I appreciate this article so much. I find myself doing as this young author suggest by publicly making sure I call out or speak to my daughter or son when we get the 'ping ponging eyes' trying to discern our relationship. I know it is a sensitive need to be claimed. it meant a lot to me as a child and I know it means a lot to our kids too. Though sometimes, it can be a source of our own family inside humor too. Me (5'2') admonishing my 6'4" son on ordering coffee and telling him it will stunt his growth. People assume I am some busy body customer and of course it is an absurd comment, given his height. For our family inside jokes are also "claiming" and important - always a lot of fun with our kids.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com
By Anna Eldridge
Like all kids, I love the idea of becoming a young adult. I'll soon be able to drive, go out on dates and one day go to college. But there's one part about growing older that is difficult for me. I have found that as I age, it's harder for the public to acknowledge me as being a part of my family. It's much easier as a transracial adoptee when you are a little kid, because when people see you with your white parents, their brains click to, "Oh, that must be their adopted daughter." But as I grew into my teens and started to become a young woman, that definitely changed.
