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Nine years ago, I placed my daughter for adoption.
Last night, my families true colors shown.
I had been reluctant to say anything to them about our decision to adopt and our infertility issues because of their lack of supportlast night I let my guard down with my dad, and boy do I regret it!
He called on Easter to wish us a happy Easter (even tho we don't celebrate) and talk to Jerrett. After talking to Jerrett he asked me if I would allow them to use their Airline Miles to fly Jerrett down to Texas for a week for a visit. Naturally I had reservations about that, and explained to him that John and I would need to talk about it.
We decided that provided that he understood he had to follow some strict instructions, weŒd allow it, so I called him to tell him.
I went over everything with him and he agreed, and then said, Maybe you and John could go on vacation or something just the two of you.Ӕ I knew his heart was in the right place, hes really tried hard since Thanksgiving to put a little more effort into our relationship҅so I let my guard down and explained to him that wed elected to forego any vacations or extraҒs in order to have the money for either infertility treatments/childbirth or adoption. Thats when the poop hit the fan!
He said, ғChildbirth? Adoption? Why are you doing that? You already gave one kid away, why do you think anyone is going to let you have another?
Arf!
Now, IԒve really tried to keep in perspective that although my dad is an adoptive dad, he is very uneducated on the feelings of adoptees and birthmothersnot only that, he is about as disconnected from the whole adoption scene as I have ever seen a triad memberŅ
I said to him, Do you really think that someone who places a child for adoption should not be allowed to have more kids at a later time?Ӕ
He said, Well, no, I donӒt
Floored, I said, ԓYou know, there are many birthmothers who place because they are very young (not me, but he knew that) and they place because they are youngso you think that once these birthmothers get older and marry, they shouldnŒt be allowed the opportunity to become a parent?
He said, ԓYa, thats right, there is something wrong with a system that allows anyone who places a child for adoption the ability to get pregnant again!Ҕ
Still floored, I said, What about adoption, I guess you are against that as well?Ӕ
He said, No, I guess if someone wants to give their kid to someone who already tossed one aside, then thatӒd be ok.
At this point, IԒm trying VERY hard not to hang upI know that his opinions are based on ignoranceŅbut it doesnt make it any less painful.
He did go on to say that he thought Jerrett would be served best as an only child and that I should be happy with the one I have. I explained that we were happy with Jerrett and love him to pieces҅but that we would like more children. He refused to listen
Now, going into this, I had ZERO preconceived notions about how my œfamily would react to all of this. I had, in passing, mentioned adoption to other family members (my mother, namely) and she explained that I should be really weary of bringing ԓsomeone elses kidҔ into my home, because they destroy lives(she told his to her adopted daughterŅ) What I didnt expect was the seething hurtful words said by an adoptive father to his adopted daughter who also happens to be a birthmother. I mean, I guess I kinda always knew they viewed adoption as second best (obviously) but I never knew they had such vile opinions about it҅
I guess at this point, my father feels I should not be able to conceive a child, which has been the case already anyway, and that I should have been sterilized after placing M nine years ago (Yes, he said that, Im not freakin kidding)҅although if some womanӔ wants to give her baby to someone who already gave one of her babies awayӔ thatd be ok҅
How do I talk to himI didn't get mad last nightŅI was to dumbfounded to get madbut I do think there is hopeŅhow can I make him understand that his words hurt me.
Almost two years ago, there was a big family feud over some words that were said about me to my sonmy dad, while agreeing with me over the phone and explaining that he understand, would turn around and contradict himself to othersŅit was hurtful, so I sent him a very long letter explaining that it hurtand we didnŒt talk for 18 months afterwards, because I guess I cant have a voice.
Im not ready to ғwash my hands of the relationshipԅbut given the dynamics of it all, I worry that voicing my discontent will result in the loss of an already strained relationship.
Any advice? Id love to hear it!
Brandy,
I've been quiet on my dealings with this in the same fashion. Though nothing quite as harsh has been said to me, a few people have said some insensitive things. I've tried to shrug them off.
As for what to say to your Father, I am not quite certain. I do not know your Father, but from this post (alone), he sounds rather unreasonable, not logical and definitely insensitive. Again, that's what I glean from this post, standing alone, with no other knowledge.
However, as you also have said it has basis in his lack of education on the matter, I feel that there are ways to discuss this in a manner of which he may be able to learn.
