[sweetjanes]

I feel sure that somebody has addressed this at some point, so forgive me!

I wonder if families use more than one Life Book at different stages of their children's lives...

Do you create a Life Book that is age appropriate for your preschooler, while at the same time, work on a book that includes ALL the details (good & not so good.) ???

Or do you create pages as you go and add them to the binder as your child is ready and able to digest the information?

I appreciate your suggestions!

[blminter]

I'm doing 2. One that she'll keep accessible at any moment. Simple wording of our family story with lots of pictures. Including family tree, family pics. Story told as "once upon a time" I have pics of her, etc. I think this could last from toddlerhood through grade school.

Then I've got one that follows "same story line" but in a more detailed version/scrapbook like version. What I was thinking along the way. What the update info on her was before she came to see me.

I think I read this idea from a lifebook suggestion resource. It's a lot of work and I'm almost done. She's 2 1/2 and I'm ready to start reading it to her!

[sweetjanes]

I think I am going to create a "storybook" based on the simple true facts regarding her adoption. I'll use this with her until I feel like she is ready for more.

In the meantime, I am going to continue to add pages to the binder I've been keeping of factual papers I've collected along the way. For example, the hospital discharge paperwork, the birth certificates, notes I've taken from phone calls with her birthmom, memories I've journaled.

I have a few sweet pictures of her at the hospital with her birthmom and with her bio half sister. I really want to include a picture of her birthfather, but unfortunately the only picture I have is a mug shot. I feel like I need to include his picture in her "storybook." Is that too weird? Maybe not if I don't give attention to the kind of picture it is. I feel like she wouldn't know what a mug shot is until much later... By then, she may be ready for the bigger, more detailed adoption book.

What do you think?