| Do you tell your child the truth?- | | | | during National Adoption Month. The kids will learn |
| Everyone agrees that children need honest answers | | | | that adoption is simply one way that a family forms, |
| about their adoption situation. The hardest questions | | | | just like when two divorcees blend their families or |
| are about why did my real parents give me up? Try | | | | when a child goes to live at Grandpas house. |
| hard to preserve your childs self-worth by explaining | | | | If yours is a child of color and/or a child from another |
| to them that their parents could not, for whatever | | | | country, teach his or her classmates about that |
| reason, take care of you as well as you deserved, | | | | culture so that your child is viewed as interesting and |
| so they made the decision to give you to people | | | | cool rather than different. |
| who could give you everything you need. | | | | Rebellion- |
| If your child notices that you look nothing alike admit | | | | At some point, your child may become angry about |
| that he/she is right and ask how they feel about it. | | | | being given up by his/her biological parents, anger at |
| Kids ask different questions at different times in their | | | | you and your spouse for adopting him or her, anger |
| development. Considering the child's feelings will help | | | | at everyone else because he must deal with |
| you understand whats really on the childs mind. | | | | challenges that others don't face. While each |
| Discrimination and Bullying- | | | | circumstance is different, adoptive parents generally |
| When children are seen as different, due to their | | | | try very hard to understand that anger and, most of |
| family situation, the color of their skin or the shape | | | | all, to not take it personally. |
| of their eyes, can be bullied by other children. You | | | | Experience the Joy- |
| are your childs primary protector. The best way to | | | | As an adoptive parent you may have some |
| handle bullying is to deal with it as soon as it appears. | | | | challenges but you also have the joy of knowing that |
| Children shouldn't have to suffer bullying. However, | | | | you chose to make a family with your child. Discover |
| you can go a long way towards preventing bullying if | | | | other adoptive families in your community to |
| you actively help your childs schoolmates understand | | | | friendship. You'll find that they're extra special |
| and value the differences that your child contributes. | | | | because they climbed a steeper path to create their |
| Consider asking your childs teacher or the principal if | | | | families and they love those families all the more for |
| you can present information about the different kinds | | | | all the extra pains it took to come together. |
| of families as a special presentation in November, | | | | |