Tolerance.org is an awesome website with a plethora of information. I don’t know how I have missed this resource up until now, but as a transracial adoptive family, this is a fantastic website and one that I plan to visit often. Tolerance.org states that it is a project of the southern poverty law center, to “Fight Hate and Promote Tolerance.”

Just to give you a sampling of what you can find on Tolerance.org, here are a few links, article names and quotes.

Do’s and Don’t of Teaching Black History

From the “Do” list…

Incorporate black... more

Until All Have Homes is an organization that I don’t think I have mentioned lately. Until All Have Homes was started by Anne Grabeman, and is run by parents of special needs kids (most of them adoptive parents).

They advocate for special needs children all over the world, and work to find homes for special needs orphans. They are not an adoption agency, but network with agencies that have good reputations to help find homes for the hardest to place kids.

One of the things I love most about them is that they also support children with special needs and help them stay with their birth families when possible. There is a GORGEOUS... more

Continued from previous post...

Another good idea for celebrating Black History Month with your kids is to look into events in your area. Many universities, museums, churches, adoption groups, clubs, etc. have special events to celebrate Black History month, some of which are even tailored for children. You can check with the Student Union or websites of local universities or even go to good old Yahoo or Google and search for “Black History Month” and your state or city.

If you are lucky enough to live near a big city that has an area like “Little Ethiopia” (or other ethnic area), going for a visit and some shopping and eating is a fun way to celebrate for a day. Ethnic restaurants... more

It is February, which means it is Black History Month. Up until a few years ago, much like Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it Black History Month wasn’t something that I used to pay much attention to. But now, as the mom of five black kids, it is a significant “holiday” for our family.

For our family nights this month I have lessons prepared about Black History Month…people and events worth learning about. This weekend provides a good opportunity for learning and conversation as well, with the first-ever African-American coaches taking their teams to the Super Bowl (especially if you have kids that are into sports).

I have found that the key for getting kids interested in learning... more

Here are five ideas for “gifts with a meaning this holiday”, that are not too late to buy. If you have someone on your list still that is one of those people that “has it all”, why not give them a meaningful gift…something beyond the normal “stuff”. Or, pick one of these to do with your children to help them get into the spirit of giving this holiday season.

All five of these suggestions are related to adoption, orphans and children. I welcome other suggestions that you may have. Leave me a comment and I will add to my list. :)

Adoption.com’s... more

I found this website titled Christmas World, when I was doing some research, and I think it is a great resource for transracial families, adoptive families and any family who enjoys learning about other cultures, and would like to incorporate some culture into their holiday celebrations.

The website has a long list of countries that you can "click" on, to learn about the Christmas customs of that country. Information is given on the history of Christmas, music, food, celebrations, dress,... more

Today is the day that the new Rainbowkids site has launched! If you are not familiar with Rainbowkids, it is not only the largest website dedicated to international adoption, it is also a huge photolisting of children available for international adoption, a monthly e-magazine and a website chock full of information and support for adoptive parents. Other features include chats and blogs that you can use without any charge.

Rainbowkids was created by Martha Osborne, who along with her husband has five daughters... more

If you do not already receive it, Adoption.com has a free, weekly E-magazine on adoption that is full or adoption related news, products, services and all sorts of other good information. If you’d like to sign up for the Adoption.com weekly E-magazine, you can do so by clicking here.

This week there is a good article included in the e-magazine titled “Asian Children Growing... more

If you do any research online about adoption, you are sure to come across articles/blogs/stories written by now adult-adoptees who shed a lot of light on what the early generations of adoptive parents “did wrong”.

Years ago adoption was a “big dark secret” that often was kept from a child who somehow still sensed something was “different” about them. Often this secret came out later in life with difficult affects on all involved, but especially the adoptee. Today, adoption is openly discussed. It is no longer a dark secret to be ashamed about, but something many people celebrate. Beyond being discussed in a family, many adoptions today are now “open”, where the birth family and adoptive... more

With my last couple of posts I have been discussing transracial adoption, and two articles from Adoption.com that discuss how to prepare for a transracial adoption and how to build a strong sense of cultural identity in a transracially adopted child.

I feel that these topics are important, not only for those adoptive parents just starting out their transracial family, but also to those well-established transracial families. These resources are sort of like a refresher on child proofing... more