“Who’s her real mother?”
“Does he ask about his biological dad?”
“Was his real mother on drugs?”
“Why didn’t her parents want her?”
Have you been asked any of these questions? How do you respond? Does it make you feel uncomfortable? Annoyed? Excited at the chance to educate others? Do you include your (adopted/foster) children in your response?
Children who were adopted are listening. They can hear the comments and questions about them. How are we centering their well-being? Angela Tucker at Amara recently released this incredible blog and video, spurring on this incredibly important conversation about how we respond to such questions and comments.
Angela has lived the experience of an adoptee and knows intimately well what it is like to have such personal questions asked about her and her biological family. To hear from her is invaluable, and I am always so excited when Angela releases something new.
Be sure to hop over to Amara’s website to read and watch more about the challenging and intrusive questions adoptive families often face. Angela is building the Post-Adoption Program at Amara and is focusing on centering the children/adoptees voices in all discussions — this is monumental and necessary.
Let’s expand the conversation with families about how we handle these questions in a child-centered way!
Watch the video and let us know: what questions have you and your child received and how have you responded in a child-centered way?
“How (And Why) We Embrace Challenging Conversations About Adoptees” by Angela Tucker.