5 Ways To Be the Best Adoptive Grandparent
People tend to overlook the role a grandparent has in the adoption process. There is plenty of information about being a great adoptive parent, but nobody talks about the grandparents.
In our youth and childhood, our grandparents have a prominent role throughout our life. They teach just as much as our parents. The adoptive grandparent needs to notice their impact and influence in the adoptive child’s life for all of these reasons. Their relationship could make a difference in how they feel about themselves and their adoption in the future.
Keep reading to uncover Adoption Choices of New York’s five ways to the best adoptive grandparent and how you can help your child’s adoptive grandparents make their adoptive grandbaby feel loved, nurtured, and wanted.
Be a Team Player
In one’s role as an adoptive grandparent, it is imperative to recognize that they are a part of a team. They are on the adoptive parents, as well as the child. Everyone’s overall goal should work towards the child’s overall safety, growth, and wellness
Ideally, this is no different from obtaining a grandchild through more traditional means. But with adoption, there is a lot more to think about. We have to consider when to tell the child that they are adopted or if the adoption should be open or closed.
The adoptive grandparent’s role, like any grandparent, is to be an added support system for the adoptive family, which means whatever the adoptive parents say goes.
Discover Where Adoptive Grandbaby Came From
No matter where their adoptive grandchild comes from, it is crucial to recognize this, especially if the adoption is an interracial adoption.
Learning about their adoptive grandchild’s culture or identity can further their connection with them. They will have a small glimpse into their individuality. Our identity is mostly wrapped up in how we look and our society perceives us. Educating oneself about one identity and one culture can eliminate issues with one confidence in the future.
In the future, people may have strong curiosities about the adoptive family that can lead to unsolicited questions, advice, or comments. These statements can make the child feel self-conscious about their differences from the rest of the family. To prevent this from attacking their self-esteem, lay down the groundwork of learning now. If possible, it would also be beneficial to attach some of the birth family to this cause.
Get Educated about Adoption
In order to be the best adoptive grandparent one can be, it is necessary to get further educated about adoption and how it works. There’s tons of information out there about adoption because there are so many variations of it. Read any books or watch documentaries that include information about the adoption process. This way, they can learn about the terminology and culture of adoption itself. A proactive adoptive grandparent will instill confidence and love within the child and the adoptive parents.
Remain Open with the Birth Mother
Having an open and honest relationship with the birth mother can benefit the adoptive family outside of the child. This tip is beneficial for those who plan to have an open or semi-open adoption.
Maintaining a relationship with the birth mother leaves more room for the adoptive family to learn about where the child came from. It also endorses a positive environment for the child to grow up in.
Stay Informed and Active
The idea of adoption shifts and changes over time, so as the child grows, remember to remain active in their lives and stay informed. Being the best adoptive grandparent for the child means being there for them in the long-term. This entails staying in the loop regarding their adoption and keeping a healthy, positive relationship with them.
Adoption and Grandparenthood
The adoptive grandparents have a significant role in the child’s life, just as much as the adoptive parents. Grandparents usually have a strong, positive influence on their grandbaby’s childhood, which is no different when it comes to adoption.
To be the best adoptive grandparent one can be, just remember that the child’s well-being and health are the priority. Feel free to share this article with any upcoming or new adoptive grandparents.
Adoption Choices of New York is available to assist with your adoption plan. Call us, text us, email us; we are here for you!
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Meet the Author: Latee Wilburn is an experienced blog/copywriter and social media marketer from the University of Georgia. She has written for many women’s lifestyle spaces, like Society19, BeautyDepot. She has also written for Adspire.us, a start-up working to inform young women in the ad/marketing industry, as well as tell the stories of the successful women before them. Her latest experience was writing and maintaining social media accounts for the true-crime community, MurderMurder News.
Her experience with writing expanded from childhood. It officially began after a creative writing course while she attended Perimeter College. The passion and love for writing quickly grew, and she began to hone her skills in social media marketing and copywriting. Fusing her two experiences to cultivate meaningful copy with an extra creative flair.
She’s currently finishing up her last year at UGA, majoring in Communications. She plans to attend graduate school to get a Master’s in Psychology and become a psychotherapist to help children and young adults with their mental well-being. Until then, she resides in her cozy reading nook in Georgia with her two dogs, Daisy & Peanut.
