Ok…school is starting again. Should you tell your childs teachers that he/she is adopted? According to Lois Ruskai Melina in Raising Adopted Children, a child’s adoption status is part of his social history and should be shared with professionals working with an adoptee, including teachers.
Most parents do not want to give the impression that their child is different or fragile because of his adoption. So, should you tell the teachers or not?
There are some reasons why you might want to talk about Adoption. Here are a few:
* Your child may be developmentally or educationally delayed due to life before adoption.
* Subjects like Family, Genetics, or creating a Family Tree can upset your child and should be discussed before and not after the assignment comes home.
* Your child may be receiving therapeutic support outside of the school for other conditions due to his life before adoption.
* Baby photos may be asked to be brought to school. This will make your child feel different if he doesn’t have one. Teachers can avoid this project or change it so hurt feelings don’t occur.
It’s also safe to assume that some adults do not understand Adoption or orphanages…and this could include your child’s teacher. I’ve had people ask me why my kids didn’t know how to swim or ride a bike when we adopted them. They were shocked to hear that orphanages didn’t have bikes or didn’t take kids out to learn to swim at pools. So you may need to educate teachers as to where your children came from.
By talking to a teacher about adoption you are educating them about unique adoption perspectives, while emphasizing that adopted kids are still normal kids. The key is to have a meeting that helps the teacher understand the student and addresses issues related to adoption before they arise.
Will you tell your child’s Teacher that he/she is adopted?
Deborah Mumm, The Adoption Coach
Everything for Adoption
Alex and little friend, Nyka
