With the leaves beginning to change colors in some areas, what better time of year exists than the present to acknowledge the beauty of trees and family together. If you can schedule a visit during the fall months, making a family tree would be a great thing to do with one another. If not, you could make one and mail it to your placed child and he could do the same thing.

This is, of course, a project that you should first discuss with your child's parents. The closeness of your relationship will most likely dictate how they will respond to the idea. If they... more

For families that carry out visits in each other's homes, a "Special Day Plate" may be a nice tradition to start. Plus, it can be fun to make (or, for the not-so-artistically inclined, search for and purchase). Not familiar with a "special day plate?" Read on!

The idea behind a special day plate is simple: it's a special plate that you use on a special day or for a special person either on special days or at random. The "original" special plate was/is a red plate that says, "You are special today." (In... more

Open adoption birth parents often wonder how to incorporate traditions into the relationship they share with their child. Getting pictures taken every year is a common one. For those that like to think outside of the box and perhaps head down slightly creative paths, art projects of some sort are always a good way to go. One idea recently came to me that I thought I should pass on to others.

The idea is to take both your hand and your child's hand and either "stamp" it or trace it onto a piece of paper. This can be done as early as birth, at the hospital.... more