Helping Your Teen Understand The Advantages Of Adoption

Parents who had children in their adult lives, when they had planned on having children, understand something that most pregnant teens never will: having a baby, even when you think you are at the right age, and financially and emotionally secure, is the toughest job you will ever face. Teens who are pregnant tend to see only the joyful side of parenting, and few have any kind of grasp on the day-to-day reality of caring for a child, it’s like being grounded for 18 years.

If you are the parent of a pregnant teen, and you feel that the lives of your child and grandchild would be better served if adoption were considered, it can be helpful to have a plan in place before you start the conversation. At the law office of Kirsh & Kirsh, P.C., our attorneys help expectant mothers in all aspects of the adoption process.

How To Approach The Adoption Conversation With Your Teen

There is no single best way to convince a pregnant teen to consider adoption. Different teens have different priorities, and helping your teen understand the advantages of adoption needs to be tailored in a way that speaks directly to the teen’s personal situation and future goals. Here are some strategies for talking to your child about why adoption might be the right decision:

According to a 2011 Department of Agriculture report, it will cost a single mother more than $10,000 per year, before inflation, to raise a child in addition to paying for her own expenses.
Going to work, completing high school, maintaining her current social life, extracurricular activities and other things she enjoys doing would, collectively, be impossible to do with a child.
Parenting is beyond a full-time job, she will be on call 24/7.
Many teen mothers never graduate high school or have a career.
An established couple with good careers and a stable home can give the baby the future your daughter or son and his girlfriend know the baby deserves.

There Is More To Parenting Than Providing Care

Expectant mothers (birth parents) also need to understand what it means to parent a child. Parenting involves a lot more than care giving. An expectant mother shouldn’t merely consider whether she will be making enough money to provide food, shelter and clothing. She also needs to be able to provide guidance and help the child through difficulties at school, and be able to give sound advice about relationships, jobs, college and other important matters during the child’s formative and adult years. This can be especially difficult for expectant mothers whose own parents were “caregivers,” at best, who did not take the time do sit down at dinner every night to share the day’s events, help with homework, attend school events, and encourage greatness.

Talk To Our Indianapolis Lawyers For Pregnant Teen Adoption Advice

Contact our office today to discuss your questions about how to approach adoption with your pregnant teen. You can reach us by phone at 317-575-5555, toll free at 800-333-5736, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and via email.

Read our brochure for birth mothers for more information.