Toddler Adoption: The Weaver's Craft

We looked everwhere for information on the adoption of toddlers and there was none to be found. Toddlers are a special age and need guidance that is different from infants or even older children. This resource is a valuble tool that has been referred to since the day it was received in the mail. We only wish we had ordered it sooner. The preplacement information is beneficial for the adoption of children of all ages. Thank you Amazon!

This book is a practical, upbeat guide for parents who have adopted a child who is old enough to carry with them the weight of past experiences and the loss of former attachments (or the hurt of lack of attachments) yet are not old enough to express their emotions or memories in a way that can help their new parents help them. Hopkins-Best has helped unravel some of the mysteries that come with toddlers with a "past". I found her approach extremely helpful with our Romanian son adopted recently at the age of 34 months. I learned that some of the eating problems were actually rooted in attachment problems and that I had been handling the outbursts at the table in exactly the wrong way. Within days of changing my reaction his behavior improved dramatically. I wish I had read the book before I adopted a toddler, but I'm glad I read it soon after or we may have had a much longer struggle with attachment. I would consider this "required reading" for anybody looking to adopted a child over the age of one year.

Hopkins-Best has penned a must-read book for anyone considering adopting a child older than an infant. My interest lies in adopting children who are school aged, but I still found many relevant bits of advice in this book. Discussing the feelings of everyone involved one gets the feeling that Hopkins-Best has truly "done her homework" and indeed, being the mother of a little boy adopted from Brazil as a toddler, she has.

The book is a very compassionate look at both toddlers in need of stable, permanent homes and the parents who adopt these wonderful kids. It tackles all aspects of both the problems these families face, as well as the joys, in a down-to-earth, easy to understand way. I read the book in 3 days, and loved it enough to read it again. I know that as my son grows and flourishes, I will owe part of his success, as well as a part of mine as a parent, to this book.

We adopted 2 Toddlers 15 yrs ago thru a govt agency. We spoke with their doctor,psychologist and social worker beforehand. They lied about the extent of abuse done by birth parents. We know today that children are taken from the Birth Parents only in cases of extreme neglect & abuse. If I had realized this and read this book I would have been a better parent. Bonding between the child and the adopted parent MUST take place in order for adoption to be successful.