Posts Tagged ‘family dynamics’
From Blame to Empowerment — Healing as the Family Scapegoat
When a dysfunctional family disallows expressing emotions and challenging the norm, one child may become the scapegoat, bearing blame for all problems and serving as a distraction from the real issues. If you identify with this role, here are some steps you can take to free yourself.
Read MoreConnecting the Dots: Even Young Adoptees Sense the Loss of Relinquishment
Adoptee Isaac Etter was one of the few people of color in his small town. His family didn’t understand how to broach topics around race or adoption. Most of what he learned about race and racism came from the internet as a teen. But by age five or six he already felt the rejection and abandonment of relinquishment.
Read MoreThe Adoptive Parent’s Guide to Telling the Truth
How much should an adoptive parent tell a child about their birth family? How should the conversation change as the child grows up? This blog explores developmentally appropriate ways to approach the truth and how to initiate conversations.
Read MoreAdoption In the Media: The Unseen, Unrecognized Struggle of JuJu in “The Chair” TV Series
As an adult adoptee, Marta watched the Netflix series “The Chair” through the eyes of JuJu, the lead’s daughter. “My heart felt rage, grief and deep isolation. I see a child so completely alone in her trauma and loss that she has had to abandon her own narrative.
Read MoreShame and Adoption — A Guide to Parenting with Empathy
Shame is the feeling that we are inherently unlovable, unworthy, and undeserving of connection — and it’s a central theme in adoption. How do we parent without shaming our child? How do we teach values? Here are some empathy-based strategies and phrases to help children make positive choices.
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