LifeBooks for Adopted Children
Whether you are adopting from foster care, domestically or internationally, each adopted child can benefit from a LifeBook. A LifeBook is simply is a record of an adoptee’s life that uses words, photos, your child’s art, computer graphics and/or memorabilia to tell his story. A LifeBook is more than the story of your child’s adoption, it is a unique opportunity for you to creatively honor every minute of your child’s life. It can make talking about adoption feel like everyday conversation. Adopted children often have secret thoughts about why they were adopted. Many believe that somehow they were responsible for the separation from their birthfamily. A LifeBook helps to reduce ‘magical thinking and fantasy’ about their life and adoption. This frees them up to pay better attention in school or to be more available to focus on talents and interests. Get creative! There are software companies on the internet now that allow you to create a book with your own pictures, graphics and narratives for a small amount of money. If you don’t want to do this through software, a hand written book held together with pretty ribbons can be special to your child. Limits to your imagination is the only thing stopping you from honoring your child’s past, present and future.
