| Adoption creates many of the same dynamics as | | | | exposure to friends' parents, he/she may believe that |
| stepfamilies. In fact, any family in which the legal | | | | all parents would respond in the exact same way. |
| guardian(s) are not the biological parent (s) to the | | | | If that child transitions to a new household and guardian |
| child(ren), there is the potential for stressful issues to | | | | parent, the learning process is lost completely. Neither |
| arise. The natural biological bond between a parent | | | | the parent nor the child know the other person's looks, |
| and child grows from day 1 when the baby is in the | | | | sayings, or mannerisms. When the child does/says the |
| womb and continuously builds. In all other families, the | | | | same thing as before, the new parent/guardian |
| child is separated from the person with whom they | | | | responds in a manner consistent with his/her |
| have that strong natural bond. The older this child is | | | | personality, upbringing, and belief systems. However, |
| when separated, the harder it is for him/her to form a | | | | that response is contrary to how the biological parent |
| strong bond with another parent. | | | | used to respond. This is when misinterpretations and |
| As a baby grows, he/she learns about the world from | | | | confusion sometimes enters. Depending on how the |
| his/her parents. All of his/her needs are met through | | | | situation is handled by each person, and their |
| the parents. In short, a baby's world IS his/her parents. | | | | personalities, the child may start to feel like an outsider. |
| That is all he/she knows. The parent learns what each | | | | If the child already feels like an outsider because of the |
| look or sound means, and responds in a particular | | | | newness of the relationship (or other reasons), this |
| manner. As the baby grows, he/she comes to expect | | | | feeling could deepen. |
| a particular response every time he/she says or does | | | | For a more in depth explanation of being an outsider |
| a specific thing that generated that response in the | | | | vs insider, please refer to my previous article "Who's |
| past. Depending on the age of a child, and his/her | | | | on the Inside? Who's on the Outside? |