Things to Consider Before Adopting a Child
Many parents will tell you that adopting a child is a wonderful way to start a family or add on to your existing family. There are over 100,000 children adopted in the United States alone each year and it is becoming an increasingly popular option.
But many people don’t realise the consequences of adopting a child and they might go head-first into adopting, only to suffer from consequences in the future. Adoptive parents deal with a lot of ups and downs when it comes to looking after their new child. They might have doubts once they come to realise that their child is not their biological child or they might suffer from scrutiny from their peers. Whatever your reasons for adopting, here are a couple of things to consider before you adopt a child.
Find Your Reasons For Adopting
This might seem like an easy question to answer, but the reality of it is you need time to consider your options. Don’t let adoption become a sudden decision that you regret after a week of being with your adoptive child. It’s a long-term investment and as such, you need to research it properly and adopt an attitude to go with your new decision. Search your mind and discover what your motivations of having an adopted child in your family are. It’s not for everyone and your sudden decision might fade in the future, so give yourself time to discover what you really want from an adoption.
Take Time off Work
You need to understand that a new child is going to have a hard time fitting into your family especially if you already have children. They will feel like they’re not actually part of your family or they’ll feel like an outsider. Not many people realise it, but according to Ellis Whittam, you can actually get up to an entire year off of work for the purposes of looking after an adopted child. It’s important that you take time off and bond with your adopted child because you don’t want to make them feel any less wanted by being at work all the time.
Can You Handle The Truth?
You will not be biologically related to your child, let’s put that out there first. The idea of adopting a stranger into their home isn’t the most pleasing. After the first few days, the initial magic might wear off and you’ll be exposed to the truth, but can you handle that? Some people become very depressed and will be extreme on the subject, saying that there will never be a family bond because you are not biologically related. Others are much more relaxed on the subject and will say that family doesn’t need to share blood or biology. Whatever criticism you might experience or feelings you might have, you need to be able to handle the truth.
Final Words
Adoption is no laughing matter. The lives of many children are made better each day by loving families who are willing to accept a new member into their family despite not being related by blood. However, it’s not a sudden decision you should be making and you need to do enough research before you make the call.
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