I am neither adopted nor a mum of adopted children, but I do have two sisters – one adopted and one not. I have always been saddened by the media’s (and other people’s) need to point out when a child has been adopted – often years after the event. Being adopted is neither unusual nor sensational – so why make such a big deal of it? Congratulations to CBB for making all families feel equal, no matter how they were formed.

I also agree with this. I HATE it when the word “adopted” or “natural” is added…. it’s not important to label it… because there is just a parent and a child… no need to label how they came to that relationship.

My father was adopted and he would have been livid if anyone had done such a thing about him or his brother (who was also adopted). To them, their REAL mother and father were the ones that raised them… and that natural parents are the ones who love you and care for you.

The only term that could be used, if a child is adopted in an open adoption and happens to be out with the woman who gave birth to them would be the biological mother… or birth mother.

But as far as my father was concerned (and this is probably true for most of his generation and would probably transcend down even through the children being born today that the women who gave birth to them and the men who got them pregnant are not their mothers and fathers in any way, but carriers and sperm donors… who were simply people found in a difficult situation with an unplanned pregnancy who felt it was best that the child be given to the people who became their parents because that was what was best for the child.

Adoption is an incredible gift… and I know that anyone who gives or receives this gift would not want that child to be treated or talked about any differently than a biological child. The intent is to give them that wonderful family that the birth parents could not.

I really think that celebrity media feeds the desire for controversy and goes too far when they label children this way.

As an adoptive mother and avid reader of celebrity baby blog I echo these sentiments. Celebrity baby blog always uses positive adoption language.

Why do people say such things? They are either your children or they are not.

You are their mother because you feed them, clothe them, get up with them in the middle of the night, take them to the doctor, cheer them on and love them no matter what. Which is something the woman who gave birth to your child couldn’t or wouldn’t do.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: TO ALL THE ADOPTIVE PARENTS, THANK YOU!!! There are so many needy children out there who need good homes and it is amazing to me that people are willing to open their homes to these kids.

Yes I find it offensive. I would rather people just refer to my children as my children. I don’t mind if they know me and ask which ones are my biological children but to up and ask is rude. I love all my kids the same and it is obvious one is adopted but she does not need it thrown in her face every day.

You are right, the article DID state that Angie wants to adopt kids of similar ethnicities to each of her other kids. My mistake. I apologize.

This article is the one where it was first announced on CBB that Angie had filed the papers to adopt Pax. In the post, you guys said that:

Angelina has said that she would like to adopt children of similar ethnicities for each of her kids. Maddox, 5, is from Cambodia, Zahara, 2, is from Ethiopia, while Shiloh, 8 months, has dual citizenships from the US and Namibia.

You need to look at this in the proper context as Angelina in the past had said she would like to -adopt children of similar ethnicities for each of her children-. That two of her children were adopted and where they were adopted is actually relevant to the thesis of the article. Please reread the entire quote:

Angelina has said that she would like to adopt children of similar ethnicities for each of her kids. Maddox, 5, is from Cambodia, Zahara, 2, is from Ethiopia, while Shiloh, 8 months, has dual citizenships from the US and Namibia.

When I commented on this last night, I forgot to mention that, while CBB generally doesn’t refer to celeb babies and children as being adopted, I think that they could do a little bit better job than they already do. For example, I’ve noticed that, in articles about Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, or both of them there is often a statement like:

Brad and his girlfriend Angelina Jolie raise four children: Maddox Chivian, who was adopted from Cambodia, Zahara Marley, who was adopted from Ethiopia, Pax Thien, who was adopted from Vietnam, and Shiloh Nouvel who was born to the couple in May of 2006.

Does it really need to be mentioned that Mad, Z, and Pax were adopted from various countries? I much prefer the articles where the Jolie-Pitt kids are referred to like this:

Angelina and Brad have four kids: Maddox, 5 1/2, Pax, 3 1/2, Zahara, 2, and Shiloh, 1.

CBB Note: That IS how we refer to them. We can’t even recall posting a paragraph like you mention unless we were quoting Angelina on wanting to raise her children with strong cultural backgrounds. Please point out where this was done. We’d be happy to fix it.

I have a 10 year-old son, who I adopted at birth. I have a sister-in-law, who when my son was a baby, would say things like “does his ‘real’ mother have blue eyes?”. I would always respond with “Yes, his BIOLOGICAL mother does have blue eyes.” After several months, she got the hint and just started refering to my son’s birthmother by her name(we have an open adopton). It might not seem like a big deal to some, and while I don’t dismiss that my son’s bmom is very REAL(she did give birth to him and they will always have that genetic bond)….I also am very REAL, as I am the one who got up with him when he was a baby, I’m the one who helped him take his first steps, who cried on his first day of kindergarten and who still gets up in the middle of the night to check on him. Those things are what makes you a “real” mother…and I will always be thankful to the woman who made it possible for me to do these things.

I am adopted, as are my siblings. My birth parents may have given me life, but mom and dad taught me how to live. To me, they are my parents. The only time I use words like “birth parents” and “adoptive parents” are when I have to clarify that. We certainly don’t use them in the house.

I see a lot of adopting parents in this thread, and that makes my day. Take it from someone who grew up with it: adoption is a gift, a joy, and a privilege because an adoptee is chosen specifically. Be open with your children about where they came from. To this day, I meet a lot of young kids who haven’t been told yet they’re adopted, like it’s a shameful thing to hide, and that infuriates me.