Attachement focus seminar

As important as it is there is never enough we can do to learn about and implement attachment for our kids. If you are recently home, soon to travel or just needing a little help or reminders about how to connect with your adopted kids, this is a seminar that would benefit you. 

This is what they say about the seminar:

The presentation will focus on the Circle of Security® Intervention for caregiver-child relationships, a prevention and early-intervention protocol that is thoroughly based on attachment theory and research.

The Circle of Security protocol has been found to be especially helpful for foster and adoptive parents, and for the professionals who support those placements. In a manner similar to this workshop, the intervention is especially effective because it uses review of videotaped parent-child interactions to coach parents in understanding the complex and often puzzling cues and behaviours used by foster and adopted children.

William Whelan Psy.D. will be the speaker for this two day event. 

Circle of Security Seminar
March 15 professionals, 8:30-4
March 16 parents and care providers 9-3
Anshutz Medical Campus
FREE
If your rsvp you will have a lunch provided for you.
You can get more information and the link to register through the following link. 

http://www.centralcoahec.org/circle.htm

Photos to send to your child

Photo books are a question everyone of us have to consider at some point in this process. What do we send? A lot of it depends on what your agency allows, so find out first. Second, you will need to determine what is appropriate for the age and ability of your child. Remember that kids in orphanages tend to be younger in some respects and older in others. They have not likely had experience with toys and photos. This makes them on the younger scale here.

There are a lot of cool options for kids of all ages.
For a child over the age of 5 you could:

1. Send a paper album like one you make on Snapfish or Photobucket and that sort of online photo storing and crafting site. A good binding is important because of use. Spiral bound pages may tear out more easily. 
2. You can make your own on Publisher or some such program, or use a digital scrapbook tool. You can take the file on a disk or zip/thumb drive to a printer and have it printed. Usually these are spiral bound but could be done as individual pages and put into a book with plastic sleeves.
3. You could make one your self in an actual album with slip in sleeves or creative memory style. I would strongly suggest using page protectors and taping the tops shut for retention. 
4. Laminate the photos with your words on the back of each photo, use fun paper. Put them on a ring and lanyard so your child can carry his or her new family with them everywhere.  Use wallet sized photos. You can have any photo printed in that size.

This is a photo of our son wearing his laminated photos on a ring on a lanyard.

For the toddler/preschool set you could:

1. Use any of the ideas from the baby set, all would be very appropriate, other than the cube which would turn into a ball. The Sesame Street albums linked at the end of the post are a cute idea for this age group.
2. The laminated photo idea from above.
3. I would suggest not using paper for this age group. Preschool maybe, but certainly not toddler.

For babies, there are TONS of great ideas out there.

1. The laminated idea from above NO lanyard. I would choose a plastic ring. 
2. You could even put the laminated photos into another album that is fabric or soft plastic.
3. You can make a fabric photo book. Or you can buy one. Amazon has tons of cute ones available. See links at end of post.
4. Vtech has a talking album that is super cool. If you are allowed this it is awesome. It lets your child learn your voice too. http://www.vtechkids.com/product/detail/1784/Record-and-Learn-Photo-Album
5. Fabric photo cube. This is cute and good for a baby or very young toddler. It does not require page turning and can be held. However, it is stuffed. Stuffed things are often discouraged and removed because they harbor germs, bacteria and bugs. They are hard to wash and dry adequately by hand. Check with the care center first before sending this otherwise very cool photo idea.

 http://www.amazon.com/World-Carle-Rattle-Kids-Preferred/dp/B003KN275U/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_2_0

 http://www.amazon.com/Taggies-Colours-Treasures-Picture-Cube/dp/B002T8MDK6/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_0_1

Here are some links for some of the soft photo books on Amazon (I am sure other places have them too!) Most of them hold 4-6 photos behind a plastic cover.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_13?url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=soft+photo+album&sprefix=soft+photo+al%2Ctoys-and-games%2C230

http://www.amazon.com/Genius-Baby-Toys-Gb-58500-First/dp/B000GKW6CE/ref=pd_sim_t_19

