Adoptive Parents' Guide to Your Preschool Child First edition, 2000 $12 / ISBN 0-9691868-8-6 By Jennifer Smart, BHScOT Editor of Post-adoption Helper

CULTURE
A harmony of cultures
A creative cultural education
How I learned I wasn't Caucasian
Keeping touch with early contacts
Other kids "just like us"
Culture clubs
When culture takes root

How to order Adoptive Parents' Guide to Your Preschool Child

To get this invaluable guide, fill in this form and send, with your cheque, to: 220 Summerhill Rd., Southampton, Ont. N0H 2L0 Canada.

Adoptive Parents' Guide to Your Preschool Child is also available (No. 8) at a discount ($9) when you order four or more titles from the Family Helper series. See the form at Family Helper, and choose the editions you'd like to order.

EXCERPT

The challenge for the adopted preschool child

There are many books about child development but they have sparse comments on adoption and child development. So I've reviewed many newsletters and books from the past eight years and chosen what I believe to be the most relevant and useful references for your preschooler. I've also included some special topics you might not normally have thought about.

Developmental areas important to the preschooler include play, developing self-control, emotional development, school readiness and transmitting values. Then I've focussed on the issue of how a child comes to understand adoption issues at different stages and how parents can provide supportive age-appropriate education, activities and discussion. This education surprisingly includes basic sexuality so adoption issues can be understood more correctly. There are many concrete ways parents can help their children and so I have covered lifebooks and timelines.

As a co-founder and ten-year member of the Sault Ste. Marie Chapter of Canadopt, I truly know the value of an adoptive family support group. The preschool time is an especially good time for your family to become regular attendees of child-focused events. It's a fun, effective and subtle way to start addressing both cultural and racial issues. I've given you a range of support group activities -- you can design your own group, or find an existing group which meets your family needs.

You can read some basic information on developing self-esteem, and see how it relates to children's adoption issues, and cultural and racial identities.

I have briefly talked about school readiness. Many of our children arrived with a high risk for learning difficulties and you need to understand what's normal and what's not. Since learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or behavioural disorders start emerging at this early age, you need to be aware of early indicators and seek appropriate assessment and treatment. These early interventions may be critical to helping your child remain motivated in school and, ultimately, in succeeding in school.

My children are now in grades 3 and 6. Working on this edition of Post-adoption Helper brought back many happy memories and sparked some curious insights into their preschool days. Despite our challenges, my children are doing wonderfully, in part due to my being well educated on adoption issues, keeping open communication with them on their adoption issues and seeking out expert help when it was needed.

The preschool stage is just that, a stage which leads to another stage ... so believe them when they say, "Adoption is a lifelong process." Integrating adoption issues skillfully and positively at the preschool stage will certainly help you and your child navigate the next stage.

I hope you enjoy this edition and use it to enrich your child's development. This preschool stage is truly a magical time, and a special time to be with your child before they take that big step into the community and school. Try not to miss a minute of the time you are able to play and laugh together -- enjoy their curiosity and take lots of pictures.

I miss my little ones, their cardboard pirate ship in the living room and the front lawn puppet shows ... and I now realize that all the time I spent with them then was well spent, encouraging their skills, imagination and social awareness. They are competent school children today despite their academic learning challenges. My preschoolers have grown, but our early experiences together shine brightly in their eyes and the security of their attachment to me makes a solid base from which to grow through the coming adoption issues of adolescence.

How to order Adoptive Parents' Guide to Your Preschool Child

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