How old is too old? Can you adopt if you are over forty? Fifty?

Should you?

What goes into the decision? Everyone has input and becomes part of the decision: The agency, The country, Your doctor - all give you a piece of the puzzle - Can you adopt at an older age?

Plus, if you want to go the domestic adoption route, this article on Rainbow Kids says you’ll be picked last by a birth mother.

But here’s... more

In addition to all the other very scary news in the world today, two stories of co-sleeping with infants ending in tragedy bring that topic back into clear focus as deserving of debate.

From Evansville, Indiana, a report of a two-month old baby who died in his parent's bed after his one-year old sister rolled onto him. The cause of death was listed as "postitional asphyxiation".

The boy's mother, 24-year-old Tosha Brooks, said she had slept... more

For those with a bit of extra room in the house, and some love and caring that could use an outlet, hosting international exchange students can be fun and rewarding for all involved.

A woman with an organization called "Youth for Understanding" has recently posted information about their program on the GAARP site, and I thought readers might find it interesting.

Vickie Gaynor has this to say about her work and experience as a exchange parent:

I'm actually a host... more

Many people of mature years (Like that? It's SO pc!), when considering adoption, get a world of grief from friends and family. Much of this can come in the attempted guise of 'helpful' comments like, "Are you crazy?" and "What are you thinking?" and "Why in the world would anyone your age want to do something like that?" and "Do you really think you're up to it?"

There are even some people in the world so offended by the idea of anyone over __ (pick an age, any age) parenting that they lobby for restrictions to be put in place by agencies and... more

I was talking the other day about Boomerang kids ... those that leave the nest, only to return to the comforts provided by Mom and Dad for an extended adult stay.

This morning I came across a relevant statistic out of Canada that talks about this.

While admittedly 14% of us Boomers did the Boomerang thing, returning... more

Have you ever worried or thought about the how to or about the process of adopting in your 40's, 50's (and beyond?)....

Never fear! We are here to help. - After all, the three bloggers on this site are all older, wiser, adoptive parents. We write about our experience, we listen, we learn, we share.

There are plenty of other people talking and writing on the net. Nancy Ashe, author and editor, is one. She... more

First, Madonna apparently is not adopting a child, but sponsoring a village in Namibia. Good for her.

And while we're talking of sponsorship in Africa, the Onion, America's hilarious online satirical site has another story bound to get peoples' goat (or are they goats?):

Save-A-Child sponsor Gene Anderson withheld his monthly $18 contribution from his Zimbabwean child, Mtumbe Chigumbura, in order to teach him a lesson in responsibility.

"The... more

An article highlighted in this week's Adoption.Com e-zine gives a tip of the hat to a lady who certainly deserves one.

Sixty-one year old Beth Cross spent forty years as a foster parent, and in that time almost five hundred children benefited from her care.

She and her husband took on some tough kids:

Over the years, Beth and her husband, John, developed a specialty for taking on the most difficult... more

There's a discussion going on now over on the Adoption.Com forum about SAHMs and WOHMs that's had me reading, thinking and comparing.

First, since I am an older mom and all that, this 'age of the acronym' fascinates me. Kids can now think in this new-fangled shorthand, but I still have to isolate each word until I've absorbed the essence. (Personally, for the topic of moms and what we do, I'm leaning toward WOBONMW (woe-bo-nimwah): Work Our Buns Off No Matter What.)

It's nice to read that... more

Continuing on from previous posts about financial issues of maturing chronologically and the Older Women's League ...

OWL began what it calls its Social Security Matters Campaign last year, providing "intergenerational education" on topics relating to Social Security and women. Here's what they say about it:

Don’t Agonize, organize!

Help OWL educate, motivate... more