Lifebooks

A lifebook is the story of how your child came to be yours and the story of his life before he came to you. Adoption is only one aspect of your child and at some point his life merges into your life and a separate book is not needed since he’ll look at the family photo album and scrap book for that part of his life story. However, he had a life before he came to your family and his lifebook tells this part of his story.

I am not intimidated easily, but I was totally cowed by the idea of creating a lifebook. To put it charitably, I am not the crafty sort, and everything I read about lifebooks smacked of clever crafty creativity. It is much easier for me to be clever, crafty, and creative with words than things, so it stayed on my to-do list for years. As my daughter neared kindergarten, embarrassment over my procrastination and worry over lost opportunities finally propelled me into action. I had to put aside any notion of a masterpiece and aim for utilitarian function.

I hope to make it easier for you and I hope your final product looks a little better than the one I made. Here are some good resources:

Where to start for Information on Creating a Lifebook:

• Check out the following Creating a Family radio shows:

  • October 14, 2009: Creating Attachment With Adopted Kids through Lifebooks (Listen Now)

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Information and Resources on Lifebooks:

• The article Key Reasons for Children to Know Their Life Story by Carol Lozier highlights several important points to consider in sharing your child's life story.
• Adoption Lifebooks is a great site full of information is run by Beth O'Malley, author of several great books, including LifeBooks Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child. Her site has all the information on lifebooks and telling your child's life story that you might want.
• Adoptive Families Magazine includes several articles on lifebooks including "Tell Your Adoption Story" and "A Bridge to Your Child's Beginnings"
• Adoption Learning Partners offers a free on-line lifebook course

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Templates for Creating a Lifebook:

• For a sturdy board book for preschoolers, http://www.mycustomstory.com/ allows you to create a 10 page board book (plus a cover and back) with your own pictures and story line of how your child joined your family so that you can read and re-read HER story to her over, and over, and over… Last time I checked, the cost was $28.
• A more upscale 20 page hardcover custom lifebook is available from Once Upon a Lifetime, created by an adoptive mom. You provide the text and pictures although they can provide a text template if you prefer. Base cost is $105 (as of 2008), but it looks to be of keepsake quality. http://www.customadoptionbooks.com

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