{"id":2234,"date":"2020-05-26T15:21:03","date_gmt":"2020-05-26T15:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heartofadoptions.com\/?p=2234"},"modified":"2024-03-04T14:12:47","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T19:12:47","slug":"positive-versus-negative-adoption-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

Language is a powerful thing, especially in today\u2019s world. The words we use to describe others, ourselves and the world around us say a lot about who we are and what we believe. When speaking with others, especially on touchy subjects, we tend to reflect more on which words to say in order to not offend or \u201ctrigger\u201d anyone. The words we use in situations like these are often categorized as \u201cpositive language.\u201d They are words that give respect to the person we\u2019re talking to\/talking about and help us build bridges towards healthy dialogue, even when talking about the most sensitive topics.<\/p>\n

In the realm of adoption, there are quite a few \u201cnegative adoption phrases,\u201d and \u201cpositive adoption phrases.\u201d<\/a> Here at Heart of Adoptions Inc<\/a>, our staff practices positive language and do all they can to help educate the families we work with to do the same. Here are some examples of negative adoption phrases, and their positive counterparts.<\/p>\n

Negative: Real Parent \/ Positive: Birth Parent, Biological Parent<\/strong><\/p>\n

While it\u2019s understandable that a woman who placed her child for adoption would consider herself to be the \u201creal parent,\u201d it\u2019s important that she understand and come to terms with what took place. When choosing adoption for her child, she made a conscious decision to become a birth parent, knowing full well that this child would be placed in a loving home and raised by two adoptive parents. Both sets of parents have the right to call themselves \u201creal parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Example: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Negative: Even though she was adopted, I\u2019m still her real parent. <\/em><\/p>\n

Positive: Even though she was adopted, I\u2019m still her birth parent. <\/em><\/p>\n

Negative: Give Baby Up for Adoption\u00a0 \/ Positive: Make an Adoption Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s quite common for women considering adoption to use the phrasing, \u201cgive baby up for adoption.\u201d It\u2019s what we hear on the television and in the movies. But most adoption agencies, prefer to use the more positive phrasing of, \u201cmake an adoption plan.<\/a>\u201d This phrasing better reflects how the adoption process works. Rather than \u201cgiving up\u201d their baby, these women are making a clear, precise plan for their child and are in full control of the outcome.<\/p>\n

Example: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Negative: I can\u2019t become a parent right now. I want to <\/em>give baby up for adoption in Florida<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

Positive: I can\u2019t become a parent right now. I think I\u2019d like to make an adoption plan for my baby here in Florida. <\/em><\/p>\n

Negative: Put Up for Adoption \/ Positive: Choose Adoption<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once again, the phrase \u201cput up for adoption,\u201d is very common and has a long history in television and movies. But these days, we prefer to use the phrase, \u201cchoose\/chose adoption.\u201d Much like the previous example, the reason we use that phrase is that it illustrates that the birth mother had a set of decisions to make and ultimately chose adoption because she felt it was in the best interest of the child.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Negative: When I was younger, I <\/em>put my baby up for adoption in Florida<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Positive: When I was younger, I <\/em>chose adoption for my baby<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

Negative: Keep Your Baby \/ Positive: Parent Your Child<\/strong><\/p>\n

This phrasing is often used by adoptive parents, unknowingly. It\u2019s easy to say the first thing that comes to mind when describing a situation, so we understand why some people say, \u201ckeep your baby.\u201d The reality is when someone is choosing adoption, it\u2019s not just about \u201ckeeping your baby,\u201d it\u2019s about being ready to become a parent. As we all know, parenting is not something to be taken lightly. If someone is not ready to become parent, then adoption is a loving and selfless choice to make. We need to reflect that notion in our language.<\/p>\n

Example: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Negative: Our daughter came to us because her birth mother couldn\u2019t keep the baby. <\/em><\/p>\n

Positive: Our daughter came to us because, at the time, her birth mother just didn\u2019t feel ready to parent a child. <\/em><\/p>\n

Negative: ..is Adopted\u00a0 \/ Positive: was adopted <\/strong><\/p>\n

While it may not seem like there is a whole lot of difference between these two phrases, there is actually a world of difference in the heart and mind of the adoptee. When someone is referred to as \u201cis adopted,\u201d that assigns those words to their identity. It implies that their status as an adoptee is something that defines them and is something that they carry with them every moment of every day. But when you say, \u201cwas adopted,\u201d then you allow that person\u2019s status as an adoptee to be a part of the story without it becoming a part of their identity. If you\u2019re a person of faith, you can think about it in terms of being baptized. It\u2019s not like people refer to you as \u201cis baptized.\u201d Instead, they say, \u201cwas baptized,\u201d because that event was simply just the beginning of your journey in faith.<\/p>\n

