The idea of sharing a child’s adoption story with them can be intimidating to some adoptive parents. Being open and honest from day one will help make the conversation easier as you build and develop your relationship with an adopted child. Here are some ideas and tips to make discussing adoption easier:
• Be willing to express emotions and details so that your child will feel comfortable opening up and asking questions.
• If you have a relationship with your child’s birth mom, share pictures and stories of the child’s birth family.
• Be specific about why and how you chose adoption.
• Explain adoption as a step in the child’s life, not something that defines them.
• Show acceptance and love for a child’s birth family.
• Speak honestly and try to answer questions before your child has to ask them.
• Ask your child questions about how they feel about their adoption and give them opportunities to express and define their own life story.
This article was developed based on Adoption.com’s Talking to Your Child About Adoption.