Tuesday, June 16, 2009

As Promised....

Many of my friends not "experiencing" the adoption world have a great many questions about the process, attachment and bonding, and any "issues" otherwise associated with adoption. I think its great that my loved ones want to be more informed of the process and I am happy to oblige them in providing information as best I can. I am no expert, rather I am a Mom-in-Waiting who reads a lot. My latest bit of reading is entitled Keys to Parenting an Adopted Child by Kathy Lancaster Ph.D. The information is quite good but it reads like a textbook so I'll try to paraphrase the info.

Strengths of Adoptive Families:
Adoptive families have a great many strengths. Most adoptive parents were required to examine their motives for parenting before placement. Determined to become parents and to provide healthy, nurturing families for their children, they tend to enjoy parenting and to work hard at it. Without genetic connections to their children, they tend to accept each child for who he is rather that to bring preconceived expectations to the parent child-relationship. They believe that adoption is a wonderful enriching experience.

Seriously folks, there can be no safer person on the planet to have babysit you own child than an adoptive parent. They have been inspected, interviewed, approved at a variety of governmental levels, fingerprinted, medically checked, psychologically checked...we go through a lot for the amazing privilege of being entrusted with another life. Having to go through this extreme process really leaves its mark on us too. Kind of makes me wonder why bio parents don't have to go through it. I mean, does the ability to copulate qualify a person for parenthood? Just something to think about.

1 comment:

Kirsten said...

The world would be such a different place if all parents had to go through the screening process prior to having a child. Hello Octomom----I am thinking of you. On the other hand, maybe there wouldn't be any children to adopt if all parents had to prove that they had the mental and physical resources to provide a loving and stable home to a child. What a conumdrum! But I agree, the ability to pro-create doesn't mean you are worthy of being a parent.