Negative: One fun fact about Jacob is that he is adopted. <\/em><\/p>\n

Positive: One fun fact about Jacob is that he was adopted. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Language is a powerful thing, especially in today\u2019s world. The words we use to describe others, ourselves and the world around us say a lot…Read More Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2235,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,14,12,13],"tags":[76,20,77,78],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPositive Versus Negative Adoption Language - Heart of Adoptions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the realm of child adoption, there are quite a few \u201cnegative adoption phrases,\u201d and \u201cpositive adoption phrases.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language - Heart of Adoptions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the realm of child adoption, there are quite a few \u201cnegative adoption phrases,\u201d and \u201cpositive adoption phrases.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Heart of Adoptions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Heart-of-Adoptions-Inc\/133760229570\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-26T15:21:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-03-04T19:12:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/104916-11-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2100\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Julia Diamond\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@HeartAdoptions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@HeartAdoptions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Julia Diamond\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Julia Diamond\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d21f8a2b93c73e5a525048a4328b094b\"},\"headline\":\"Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-26T15:21:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-03-04T19:12:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/\"},\"wordCount\":848,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/104916-11-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"adoption plan for my baby\",\"Child adoption in Florida\",\"Choosing Adoption\",\"Placing baby for adoption in Florida\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Adoption\",\"Birth Mom\",\"Families\",\"Parents\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/\",\"name\":\"Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language - Heart of Adoptions\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/104916-11-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-26T15:21:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-03-04T19:12:47+00:00\",\"description\":\"In the realm of child adoption, there are quite a few \u201cnegative adoption phrases,\u201d and \u201cpositive adoption phrases.\u201d\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/104916-11-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/104916-11-1.jpg\",\"width\":2100,\"height\":1500},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/\",\"name\":\"Heart of Adoptions\",\"description\":\"Florida's Adoption Agency\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Heart of Adoptions\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/HOA-LOGO-Latest-min.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/HOA-LOGO-Latest-min.png\",\"width\":378,\"height\":96,\"caption\":\"Heart of Adoptions\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Heart-of-Adoptions-Inc\/133760229570\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/HeartAdoptions\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/heart_of_adoptions\/\",\"http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/heartofadoption\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d21f8a2b93c73e5a525048a4328b094b\",\"name\":\"Julia Diamond\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa5a874488e2894163d9968ce14b50?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa5a874488e2894163d9968ce14b50?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Julia Diamond\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/author\/julia\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language - Heart of Adoptions","description":"In the realm of child adoption, there are quite a few \u201cnegative adoption phrases,\u201d and \u201cpositive adoption phrases.\u201d","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language - Heart of Adoptions","og_description":"In the realm of child adoption, there are quite a few \u201cnegative adoption phrases,\u201d and \u201cpositive adoption phrases.\u201d","og_url":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/","og_site_name":"Heart of Adoptions","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Heart-of-Adoptions-Inc\/133760229570","article_published_time":"2020-05-26T15:21:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-03-04T19:12:47+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2100,"height":1500,"url":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/104916-11-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Julia Diamond","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@HeartAdoptions","twitter_site":"@HeartAdoptions","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Julia Diamond","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/"},"author":{"name":"Julia Diamond","@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d21f8a2b93c73e5a525048a4328b094b"},"headline":"Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language","datePublished":"2020-05-26T15:21:03+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-04T19:12:47+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/"},"wordCount":848,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/104916-11-1.jpg","keywords":["adoption plan for my baby","Child adoption in Florida","Choosing Adoption","Placing baby for adoption in Florida"],"articleSection":["Adoption","Birth Mom","Families","Parents"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/","url":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/","name":"Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language - Heart of Adoptions","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/104916-11-1.jpg","datePublished":"2020-05-26T15:21:03+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-04T19:12:47+00:00","description":"In the realm of child adoption, there are quite a few \u201cnegative adoption phrases,\u201d and \u201cpositive adoption phrases.\u201d","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/104916-11-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/104916-11-1.jpg","width":2100,"height":1500},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/positive-versus-negative-adoption-language\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Positive Versus Negative Adoption Language"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/","name":"Heart of Adoptions","description":"Florida's Adoption Agency","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#organization","name":"Heart of Adoptions","url":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/HOA-LOGO-Latest-min.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/HOA-LOGO-Latest-min.png","width":378,"height":96,"caption":"Heart of Adoptions"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Heart-of-Adoptions-Inc\/133760229570","https:\/\/x.com\/HeartAdoptions","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/heart_of_adoptions\/","http:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/heartofadoption\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d21f8a2b93c73e5a525048a4328b094b","name":"Julia Diamond","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa5a874488e2894163d9968ce14b50?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa5a874488e2894163d9968ce14b50?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Julia Diamond"},"url":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/author\/julia\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2234"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5455,"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234\/revisions\/5455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heartofadoptions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}