This was on my list of topics to write about his month. Kelly, the foster adopt blogger wrote about this from an adoptive mother’s view this month, so I thought about putting off my post. Since my view is from an adoptee’s view, this just shows two different sides and views from different people involved in adoption.

Nature does a play a large part of a child’s life. Adopted children get their physical traits and medical history from their birth family. Adopted children may also inherit learning disabilities from the birth family. Does nature have the most impact on a child’s outcome in life?

As an adoptee, I feel that nurture has a larger impact. There are things that can make this different for every adoptee. The age of adoption, did the children spend time in foster care or an orphanage, was there multiple placements, was there abuse and the details of the abuse, all of these things can impact whether children will be more about nature or if can they take in the nurture.

Can adopted children be at risk to repeat some addictive type behaviors, if their birth family struggled with these issues? Yes it can be a risk but it does not mean it will happen with every adopted child at risk. My birth mother struggles with the abuse of alcohol and drugs. I have never done drugs in my life and I use alcohol only occasionally. My birth mother and I are different as night and day. My birth mother has an addictive personality that tends to lead her down some wrong roads in life.

I was loved and nurtured by my adoptive parents and they had a great impact on the person I have become. I am a lot like my dad I have a great love for animals, children, nature, and life. My traits and personality come from the nurture I received from my adoptive parents. As nature goes I did not get my birth mother’s dependent and addictive personality. I believe that adoptees control how their lives turn out for the most part. I do not think this issue is either/or. Sometimes it is a little of both.