Today I am going to start writing about the feelings of adoption, for the adoptive parents. (There are of course also many feelings involved in adoption for the adoptees, birth parents and others involved which are equally as important if not more so, but since I am an adoptive parent, I will write about what I know).

In adoption email groups, forums, books and discussions, we often hear adoption described as an "emotional roller coaster". I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that phrase. And it is a very accurate description of the different emotions adoptive parents often feel. I also cannot count how many times I have had another adoptive parents email me (before, during or after their adoption) to tell me how they were feeling, and then ask me if it was "normal" for them to be feeling that way.

Yes! It is normal for adoptive parents to feel anxious, happy, excited, nervous, petrified, sad, joyful, impatient, overwhelmed, unworthy, guilty, depressed, blissful, stressed, hyper and many other emotions throughout the adoption process. Oftentimes parents feel more than one of these emotions at the same time. When you take that range of emotions and change them quickly and frequently, you can get a pretty good picture of where the roller coaster analogy comes from, and how accurate it really is.

Adoptive parents need to know that they are not alone and that their feelings are completely normal. So in my next few posts I am going to share some of the common, and not always expected, emotions that adoptive parents often feel throughout the process and some of the emotions I have had throughout our different adoption processes. Please join in and share some of your thoughts and feelings by leaving a comment. (And I am still working on my posts sharing advice and experiences of other adoptive parents. If you're willing to answer a few questions for me, anonymously is fine, leave a comment and I will email you).

More reading on the emotions of adoption:

Adoption ABCs - Emotions



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