When your child grows up and starts her own family, she will become responsible for herself, but you will still be her parent, and her children will be your grandsons and granddaughters. Your role in her adult life will be just as important as your role in her childhood, but it must take a different form.

It is common for adult adoptees to face issues of identity and loss at milestone moments in their lives, such as graduation, marriage, or having a child. Accept that your child will always deal with some lingering pain related to the adoption, and help her face the milestones in her life with joy and a feeling of pride.

When your child grows up and moves out of your home, respect her independence and her right to make choices about a career, relationships, and other areas of life. The fact that your child was adopted in no way impacts her right and ability to choose her own life course.