Who's Truth Is it anyways?
So there was someone here who pointed us all to another forum saying the adoptive father was only trying to delve into a surrendering mothers sexual history through the court system because of his curiosity. I think I speak for most adoptive parents that no one would go that far to satisfy their curiosity about a stranger for the soul purpose of curiosity. So does privacy for the surrendering mother trump not providing the truth to the child? I totally disagreed that anyone gave two hoots of who slept with who--most of us could really care less and the only intent on finding out or pushing for a natural fathers identification isn't to delve between the sheets of anyone. I want my child to have her truth. I want to provide a father his rights. My question is who's information and truth is parental history--the children's, the surrendering mothers or is it the adoptive parents responsibility to seek this out? Or is it soully to their children to fight for their truth when they are old enough? I was emailed privately saying that "the truth" was between the surrendering mother and the child upon reunion only. I beg to differ at least until adulthood--I was given the responsibility to provide answers and guidance and answering my child's questions and I expect quite a few of them as she gets older. I tried hard to get as much information as I could and have maintained an open adoption. I also made sure we have everything well documented so as to leave anything up to interpretation so no one gets creative with the truth later on.
Linny-I appreciate the answer and the intention behind it. I should explain more fully on the purpose behind wanting documentation--we really did do years of research. We did go out of our way to document so our child "would have it" as we and everyone else involved was going through it because there were so many stories swirling around her history. I didn't want to leave it up to so many people in her history who had so changing stories so I tried to keep it factually documented by all parties rather than have someone (including us)come up with something 20 years from now based on wishful thinking for their own recollection--again in case someone passes away, disappears etc. I wrote down what we felt and experienced during this whole process and I asked my daughters biological family to do the same--they were happy to--I am leaving theirs unopened because it is my daughters to have at the right time.
Gyp-So what you saying is that when my child looks to me for answers for the next 18 years--and they will--I am supposed to say nothing? That's laughable--I can see it now--Sorry dear daughter....I am not supposed to talk to you about this because it's none of my business as your mom. How was your day at school and what do you want for dinner and then ignore it? How about some reality here and some real constuctive guidance on how you would handle it given your unique point of view?
Gyp--and I agree with open adoption records--totally. I see no reason to have to have a birth cert reissued...so again...try again. Your answer is defensive--you proved my case of EXACTLY why I wanted the snap shot in time and an open adoption for my daughters sake.
I want to have fathers identified for all children when possible and fathers rights given more attention. There--you have your information. There is nothing more behind that statement--and there should be nothing controversial behind wanting that. How come women are so quick to discount their rights but want their own? That is the selective truth I am talking about.
I still stand by my description of hypocrite...why is your truth more important than the fathers, the child's or otherwise--taking that craiglist link and putting it aside for a minute? Does the whole world revolve around the woman and who the woman might have slept with in any situation? Should her feelings about it be the only factor of disclosing it? I can see where it would be uncomfortable establishing paternity--fine...but gees honor your decisions and stand up and own it. There is absolutely no judgement in wanting to know who your father is and there shouldn't be. It is a part of this whole process of a child maintaining heritage, health, and establishing ties that should be theres by birthright. So you want them to wait for it? That is just sad.
I stand by any adoptive parent trying to help their child try to reunite and make sense of their heritage of BOTH parents--and I support open adoptions, open records and first parents and adoptive parents who can think outside of their personal feelings for the betterment of their offspring's lives. During the time of childhood--it is my responsibility as their parent to help them make sense of it all and they will look to ME to help them with that during their development. Maybe that role will be different in adulthood--in fact highly likely. But until then, I am a part of that process by being a parent of a child--if it was an adult child of mine who didn't have that history and was reuniting-I would totally back off but that isn't what we are talking about. You might not like that answer but it is the one I have.
I will debate the way I want-there are no rules on this in YA. I just wanted to make the point that some very vocal people use the term family preservation as a buzzword and something that applies only to them and their purposes and only on their terms. To hold genetic information hostage is damaging. When AP's are accused of with holding info or lying--I will remind everyone and repost a link to this question with people who answered that it was ok to lie and truth to them is only when it is convenient and not embaressing.