Reasons to adopt or foster a teen

~ No diapers to change! Many of them are even willing to do their own laundry and help with house and yard work.

~ They are NOT typically morning people. No 2am feedings, 4am diaper changes and up to watch Sesame Street at 6am. Everyone gets to sleep in!

~ Teenagers will keep you up to date on the latest fashion trends. Who could pass up a live-in style consultant!

~ They can teach you how to program your IPOD and troubleshoot computer issues.

~ They share more interests with you and you can have meaningful conversations about life goals and dreams for the future.

An argument I often hear about parenting infants and toddlers instead of older children and teens is that they don't want to miss all of the "firsts" in a child's life. Even if you decide to adopt or foster a teen, there will still be plenty of "firsts". First driving trip, first college visit, first time they cook dinner, first crush, prom, graduation, etc... There are so many important firsts that you will get to be an important part of! You may miss the first word, but you'll get to hear the first word they learned in high school Spanish. You may miss the first step, but you'll be there to see the first step in high heels! These are all firsts that no child or teen should have to experience alone.

Most importantly, when you become a parent of a child of any age, life is no longer about you. Ideally, yes, you'd have a child from birth/toddlerhood through adulthood, raised in your home with your values, traditions, and memories, who will grow up to automatically cherish you simply because you are mom or dad. But in reality, there are so many older children and teens who are facing tomorrow knowing that they are completely alone in this world. Desperately latching onto anyone that will pause long enough, or rejecting everyone thinking they can do it alone.

Being a teen is hard enough for those of us who were fortunate enough to have the unconditional support of a family. Now imagine what your teen years would be like if you were alone. No child, regardless of age, should have to live without knowing what it feels like to be a part of a family. None of us are perfect, how can we expect children and teens who have experienced such tremendous grief and disappointment in their short lives to be perfect?