Toddlers are interesting creatures. In my opinion, they get a bad wrap with that whole “terrible two’s” thing…but there is no doubt that parenting a toddler is different than parenting a baby or an older child, and it therefore stands to reason that adopting a toddler is going to be different than adopting a baby or a toddler.

It is true that adopting toddlers presents unique challenges and difficulties, requires unique strategies and understandings, and also comes with unique rewards and benefits.

I am not an expert on this, but we have adopted one toddler, and in preparation for toddler adoption number two, I have been doing a lot of reading and preparing. I can highly recommend the book “Toddler Adoption: The Weaver’s Craft” by Mary Hopkins-Best. This is the book that I see recommended over and over to people adopting toddlers or struggling with a newly adopted toddler. There are some scary stories in this book, but I do believe it is wise to prepare for the worst and pray for the best, and know that real life will fall somewhere in the middle.

“Toddler Adoption: The Weaver’s Craft” does give a great amount of understanding into toddler development, emotions, etc. and strategies to help them best adjust and attach to a new family. I do highly recommend it if a toddler adoption is in your future (or your present!).

Amanda was our first toddler adoption, and she joined us from South Korea a month before her second birthday. She had been living in a foster home for almost all of her short life, and was loved, cherished and well-cared for in that home. Amanda did not know she was an orphan, because from her eyes, she HAD a loving family. She did not know or care that her foster mom was in her late 60’s and could not adopt her. She did not know or care that the agency placing her was about to label her “unadoptable” because of her special needs and send her to an institution. All she knew, was that she was happy and she was loved…in a home, with a family…and that was her life.

So imagine her surprise that day, when all that changed…when her beloved Omma handed her over to a strange man, crying no doubt, and said good-bye, and then this strange man took Amanda around the world on long airplane flights, and delivered her to us! (You can read about that here).

To be continued...