The messages that are intended aren’t always the messages that are received. Below I have complied 5 myths followed by the truths and the messages these myths send.
1) MYTH: Acknowledging race conflicts with the message we as a transracial family want to send to our transracial adoptee. Race doesn’t matter to us.
TRUTH: Acknowledging the obvious differences and talking about them helps prove that it doesn’t matter to you. Ignoring the obvious difference makes the transracial adoptee question just how much race matters. To which some will conclude race matters too much because no one is willing to tackle it or explain it. Therefore, race should only be seen and not heard. As a child of color, should I too only be seen and not heard?
2) MYTH: When our transracial adoptee is ready to talk about race and adoption HE/SHE will bring it up.
TRUTH: The transracial adoptee will not bring up race or adoption because your silence about these subjects doesn’t give them permission to talk about them.
3) MYTH: Talking about a child’s painful past will only cause the pain to grow and multiply.
TRUTH: Pain operates the opposite of vegetation. You can’t choke out pain by ignoring it or starving it of attention. Pain grows from lack of attention NOT vice versa.
4) MYTH: Love is divisible. If we open up our family to birth parents it will divide our adoptive child’s love in half.
TRUTH: Honoring, respecting, and loving birthparents teaches the adoptee how to honor, respect and love adoptive parents. LOVE MULTIPLIES!
5) MYTH: Learning, studying and researching how I am affected by adoption, as an adoptee, robs me of joy.
TRUTH: Joy comes from understanding.
Be conscious of the messages you want to send and be proactive to make sure what you are intending is actually what your children are receiving.
My Mind on Paper 