adoption problems Archives | Parenting Today's Teens | Radio Show & Podcast

Encouragement for Adoptive Parents

#502 – Student Story: Sophia

with host Mark Gregston

Adopted kids tend to struggle with unresolved issues until their mid-20s. And that calls for parenting with a long-term view!

This weekend on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston offers adoptive parents a preview of what to expect and a solid strategy for preparing to love their kid through the rough patches.

For free parenting resources, please click here.

For the latest on how to parent your teen, please visit the Parenting Today’s Teens website or our bookstore.

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.

For any more info on Parenting Today’s Teens or Heartlight, please visit https://parentingtodaysteens.org/ -or- https://www.heartlightministries.org/.

Caring for the Heart of Your Adopted Teen

#501 – Student Story: Aleanna

with host Mark Gregston

At some point, every teen begins to ask deeper questions about who they are. But adopted kids can also struggle with a deep sense of personal loss. Don’t be surprised when it surfaces!

This weekend on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston talks about the very real struggles of adopted teens and how you can help yours work through them.

For free parenting resources, please click here.

For the latest on how to parent your teen, please visit the Parenting Today’s Teens website or our bookstore.

For any more info on Parenting Today’s Teens or Heartlight, please visit https://parentingtodaysteens.org/ -or- https://www.heartlightministries.org/.

When Adopted Children Become Teenagers

adopted Many adopted kids seem to have more than their fair share of issues when they reach the adolescent years. Some can suddenly turn on the very people who rescued them years before, the family who adopted them. Why is that?

Here’s why . . . just as self-awareness begins to grow in the early teen years, adopted children can begin to struggle with the who and why of their adoption at this time — even kids who were adopted at birth. Feelings of abandonment by their birth mother can burst to the surface and add to an already emotionally charged adolescence, fueled by a search for meaning, belonging, and validity in their life.

Many adopted children question their true identity during the teen years. For the mortified adoptive parents, their teenager may demonstrate a profound and shocking lack of appreciation and even a temporary hatred of them. So, the obvious question from these parents is, “What have we done wrong?” My answer to them in most cases is that they have done nothing wrong. Continue reading “When Adopted Children Become Teenagers”