September 03, 2013

How do you tell your family you want to place your child for adoption?

For many birth mothers, it may come as a surprise to their family that they want to place a child for adoption. It’s always difficult for a birth mother to reveal their plans for adoption, but it can become increasingly difficult if family members put pressure on a birth mother to keep the baby, or if they simply don’t understand the birth mother’s desire to move forward with adoption.

Sherie L. is a brave birth mother who filmed a video for Adoption NET about her experience sharing her adoption plans with her family. Not only is she open, candid, and honest, but she shares valuable tips for birth mothers about how to talk about adoption with their family. This is certainly a valuable tool for birth mothers, but it should be watched and experienced by adoptive families as well, and any individuals whose lives are affected by the adoption world. Compassion comes from understanding, and every birth mother deserves the ultimate in compassion.

Although this article is not filled with tips about how to talk to families about adoption, it feels appropriate to share here. Adoptive Families facilitated a wonderful discussion between a birth mother and an adoptive mother, not involved in the same adoption, about what it means to be a part of the adoption triad in an open adoption. There is a wealth of insight shared between these two women, and they both speak a great deal to what it means to be a birth mother or an adoptive parent. Definitely one to read and share around!