Decision Making Tips for Adoptive Parents

Parents may consider adoption because they can't have their own biological children due to infertility in one or both of the parents or because they have crossed the age of bearing children and yet want more children. There are people who are still active, their children have grown up and moved out of the house and they want to raise more children though they can't have their own. Others may wish to adopt an abandoned or orphan child so that they can give him or her chance and opportunity to have good life and a loving family.

Still others might want to adopt a special child who is mentally or physically handicapped or have special needs because they know that they can afford the time and money needed to such a child and give him or her better life. The reasons for adoption may be unique to the adoptive parents and so are there adoption experiences. Adopting a baby is a lifetime decision that can change you forever. There are thousands of questions and concerns erupting every moment in the minds of prospective adoptive parents such as whether the child will love them as his or her 'own' parents or vice versa.

Before adoption, all adoptive parents should make sure that they are well prepared to embrace adoption and love the protected child without being prejudiced against his or whereabouts and birth family and conditions. Once the decision is made, you may like to decide whether you want domestic or international adoption, open or closed adoption and whether you will be able to help your child survive other's questions and comments, especially in transracial adoptions.

Research well about the kind of adoptions cost involved and how to pay for them. This includes the flights, stay, court fees, registration fee and getting all the documents done among many other things. Know well about the laws and issues related to adoption, especially in international adoptions. Be sure to hire a lawyer who specializes in adoption so that you do not have to face hassles later. Make sure that everything is legally done and never go for shortcuts. Besides the normal physical and emotional strain of rearing a child, adoption has its own emotional turmoil that may include your social life. While making decision to be adoptive parents, the individuals (in case of single parents) or the couples should be aware of this additional stress and be ready to face it. Adoptive parenting is not a breeze so keep your expectations realistic. It is not necessary that the child you get is cheerful and will be friendly from the first moment. It may take some time for the child to assimilate with his new living conditions, new environment, new parents and new family. Last but not the least; be prepared to tell your child's story again and again to thousands of people and the child and then again once more.

Adoptive & Normal Parenting
Parenting and adoption are complicated topics in themselves. The never-ending debate about the differences in parenting biological children versus parenting adopted children is unending and remains unresolved till date. Some of the typical questions and challenges that adoptive parents have to face are locating or finding information about birth parents, siblings and other relatives of the child, also finding the medical, psychiatric or learning history of the children to help them deal with specific problems.

Adopting Older Children
Children over the age of two are considered as 'older children' for adoption purposes. Adoptive parents in the process of adopting or have recently adopted an older child may want to know more about how to help the child adjust to the new surroundings, new family and new parents. Adoptive parents must remember not to over stimulate their child and give them time to be comfortable with their immediate family

Post Adoption Depression Syndrome
As pre-adoptive parents, many couples deal with infertility and the long stretched-out process of adoption. Once the process gets completed, they finally reap the sweet fruit of their patience and get their baby and suddenly become parents to a tiny, squirming, little one. They suddenly feel complete

Post-Adoption Depression (PAD)
Post Adoption Depression Syndrome or PAD is common in many adoptive couples. There can be several reasons behind this depression that are not all baseless or temporary but that does not mean that adoptive parents have taken a wrong decision about going through an adoption. Even biological parents face a similar phase as post partum depression.

Natural & Adoptive Siblings
The term 'siblings' refer to brothers and sisters. Parents, who have their biological child and want to adopt a second child, need to first prepare their own child for adoption much in advance. It is very important to prepare the older child for the arrival of a new child, in order to fight feelings of jealousy, sibling rivalry and loneliness. Sibling rivalry is a part of growing up.

Adoptive Parents & Adoptees
There can be vast differences between adoptive parents and adoptees. Adopted children may differ in looks - skin, eye and hair color, have unique features, personalities and temperaments and built. They may come from a different country and have different sexual preferences when they grow up. They may have special health or mental problems or genetic diseases than their parents.