November is National Adoption Month, so I felt it a good time to talk about, well, adoptions!

It's National Adoption Month. Here are the things you should know.

I feel this should be prefaced with the fact that I personally have no real ties to adoption. I was not adopted. My parents never adopted any kids. In fact, when looking at my family, the closest adoption story are 2 of my beautiful nephews. So I may not be the authority to listen to on National Adoption Month, BUT I do have an interest in adoption.

We’ve been blessed to have 5 of our very own kids. You know that feeling people talk about – how they just know when they are done having kids? Yeah, I haven’t had that yet. My body says it wants to be done, but my heart and mind want to raise every child I possibly can. So I’ve begun to think about adopting.

Now with that all out of the way, I’d like to direct you to those who do have the authority to talk about adoption. While researching the topic, these are some of the articles I’ve found most helpful to truly understand the process, and what I would need to do mentally to be ready for bringing home a child that I didn’t give birth to.

National Adoption Month

From An Adoptee

Of course, Lori right here on A Day In Motherhood knows quite a bit on the topic as she was adopted. If you haven’t read her story My Adoption and Me, please take a moment right now to do so.

A good follow up to Lori’s story is this piece by Madeleine Melcher on the Huff Post, What an Adoptee Wants You to Know About Adoption. Finally, if you are considering adoption, you should definitely read 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adopted Children from So Much Better With Age.

Stories of Adoption

When thinking about trying or doing anything new, it’s always a good practice to read/hear stories from others who have experienced it. I’ve loved reading through these stories of adoption this month. Over at Kid World Citizen, you can read about some fantastic adoption stories from a great family, including ways to help kids in foster homes. This is a fantastic way to help during National Adoption Month.

Ripped Jeans and Bifocals shares a very personal story When It’s Not Love At First Sight with Your Adopted Child, and how she was able to overcome that. It’s quite the story of parenthood and letting go of ourselves for someone else.

For a complete overview of the adoption process, head over to i Save A to Z. There you will find the whole journey from when they decided to adopt, through the highs and lows, and finally to being approved.

Getting Started with Adoption

From everything I hear, adoption is not an easy process. I’m sure many of us wish it was, and think it should be. The more I thought about it though, I’m glad it’s a bit of a process. Hopefully it means kids being adopted are finding homes that are safe and full of love. To get started with an adoption, check out these resources.

Before you even begin the process, Smarter Each Day has an article with 4 Things Every Parent Should Know Before Adopting. After reading her journey, her advice really touches the heart.

Start by reading through The First Step in the Adoption Process from 123 Homeschool 4 Me. She has a series that continues through each step of the adoption process to help first timers.

Nourishing Little Souls has a great post on How to Rock Your Homestudy. I absolutely love her first tip to have something baking in the oven. A home is always nicer with the scent of good food. She’s got 9 other equally awesome tips.