Christmas 12/25/07
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Soon it will be Christmas...
I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. I know that we have been busy with family and friends sharing in the holiday cheer. I have to admit that I am finding it a bitt saddening to think that our little one could be out there somewhere this Christmas without us. I hope wherever they are that they have warm loving arms wrapped around them. We hope that you are safe and sound and pray everyday for you. May you and your birth family find peace this Holiday Season.
Supporting an Adoption
Many times, well-meaning relatives, friends and co-workers do things or make comments that unintentionally cause pre-adoptive and/or adoptive parents unnecessary emotional stress. The following is a quick guide that may be copied and distributed to those people in an effort to educate them on how they can support you during the adoption process.
DO
1. DO accept our decision to adopt without question.
2. DO accept our choice of a child regardless of his/her race, heritage, age, social background, etc.
3. DO remain positive and enthusiastic during waiting periods.
4. DO offer to give practical help if you don't mind giving us your time.
5. DO respect our choice not to disclose details about our personal life and our decisions.
DON'T
1. DON'T tell us that if we adopt a child we will get pregnant and have a child of "our own." Adoption does not cure infertility, and our adopted child will be "our child."
2. DON'T react as if adoption is a "second best" or "noble" choice.
3. DON'T question our capability or readiness to parent a child.
4. DON'T incessantly ask for news while we are waiting to adopt.
5. DON'T probe for details about the birth parents or the child. We'll tell you whatever we are comfortable sharing.
Some Tips on How You Can Help us During the Post Adoption
DO
1. DO be happy for our new child and us.
2. DO respect that we may want and need quiet time with our new child to bond and adjust.
3. DO understand that we might not be able to fulfill your needs as quickly as we did before we became parents.
4. DO respect our style of parenting.
DON'T
1. DON'T feel sorry for our adopted child.
2. DON'T make demands for our attention or our time during our adjustment phase.
3. DON'T criticize the desire to have and maintain a relationship with our child's birthfamily.
For additional helpful suggestions, please read "Supporting An Adoption" by Pat Holmes and/or "When Friends Ask About Adoption" by Linda Bothun.
Many times, well-meaning relatives, friends and co-workers do things or make comments that unintentionally cause pre-adoptive and/or adoptive parents unnecessary emotional stress. The following is a quick guide that may be copied and distributed to those people in an effort to educate them on how they can support you during the adoption process.
DO
1. DO accept our decision to adopt without question.
2. DO accept our choice of a child regardless of his/her race, heritage, age, social background, etc.
3. DO remain positive and enthusiastic during waiting periods.
4. DO offer to give practical help if you don't mind giving us your time.
5. DO respect our choice not to disclose details about our personal life and our decisions.
DON'T
1. DON'T tell us that if we adopt a child we will get pregnant and have a child of "our own." Adoption does not cure infertility, and our adopted child will be "our child."
2. DON'T react as if adoption is a "second best" or "noble" choice.
3. DON'T question our capability or readiness to parent a child.
4. DON'T incessantly ask for news while we are waiting to adopt.
5. DON'T probe for details about the birth parents or the child. We'll tell you whatever we are comfortable sharing.
Some Tips on How You Can Help us During the Post Adoption
DO
1. DO be happy for our new child and us.
2. DO respect that we may want and need quiet time with our new child to bond and adjust.
3. DO understand that we might not be able to fulfill your needs as quickly as we did before we became parents.
4. DO respect our style of parenting.
DON'T
1. DON'T feel sorry for our adopted child.
2. DON'T make demands for our attention or our time during our adjustment phase.
3. DON'T criticize the desire to have and maintain a relationship with our child's birthfamily.
For additional helpful suggestions, please read "Supporting An Adoption" by Pat Holmes and/or "When Friends Ask About Adoption" by Linda Bothun.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
It's been awhile.....
Hi Everyone,
Sorry it has been so long since I updated our blog. It seems to be the season that we all find ourselves so busy. I find it hard to believe that our file has been active for 4 weeks already. I am truly finding this part of the wait much more relaxing.....check back with me 10 months from now and I'm sure it will be a different story!
We went to Saskatoon this past weekend for a Ethiopian adoption support group get together and met some very nice people and got to see some others that we had not seen in awhile. We stayed the night at the Sheraton and Cohen got his fill of water sliding both Saturday and Sunday. He is truly a little daredevil.
We hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and finding time to spend with loved ones.
Take care and I promise to post more very soon!
Sorry it has been so long since I updated our blog. It seems to be the season that we all find ourselves so busy. I find it hard to believe that our file has been active for 4 weeks already. I am truly finding this part of the wait much more relaxing.....check back with me 10 months from now and I'm sure it will be a different story!
We went to Saskatoon this past weekend for a Ethiopian adoption support group get together and met some very nice people and got to see some others that we had not seen in awhile. We stayed the night at the Sheraton and Cohen got his fill of water sliding both Saturday and Sunday. He is truly a little daredevil.
We hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and finding time to spend with loved ones.
Take care and I promise to post more very soon!
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