adoption_facts
Adoption and Family,  parenting

Five Things I Know About Adoption – Adoption Facts

Without a doubt adoptive parenting is the hardest thing you will ever do. But it can also be the most rewarding. For us, adoption was the only way we were going to become a family. It is the greatest gift we ever received and we are always grateful. However, adoptive parenting is not the same as traditional parenting.

From the start this journey is harder. You will go through all sorts of grief and loss just to get here often. And then it will be intrusive. It will be hard and also very worth it. But you might question that often. In the interest of helping somebody else maintain sanity during this process I wrote this post. Here are five adoption facts that I know now, that I didn’t know when we began this parenting journey.

adoption_facts

 

Five Adoption Facts

Education is a constant process throughout your lifespan. Parenting is one of the greatest learning experiences of all. Adoptive parenting is the same in that one respect: you are always learning about your child and growing as a parent. But, it is also parenting amplified.

Our kids need more than the average neuro-typical children. That’s a fact substantiated by much research that has been done over the past three decades. Insults, even in utero, can cause lifelong triggers, behaviours, struggles and stuck spots. Mental health issues are often high in adoptees and special needs adoption is now more the norm than the exception, in Ontario anyways.

[tweetthis]Adoptive parenting is parenting amplified #adoption[/tweetthis]

The other night I sat and listened to my favourite local resource on adoption, certified child psychotherapist and child therapist Barbara Jones-Warrick and she reminded me of several things. Some I wanted to share again with my readers.

 Five Adoption Facts 

1. You will need support.

(Please take this to heart..it has been one of the most useful adoption facts) Other adoptive parents (peer to peer based supports) will be your greatest resource. Seek them out, find their support groups. If you do not find their support groups, contact your local Children’s Aid Society and ask where they are. If they don’t exist, then build one.

Everyone needs support. Adoption is different and the stresses are different for our families. You will need to bounce ideas off parents who have walked the walk before you.

[tweetthis]Adoptive families need support #adoption[/tweetthis]

2. Adoption is a lifelong journey:

Fact. This was brought back to me the other night by Barbara Jones-Warrick, a private therapist and an adoptee, who has helped thousands of families and children over the years. At various ages, events, and developmental stages there will be triggers for your child. Perhaps it’s a birthday, maybe it’s a trip, an airport, the noise of a balloon popping, a sudden change, a season, a school project, a transition, a memory, a smell.

At three it looked like this in Payton’s world: – “Take Ainsley back to her foster home now.” Because she rolled across the room to snatch a Barbie.
At six it was: I am sad because I want to write my birthmom a letter and I don’t know where to send it.
Then, at nine it was my daughter finally asking about birthdad and connecting that he had a piece in the process of birth as well. Up until then she knew her story but NEVER asked about her biological dad.
At eleven adoption and tweens looks like this.
[tweetthis]Adoption is a lifelong journey #adoption[/tweetthis]

3. You will get good at answering complicated questions about adoption

There are no other options really. If you fail to answer the questions then you will hurt your relationship with your child. If you refuse to answer your child learns not to ask and also learns adoption is a shameful fearful topic. Even if you have to say I’d love to answer that question tonight when it’s Mommy and Payton time, it’s okay. But do answer.

Answer at a developmentally appropriate level in simple terms.

Follow their lead.

Don’t volunteer more than they want to hear.

Relax, there will be many opportunities to answer over and over.

It always looks different but often this is tricky territory. For instance: Is my birthmom dead? Why didn’t they just get help? Why did they give me up? Was I a bad baby? Or the ever popular I’m leaving to find my birth parents. (because you told me to turn the TV off at dinner time or because I hit my sister and you are mad at me.)

PSST.. a little tip – I consistently tell my kids adoption is always an adult decision because of adult issues or choices.  There is nothing a baby or child can do that would ever cause adoption to happen.

[tweetthis]Adoptive parents need to get really comfortable answering their children’s challenging questions #adoption[/tweetthis]

4. You will need to be an advocate:

Get very very comfortable with the role. Every child needs help advocating and learning to advocate or trust their voice. Our children are assaulted often by insensitive systems. School projects ask for baby pictures when foster children may not even have baby pictures. School projects ask sometimes describe the day you were born. Describe your heritage. (strange questions to figure out if you are dark skinned and your parents are fair skinned. How do you answer – as an adoptee or using what little you might know about your birth parent’s heritage.)

Be creative. Explain to the teacher your concerns. And if you are not a good advocate find someone, learn the skills, study and practice. 90 % of the parents I know who have adopted a child have had to learn advocacy skills. Others have hired a lawyer.

[tweetthis]You will need to be an advocate for your child #adoption[/tweetthis]

5. Separation anxiety for our children is often heightened.

(Adoption Facts)

Think about it. Adoption is, at its most basic level, a loss. It is being taken from where you were planted and being transplanted somewhere else. This can occur at any age depending on the circumstances of adoption, apprehension, disruption. I asked this question the other night because I sometimes forget and think to myself well at 11 most kids don’t need this level of assurance daily that their mom will return to pick them up. My kids ask every day.
Jones-Warrick, as an adult indicated it is natural for adoptees to feel always at some basic level a fear of being left again. My kids carry my business cards everywhere. I used to think that was odd. But when I asked our speaker the question again this week a couple other parents chimed in with the very same response. Their children carry business cards at school in their backpacks or coats. The need to feel safe is heightened. There are ways to help our kids feel safe.
The simple business card carried everywhere is an easy fix.
Another adoptive parent I know said their child chooses to have the parent’s phone number written on their arm. It acts as a transitional object and there is NO harm in that. These are adoption facts and strategies that can help you to parent during challenging moments.
adoption_facts
[tweetthis]Separation anxiety is often heightened for adoptees. #adoption[/tweetthis]

You Will Be Okay

These five Adoption Facts are intended to help you as a family. Please remember: you will be okay. In fact, adoption is hard work for the whole triad. Be patient. Plug in supports proactively along the way and connect with other adoptive parents now.
[tweetthis]Adoption is hard work for the whole triad. Be patient and plug in supports #adoption[/tweetthis]

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.

9 Comments