Happy Adoption Day
This is cross-posted from A Child Chosen.
This week marks the week that we traveled to Russia, three years ago. Can you believe that? It is hard for me to believe because we have encountered so much and everything in our lives has changed.
We don’t often talk with AJ about his adoption because it brings up memories for him that are very hard for him to process. We do talk to him about where he is from and we talk to him a little about Russia and the Desky Dom (orphanage) but we never actually talk with him about his birth mother or the actual process of adoption because he just does not understand it.
He gets very upset, angry, and violent with us because he does not understand that there is another person out there that is his mother (remember that his cognitive level is probably that of a 2.5 year old and he is just now starting to grasp simple things like language).
We used to read a lot of adoption books to him and talk to him a lot about his adoption and we saw the effect it was having on him…separation anxiety, trauma, and grief. We stopped and allowed him time just to adjust to life. This year, around his adoption day I want to start introducing some books again to see if he understands the idea and process of adoption.
One of the books I want to start with is Happy Adoption Day!
Before following the advise of this book, adoptive and prospective adoptive parents are encouraged to read how adoptees feel!
One place to start are the COMMENTS at:
http://tinyurl.com/69lbz9