Preparing for the holidays . . .
For most children, the Christmas holidays are an exciting time. Those of you who are veteran adoptive or foster parents know this may not...
top of page
THE LATEST WORD
Search
Dr. Mark Andrews
Dec 6, 20202 min read
Adopting an Older Child: The Joys and the Challenges (part 3) . . .
A couple of years ago I was interacting with a young man who had been adopted at age ten. I asked him what were some of his biggest life...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Nov 23, 20202 min read
Adopting an Older Child: The Joys and the Challenges (part 2) . . .
With international adoption steadily decreasing over the past decade, more and more couples and individuals in the U.S. are choosing to...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Nov 15, 20202 min read
Adopting an Older Child: The Joys and the Challenges (part 1) . . .
In recent years, older child adoption--which typically means adopting a child three years of age and older—has become more popular and...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Nov 6, 20202 min read
From time to time I like to recommend helpful resources to those of you readers of my posts.
There are a ton of reading resources out there for adoptive parents. Below I’ve listed several of what I think are among the best. We...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Oct 28, 20202 min read
Wisdom from Intercountry Adoptive Parents: “Learning from Trial and Error” part 2 (conclusion) . .
I shared in my previous post that all of us parents have learned from trial and error in our parenting approaches. This is especially...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Oct 11, 20202 min read
Wisdom from Intercountry Adoptive Parents: “Learning from Trial and Error” part 1 . . .
Although my wife and I did a lot of homework in preparation for the adoption of our two children form India, we also learned a lot from...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Oct 4, 20202 min read
The Critical Importance of Human Touch (Part 2) . . .
Did you know that our skin is the largest organ in our body? I never thought about the skin as an organ, but it really is. We’ve all...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Sep 27, 20202 min read
The Critical Importance of Human Touch (part 1) . . .
If you’re like me, you have really missed the close physical contact with family and close friends during this seemingly endless season...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Sep 19, 20202 min read
The Importance of Play . . .
Some of you reading this may actually remember an activity called “recess” when you were in school. I don’t know about you, but it was...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Sep 14, 20203 min read
More Help for Parenting Children with Attachment Challenges . . .
Reliable research data tells us that 80 to 85 percent of adopted and foster children may have major struggles in attaching to parents and...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Sep 6, 20202 min read
Parenting a Child who has Complex Developmental Trauma . . .
Although every child is unique in how they process and experience trauma, here are some helpful suggestions for parents: 1. Establishing...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Aug 31, 20201 min read
The Challenge of Complex Developmental Trauma in Adopted Children . . .
Adopted children who have been diagnosed with Complex Developmental Trauma (also known as Reactive Attachment Disorder or RAD) face many...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Aug 24, 20202 min read
The hope and opportunity found in Intercountry Adoption . . .
For the past six decades, intercountry adoption has provided a way for scores of orphaned children to have a secure future full of love,...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Aug 17, 20202 min read
When to reach out for help, part 3 (conclusion): Does my child need to be on medication?
Today more than ever, children and adolescents are being prescribed psychotropic medications for emotional and behavioral issues. This...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Aug 11, 20202 min read
When to reach out for help (part 2) . . .
In my 30-plus years of working with families, I have found that it can be difficult for adoptive parents to seek help for themselves and...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Aug 1, 20202 min read
When to reach out for help: When your child’s needs are beyond your abilities . . .
Adopted children represent a higher percentage of individuals needing professional counseling than non-adopted children.
Dr. Mark Andrews
Jul 27, 20201 min read
Who Will Answer for These Children?
I shared this post earlier this year on my Facebook page, and feel it bears repeating. The above words were uttered by Harry Holt in the...
Dr. Mark Andrews
Jul 20, 20202 min read
The Iceberg Effect . . .
..."we only see and know what is “above the waterline... be aware that receiving only partial information is the norm."
Dr. Mark Andrews
Jul 15, 20202 min read
Parenting adopted children who have been traumatized (part 3—conclusion) . . .
Parenting adopted children who have been traumatized (part 3—conclusion) . . .
bottom of page