1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,000 Welcome friends to the Open Adoption Project podcast. We're the Nelsons and today we have a special announcement. 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:18,000 Yeah, so today we launched an openness guide. It's called the openness guide for adoptive parents. 3 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:26,000 And I've spent the last year or so writing it and finally I'm sharing it with you today. So it's an exciting day. 4 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:34,000 Yeah, we're super excited to share this resource. I think back to when Lanette and I first started our adoption journey and 5 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:44,000 it was, we were really in the dark. And I imagine there's a lot of you out there that feel a lot of feelings, nervous, 6 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:55,000 maybe some trepidation, unknowns about adoption, particularly open adoption. And this really is a guide that I wish we had 15 years ago when we were starting. 7 00:00:55,000 --> 00:01:03,000 Yeah, that's really what my goal was as I was putting this together, trying to think what would have been helpful back then. 8 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:12,000 I think it's a really vivid memory for both of us going in to our very first adoption meeting and learning what open adoption was 9 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:20,000 and realizing that it was becoming a lot more common and that was likely something we would need to do if we wanted to adopt. 10 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:30,000 And we weren't really at the point yet of understanding what it was, why it was important, and you know, really thinking about it with that big picture lens. 11 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:41,000 But yeah, so we just didn't have those resources and it took time. It took relationships with other adoptive families and seeing that open adoption is not scary. 12 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:50,000 And I think that birth families can be amazing and you can have these great relationships without it being so daunting. 13 00:01:50,000 --> 00:02:01,000 Yeah. One thing that I really like about this guide is that it asks some really honest questions that you really need to consider if you are hoping to adopt. 14 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:12,000 I think for me, I didn't really understand the importance of the connection with birth family for the adoptee. 15 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:23,000 Well, I wasn't really focused on that when like adoptees and their needs on our babies, the adoptees, because when you have this small child, 16 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:32,000 it's hard to imagine what a relationship looks like. And so the relationship really starts between the adoptive parents and the birth parents. 17 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:40,000 But ultimately, it's so that there is meaningful connection for the adoptee. Right. 18 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:50,000 And I just feel like there's so many good questions that you have to really consider deeply that are addressed in this guide that you wouldn't typically think about. 19 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,000 Yeah. Well, and I'm really glad you brought that up. 20 00:02:54,000 --> 00:03:03,000 So the relationships that we had with our kids, birth families, as we first started off in our adoption journeys, they grew, of course, over time. 21 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:12,000 But starting off, we, I think, really understood that these parents were going through something really hard, really traumatic and painful. 22 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:17,000 And so we wanted open adoption for them. Right. As we grew to love them and care about them, we were like, yeah, 23 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,000 we need to have an open adoption because we care about our kids' birth parents. 24 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:32,000 And I think that's good. But I mean, also that broader, more like ultimate perspective of doing this for adoptees is so important, too, 25 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:38,000 because both are the reasons we do it, but especially for adoptees. 26 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:46,000 Yeah. So we want to encourage you to go and purchase this guide as an e-book. 27 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:54,000 We really think it's going to be a good resource. So with a caveat, though, this really is geared towards prospective adoptive parents and adoptive parents. 28 00:03:54,000 --> 00:04:00,000 Yeah, absolutely. And so, I mean, for our friends who are listening who don't fit into that category, 29 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:05,000 this book is, I think, still helpful for relationships, but it's not written for other audiences. 30 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:14,000 It's really written to help adoptive parents overcome these barriers and these fears, any trepidations about open adoption. 31 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:20,000 Yeah. And so I don't want to encourage people to buy it if that's not something that's going to help them. 32 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:27,000 Yeah, absolutely. But yeah, but the goal of the guide is ultimately to help unify the adoption community. 33 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:32,000 So you can find the openness guide for prospective adoptive parents, 34 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:38,000 what you should know about open adoption on our website at openadoptionproject.org. 35 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:44,000 And currently we're selling it for fifteen dollars, but right now we have a launch promotion. 36 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:52,000 So if you go to purchase it now, you could use code launchOAP for open adoption project. 37 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,000 So launchOAP when you're checking out and you'll get 25 percent off. 38 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:02,000 And that's for the next week. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, so hopefully this is helpful to you guys. 39 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:09,000 Honestly, it would have been so helpful for us. And so it's been good to get it written down. 40 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,000 I mean, at least in that regard. Yeah. 41 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:18,000 And yeah, we just really hope it helps people and helps relationships to become stronger and more intentional. 42 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,000 Yep. So I'll have a link in the show notes where you can purchase. 43 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:26,000 Please share it with friends or family that you think it would be helpful for. 44 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:32,000 Yep. And we will be back with a real episode soon. But yeah, thanks so much for being here with us. 45 00:05:32,000 --> 00:06:00,000 Absolutely. Thanks, friends.