"Adoption is a wonderful path to parenthood. If you genuinely wish to be a parent and have room in your heart for a child then consider this route."
We had been trying for our own baby for some time but unfortunately the roll of the dice meant that we couldn’t have a family naturally. After speaking to our local adoption team we decided to adopt.
Initially we were concerned about our ages due to misleading reports in the media about certain age restrictions, which aren’t true. People would be right in thinking it’s more of a long haul flight than an express, however it is very important to make sure that adoptive parents are suitable, committed, and matched with the correct child. Admittedly the process could be shortened but local authorities are already trialing new methods that are significantly speeding up the overall process.
We decided to adopt two young children because we wanted to enjoy the whole childhood experience. However the matching was more important to us and so age wasn’t the most important factor. Most people enter adoption with a view that they want a baby. However when we were approached with a 3 year old as a possible match, it didn’t take long for us to make up our minds. Our son was placed with us in Autumn 2010, aged 3 ½ years old. Then our little girl came to us in Autumn 2012, aged 15 months old. Within twenty minutes of meeting our son, he was sat on the floor with us - he even gave us a goodbye kiss at the end of the first visit. We were really lucky as our son’s foster family offered us support.
The memory that sticks out the most when we met our daughter is when our son saw her; he was so kind and gentle. He ran across the park with his face lit up with excitement, whilst she sat there wondering what the fuss was all about. Both children settled in to the family pretty quickly, though that’s not to say that there weren’t a few challenges at times. We found sticking to their existing routines really helped. Now we are just a normal every day family encountering the same range of experiences that any other family would.
Adoption is a wonderful path to parenthood. If you genuinely wish to be a parent and have room in your heart for a child then consider this route. We have the family we have always wanted, the Christmases we always dreamt about, the tantrums we always wondered how we would cope with, and the warmth of the good night cuddles and kisses. The biggest advice we can give is, don’t be afraid to ask. By that we mean family and friends as well as your local adoption team. It’s a small world; adoption is quite common and touches on a number of people you know. We received lots of support from the adoption team and what’s really nice is that social events are organised which is a good opportunity to meet with the adoption team and other adopters.
Adoption is the best thing we ever did and we’ve never looked back, it brings us joy every day.
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