Have you ever considered adopting a child?
“Initially, I regretted taking a child from the orphanage. As we completed the paperwork, visited the orphanage, and awaited the decision, we were certain we were making the right choice.”
The worst decision and its consequences in the comments below.
I enjoy sleeping in on weekends, but it doesn’t always go as planned. My husband is up early in the kitchen brewing coffee.
I hear the coffee grinder’s hum in the background. Even more, I hear our son Ivan shouting: “Dad, turn it off! You’re waking mom!” But my husband ignores it, and I hear little footsteps approaching, followed by a tiny voice whispering: “Mommy, daddy is going to wake you up now! But I brought you some cotton balls… Cover your ears.” I fully wake up, almost in tears.
We adopted a child from the orphanage, but we almost returned him: We couldn’t understand why he behaved that way.
I cannot bring myself to call Ivan “adopted.” We adopted him and now cherish all the joys of parenthood. But it wasn’t always this way.
At first, I regretted taking a child from the orphanage. As we filled out the paperwork, visited the orphanage, and waited for the decision, we were convinced we were doing the right thing.
However, we had to confront our own pride and vanity. We felt like heroes, expecting gratitude and applause, even from the child, oddly enough…
We adopted Ivan when he was four. We don’t have biological children, and doctors told us we can’t have any. Two failed abortions in my youth had severe consequences. IVF was too expensive, frightening, and not always successful.
So, my husband Anton and I decided to make an orphaned child happy, thinking we were doing a good deed. But it was far from easy.
We adopted a child from the orphanage, but we almost returned him: We couldn’t understand why he behaved that way.
The first few months were a nightmare. He seemed to sense our fears: afraid we’d reject him, yet testing our limits.
He behaved terribly, called us names, threw things, and even flipped his plate at lunch just to see our reaction…
Fearful thoughts raced through my mind: Maybe we should return him to the orphanage? Maybe he’d be better off there? He doesn’t love us…
What helped was that we brought Ivan home in late October, and a few months later it was New Year’s Eve. When he saw the Christmas tree, the presents, and visited relatives with children, he calmed down. He asked, “Will we visit again next New Year’s Eve?” I said, “Of course we will!” Maybe it reassured him that we wouldn’t abandon him.
We adopted a child from the orphanage, but we almost returned him: We couldn’t understand why he behaved that way.
When the tantrums finally subsided, we truly started to bond. But it took a year! A whole year of getting used to each other…
No, he didn’t become the perfect child. But he tries very hard. The most important thing is that he finally feels our love. For me, he is the most dear and precious, but… maybe I couldn’t love the child right away, and he felt it… hence his terrible behavior.
People! If you want to give a home to a child from the orphanage, remember that it won’t be easy. These children are not always “easy to manage.” They will test your reaction to anything and everything…