Noting that adopted and foster children may have suffered early traumatic experiences, often expressed in emotional and behavioral problems that become increasingly problematic as the child approaches adolescence, this book presents strategies to help adoptive and foster parents deal with their youngsters' troubling behavior and to make them feel more comfortable. Part 1, "Coming Home," discusses balancing the similarities and differences between adoptive and biological parenting. Part 2, "More Beginnings: Continuing Child Development," identifies challenges to development often experienced by adopted children. Part 3, "When Things Don't Seem Quite Right," describes normal patterns of arousal and how parents can use their own normal patterns to help children with uncomfortable or erratic arousal levels. Part 4, "Through the Looking Glass," examines distortions in perception, cognition, and responses that make it difficult to communicate clearly with children who hurt. Part 5, "Fundamental Principles," presents a collection of philosophies and suggestions for child rearing. Part 6, "Principles into Practice," uses an example of parents dealing with their child's aggression to illustrate how each of the preceding fundamental principles may be put into practice. Part 7, "Sensitive Situations," provides information and suggestions related to additional parenting concerns such as bedwetting, sleep problems, anger and violence, lying and stealing, running away, and addictive behaviors such as eating problems, drug and alcohol use, and self-injury. A glossary defines specialized terms. (Contains a 46-item reading list.) (KB)