5 Do's of adoption

Part # 3

Equate the journey of adoption to biological conception and enjoy: For many families, the process of adoption can be so tedious; they forget to enjoy the journey of adoption. The major difference between a biological child and adoptive child is that the means to have them are different but the outcomes are the same. Child is a child that needs adult nurturing and caring.

Although they may not have had it easy, if you ask any biological mother whether they enjoyed their pregnancy, most of them would tell you affirmatively. There are certain things such as baby kicking, craving, baby showers and getting the room ready are so fun to engage in that they forget all that they have to endure to give birth to a child.

In the same way, as an adoptive father of two girls I can tell you that the journey of adoption is not easy but can be enjoyed. There are certain things you can do to make it easy on yourself and your spouse. Here is a list:

1. Start a journal and enter everything that comes to your mind 

2. Start a scrapbook. Don’t think that you have to update it everyday but you can do it once or twice a month.

3. Take lots of pictures while filling up papers, social worker’s home study, receiving the child’s referral, baby shower and getting the room ready etc.

4. Share the journey of your adoption with your family and friends.

5. Try and do everything (filling up papers, and getting documents ready etc) with your spouse and find a reason to laugh. At this stage, there’s nothing wrong in building castles in the air (telling your spouse that you would like your girl to have long hair)

6. Ask your very close family members to write surprise letters to your child that you would be opening on a certain day (for example on the 12th birthday).

7. Send a gift or two (preferably a toy) to your child if anyone is visiting the adoption agency.

8. Spread out your baby shopping over a period of time so that you have something to look forward to go out of the house.

9. If you’re gifted, there’s nothing better than making your own baby clothes.

10. Read good books and listen to melodious music to stay afresh and keep out negative thoughts.

Do you have something to add to this list? Kindly write them in the comments section.