Love Is a Birthright With Annie Compton - Storytelling and Adoption
In this week’s episode, we chat with Annie Compton, a mom, storyteller, and Emmy nominated writer and producer. Annie shares a beautiful narrative of choosing adoption as her first priority in her family building. We hear of her experience with private domestic adoption and the joy of becoming an adoptive parent. We discuss the experience of having an open adoption and a relationship with her daughter’s biological family as well as address some of the myths and misconceptions about adoption, specifically the myth that an adopted child should feel “lucky” to have been adopted, when it is the parents who are lucky. We also discuss Annie’s efforts to parent with intention and activism in a multi-racial family.
Annie’s company, Cuore Mio, which she runs with her cousin, Julia, helps prospective families write adoption profiles. We discuss the important work they provide in helping babies and families connect and using her storytelling skills to support families to grow through adoption.
In This Episode:
[ 4:55 ] What it means to be storyteller to Annie
[ 6:42 ] Annie’s journey to adoption
[ 8:40 ] Why Annie and her husband chose adoption first
[ 14:21 ] Surprising moments Annie’s adoption process and raising an adopted child
[ 17:43 ] How do you raise a child to know how to claim their adoption story, and what to communicate and to whom and how?
[ 19:15 ] How to raise a child who looks a little different from you
[ 20:51 ] How Annie is intentional about her daughter surrounded by a diverse community and opportunities
[ 22:26 ] Annie’s advice for others parenting in a similar way or places to reach out for resources
[ 24:00 ] How to translate understanding and education around adoption and put it into parenting action
[ 25:05 ] Misconceptions about the adoption community or the adoption process
[ 27:35 ] Dispelling the negative narrative about birth mothers and birth families
[ 30:28 ] How Annie’s daughter came into her and her husband and she reflects on when they were officially matched with their daughter
[ 39:20 ] “Placing” vs “Giving Up:” The history of adoption
[ 42:11 ] Storytelling for prospective adoptive families’ adopting profiles
[ 44:05] Annie’s definition of family
[ 45:38 ] Information for Annie’s storytelling services for families looking to adopt
Takeaways:
When couples choose adoption as their first choice for growing their family it goes a long way in communicating to their child that they are not “second best.”
The importance of education within the adoption journey; educating yourself by listening and learning from others in the adoption community.
There is a misconception that adopted children are“ lucky” to have been adopted. That’s wrong. Adoptive parents are the lucky ones, not the child. Every child has the right to be born and loved.
It’s important to dispel the negative narrative surrounding birth families and their choice to participate in adoption. Many birth mothers show incredible strength, courage, bravery and unconditional love when they choose to place their children with an adoptive family.
Understanding the correct use and history of terms associated with adoption.
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