Notes

How does it feel to be an adoptee?
An adoption changes all people involved.

Adopted people see the world differently than non-adopted persons. The adoption process affects their entire identity.

They have unique experiences as a result of being adopted, which influences their experience of themselves in the course of growing up. While every child's adoption life experience is unique, adoptees experience three common challenges.

1. Loss or Grief Feelings

Often, adopted children will experience sadness and anger as they grow older and try to make sense of their adoption. They may think they have lost touch with their heritage. This grieving may also elicit feelings of anxiety. Adopted kids may wonder, "What's wrong with me?" or "Are my adoptive parents going to leave me also?"


Adopted children require constant communication to assuage their anxieties. Adopted children tend to perform well when their adoptive parents acknowledge their child's emotions and allow the chance for self-expression. Adoptees who have a strong bond with their adoptive family or who have an open adoption arrangement are better equipped to cope with their anxiety.

2. Issues With Identity

Forming one's identity occurs in childhood and grows during puberty. Adolescence is when youth start to grasp and explore where they're from and who they are, and what they want to accomplish with their lives. Understanding these things can be especially difficult for adopted kids. Closed adoptions may leave adopted kids wondering why they were given up for adoption, what happened to their biological parents, if they have any siblings, and if they look like their biological family. This all weighs heavily on their minds.

Adoptees frequently ask whether they have any personality or physical characteristics in common with their birth family. Many adoptee s used to look for their biological parents on the sidewalk when they were kids. Adopted children are also curious about their medical histories. Children with access to their genetic heritage can learn about any diseases or problems that run in their family. Open adoption is the best for adoptees for these reasons. Open adoption gives answers.

3. Increased Confidence

Adopted kids may be plagued by self-esteem issues as they mature. They may perceive themselves as odd, out of place, or unwelcome in social situations. They may feel as if they don't belong. Adoptees who are ashamed and embarrassed of their adopted status are more likely to lack self-confidence.

Kids who were adopted who are raised to regard their adoption as a positive experience are more likely to have a strong sense of self as adults. Those who have positive connections with both their adoptive and biological families have higher self-esteem and self-worth.

Open adoption usually results in the best outcomes for adopted children. Open adoption gives adoptees a sense of security and helps them in overcoming whatever issues they encounter as they grow up. Instead of than imagining, they can grasp who their birth parents are. Open adoptions eliminate the need for kids to wonder where they came from, what their biological parents look like, or why they were placed for adoption. Instead, they can be proud of the fact that both their birth and adoptive family love them unconditionally.

When you choose an open adoption, you're giving your child a priceless gift: a feeling of self. It means allowing your child to interact with you and put together all of his or her puzzle parts. It entails allowing your youngster to get to know you.

If you have an adoptee in your life, let them know that you are there for them, and that you listen closely. Open adoption or not, they have unique problems that stem from being adopted.

Read More: https://adoption.cocaw.org/