Adoption Wednesday - How to Tell Your Child...

Hey Y'all:

Now that you've decided to adopt a child, how do you explain to said little one who was adopted as an infant that they are not biologically yours? When you welcome an older child into your home this isn't an issue, most times they know their history and who their biological family members are. What about the little baby you bring home from the agency who is days, weeks or months old? What happens when they discover they don't look like you? How do you explain to them that you wanted a child and went on a search for them.

Well folks there's an app for that (hehehehe just kidding.) There are tons of books out there to help you have this discussion. The one bit of advice I will give is to make sure you are honest from the start. Don't keep the truth hidden until something happens (child needs blood and neither parents are a match, or there are other issues that need to be explained but since you haven't told your child the truth the issue is not properly diagnoised.)

Here is MrsDeveter's top 5 list of books on the topic!

1. I Wished for You: an Adoption Story by Marianne R Richmond


2. Talking with Young Children about Adoption by Ms. Mary Watkins


3. Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self by David M. Brodzinsky, Marshall D. Schecter and Robin Marantz Henig


4. Family Matters: Secrecy and Disclosure in the History of Adoption by E. Wayne Carp


5. Adoption Is for Always by Linda Walvoord Girard

My mother was very open with my brothers and sisters regarding their family history. She was instumental (to a fault at times) in making sure my siblings knew their biological familes. For those who did not know their family, Mommy has been known to write letters to Montel Williams and have me send a note to the guy on WE TV, Troy Dunn to ask his help in finding their birth family. We haven't had any luck with TV but with the advances we now have in technology I'm sure we are going to find them all; it's just a matter of time.

Well until next time...

MUAH!

How many is enough?

Hey Y'all:

I love children. As you know I have three beautiful ones of my own. I have four Godchildren and countless nieces, nephews and little cousins. I'm an advocate for foster and adoptive care. One day I want to own a chain of child care centers, but today readers I’d like to ask how many is enough?

How many children that is!

I just read a story on Parent Dish about the Duggar’s giving birth… “Michelle Duggar, star of TLC's "18 Kids and Counting" gave birth to her 19th child, a girl, Thursday night via emergency C-section, although she wasn't due to give birth until spring, TMZ reports. Josie Brooklyn Duggar weighed in at 1 lb., 6 ounces.”

19 Children! Really? What does one do with 19 children? How many is enough? I understand if you don’t believe in contraception, I get it if you just want to let nature take it’s course; and I also know what the scripture Genesis 1:28 says: God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." but when do you say enough? When do you as a woman say, ok my body can’t take the trauma of having another child.

How many children is enough?

My mother is the oldest of 19 children and ended up raising five of her younger siblings, she also adopted five children from the same woman who just kept having drug addicted babies.

I admire the Duggar’s in that they are a self sufficant family and are doing this own their own… unlike Nadya Denise Doud-Suleman Gutierrez the Octo Mom. But my mind goes to the children. Does the 8th child in line really get any one on one time with his/her parents? Who’s really raising number 17? It just gets me to thinking. I’m the mom of three and it’s often difficult to divvy my time and make sure everyone is getting enough mommy attention. So what does one do with children when the amount gets into the double digits?

I’m really curious y’all. How many is enough???

Let me know what you think.

Until next time…
MUAH!