What is better than bringing in new life into this world? It is the willingness to protect and nurture a life that has no roots in the world. Adoption is gradually facing an increasing trend in India. With the increase in the minimum marital age of the female and choice of more and more couples choosing to have children much later in their lives, the rate of adoptions have also shown a significant increase over the years. According to the census of 2018, 6750 girls and 4460 boys have been adopted in India. Maharashtra tops the chart with an adoption count of 1,465 girls and 1,208 boys. If you have made a joint decision with your spouse to adopt a child, the following gives you a basic checklist to ensure before taking the next step

1. Do not take the responsibility lightly

Adoption is a lifelong commitment to care for, love and nature another life. It is no different from giving birth and rearing a child of your own. You will face a few additional challenges along the way. Do not adopt if you are not ready for a longterm commitment

• You don’t need the perfect family to adopt

No family is perfect. They come with their own quirks. However, you should make sure that the family you are currently a part of is not toxic and is emotionally and financially well adjusted to welcome a new member. Do not fall into the societal traps that you need a partner to adopt. If you are able to meet the above-said criteria on your own, you are good to go

• Do not talk against their biological parents

You will meet parents from all walks of life. No parent voluntarily wants to give up their baby to anyone unless forced by circumstances to do so. Therefore, avoid talking ill about the child’s biological parents or try to instill hatred towards them in the heart of your child.

• You are not doing the child a favor

This is an extremely important point. Do not adopt a child to stroke your ego. Neither are you a savior nor was the child begging you to save it. Walk into adoption with unconditional love and an open heart. Not as though, the child owes you for the rest of his/her life

• Give them time

All being said, patience and kindness go a long way in making your adopted child accept you. Some children might have had a bad introduction to the life and might take time to open up to you. Be the bigger person here and show the child as much love and understanding as possible.

You are doing arguably the best deed in your life; make sure it is something you cherish or the rest of your lives. Multiple adoption groups and meetups are available that can help you understand the real-time situations during adopting. Take as much help as possible in order to keep your family of love ever-growing and expanding.