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Parenting Your Adopted Teenager
Series: Factsheets for Families |
Author(s):
Child Welfare Information Gateway.
|
Year Published: 2009 |
During the teenage years, youth form an identity that is separate from their parents. They also learn and practice adult life skills. Adoption adds complexity to the normal developmental tasks of teenagers, even for those who were adopted as newborns. Adopted teens have varying degrees of knowledge about and contact with birth family members. These factors, as well as their perception and understanding of their adoptive history, influence their development and experiences. Adoptive parents can best help their teens by understanding these issues and being aware of how adoption and related experiences might affect their youth.
This factsheet is designed to help you, the adoptive parent, understand your adopted teenager's needs, so you can respond with practical strategies that foster healthy development. It presents tips for talking about adoption with your teenager and for helping your teenager talk about adoption with his or her peers. It also offers strategies for providing your teen with guidance, appropriate discipline, and opportunities to master adult tasks as he or she takes on greater independence. Finally, because some adoptive families will need additional help addressing their adolescent's mental health needs, the factsheet discusses when and how to seek that help.
Table of Contents
1 - Understanding teenage development and the impact of adoption
2 - Communicating with your teenager about adoption
3 - Helping your teenager communicate with others about adoption
5 - Preparing your teenager for adulthood
6 - Seeking help for mental health concerns
7 - Summary