My husband and I have been very fortunate to have supportive family members in our decision to foster and then later to adopt. This is especially true when it comes to our parents. They have been awesome grandparents to all of our foster, adopted, and birth children.
I have created several tips and ideas for other grandparents who may struggle with knowing how to be a grandparent to a foster or adopted child. This can be especially difficult for those grandparents who don’t agree with their child’s decision to become a foster and/or adoptive parent.
- 10 Ways for a Grandparent to Welcome a Foster Child into the Family
Some grandparents tend to go one of two ways with a new child, overly loving to the point of ignoring other children in the family to avoidance of the new child. Go slow and try these 10 tips on how to welcome a new child into your family.
More about ways to welcome a new child into your family. - 15 Ways to Be a Grandparent to a Foster or Newly Adopted Child
If you are a grandparent, then it's because you were a parent at some point. More than likely you watched your child grow up from an infant. You learned what your child liked and disliked. Now you are thrown into the situation of being a grandparent to a foster child or a newly adopted child; a child you don't know. How do you begin being a grandparent to this child? Here are 15 ways to start a grandparent/grandchild relationship with a new foster or adopted child.
More about starting a new relationship with a foster or adopted child. - How to Support Your Child as a Foster Parent
A special note to grandparents because not everyone is supportive of the decision to become a foster or adoptive parent.
More about how to be supportive of your fostering or adoptive children. - Adoption and Grandparents - How One Grandma Tries to Create a Connection
The following article was written by my mother-in-law, who over the years has been a wonderful grandmother to our several foster children, 3 adopted children, and our birth daughter. She makes it a point to get to know each child, over time.
More about adoption and grandparenting.
