How To Create a Lifebook for an Adopted Child

An adoption lifebook is a special gift for an adopted child. This book shows your child's story, including pre-adoption and post-adoption events. Lifebooks include words and stories to provide your child with a sense of personal history. Here's how to create a lifebook for an adopted child:

1. Gather information. Gather any photographs you have of the child, in addition to information on important milestones in their life so far. Ask your child about the most important events in their life, and make sure these are included in the lifebook you create.
2. Write the introduction. Begin with an introduction to explain the purpose of this book. A lifebook is a wonderful way to preserve memories and allow your child a sense of personal history as he or she grows. Talk directly to your child through the introduction. Include a baby photo on this page, if you have one.
3. Write about your child's birth. This should include a short statement on their date and place of birth and the circumstances surrounding their birth. If you know the birth parents, include photos and a brief biography, and explain how your child parted from his or her birth parents if you know the story, but keep it age-appropriate. Many adopted children wonder about why their parents gave them up. The lifebook can begin to answer this question, but it should be written in a positive way. Include information about their birthplace or country. Include a few photos of the area, if possible.
4. Write about his or her childhood. Where did the child stay before arriving in your home? Add a page about your child's foster care or orphanage. Describe the setting and add a description of all the people who cared for your child prior to the adoption. Ask your child about any special memories, and include them in the lifebook.
5. The day you met them. Describe the day you met your child. Share pictures and emotions, and describe details about the place where you met. Many adoptive families call this day their "forever family day," and it is a very important day in the life of an adopted child.
6. Talk about your child when he or she first arrived. What were their favorite foods, toys and activities? What was the child like?
7. Include extra pages. Pages in the back of the lifebook you have created allow your child to journal, and also leave room to add information as your child grows older.

Write the lifebook at an age level that is appropriate for your child. You can always modify it or write another book in a few years. This scrapbook is intended as a celebration of the child's life and story. Your child may even enjoy helping in the creation of the lifebook, which can be decorated with stickers, markers and scrapbooking supplies.