Preparing to Meet Your Older Adopted Child for the First Time

Q: What is the most important thing adoptive parents can do to prepare themselves for that first meeting with their new child?

A: One of the most important things for parents meeting their child for the first time is to talk openly with each other about their expectations. Talk about what they dream life will be with this new youngster and agree to share with each when those expectations and dreams hit the wall of reality? That time will come.

Jayne Schooler is the author/co-author of seven books in the adoption field, including her newest, Wounded Children, Healing Homes: How Traumatized Children Impact Adoptive and Foster Parents. She has worked in orphanages in Kyrgyzstan, Poland and Ukraine.

This topic was discussed in more detail on the Creating a Family show: Preparing Children in Orphanages for Adoption.