Adoption of 3 year old boy

Hi Julie & Chad Our birth child was 6 when we adopted a three year old. Now 11, she has an adopted 14 YO sister, 8 YO brother, 8 YO sister, and 6 YO brother. The bottom line is each birth child is unique as is each addition to the family. It is much more accepted to respect birth order and adopt a child younger than your bio. Adding a child via adoption presents some mixed blessings similar to adding a birth child. The first child has to scoot over a little which is not easy, nor is it necessarily a bad thing. Our bio daughter has developed much deeper compassion and acceptance of others because she has experienced the special needs of her siblings. She has learned to be more patient and courageous than she ever would have had her siblings not had special needs. All our children are very proud of being a part of our family and of participating in adoptions subsequent to their own. Even though they have presented each other and us as parents a variety of challenges; each offers the others and us so much more than we ever could have imagined. It is our job as the parents to teach each new child to respect others, and our job to provide protection as they learn. It is also our job to encourage the "experienced" siblings to make room, be patient, offer encouragement, avoid control battles, communicate effectively and ultimately navigate through the inevitable disappointments that come with being a part of a family. What an amazing opportunity it has been for all of us. We wouldn't trade even the toughest most exhausting or heart breaking moments...nor could we begin to describe the blessings. Hope this helps, Carla