Resources for life story work with tiny LOs

[Rainatnight]

We have no life story book from the LA. Zilch, nada, and no prospect of getting it any time soon. So we need to DIY.

I don't want to over-complicate things for DD (removed at birth, spent 8 months with one foster carer and then home to us), but I do want her story to be there for her so that there's not a time she doesn't remember knowing about it (IYSWIM. There were a lot of double negatives in that sentence).

Can anyone recommend any books or resources that would help us produce something very simple?

Thanks.

Hi- am sorry to hear no life story work forthcoming from your LA. I've worked in adoption for 15 years and hands down the life story guru is Joy Rees. She does amazing work and has written a few books. She does training and consultation too I believe. She advocates that the book starts where the child is, ie with you, showing pics of you, adoptive family, Home, favourite toys etc. Introduces past and birth Family by saying, 'but Sally didn't always live with x and y.' She would then say shift back to introducing birth parents with pics if possible, listing out what babies need from parents in a pictorial way and making connection that mummy Marge wasn't able to do these things because xyz. Obviously in a child friendly way. Her books give a much more thorough and eloquent explanation than I can here!!! Good luck x

Definitely have a look at Joy Rees.

I'm in the same boat as you. But a life story book is just one part of life story work so i'm not worrying too much about it.

My little one is changing so much i think i'm going to have to do several life books over the years.

I think the basic idea is you start where they are now, who their family is, the house, what they like doing. So +++happy. Then the back story - photos of bps/siblings - so ---bit unhappy. Then back to +++happywithstuff that's upcoming hols etc.
With lo so young i wasn't planning to do any text just yet. So i can verbally add extra info for the time being. Will revisit that when she can read. If you load photos up into eg Tesco photo - it's about £20 to print out a soft cover booklet.

I second the Joy Rees recommendation as well as Life Story Work with children who are fostered or adopted by Katie Wrench and Lesley Naylor

these book ideas may help make your own. www.phatstak.co.uk

Hi, I’m in the same boat! I’ve almost finished my sons but keep going back to it and changing it round 🤦🏻‍♀️

The post adoption team at my LA have sent me a mock up of one, clearly aimed at an older child (my son is preschool age) but it was good in terms of what order to put things and type of language to use. If you have a non identifiable Email address I’d be happy to send it over.

My format so far has been:

Cover page - DS name surrounded by lots of pics of him from baby to now

Page 1 - about him, how old he is now what he like who is friend is etc and a couple of pics reflecting this

Page 2 - about me, couple of pics of us together and my name where I’m from that I love him lots etc

Page 3 - as above but about grandparents

Page 4 - pic of our house and car and his bedroom

Page 5 - celebration day, brief explanation of adoption (very simple) and a pic of us in court

Page 6 - his birthday, basic birth info and pic of hospital

Page 7 - birth Mum, couple of pics, some basic info like name where born, grew in her tummy etc

Page 8 - as above for birth dad

Page 9 - birth parents, pic of BP’s together and the reasons they couldn’t look after him (again basic and ag appropriate)

Page 10 and 11 - page each for his two foster placements, pic of carers and names how long lived with them etc

Page 12 - forever family, family portrait of us and his grandparents explaining that we are together forever

It still needs tweaking and I’m going into see post adoption support to discuss it as I’m unsure of how to approach his total name change (SS insisted for security reasons). My gut says don’t include it now as this will be the first time we will sit and discuss adoption and he’s still very young so I’m thinking of holding it back for another couple of years but need advice on that!