More in our "Transracial Adoption ABCs" from the letter "B"...

Blogs- Blogs are a fairly new craze, and they have taken the adoption world by storm. Adoptive parents love to connect with other adoptive parents, and blogs are a wonderful way to do that. Through blogs you can find other adoptive parents adopting through the same program as you, you can read about other parents’ adoption stories and experiences, you can get an honest look at “what to expect” in the early days home with a new child, you can connect with other transracial adoptive families and you can get lots of great information and support.

Many adoptive parents create blogs to allow family and friends to follow along on their adoption journeys, and many adoptive parents have a long list of blogs they check in on regularly. For me, since we do not have a lot of other transracial adoptive families where we live, reading blogs of other families like mine gives me a sense of support and community. I also enjoy sharing my family with others through this blog and my family blog.

There is always something new and informational on the over 30 different blogs presented on Adoptionblogs.com.


Books- Since my most recurring piece of advice to parents just starting on their adoptions is research, research, research, "books" is an important word to me. Books can educate you on the ins and outs of the adoption process, attachment issues, racial issues and just about any other topic you can think of. Here are some posts on great books for families adopting transracially.

May are available at local libraries, and there is a large selection at Adoptionshop.com. Do some reading! :)

Boys- I have written about this in depth in a three-part series titled “What’s Wrong With Boys?” (part two here and part three here).

The issue is, that for a variety of reasons, the majority of adoptive parents who have a preference on the gender of their child, want a girl. Waiting lists for baby girls are almost always longer than the waiting lists for a boy. Some agencies/countries/programs even list healthy baby boys as “special needs” because they are so much harder to place.

You can read the posts I mentioned above for lots of information and details on this topic, but let me say that my boys are WONDERFUL. Out of my 10 kids, my most tender-hearted child is a boy and my quietest child is a boy. They can be loud and rowdy, but they are also sweet and loving. Just between you and me…as the mom of five boys and five girls… I love my girls to bits, but if I had to have 10 kids of all one gender, I would choose a house full of boys without even having to think about it. :)

There are many legitimate reasons why a family would want a girl over a boy, and since we have specifically chosen girls on several occasions, I do not judge anyone who chooses a girl. However, if you are in the process of adoption, especially if you are adopting a baby, and you are only open to a girl at this point, I ask you to really think about why you feel the way you do, and to consider opening your heart and home to a boy.

*Photo from Easy Child Crafts.com