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Seuss-Little-Soft-Memory/dp/B0015K2LUG/ref=pd_sim_t_9

http://www.amazon.com/Enesco-My-Family-Photo-Album/dp/B000GKW6CY/ref=pd_sim_t_3
(the one in the photo here, house album)

http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Toy-Photo-Family-Garden/dp/B002KLDUKO/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_1_0

http://www.amazon.com/Sassy-Earth-Brights-Wooden-Babys/dp/B000WB2F6E/ref=sr_1_6?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1330018359&sr=1-6
(photo to the right, with leaves)

http://www.amazon.com/Babys-First-Photo-Family-Friends/dp/B000Q7G3VM/ref=pd_cp_ba_0

http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Toy-202380-Whoozit-Photo/dp/B00067TZSK/ref=pd_cp_ba_2

This one holds 12 photos and the pages are tear resistant and soft!!! (Star album photo to the right.)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31aR3DZt%2B6L._SL500_AA300_.jpg 

This one holds 20-36 photos and is a better idea for preschoolers or older toddlers as the interior pages are just the slip in plastic sleeves. Super cute!!!! Sesame street friends, photo to the right.
 http://www.amazon.com/Gund-Sesame-Photo-Albums-18/dp/B0042WK6KQ/ref=sr_1_11?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1330020918&sr=1-11

There are a couple cute ones for the big brother and big sister if that applies to you. Good idea to get them used to the idea.These hold 12.
http://www.amazon.com/Enesco-Big-Brother-Photo-Album/dp/B000GKW6E2/ref=pd_sim_t_4

http://www.amazon.com/Enesco-Big-Sister-Photo-Album/dp/B000VJ3BA6/ref=pd_sim_t_6

Survey on Intercountry Adoption USCIS

SURVEY ON INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION
The U.S. Citizenship and Nationalization Service (USCIS) today launched a survey to receive feedback on the experiences of adoptive families when interacting with U.S. government officials during the intercountry adoption process. This represents a great opportunity to help improve the current process. All questions should be answered based on a family's personal experience with U.S. government officials (not with adoption agency representatives) . Note that the responses will be consolidated and presented in a cumulative format. No personal identifying information will be divulged.

Results received by February 14 at 5:00pm will be made available to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for use in an upcoming roundtable on intercountry adoption. The survey will remain open until March 1.

If you are an adoptive parent or prospective adoptive parent, please use the following link:
http://ow.ly/ 8Xe3f

If you represent an adoption agency, please use the following link: http://ow.ly/ 8Xe4h

There is a great deal of confusion as to where this survey actually originates. They state above that this is from USCIS. However, it would seem that it is not directly from USCIS.  This survey is being conducted by a group called Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.   For more information about them here is the link. http://ccainstitute.org/who-we-are/aboutus.html
 
"The Senate Foreign Relations Committee opened this survey to gather information from adoptive families, potential adoptive families and adoption service providers about their experience with the U.S. government during the adoption process. It represents a unique opportunity for the adoption community to inform U.S. government policy makers about their experiences and express their opinions regarding the services provided by the U.S. government."

Movies and real life: How To Train A Dragon

So, some of us just watch movies, others of us watch them for links to our own lives and those we care for. Well, we are watching How To Train A Dragon. That is a great movie. If you have adopted kids who have had a difficult transition, or have kids who for one reason or another need some special care.... well, you could relate to this movie. We could call it how to civilize the child or how to make part of your family a new child who is afraid of committment. Lots of titles could fit. Next time you watch this movie with your kids, take note of how much like Hiccup we are as parents and how much our kids are like those dragons. In the end if we learn to stand up for ourselves and those we love then we will be trustworthy, a team and much stronger together than we ever were apart. Hmmm, maybe this could be applied to marriage as well. You know men and women are as different as vikings and dragons.
See what you think the next time you see How To Train A Dragon.