Becoming an adoptive parent comes with myriad emotions: joy, excitement . . . anxiety. You may have envisioned what your family would look like, what kind of parent you’d be, and what your child would be like. Whatever you pictured your family to be like, that vision often differs from reality.
So much planning, time, and emotion goes into becoming an adoptive parent, that we often forget to think about any potential challenges that might come up as our child grows and develops. Children who were adopted – regardless of how old they were at the time of their adoption – often experience grief and loss, and this could manifest itself in acting-out behaviors or attachment issues. Sometimes, challenging behaviors can be an indication that your child feels safe and comfortable in your home. He may not know how to handle what he is feeling and he’s looking to you to help him handle or make sense of his feelings and behaviors. Sometimes, as a parent, you may need to adjust your expectations of your child.Please know that it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or hopeless at times when faced with parenting challenges; all parents do! We would like to invite you to our upcoming training, I Didn’t Expect This: When Issues Arise Post Adoption, with Dr. Samantha Wilson on Tuesday, September 22nd. Dr. Wilson will speak about how you can learn and understand more about how early adverse experiences impact brain development, and will explore grief and loss issues among adoptees, as well as what you can do, as a parent.
The Coalition for Children, Youth and Families is here to support all foster and adoptive families. If you need more support or additional resources or information, you can always call us for help. Call our toll-free number, 1-800-762-8063, or email us at info@coalitionforcyf.org.
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