| Your child's adoption story can best be told | | | | 11". The 8" x 8" albums are a nice size for |
| through scrapbooking an amazing album that | | | | little hands to hold. |
| you can share with one another for many | | | | |
| years, all the way to adulthood. As a new | | | | [5] Try to locate whatever supplies you'd |
| mom, however, good intentions are often put | | | | like to use. When I had a hard time finding |
| aside just trying to keep up with the daily | | | | anything other than a couple of stickers that |
| tasks of parenthood. Our best keepsakes and | | | | mentioned adoption, I finally designed my own |
| photos end up stuffed into a closet, as we | | | | 8" x 8" overlay transparencies. I really like |
| wait for the time in our lives when we will | | | | overlays because they give one's book the |
| have enough of a chunk of hours to do the | | | | appearance of class, there is no mess (no |
| story for our child justice. | | | | glue or tape required) and anyone can use |
| | | | them (no instruction required either). |
| Don't postpone your child's adoption | | | | |
| scrapbook any longer. It's important that | | | | [6] Keep it simple and don't be tempted to |
| they get to flip through this book and share | | | | put every thought you have in the book. |
| in the photos long before they go off to the | | | | Consider your child's attention span too. Add |
| university. | | | | more pages later as your child asks questions |
| | | | and you want to answer them in the book (what |
| Here are a few ideas to guide you in | | | | kind of car did my birth mom drive?) You may |
| scrapbooking your child's adoption keepsake | | | | also want other things represented, such as |
| book (or a "lifebook" as some call it): | | | | your child's country (or even city) or birth. |
| | | | |
| [1] Write everything down. As a new parent | | | | [7] Add some poems and quotes. When you lack |
| it's easy to believe you will remember every | | | | information about your child's birth or are |
| special moment, but in no time you'll be | | | | overwhelmed by writing down all your |
| making loads of memories and some of your | | | | thoughts, it's a nice touch to add a few |
| favorites will fade. | | | | adoption quotes. But be sue to not rely on |
| | | | them completely. Quotes are nice and can add |
| [2] Record what you know for your child which | | | | to the album, but it's your own personal |
| is appropriate for his or her little ears. | | | | thoughts that will be most precious to your |
| Perhaps you were able to spend some time with | | | | child as they get older. |
| the birth mom and you have some personal | | | | |
| reflections on how kind she was. Or maybe you | | | | [8] Use child-friendly language. For example, |
| have no information at all if your child was | | | | don't ever write, "Your birth mom loved you |
| adopted from an orphanage. It's important to | | | | so much that she gave you away." This could |
| be honest but it also needs to be something | | | | scare your child into believing that pretty |
| that you can read from your book to your | | | | soon you will love him too much and give you |
| 5-year-old. If your child's birth mom has | | | | away too. Keep the wording simple: "Miss |
| many other children which she is still | | | | Clara wanted you to have both a mommy and a |
| raising, or your child was the result of an | | | | daddy and she knew that we were really |
| abusive situation, this isn't appropriate for | | | | excited to be your parents." |
| the book. | | | | |
| | | | Too often we get caught up in creating a |
| [3] Layout the photos you want to use. You | | | | masterpiece of a baby album that will include |
| don't have to use all of them, just the ones | | | | every bath, haircut, smile and tear. Instead, |
| that are most important. Are you arranging | | | | focus on just the adoption story for this |
| the book chronologically? Make sure | | | | small book and put a lot of the baby or |
| everything is in order. | | | | family pages in other books. The sooner it's |
| | | | ready for your child, the more time of their |
| [4] Decide what size of album to use. They | | | | childhood they will reflect on it. |
| are typically 8" x 8", 12" x 12" or 8.5" x | | | | |