October is an exciting month filled with candy and costumes. People love the excitement of dressing up and pretending to be someone they are not. Though it is a fun and thrilling holiday, it might raise some concerns for children who already feel a little different. For an adopted child, they might have the desire to be someone they can relate to.
This is your chance to sit down with your child and talk about adoption in a positive and uplifting way. They might feel uncomfortable or not know how to express their feelings. Help them understand that being adopted is one of the traits that makes them unique. There are many athletes, celebrities, authors and fictional characters who were adopted. Allow your child to read and talk about these people. Explain to them that adoption did not define those characters, but was simply a part of them.
In today’s society, it is encouraged to talk with your child about adoption from a very young age. Though they will not fully understand it, it will help them become familiar with adoption language. It will also help you grow more comfortable with telling their story. If they can see that you have confidence in who they are, it will allow them to feel confident as well. As time goes on it will just become a piece of their story and not who they are, much like the famous people they read about.
It is important to allow your child to embrace the things that make him or her unique. We all have characteristics that make us who we are; our smile, our laugh, our height, our talents and so much more. Your child will not have inherited those things genetically from you and it might raise questions for them. If you know little things about their birth parents allow them to embrace those things. For example, if your child’s birth father loved playing baseball you could tell them that. Then, you could ask them if they would like to be a baseball player for Halloween. It is a great way to show your child that you respect his or her birth parents and the traits they passed down.
Showing empathy and understanding will help your child feel accepted and give them piece of mind when they wonder. Adoption is a beautiful and loving process, and your actions will help your child feel that.
Did you know these famous athletes, celebrities, authors, poets and characters were adopted?
Babe Ruth- Pro Baseball
Kristen Chenoweth- Actress
Daunte Culpepper- Pro Football
Ice T- Actor
Greg Louganis- Olympic Diver
Steve Jobs- Entrepreneur
Simone Biles- Olympic Gymnast
Michael Oher- Pro Football
Faith Hill- Singer
Alonzo Mourning- Pro Basketball
Layne Beachley- Pro Surfer
Maya Angelou– Poet
Gerald Ford- 38th President
Eddie Murphy- Actor, Comedian
Harry Potter- Fictional Character
Moses- Bible Character
Superman- Fictional Character
Annie- Fictional Character
Daughters in Despicable Me– Fictional Characters
