Source: Flickr, Ondřej Lipár
Now that the spirit and cheer of ringing in the New Year has settled, many of us are back to the usual routine. That means meal prep, long work hours, shoveling snow, laundry, homework, and so much more. Usually we all end up feeling like the day needs just one more hour! The festive spirit of the holidays can be invigorating, but once that all settles, facing the day-to-day routine again brings about stress and anxiety for many adoptive parents. We understand that there is always a mountain of paperwork to complete or stacks of mail to sift through. But thankfully, there are many resources available online to ease that stress.
Parent Support Group Series
We have posted about various Parent Support Group options for Kansas City, Wichita, and St. Louis, with more cities slated to come as we continue on into 2017. If you haven’t already, please check out these blog pages and see what options are available in your city. Support groups can range from in-person meetings at churches or baby boutiques, to great parent meet-ups at playgrounds, musical events, and more. Plus, there are links to find support groups online, too. There is something for everyone.
Parent groups are crucial for adoptive parents as building your community and support group will only help you succeed and feel more confident as you go through the process. Plus, people who have been through it all before will always want to share any tips they can offer.
Online Support
If our Support Group Series hasn’t yet covered your town, or if you find yourself in a more remote location, then online is the way to go. You can start with Adoption.com‘s large forum site that is open to all parents who have questions or need support of any kind. Additionally, there is the parent group database on the North American Council on Adoptable Children. Both of these are great places to start.
On our own website, we list many local support groups that are available, too. Whatever your need or whatever your question, there is someone out there ready to help. So reach out and get ready to find your community.