7 Ways to Show How Grateful You Are for Adoption

There’s no doubt that adoption has changed plenty of lives around the globe for the better. Adoptive families, birth parents and adoptees alike have all discovered the joy of adoption, and they have made everlasting family members because of it. It’s what makes the adoption process so beautiful.

As the Thanksgiving season approaches, you may be feeling thankful for all the wonderful things in your life, including adoption. But, how do you even begin showing how thankful you are for adoption? That’s why we’re here to help! To get free adoption information now, you can contact us online at any time. In the meantime, though, we’ve created this list of seven ways to show how grateful you are for adoption.

1. Donate to Adoption Organizations

You’ve been on your own adoption journey, so you know firsthand how difficult this experience can be. Along the way, you found helpful resources and support. Now, it could be time to pay it forward to other hopeful adoptive parents. For instance, you can donate to adoption organizations that offer financial grants. People were there for you when you needed them, and you can be there for others, too.

2. Reach out to Your Child’s Birth Parents

If you are adoptive parents in a semi-open or open adoption, then you can always reach out to your child’s birth parents and thank them directly. They made a selfless, heroic and brave choice to help you realize your lifelong dreams of parenthood, and that is beautiful. Thanksgiving marks the perfect opportunity to talk to them about how thankful you are for their sacrifice.

3. Talk to Your Child about Their Adoption

You should wait until you believe it’s the right time to tell your child about their adoption. In most cases, though, it’s better to talk about it sooner rather than later. This tells them that adoption is nothing to feel ashamed of, and being open about their story can help them trust you and understand why they were placed for adoption.

Thanksgiving can be a wonderful time to talk to your children about adoption for the first time or even a second or third time. If you’d like, then you could even turn this into a Thanksgiving tradition. It would serve as the perfect reminder of the gratitude you have for your adoption journey and the love you have for your child.

4. Share Your Adoption Story as a Birth Parent

Sadly, adoption can be a stigmatized topic at times. This negative mindset is where the phrase “give a baby up” for adoption stems from, too. In reality, when you choose adoption, you are not “giving up.” As a birth parent, you have given your child a life of love and opportunity. That is nothing short of heroic.

To show how thankful you are for adoption, consider sharing your story with others. This can help break down the stigma and negativity surrounding adoption by showing the good that it can do. In some cases, you can offer encouragement for people who are considering adoption but are still on the fence about it. Your story may be the inspiration that they need.

This also gives others the chance to offer their support for you. Some of your loved ones may not know you’ve placed a baby for adoption, and Thanksgiving could be a great opportunity to enlighten them. But, if you feel uncomfortable doing this, then that is completely OK!

5. Reach out to Your Child and Their Adoptive Family

When you pursue open adoption, it is not “goodbye.” Rather, it is simply “see you later.” Thanksgiving could be a great time to reach out to your child and their adoptive family again. Ask them how they’re doing, and express your gratitude to the adoptive parents for providing your child with a happy, loving home.

This also marks a good occasion to be thankful for the prominence of open adoption. Over the past few decades, adoption has changed quite a bit. Closed adoption used to be the standard, and adoptees were often left wondering why they were placed for adoption and who their birth parents were. Popular culture still portrays this form of adoption as the norm, and it’s why television and movies show babies left on the doorstep of a fire station or orphanage. But, these portrayals are far from the truth.

Now, the vast majority of adoptions are open. Depending on the level of openness in your adoption, you can stay in touch with your child in whatever way you feel comfortable. This Thanksgiving, you can reconvene with your child and their adoptive parents and see how your child is growing up happy and healthy.

6. Talk to Your Parents as an Adoptee

If you are an adoptee, then you can always talk to your birth or adoptive parents. They have each played an important role in your life in a unique way, and you can tell them how thankful you are for them this Thanksgiving. They’ve both done all that they can to ensure you have the best life possible, and they love you more than anything in the world.

You may have an open adoption, which means now could be a great time to speak with your birth parents. Adoption is by no means an easy or simple journey. But, your adoptive family and your birth parents embarked on that journey because of their immense love for you.

7. Educate Others about Adoption

Another way that you can show your thankfulness for adoption is by educating others about it! Few people have the same experience that you do, which means that there is a lot about adoption that people may not know. You can always discuss your adoption experience on social media or in-person with some of your close friends.

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Anyone can express their thankfulness for the ways that adoption has changed their lives. This rings true whether you are an adoptive parent, a birth mother or an adoptee. To learn more about how you can show your gratitude for adoption, you can fill out our online contact form now. We would love to hear from you at any time!