Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this series includes frank discussions of infertility -- including having sex, timing sex to a woman's cycle, and reproductive organs -- so be prepared to answer questions about where babies come from. Birth parents are honest about their reasons for relinquishing their children; statements like "It's just not time for a kid" may require further explanation for young viewers. If you do tune in, you'll almost certainly be touched by the featured families' heartwarming stories.
Parents and kids can talk about what makes a family. Do families need to be biologically related to each other? You can also talk about your own family and how it was formed. Parents, share your stories of how you met each other. What made you fall in love? Did you always know you wanted a family? How did you feel when your kids were born? How have they changed your life? What are some of your favorite memories of your kids? Kids: What do you love about your family? What are some of your favorite things to do with your parents?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Emily Ashby
ADOPTION STORIES offers a look at the emotional ride of the adoption process. From the anticipation of awaiting a baby's birth to the frustrations of international red tape and, ultimately, the joy of welcoming a child into their home, new parents share their thoughts about how choosing adoption enriched their lives.
Each episode chronicles one family's story. Many different scenarios are shown -- single adults looking to be first-time parents, couples who have struggled with infertility, foster parents hoping to adopt the kids they've nurtured, and families who open their homes to older kids and teens. Both domestic and international adoptions are featured, and parents also discuss the legal process -- which can be frustrating, to say the least.
Parents share their personal background with the cameras, talking about their jobs, hobbies, and families. They also discuss their reasons for pursuing adoption, often tearing up when they talk about unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant or divorces that ended their hopes of having children of their own.
When birth parents are included, they also share their thoughts on what's led them to give up their children -- and the hopes they have for the kids' future. Viewers also learn about the kids, who are often in foster care or staying with relatives while they await their "forever families."
The cameras capture all of the momentous events -- whether it's when parents meet their new child for the first time or when a judge proclaims their legal right to call themselves a family. In some cases, the baby's birth is shown; emotions run high as a birth mother hands over a child to the adoptive parents. Later, in follow-up interviews, parents talk about how their children have changed and enriched their lives.
You'll want a full box of tissues by your side for this heartwarming series, especially if you have first-hand experience with adoption. The show makes for good family watching, reminding viewers of all ages that families come in many different shapes and sizes. Just be prepared to field questions about where babies come from and why some birth parents give their kids up for adoption.
Families may also enjoy A Baby Story, Bringing Baby Home, and Babies: A Special Delivery. Families interested in adoption can check out the Discovery Health Web site for information about the process.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentCouples talk openly about fertility issues and the difficulties of getting pregnant, including the pressure of performing "sex on demand." |
 |
|||
Violence |
|
|||
Language |
|
|||
Message |
|
|||
Social BehaviorThe series celebrates the creation of families through adoption and offers a realistic view of the emotions tied to the process. A wide variety of adoptive parents is shown, from single parents to foster families and more. |
 |
|||
Commercialism |
|
|||
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
|||
