Soon after, their children began to experience nightmares or other acting out behavior. Each of these children has become very confused and concerned about his own situation. In each case parents had had no idea before this experience that they were participating in a program which would lead to such stress for their kids or others' children. These adults simply forgot that children are incapable of following a line of reasoning this complex to a clear conclusion and that they take everything very personally. The way to prevent these confusions is really quite simple.
Adoption is a process by which families are planned and formed.
To trivialize it in a commercial way insults the birthparents, adoptive parents, and adoptees who have been personally touched by this process. We no longer find it acceptable to trivialize other minority groups in this society. For the sake of children waiting for adoption and those who have already found their permanent families in adoption, we adults must insist that adoption be treated in a dignified manner. Patricia Irwin Johnston, M.S., is an infertility and adoption educator author and publisher providing workshops for consumers and professionals throughout the world. She may be contacted at Perspectives Press, P.O. Box 90318, Indianapolis IN 46290 and she expects to have an email address starting in August of 1995.