I absolutely love the idea of creating a separate little scrapbook just for your child. Intended for little hands, it would tell your child’s adoption story in language and photos that are appropriate for their age level. I know many adoptive parents who have created books for little hands and they came to be prized possessions of their children and really helped them to understand their adoption stories.

For a child feeling unsure and confused, and unable to communicate their emotions, they can take comfort in knowing that they can go back to their book and their story at any time. The book can also be a good opener for conversations between parent(s) and child.

Here are some tips and ideas for making your child their very own adoption book:

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  Choose a sturdy album with heavy weight page protectors that will stand up to heavy duty use and the occasional spill or two.
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  Don’t use original photos. Be sure to get copies made and store them in a safe place.
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  Let your child know that their book can be as private or as personal as they wish. They can keep it to themselves or share it when they are older.
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  Tell their story in as much detail as is appropriate for the age that they are currently. You can always add more at a later date.
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  It will be hard to edit, but try not to make it too long. The goal is an easily digestible story that your child can become comfortable with.
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  As your child wishes, they can add to their own thoughts and memories to their book as they get older. They may also find comfort in writing letters to their birthparents and keeping them in a private section of their book. Also, if they have other friends who were adopted from Viet Nam they may choose to add photos of them to their book in a “friends like me” section.
  

Check out some great adoption themed scrapbooking items HERE.



Photo © Rebecca Hess 2007

More Reading:
How to Preserve Your Adoption Trip
Adoption Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking for Your Kids

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