My daughter is four years old and she attends preschool twice per week.
She is constantly bringing home images that she has drawn of our family of
four, sometimes with each family member's name scribbled above the
corresponding face. I'm the one with long hair (sometimes purple!) and
glasses.

I look at this picture with admiration and with gratitude that it shows
positive, loving images. She must be secure! I also think to myself,
"perhaps it would be enlightening for her to draw a picture of what she
thinks her birth father looks like". Would it be as positive an image?
Would she draw a beard on him that resembles the beard that my husband
wears?

If your child is old enough, involve him in the creative process and let
him help design the lifebook! It will be good, quality time that you spend
together and it also increases his enthusiasm to read the lifebook and be
proud of the contents.

Other than drawing pictures for inclusion in the lifebook, children can
contribute to the creation in other ways. For younger children, let them
pick out the colors or theme for a certain section or let them apply
stickers to decorate a page. For older children, let them pick out the
photos to use or suggest a layout for those photos. Older children can
also do internet research on native customs or cultural events significant
to his place of birth or on the origin of the name he was given at birth.

In my opinion, the more your child feels a part of "his" story, the easier
it will be for him to come to grips with and accept it. Perhaps his
involvement with the creation of his lifebook will make it seem all the
more real to him, like it is truly his own.

Jennifer Demar
www.scrapandtell.com