I would start by giving him different scenarios: you all ready used the young one. Use the woman who placed her child to get out of an abusive relationship (along with the child) as her only course of action. Use the woman who was raped and placed because she felt her heart wouldn't be able to raise a child conceived of rape. I'm sure you can think of others. Remind him that your child wasn't taken from you: you were never proven to be an unfit mother. (So often, those who lack education on the topic of adoption tend to believe that birthparents are all unfit. Certainly not true.)
I'm certainly sorry that your Father is acting like this and that you have been shown before that you can't have a voice. I wish you would be able to say to him, "I am a Mother. I am an adult. I will be making my own decisions, with or without your support. Of course, your support results in your interaction with ANY of your grandchildren." But that's just me being a haughty hothead.
Do you think he will respond to the scenarios?
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Jenna,
Something I forgot to mention in all of this, but posted on the other thread (I cross posted) is that my adoptive mother is also a birthmother, she placed girl/boy twins in 1959...I wonder why he didn't feel that she should be able to have kids after they married...its just so odd.
Brandy,
Can you bring it up to him? Your Mother? Be prepared for either silence on that one or anger. When I brought up to my own Mother (with my previous pregnancy) that she was younger than me when she got pregnant (as she was initially very angry), she was quiet for a few minutes before she got really, really loud.
Would bringing that up help? Not in condescending manner. Simply put.
"Dad, can you please explain why it was okay for Mother to place a child and then go on to have kids in your marriage but it's not okay for me to do the same? I'm just confused."
I don't know if he'll have a response. Or, my bet is, he'll say something about times changing/openness changing it/etc.
Guh. :(
Brandy, as you know I work with birthmothers all over the country. I have met hundreds of birthmoms, listened to their stories.... but I am speechless. I can hardly believe what your father said to you. I am not easily flummoxed, but I am flummoxed.
I am so sorry you have to deal with such prejudice in your own family......
Still speechless.... :eek:
I'm sorry your dad isn't more supportive and well...just an ignorant man. I'd call him something else but that wouldn't be very supportive of you either...
I'm really curious to know why it was okay for him to adopt and put you through everything he did but not okay for you adopt and actually parent? Seems to me one should not judge when one's own life decisions were so poorly made....
HUGS!!!
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Crick,
Ive given it a lot of thought today҅here is my thinking
He feels incredibly guilty for the decisions he made as my parentŅhe is worried that if we adopt (not sure about the pregnancy thing) that I will repeat those mistakesmaybe his harshness was to spare me the guilt of doing what he did. I honestly donŒt have a freakin clue, right now, thats the only thing thatҒs making sense.
The comment about having a baby wasnt an unexpected one҅honestly, youd be shocked about some of the uneducated opinions out there about birthmothers giving birth and parenting later҅When I speak locally, thats usually one of the biggest topics҅coupled with the second pregnancy and entitlementӔ phenomena.
Like I said in my first post, I totally didn't expect them to be supportiveI mean, why start now :) but I certainly didn't expect the reaction I got.
One word comes to mind in all of this: Hypocrite
ROFL Christine...They come within 3 hours of my house three times a year and have never been here...I doubt an invitation to come eat Take-out Chinese will entice him :p
ah well, that's easy...just send him some chocolates with the ex lax inside....:)
Seriously though I was thinking about what you said in regards to his guilt. You might have something there...if he's still feeling guilty and a lot of regret, he might not necessarily be thinking about you & a "possible 2nd mistake" but more along the lines of "am I ever going to get away from this?" kwim? Like when he sees what a great mom you are and accept the child as your own, he'll be constantly reminded just how much he messed up... Not saying it's rational or fair to put on you...just wondering if that might be something he's feeling.
Brandy,
I've been musing over your posts all day, trying to think of what to say. All I can come up with is I'm so sorry that he is such a putz. :( Ignorance is really no excuse in this case, IMO.
I know what you mean about not expecting more out of him, but I can't imagine ever speaking to a family member again if they'd said those things to me. You're a bigger person than me! :) but again, I've been pretty lucky. Even my mom (who heretofore had held the crown for "least tactful, most likely to say the wrong thing", til your dad snatched it away from her) has been very, very careful with me.
