Free Essay. Attachment Between Adopted Toddler and Adoptive Parents

Psychological studies have, in the past, found that many adopted children suffer from the deficiency of attachment relationships in life. New parents ought to understand several attachment issues that surround adoption so that to create a nurturing relationship between the new parents and the adopted toddler. Attachment between the adopted child and the parent is vital since it gives the toddler sense of feelings towards oneself and helps them to relate with others. Many Parents are not attached to the adopted toddlers due to lack of quality time, parenting stress, and toddler histories of neglect.

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Sub Hani, M. I., Osman, A., Abrar, F., & Hasan, S. A. (2014). Are parents attached to their adopted children? Springer Plus, 3(1), 545.

The article aimed to investigate the relationship between the parents and adopted child in terms of attachment behaviors the parents tolerate while adopting a child. Data was collected through 60 focus groups from the adopted children: the respondents of Pakistan and China, the US, and the UK (Sub Hani et al., 2014). Every focus group had eight adopted children aged 11-18 years and a sample size of 1920 respondents. All respondents were picked randomly from foster homes with the questions designed to establish the type of attachments they had with the new parents (Sub Hani et al., 2014).

The findings suggested that secure attachments are revealed in non-working parents compared to working parents and in female foster parents compared to males. In conclusion, its quality time that determines the type of attachment between adopted toddlers and foster parents.

Canzi, E., Ranieri, S., Barni, D., & Rosnati, R. (2019). Predictors of parenting stress during early adoptive parenthood. Current Psychology, 38(3), 811-820.

The empirical article aims to establish if parenting stress influences the adoptive parent-child attachment. The sample size was 112 participants and a community sample of 56 adoptive parents from Italy (Canzi et al., 2019). Parenting stress was measured by the parenting stress index, while children's emotional and behavioral difficulties were measured by the parent version of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (Canzi et al., 2019).

The findings suggested that the stress apparent by the adoptive parents relating to their roles as parents were in the vast majority of cases. According to the findings, it is evident that parenting stress highly affects the attachment between the adopted toddlers and adoptive parents.

Factors that are only linked to adopted toddlers and their history should not be given only attention. Still, the quality of couple relationships and aspects leading to parental stress should also be examined.

Vasquez, M., & Stensland, M. (2016). Adopted children with Reactive Attachment Disorder: Qualitative study on family processes. Clinical Social Work Journal, 44(3), 319-332.

The study aimed to establish if children with a history of early childhood neglect have a reactive attachment disorder, which majorly affects the attachment between the adopted child and the new foster parents.

The sample was inclusive of 5 families from the Midwest who either adopted one child internationally or domestically, with the children having a history of neglect from the early caregivers while all the participants involved were 28 (Vasquez & Stensland, 2016). All the children involved were diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder and post-traumatic disorder. Parents found it hard to get attached to their kids due to these conditions.

Children with neglect histories during their early childhood highly develop disturbed attachment functioning, which contributes to insecure attachment with their adoptive parents.

Conclusion

Parenting stress, history of toddler neglect, and lack of quality time negatively affect the adopted toddlers' attachment to their new parents. Therefore, adoptive parents should consider these factors to ensure secure and undisrupted attachment to their adopted children.

References

Canzi, E., Ranieri, S., Barni, D., & Rosnati, R. (2019). Predictors of parenting stress during early adoptive parenthood. Current Psychology, 38(3), 811-820

Sub Hani, M. I., Osman, A., Abrar, F., & Hasan, S. A. (2014). Are parents attached to their adopted children? Springer Plus, 3(1), 545.

Vasquez, M., & Stensland, M. (2016). Adopted children with Reactive Attachment Disorder: Qualitative study on family processes. Clinical Social Work Journal, 44(3), 319-332.