On behalf of Sparkman Law Firm posted in adoption on Monday, August 1, 2016.
Adopting a child at any age requires new parents and other family members in Florida to consciously bond with their new loved ones. What is involved in this bonding process may differ based upon many factors. The age of the child at the time of adoption is one factor that will influence how people should approach bonding after an adoption.
When adopting an infant, WebMD recommends that parents keep nursery design and decor more simpler and not overly stimulating. If there is an ability to know what type of physical environment the baby was in before coming to the adoptive home, parents may want to consider emulating some of the same elements. Wall color, bedding color, placement of furniture and more may all help ease a baby’s transition.
Adoptive Families indicates that prompt responses to a baby’s cries is essential for adoptive parent-baby bonding. Very young babies should be kept as physically close to parents as possible at the beginning to establish the level of trust ideally desired. Because infants are highly in tune with smells, keeping a shirt or a blanket near a baby that the infant had before coming to the adoptive home may be wise. This will be a familiar sense to the baby and help to send a message of stability while the infant settles in to the many other changes around.
Babies adopted between five and 10 months may display some signs of grieving as they transition. Adoptive parents should be prepared to hold and soothe their babies’ through these times. Maintaining routines is highly encouraged again as a means of providing something familiar for them during this time.