It’s virtually impossible to learn too much. When embarking into the world of adoption; especially for the first time, education is vital. To be the best parent you can be and help your child succeed, it is important to learn all you can about the adoption process and parenting your child. It is also a great idea to educate yourself about your child’s birth country, so you can share the information with them when they are old enough to understand.

While you are waiting for that joyful day that you board the plane that will take you to your child, take some time to read, read, and read some more. In between reading, watch documentaries and movies and surf the internet to learn from others’ experiences. There is an enormous wealth of information out there, and while all information should be taken with a practical grain of salt, there are wonderful opportunities for self education out there.

To learn more about how to best parent your new child, reading the following books can be helpful:

• Parenting Your Adopted Child
• Twenty Things Adopted Kids With Their Adoptive Parents Knew
• Parenting Your Adopted Child

To learn more about your child’s birth country, check out these travel guides that I wrote about here.

I was, and still am, hungry for information about Viet Nam. Any time there’s a television program on about Viet Nam, I am drawn to it. The documentary Daughter from Da Nang and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation series that took him to Viet Nam are two shows that gave me an introduction into Vietnamese life.

There is so much that we can all learn from each other. The internet is a powerful tool and we are lucky to be able to connect with other Viet Nam adoptive families from all over the world. Check out my blogroll here to read about other families who have adopted or are in the process of adopting from Viet Nam. The Viet Nam forum over at Adoption.com is another place of comfort to seek out others for their insight and experiences.

Above all else, strive to never stop learning. Once your child is home you will be learning about handling adoption sensitive subjects and projects in school, how to deal with the public’s nosy comments, and developmental milestones in children. By educating yourself now, you will know where to find answers to your questions as you go. And, as always, if you ever have a question or an issue that I may be able to help with, please leave a comment below or email me at rebeccah@adoptionblogs.com

photo credit

More Reading:
Viet Nam Adoptive Family Interview Series
The Power of the Eye Crease
Saying Too Much

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