Adoption Lifebooks

The subject of adoption lifebooks is a passion for me because I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of them. I first learned about lifebooks when I became a foster parent; however, it wasn’t until I adopted that I truly realized the significance of a lifebook.

Our fist adoption was a private open adoption. The family of my daughter’s birth mother gave me a baby shower in the hospital room. I was so touched! I knew I wanted to convey to my daughter that she is very loved by her birth family, but due to circumstances beyond their control, her birth mother was unable to care for her and lovingly chose to give her to a family that could take care of her. I did not want my daughter to feel rejected; I wanted her to know that she is extremely loved!

I knew that an adoption lifebook was the way to go. So, I bought Beth O’Malley’s book, Lifebooks: Creating A Treasure For The Adopted Child [Adoption-Works Press, 2000]. I think I read in two days flat! This book is a terrific resource to help you get started. It even takes you page by page through the first several pages of your child’s lifebook- exactly what I needed! I was clueless as to where to start, and Ms. O’Malley’s book told me exactly what to do, step-by-step.

I have written two articles about lifebooks that you can read online. The first is Adoption Lifebooks: Why Creating a Lifebook is so Important, and the other is Creating an Adoption Lifebook: Instructions and Suggestions to Get You Started.

Click on the Adoption Lifebooks tab to the left of the page to read lifebook tips that were recently posted, and stay tuned to the Adoption LifeTips site, as I hope to post even more lifebook tips in the future!