Adoption can be a wonderful way to build a family but it can also be very challenging.
Adoption is a decision that affects the lives of both the parents and the child. It is a very personal decision to the adoptive parents and is arrived at after carefully weighing the pros and cons of this decision. When adopting a child, the adoptive parents are faced with a lot of questions - "Can we raise the child successfully?" "Will our families support us?" It is common for the adoptive parents to have bouts of uncertainty and fear while going through the process. Once a decision has been made together by both the parents, the adoption process is one that gives immense joy.
Raising a child is not an easy task. As an adoptive parent one is faced with various challenges along the way. The issue of telling a child that he is adopted is a delicate one and needs to be broken gently and most importantly, it must be done by the parents. Thereafter the parents need to be prepared to handle questions from the child about her/his real parents, why she/he was given up for adoption and so on. These are not easy questions to answer and need to be answered sensitively so as not to hurt the child's feelings. As a parent one needs to be aware that once a child knows about the adopted status, she/he is bound to be upset and will tend to compare herself/himself with other children, especially if there are other children in the same household. This is a very difficult stage for both the child and the parents, and if handled well, will help the child tide over.
During the phases of pre-adoption and post-adoption, professional counselling is very important as this provides the parents a place where they can discuss their joys, fears, and problems openly, and also learn how to deal with normal issues of adoption.
Support Group for Adoptees
Teenagers and young adults who have been adopted often
benefit from sharing their thoughts and feelings with others like them. Even in
families that communicate well, children and young people do not always want to
share their feelings or reveal their vulnerabilities. Some adoption agencies
and others have groups available for families. In our experience at Viveka,
however, we have seen that many parents and young people do not access these
and reach out to us for support. From this expressed need, we are offering a
self-help support group for adoptees. The group of teenagers and young
adult adoptees will meet and offer emotional support and practical help for
concerns that are common to all members.
For more information, please contact: +91 80 6533 0387 (between 5.30 to 7.30
pm, Monday through Thursday and between 10.30 am to
12.30 pm, Saturday)
