What Adopted Kids Wish Their Parents Knew

We are adoptive parents and relative caregiving parents who have parented children along life’s journey. There are many books that contain valuable information to help parents connect with and parent the adopted child, but here are our favorite, Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wished Their Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldridge.

Sherrie is an adoptee herself. Adopted as an infant, she spent years into adulthood with a variety of behavioral and emotional struggles. She finally found a therapist in mid-life who helped her process her adoption experience. It made all the difference and she began writing books from the adoptee’s perspective. As adoptive parents, it is easy to feel the joy and love of welcoming home your child, who you have longed for and waited for so long. It is not so easy to grasp how a child experiences adoption.

Sherrie offers that perspective from someone who knows because she has lived it. She offers valuable insights that help parents to understand the adoption experience from the adoptee’s perspective. She offers ideas at the end of each chapter you can use to talk about with your child. If you are an adoptive parent or are planning to become one, this book should be at the top of your list to read!

— Book review by Carrie Ellis, L.M.H.C.