[GoddessDanu]

I had assumed that life books were only for foster children but I recently read a book that said every adopted child should have one.

I was thinking that creating a few pages for our child's life book might be a good way to spend some time while we were waiting for things to happen.

Does your child have a life book? Could you describe it? Is it like a scrapbook? I've been looking for examples of life books online but haven't been able to find any.

[Magic_Hat]

I was thinking of doing one for my daughter. There's an article in this month's issue of Adoptive Families magazine that's all about life books.

I think I'm going to try a simple one and then once I have it drafted out, I may try to jazz it up.

But I need to finish the traditional 1st year memory book first...now that she's turning 2 in a couple months!

[portlowski]

Okay, I admit that a lifebook is one of those things I mean to get around to but haven't done yet. I wrote copiously about our adoption experience and my son's birth...and when our computer crashed a couple of months ago I lost ALL of it! Arggh. So now I have a box of all of his stuff and I am rewriting his story. I am going to put it in a 3-ring binder in laminated sheets. That way I can add sheets as time goes by, and I can add more age appropriate information as he grows up. He is only 2, so I hope to get this together soon...at least by the time he understands what the word adoption means. We have a very open relationship with his birthfamily including visits, so I always share his story when we see them or talk to them, but I think it is important to have it in book form so he can look at it whenever he wants to.

[arkansas parent]

"T" joined our family when he was almost 4yrs old.. He has a book kinda like a big boy baby book. I made hand and footprints right after he joined our family. It also has a curl from the first hair cut I gave him, the first time he wrote his name and the first time he called us mommy and daddy. It has pictures of all his firsts with our family.. And it tells how he became part of our family.
For baby "A" someone gave us a baby book. On the pages the say "I'm special because" I told his adoption story. I even put the post-it I wrote his info on when his adoption specialist called us.

I write in my kids "baby" books until they start school then I buy a school days book for them.

[millie58]

My 4 boys are all fost/adopt. the oldest one is the only one doesn't want to do a lifebook. I have to get the software for it.