November is National Adoption Month

Dedicated to my good friends Lauren and Jim. Whatever path you choose, I know the journey will be a great one.

Little Bipsy knows that families come together in a variety of ways and we want to celebrate them all. November is National Adoption Month, and I’d like to take a moment to recognize anyone who has or is considering going through the beautiful, emotional and sometimes complicated process of adoption. My hope with this blog post is this: If you or someone you love is taking steps to growing their family through adoption, and unsure where to even begin, that this post full of different perspectives and stories could be a starting point. With a bit of research, I managed to collect a few bloggers who share their adoption journeys, give advice on how to navigate the process, and share their unique perspectives on life after the adoption is complete. Regardless of whether you’re considering adopting a child or not, all of these stories are interesting in their own way.

 

Elsie and her husband are parents to two adorable little girls, Nova and Marigold who were both adopted from China. Elsie shares the adoption stories for both girls, advice to those wanting to adopt from other countries, and what it’s like being a parent with a transracial ( A term often used in the adoption community to describe a family of different races, also known as interraical or multiracial adoption.) family. A large majority of Elsie’s adoption stories can be found here but she has since moved from blogging there to her website A Beautiful Mess. A fun and colorful lifestyle blog full of DIY, recipes, advice and so much more run by Elsie and her sister Emma.

 

Tom and his husband started the adoption process in 2015 and a year later they met their son. What I liked about this blog was how in depth Tom is in sharing about that process. How it feels, the waiting, the questioning, the nerves. I imagine every detail can be a source of comfort to those going through the same thing. Sometimes we just need to know we’re not alone, and Tom does well in making sure you know that you aren’t. 

I wanted to have a variety of different perspectives on this list, which is why I’m glad I came across Angela Tucker. A fellow Washingtonian (raised in Bellingham, living in Seattle.) Angela is an author, podcast host, film producer, founder of the Adoptee Mentoring Society, and a transracial adoptee. Among her many incredible endeavors, she somehow manages to find the time to blog about her life and the unique perspectives and experiences she has as a woman of color who was adopted into a Caucasian family. All of this just barely scratches the surface of Tucker’s story (which even includes a Netflix documentary) and I think we could all benefit from learning more.

 Jason is a special education teacher turned social media star who amassed a mere 12.7 million followers so far on Tik Tok. The self proclaimed “wholesome dad” is a parent of three adopted former foster children. Together they spread kindness, positivity and joy with fun bite-sized videos meant to show how their family navigates life’s ups and downs. To get to know Jason and his family better, I highly recommend reading this article and of course take a scroll through the @DadLifeJason Tik Tok. Even if you don’t have plans to adopt, or plan on having children at all, you’ll enjoy this father’s advice on life, family and love.

 

Kirstin is one of our incredible customer cuties, so she’s a familiar face around here at LB! On her blog, you can read about how the adoption of her daughter unexpectedly became the adoption of her daughter and son. Now a mother of three, she graciously shares what balancing mom life is like as an entrepreneur, tips on adoption, fitness and lifestyle inspiration. 

 

Addison Cooper is a clinical social worker and supervisor in the foster care adoption field based out of southern California. Admittedly, his blog, Adoption at the Movies, is a bit outdated with his last post being from 2019. But I thought his approach to discussing adoption with your children, especially those who have been adopted, was unique and very interesting. Cooper has a laundry list of films he’s reviewed through the lens of adoption, and how you can use movies to talk about what can be considered a sometimes difficult subject. Although the posts have stopped in recent years, there are plenty to go through from hundreds of different movies ranging from all genres, and can act as inspiration for how to watch other films to come in the future.

 

Finally, we have Lifelong Adoptions. An adoption agency based out of Illinois, dedicated to “creating families through adoption by preparing, nurturing, supporting, and advocating for all those involved in the infant adoption process.” On their website is a blog full of uplifting and encouraging stories about the adoptions, and families they help come together. Their success stories range from a variety of perspectives, for LGBT+ couples, birthmothers, as well as single parent adopters which is a perspective I found important to include. Adoptions done by single parents is a story you don’t often hear about (or I hadn’t anyway) but it’s not as uncommon as one would think and more importantly, it isn’t impossible. I felt that was important to point out.

I’d like to thank anyone who took the time to read through this post, or further looked into any of these incredible adoption stories. If this helps bring comfort in any way to even just one person, I’d consider it a job well done. Happy National Adoption Month, and I hope you all have a safe and happy November. 

 

Written by Noël Nephew