Spring has sprung! Well technically, it has. We still had freezing temperatures overnight earlier in the week, but according to the calendar it is spring. Do you have an upcoming visit with your child and family? If so, I have spring visit ideas for you.

Note: Some of the ideas below will vary depending on exactly how open your adoption is, the type of relationship you have with your child’s adoptive parents, the leeway you have with visits, and your child’s age. The ideas below are intended to include the child’s adoptive parents and siblings as well.

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Do you have a visit coming up this month? If you get together with your child’s family during the month of December, I have some holiday themed ideas that you could do during your time together. Whether or not you are able to do some of these ideas will depend on your child’s age, how close or far apart you live, the type of relationship you have with your child’s family, and how open your adoption is.

Trim the tree ~ When it’s time to decorate your Christmas tree, invite your child (and family) over to help! Serve some eggnog or holiday punch, turn on some Christmas carols,... more

We are getting ready for another weekend visit at our house. This time it will be our middle child’s rather large extended birthfamily. A group of about six of them will be coming out for the Halloween celebrations at the nearby resort where we are all owners. Although I do not mind hosting things in our home as we often have in the past, having the activities and run of the resort will be a nice thing! I have not been feeling well this week, so that removes the added stress of needing to clean a messy house for visitors. The cleaning/preparation part of the visit process always... more

Although it may not feel like it in some parts of the country (like mine lately!) the first day of autumn officially was Sunday. Hopefully the weather will catch up with the calendar soon!

If you have a visit planned for this fall, I have some ideas for you!

Note: Some of the ideas below will vary depending on exactly how open your adoption is, the type of relationship you have with your child’s adoptive parents, the leeway you have with visits, and your child’s age and are intended to include the child’s adoptive parents as well.

Go... more

It’s summer time!

Summer is a great time to plan visits with your child as it’s just a pretty laid back time of year since a lot of children (unless they attend year round schooling or are home schooled) have no school. But you may be lacking for ideas of what you could do during summer time visits.

Don’t worry; I have some ideas for you! These ideas are geared towards pre-school to middle school aged children.

Try meeting somewhere fun such as an amusement park or a water park. Summertime is a great time to hit a water park... more

So, what can you do with your child at visits??

Your options are endless! Although a lot of what you can do is going to depend on your child’s age.

Basically you have two choices or even a combination of the two choices. You can go somewhere and do some sort of activity or you can stay at one of your homes and just hang out there. There are positive and negatives to both suggestions.

Staying in gives you the opportunity to have some quality time with your child without all the distractions you might have out and about. It gives you... more

Lately, I’ve heard adoption picnics mentioned by several different birthmothers. Apparently more adoption agencies are beginning to host adoption picnics.

If you have never heard of an adoption picnic before, let me explain. Adoption picnics are hosted by various adoption agencies for the people who successfully completed adoptions through their agency. The picnics are for birthmothers, adoptive parents, and the child. It’s a fun way for them to get together and spend time with one another. I’m sure it’s also fun for the people at the agency who get to see... more

Do you have a visit with your child coming up this month? Many birthmoms in open adoptions that have visits as a part of their post adoption contact agreements have visits in December.

December is a great time for a visit and there are lots of fun things you could set up to do with your child and his or her family during the month of December.

Note: Some of the ideas below will vary depending on exactly how open your adoption is, the type of relationship you have with your child’s adoptive parents, the leeway you have with visits, and your child’s... more