Adoption language

Adopt a this, adopt a that

February 13, 2008

My friend Joanne has a terrific post about one aspect of adoption language and its effect on a child of adoption. Here’s an excerpt of a letter Joanne sent to her daughter’s Girl Scout leader a couple of months ago: “Shawna told me about the stockings and that it was said in meeting that the [...]

How to help new parents and waiting parents

December 15, 2007

A link to an article arrived in my Inbox. The title is My Adopted Child Can Hear You (fitting with my Words Matter theme) but the content also touches on what new adoptive parents really need when they bring home their child. I’m including this here because the Stirrup Queen community seems to be blessed [...]

Prefixing mothers

November 19, 2007

There is no consensus about ethnic titles. Is “African-American” an inclusive term, with the emphasis on “American”? Does “Mexican-American” create a divide just by using the “Mexican” prefix? There is no consensus about adoption titles, either. Is the woman who gives birth but doesn’t parent a “birth mother”? A biological mother? Just a mother? Or [...]

A conversation I never want to have

November 12, 2007

(This entry was originally posted as a guest post on Stirrup Queens as part of Geohde’s Great Blog Cross-Pollination.) Because I have chatted with some of you, I know that many readers here are looking for travel brochures to Adoption World or are considering relocating there. Periodically I’m going to write about adoption language and [...]

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