Avoid These Mistakes When You Interact With Adoptive Parents

November is such a special month. We celebrate our military veterans, give thanks for all the wonderful blessings in our lives at Thanksgiving, and for those who didn’t know—we also celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month.

26 years ago, I received the most special gift I will probably ever know in my lifetime—I finally became a mom through the gift of adoption. After struggling with five-plus years of infertility, we changed gears and focused on creating our family through adoption. Because I knew in my heart that I was destined to be a mother, it was more important to form a family through love rather than spending month after month as an infertility patient, frustrated and heartbroken that my body just wasn’t up for the task at that time.

Adoption is an incredible journey. It not only affects the adoptive parents and birth parents, but the friends and family that will also become a part of this new family member’s lives.

As the grateful mom of eight remarkable kids (yes, we moms can brag!), I know I wouldn’t be the mother I am today if it wasn’t for the beautiful adoption we had 26 years ago. Adoption is an incredible journey. It not only affects the adoptive parents and birth parents, but the friends and family that will also become a part of this new family member’s lives.

Every adoptive parent's journey is different, but a few things seem nearly universal. There are three essential ways we would love for you to support us.

• Celebrate the union of family
• Know what not to say to adoptive parents and children
• Understand the ways everyone can recognize and support adoption

Let’s take a closer look at these things to consider when your family grows through adoption.

Celebrate the union of family

As much as I dreamed of one day being pregnant, what I really craved was to be a mother. After years of sadness at not being able to carry a child, I searched deep in my soul and realized that becoming a parent was far more important to me than how my family was formed. It was then that a bright light shone down, and our adoption journey was off and running. Adoptive families are a diverse lot, but our goal is the same—to unconditionally love and parent a child regardless of what biology has to do with it.

Here's one of my favorite takes on adoption from an article on Adoption.org:

Adoptive families are beautiful! They are a picture of what happens when one part of the human race decides to care for...

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