having conversations about adoption Archives - Transracial Journeys https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/tag/having-conversations-about-adoption/ Tue, 04 Mar 2025 19:59:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/cropped-Logo-Flare520x520-32x32.jpg having conversations about adoption Archives - Transracial Journeys https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/tag/having-conversations-about-adoption/ 32 32 Reclaiming Our Family Narrative: Setting Boundaries & Building Belonging https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/reclaiming-our-family-narrative/ Tue, 04 Mar 2025 18:19:03 +0000 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/?p=5193 By April Dinwoodie Transracial adoptive families represent diversity in a world that is constantly observing—even while professing, it doesn't “see color.” This reality makes it imperative that transracially adopted children are protected from the micro and macro aggressions they face by parents setting intentional, empowering boundaries. As a parent navigating the winding roads of adoption and identity, I've learned that fostering belonging begins with establishing clear, non-negotiable limits on what we accept from others. Defining Our Space in a Noisy read more

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]]> Preparation: Transracial Adoption: Be Ready! https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/transracial-adoption-be-ready/ Mon, 03 Mar 2025 22:49:34 +0000 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/?p=2733 Being Prepared as a Transracial Family Have you had strangers ask inappropriate questions of you and your family? “Is she/he/them yours?” “Where are they from?”  “Your child is SO lucky”. These invasive questions are part of being a family that does not match and where differences of race are obvious to the world around you. It is important to be prepared for these intrusions. March Pro-Tip to Foster Conversations About Transracial Adoptions At Transracial Journeys we send our families conversation read more

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]]> February. Transforming: Bring a Higher Love https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/february-transforming-bring-a-higher-love/ Tue, 04 Feb 2025 18:37:43 +0000 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/?p=4386 At the intersection of St. Valentine’s Day and Black History Month, this short month brings so many foundational elements of identity, relationships, and differences for families to explore. Love is a vital ingredient for all families but adoption and difference of race make it imperative the love moves beyond the transactional and into the transformational. February Pro-Tip to Foster Conversations About Transracial Adoptions Transracial Journeys invites your family to experience the calendar in a whole new way. With the help read more

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]]> January: Honoring Family Connections Through the Calendar https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/january-honoring-family-connections-through-the-calendar/ Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:08:47 +0000 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/?p=5125 By April Dinwoodie I couldn’t sleep. Something was nagging at me. Yes, there were work deadlines looming and the mundane tasks of life left undone. But this was different—a heavier weight, a quiet ache pressing on my spirit that I couldn't quite name. I lay awake, restless, cataloging every possible reason for my sadness. No upcoming anniversaries or events came to mind, nothing obvious to explain this depth of melancholy. Eventually, exhausted, I drifted off in the early hours, only read more

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]]> January Embracing: Live with Authenticity, Purpose and Joy https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/january-relationships-honoring-the-whole-family/ Wed, 01 Jan 2025 23:57:28 +0000 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/?p=2601 January is a time when folks traditionally take stock of where they are and may even make some resolutions for a new diet, more time exercising, or commitments to spending quality time with family and friends. For families that extend through transracial adoption, January can offer a time to think about the year ahead and together as a family, continue the expansive journey of authentically navigating family and differences together with purpose and joy. Related article for parents' reflection: January: Honoring read more

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]]> December – Reflections: Evolving Traditions  https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/december-reflections-making-and-breaking-traditions/ Sun, 01 Dec 2024 22:39:10 +0000 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/?p=2585 The December holidays give us an opportunity to think about traditions tied to different cultures and religions. Regardless of what you and your family honor and celebrate, we can be inspired to take a closer look at what traditions mean to us and how we can expand our thinking and actions. Read this month's reflection and link to book gift giving guide as well as previous December posts from over the years to help guide you and your family through read more

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]]> November Nourishment: Sustaining Strong and Healthy Families https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/november-nourishment-transracial-adoption/ Thu, 07 Nov 2024 02:02:03 +0000 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/?p=3256 Thanksgiving can be one of the more complicated historical holidays, and for many in the United States, one of the more family and food-centric holidays. Whether you are a family that chooses not to mark Thanksgiving in a traditional way, or your family goes all out with a big Thanksgiving celebration, this month we are thinking about the family table and what might be true when there are differences of race and culture with transracial adoption. November also brings National read more

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]]> Costumes and Code-Switching: The Hidden Layers of Transracial Adoption https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/costumes-and-code-switching-the-hidden-layers-of-transracial-adoption/ Wed, 16 Oct 2024 12:37:19 +0000 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/?p=4925 By April Dinwoodie, TRJ Part-time Executive Director, Speaker, Trainer   It’s October and many children begin dreaming up costumes, reveling in the chance to put on a mask and become someone else for a night.  For many Black and Brown children in transracial adoptions, wearing a "costume" often extends far beyond October 31st. Transracially adopted children may feel the need to mask aspects of their identity and emotions daily as they navigate a world where they may feel out of place—even read more

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]]> Revealing: What’s Under The Mask https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/revealing-whats-under-the-mask/ Fri, 04 Oct 2024 21:16:19 +0000 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/?p=4914 Whether you participate in Halloween or not, October 31st has many children and the young at heart dressing up in costumes and wearing masks. Today, the pandemic has given many of us cause to wear masks to protect ourselves from the COVID-19. But what is behind the masks you don’t see? What do they reveal? Read how masks and mental health can have unique significance in our community in our article "Masks, Masking, and Mental Health." Fostering Conversations About Transracial read more

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]]> August – Growing: Always Learning https://www.transracialjourneys.org/blog/august-growing-always-learning/ Tue, 06 Aug 2024 00:05:03 +0000 https://www.transracialjourneys.org/?p=4860 Back to school is a time of transition for children and families. It’s a time to be thoughtful about what children need when they go into schools every day. A great way to prepare children from families that don’t match is by having intentional conversations about differences of race and ethnicity as well as family structure and culture. Read "Back-to-School," this month's reflection by K. Bean, for more on intentional conversations about adoption and race during this time of year.

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