Wednesday 1 June 2011

Adoption


It's natural for people who are adopted to wonder about their birth families (also called biological families) and where they came from. This curiosity often becomes more intense as part of the process of self-discovery that happens during the teenage years. Sometimes there are health reasons, or other important reasons, for searching for one's birth family. Adoption is the creation of a new, permanent relationship between an adoptive parent and child. Once this happens, there is no legal difference between a child who is adopted and a child who is born into a family.

Birth parents have many different reasons for putting children up for adoption. Some decide that they want better lives for their kids than they feel they can provide. Some feel their child would do better living in another country. Sometimes parents just can't take good care of a child because of illness or other difficulties. Many birth parents say that having their child placed for adoption with another family is the most difficult thing in the world, but that sometimes it is truly in the child's best interests.To my mind, adoption of any available children should be open to all couples with no restrictions imposed by age, ethnic background, wealth or personality factors.

If you could not have children of your own, would you adopt one? And if you could not bring up your own child, would you give him / her for adoption?

6 comments:

Anastasia Marou said...

I don't have children of my own but I wouldn't adapt one, maybe because I am not unhappy without a child, yet I don't blame couples who really want to adopt one. If I had a child of my own, I would only give him/her for adoption if I was unable to provide the basics, such as food and a decent home.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't hesitate to adopt a child if I didn't have one of my own but I don't think I would ever give my child for adoption. I agree that ethnic background shouldn't be a problem, however age should be taken into consideration. Adoptive parents over the age of 50 would be too old to have the energy and patience to raise a child.

Christina P said...

Adoption is a serious matter like all matters having to do with children. If I was unable to raise my own child, I would like a better life for him or her. In many cases, giving a child for adoption is an act of love. Would I adopt a child if I couldn't have my own? Why not? But I would tell him / her all the truth as early as possible.

Constantinos said...

~ Anastasia, I agree that if parents can't really provide a decent life for their children, it's better to give them for adoption. Every child in the world has a right to happiness.

~ Stefania, age could be an important factor for adoptive parents, yet I think that race, colour or religion shouldn't matter at all. As for me, if I couldn't bring up my children with the minimum of basic comforts such as a home, food, clothing and education, I'wouldn't hesitate to give them for adoption.

~Christina, I also think it's very important to tell an adoptive child the truth even as early as the age of three.

Margaret said...

I have two sons and I am blessed because they have tought me so much about my personal and spiritual developent. However, many of my friends have decided to not have childrenand for their personal reasons. So for those who are forced to give up their children due to unfortunate circumsatances its fine since there is always people looking to adopt. Nature works in funny ways.

Constantinos said...

~ Margaret, I have 2 children - a daughter, 21 and a son, 18. I could never dream of giving up on them. But you're right. Nature works in funny ways and very often children whose parents have given them up can have a happy life with adoptive parents.