7 Reasons Why it’s Important for a Child who was Adopted to Know Where He or She Comes From

It amazes me to watch adults argue over what they perceive to be in the best interest of a child. In many cases, their arguments are a façade for an attempt to preserve their own self-interests. While there are certainly age appropriate ways to disclose information, making up stories or withholding information indefinitely is toxic and will eventually cause resentment.

Kids are much more perceptive than we give them credit for, and can usually sense when things seem a little off kilter. While they may not quite know how to obtain that sense of balance in their world by getting to the bottom of it, they may develop a hesitancy or cautiousness as they enter into adulthood that puts them behind the eight ball.

Medicine has advanced significantly in recent years, and many regimens are tailored specifically to take into account a patient’s biological medical history. Unfortunately, for those who don’t know their family history this is not possible. Those with genetic disorders and other health conditions that are passed down from generation to generation are unnecessarily placed at risk as a result.

Not knowing one’s history is like not being able to attend to an open wound. We hear all the time about the loved ones of crime victims just wanting to know what happened, who is responsible, and why. They are looking for closure, and so is the adoptee whose history is hidden from them.

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Genealogy has become more and more popular over the years. For kids who are adopted, there is often confusion about the family tree exercise that is often conducted in the school setting. Perhaps genealogy can be used as a teaching tool to help adopted children embrace their histories and lessen the confusion that arises for them as they are growing up.

Inevitably with advanced in technology, adoptees are eventually going to find out their biological histories regardless of the resistance by some. Databases containing DNA results are growing exponentially, and plugging the results into genealogical software applications have already provided answers to many adoptees. But is that how we want them to find out what they already have a right to know? To me, being upfront with the truth is the way to go.