Elevate Your End-of-Year Holidays
The end-of-year holidays are festive but famously stressful, with fighting crowds and busting budgets. Here are five ideas to elevate your holidays by embracing new, simple family traditions. SHOP-LOCAL FRIDAY Avoid door-busting Black Friday crowds by shopping locally. Visit nearby shops as a family and try out their offerings. Or stay even closer to home by gamifying Black Friday into an online scavenger hunt. Make a shopping list and see who can find the best deals on each item. GO HUNTING OUTDOORS Work off that Thanksgiving meal by visiting a nearby park or trail for a hike and scavenger hunt. Give each family member a list of items to find. Small children might look for a pinecone or sparkly rock, while teens could hunt for a bird’s nest or a particular tree species. Your kids will learn about nature while enjoying some adventurous competition. FRIENDSGIVING If you aren’t overwhelmed by relatives during Thanksgiving, consider letting your children plan their own Friendsgiving celebration. This relatively new holiday has become a popular way to relax with your
besties, and hosting a kids’ version can help children strengthen social ties. Serve Thanksgiving leftovers or let the kids plan the menu. YEAR-END GIFT FEST Three gift-giving holidays — Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa — all fall near the end of December this year. Consider making gifts rather than buying them. Purchase supplies for a crafting or baking session and encourage your kids to create keepsakes or treats for loved ones, such as beaded jewelry, photo albums, trinket trays, original storybooks, artwork, cookies, or candy. Your kids will see that many recipients value their effort in making gifts more than the money spent on purchased ones. A YEAR OF MEMORIES The year’s end is a time to remember special people and events. Decorate a glass Memory Jar and ask each family member to recall a few favorite happenings or activities from the past year. Record each one on a slip of paper, drop them into the Memory Jar, make it the centerpiece for a family meal, and take turns pulling out and reading each other’s memories. This simple ritual can spark plenty of fun, plus warm conversations about the abundance that families share.
Ready to Adopt? Steps to Welcome a Child Into Your Family
a stepparent adopts a child from a previous relationship, typically when the biological parents are absent or give consent for the adoption. Families can adopt adults over the age of 18. Many adult adoptions are geared toward solidifying family bonds and formalizing a relationship to give that “child” inheritance rights and other legal decision- making powers. Children in foster homes are available for adoption once their biological parents terminate their parental rights. ELIGIBILITY You must meet the eligibility requirements for whichever type of adoption you choose. In Tennessee, adopters must be at least 18, prove they can financially support a child, and have lived in the state for at least six months. Adopters can be single, married, or divorced. A licensed child-placing agency will also complete a home study, which includes a background check for every family member.
The home study is a way for social workers or adoption specialists to determine if a household is a good fit for a child. DOCUMENTATION Adoption requires legal paperwork and court hearings to ensure the law is followed throughout the process. You will need marriage licenses, birth certificates, and other identifying and legal documents. Working with an adoption lawyer is not legally required, but it’s recommended as the process can be complex. An attorney can guide you through all the documentation and other requirements to make your adoption successful. Adoption is a beautiful gift, and you need to be prepared for the emotional and legal steps ahead. If you are ready to bring a child into your family through adoption, contact us at Douglass & Runger.
Adoption is a life-changing experience, and there are thousands of children waiting for a family to welcome them into their home. November is National Adoption Month, a time to celebrate families formed through adoption and to bring awareness of just how many children are hoping to be adopted. But, beyond preparing to be a new parent to a child, you also need to understand the legal process involved in adoption. TYPES OF ADOPTION Adoption is not a one-size-fits-all process, and there are several different forms of adoption that could be right for you. Each one has its own set of rules and requirements. A stepchild adoption is when
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