Adoption is a great way to give a child a home. Every year in the United States, approximately 135,000 adoptions take place.
Parents adopt for a number of reasons, and there are many couples out there who want to adopt who already have a biological child. If this is your situation, then you need to carry out this task carefully so that the current child does not feel replaced. Here are the steps to take to ensure a smoother process.
Find out if you qualify
Before talking with your child, speak with an adoption agency to determine if your family even qualifies. There is no need to concern your son or daughter if you cannot adopt for whatever reason.
Space out children’s ages
In the event you do qualify, then you want to make sure you look at adopting a child who is a suitable age for your biological child to get along with. Generally, you do not want to adopt a child who is the same age because this can create conflict. Most experts agree that you want an adopted child who is at least two years younger. Ideally, the adopted child will be the youngest in your family.
Ensure you have enough bedroom space
An adopted child may require his or her own space to properly transition into the home. Giving the new son or daughter some personal space will also make things easier for your biological children. They will not feel as though you want to take anything away from them.
Sit down and talk
Once you work out all the logistics, you want to sit down with your children and assure them that this adoption will not take away anything from them. Some children may instinctively believe that your wanting to adopt another child means they are not enough. Ensure them that love is not a finite resource. In fact, you can make your kids excited about the new arrival by getting them involved with the bedroom preparation process. Make it clear that you will still give your biological children one-on-one time frequently.