how grief affects your child's behavior
• Deciding how much birthfamily contact is appropriate
• Teaching your child to deal with racism
• Handling difficult behavior such as tantrums and lying
• Testing for and treating attachment disorder, ADHD, posttraumatic stress disorder, hepatitis, parasites, and other mental health and medical issues

About this title

About the Author

Trish Maskew is the mother of three, including two children who were adopted at ages five and nine. She has also been a foster parent. She worked as a program coordinator for an adoption agency, and later was president of Ethica, a nonprofit organization that promotes ethical adoption practices. She currently is an attorney living and working in Washington, D.C. She drew on her own experiences, as well as interviews with dozens of families and individuals, to write Our Own.

From Library Journal

In this thorough guide to the adoption of older children, MaskewAa mother of three, including two boys adopted at ages five and nineAargues that there's a big gap between the fantasy of adoption and its reality. While it was once thought that lots of love and a good home would take care of the problems inherent in adopting a child, families and social workers now know that that is not true. Raising adopted children is not the same as raising birthchildren, as Maskew knows, and she offers ideas and advice that are both practical and extensive. She deals with racism, problems around the holidays, disabled and special-needs children, and international adoptees. In a society that still views adoption as second best to birthing a child, Maskew sees commitment and support as the keys; love will come along. An excellent chapter on medical diagnosis and a full bibliography that includes books, periodicals, web sites, clinics, and published reports round out this title. Excellent for all public libraries.ALinda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Snowcap Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0966970152
• ISBN 13: 9780966970159
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 284