UGH. For the record, though I know you already know this, he's dead wrong. And crick had a great idea about the chocolates with laxatives. It'll give him a chance to clear out his head. (Wait, was that mean? ;) )
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Brandy, oh dear, I am sorry. I second everyone else, on all points including the ExLax. While reading, another thought occured to me, your own birthmother and his feeings toward her and the relationship you two have. Is he really talking about her in these blanket statements? I would have a hard time not wanting to cut off all contact if my father said this to me. As far as books go, can you make his reading it and discussing it a conditon of his continuing a relationship with you and your son?
Thanks everyone for the great responses so farSugar, there is no relationship with my birthmomŅthere really never has beenits been more of a I know who you are, IŒve been to your house and you email me a few times a year type thingbesides, (I think it was this thread that I mentioned my dads unfaithfulness in) my dad was MUCH closer to my birthmom for a time than I wasŅat one point, there was even a question of whether he was my biodad or notand from what IŒve been able to piece togetherthat was an on again off again relationship for themŅcontinuing for many years.
My closeness was with my maternal grandparentsand because my birthmom lived with them, I knew her too.
I keep coming back to the guilt thingŅits the only thing thatҒs made sense.
wow, what can I say? your dad reminds me of my mom. Really you have to ask yourself if it's worth the effort, esp. since he'll just get mad (that's what my mom does). so we just tell her she's totally wrong and stop there. my sympathies. families are always the first place we run to for support, but they can also be the folks that hurt us the most.
I vote for the exlax in brownie form.
I am sorry Brandy. I have no advice other than maybe confront him about it face to face. There is more likelihood of something actually getting hashed out that way as opposed to via a letter or phone call.
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Brandy, I knew there wasn't much of a relationship with your birthmother, but didn't realize how little. I missed the part about the relationship she and your father had. So guilt yes, but also think about your mother and what their marriage has been like, might he also be expressing his undercurrent of feelings about his wife, and her state of motherhood? I may be way off base, like I was before, but I wanted to throw it out there.
Guilt plays on us in strange ways. Guilt coupled with fear makes us do and say strange things. My mom flipped when we told her we were going to adopt. I sat there crying as I told her knowing she wouldn't be on our side. Why should we have to plead our case to our family, why can't they trust us?
His response about bringing someone else's child into your family causing trouble says a lot about his parenting of you and other things you have shared about your youth. Sadly, this is all about him, and it will make him even harder to talk to. Take care, I wish I had some recipe to make this all better.
I just wanted to tell you that your dad and my mom had to have been related.
I never could understand some of the things that came out of my mom's mouth.
She actually asked my husband "how on earth could you marry Melody, she's a fat pig".
And yes, I was overweight at the time. I also had realized that my mom was a drinker.
But my dad was the light of my life and never had anything but kindness in his voice when he talked to me. I learned much from my dad. My parents died 12 years ago. I do miss my dad very very much.
Your father is tactless, plain and simple. Has nothing to do with education, ability, or ignorance. Has everything to do with "what's on his mind, is on his lips" Believe me, he will never change.
All you can do is change how you react to him.
I once (many years ago had a friend named Bernice). She was about 45 at the time and I was 22 and we would go to work on the bus together every day. I learned much from her. She once told me "I do not speak to my parents" Of course, I was shocked and said "oh my god, how can you not speak to your parents". She told me the following "when someone in your life is toxic, you do not have to have anything to do with them. There is no law that says "oh, I must speak to these people". If someone continuously hurts you, is spiteful and continues to be so even after you tell them and explain that their words hurt you to your very soul, then you should not have these people in your life, (it doesn't matter if they are your parents). She explained all this to me.
I never quite understood her rationalization of this until I grew up and had one on one with my own mom. I was not adopted or anything. My mother was my birth parent. She should have never had children.
I distanced myself from her for many years. Her bullying and sarcasm made me ill, believe me.
Only when she got older (near 80) did I go to Florida to visit her. She mellowed quite considerably and because I lost my weight, she was much kinder to me.
I have had to distance myself from my own son. He's 25 years old, and is a compulsive gambler who has Aspergers Disorder ( a very very mild form of autism).
I do what I have to do to keep my sanity. You have to survive and to do this you should surround yourself with people who are not toxic to your spirit.
Believe me, I know what I am doing. I have a very good relationship with my husband and I have friends.
This means a great deal to me.
I wish you well, believe me. Don't let anyone put you down or make you feel guilty. You did nothing wrong!!
Melody