Does it bother you when...?

Question

People talk about 'adopting' pets or Cabbage Patch Kids or anything else that isn't human? It bugs me no end. Maybe I'm just overly sensitive, but I adopted my son 5 years ago (he's 7 now) and I don't want him to think that his adoption is somehow equal to getting a cat at the Humane Society.

What do you think?

Answer 1

Maybe you should read the definition of adoptions there it may help you understand what the word means.

i adopted the definitions for you.

Definitions of adoption on the Web:

the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception; "its adoption by society"; "the proposal found wide acceptance"

a legal proceeding that creates a parent-child relation between persons not related by blood; the adopted child is entitled to all privileges belonging to a natural child of the adoptive parents (including the right to inherit)

borrowing: the appropriation (of ideas or words etc) from another source; "the borrowing of ancient motifs was very apparent"

wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent (or parents) other than the birth parents. ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoption

Adoption (Hungarian: Örökbefogadás) is a 1975 Hungarian film directed by Márta Mészáros. It tells the story of a Kata, an unmarried female factory worker, who becomes interested in neglected children and tries to adopt one.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoption (film)

Adoption, in Pauline Christianity, admits man into the family of God with filial joy. In adoption, the believer, already a child, receives a place as an adult son; thus the child becomes a son, the minor becomes an adult (see Galatians 4:1-7).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoption (theology)

Adoption deals with the transfer (conversion) between an old system to a target system in an organization. So if a company works with an old software system, it may want to use a new system which is more efficient, has more work capacity etc. ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adoption (software implementation)

Approval or acceptance; usually applied to amendments or resolutions.

www.leginfo.ca.gov/glossary.html

the final confirmation of a plan as a statutory document by the local planning authority.

wychavon.whub.org.uk/home/wdc-planning...

A facilitator can serve as the entity between birthparents and adopting parents in assisting the "match." Facilitators do not have specific credentials, but usually have experience or training in working with birthparents.

www.adoptionconnection.org/dictionary....

(1) Adoption by a country of an international agreement refers to the process of its incorporation into the domestic legal system, through signature, ratification or any other process required under national law. ...

www.unep.org/dec/onlinemanual/Resource...

This word is three times in Romans, once in Galatians, but it does not occur at all in First and Second Corinthians, First and Second Thessalonians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. Why its omission should be used against the Pastorals is not easy to understand.

www.newadvent.org/cathen/14727b.htm

Refers to the chosen curriculum of a particular school.

www.schoolwisepress.com/smart/dict/dic...

A preliminary action of the House or Senate or of a committee in considering amendments and substitutes. Amendments are adopted. Committee substitutes are adopted before they are voted do pass by a committee or perfected by the House or Senate. ...

www.house.mo.gov/info/glossary.htm

literally means "to place as a son", and describes the act whereby God places undeserving sinners into a position of permanent sonship, granting them al the rights and privileges consistent with that position.

www.calvarysbd.com/terms.htm

to take a child into one's home by legal means and raise as one's own, with same legal rights as one's natural children

freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~rand...

Adoption is a way of forming a family, involving the placement of a child with adoptive parents, followed by a legal process, which establishes a child as if he or she was born to those adoptive parents

www.cara.nic.in/glossary.htm

While adoption often is viewed simply as “butts in seats,” it is actually an important measure that indicates how well a program was marketed and adopted, as well as how it was received by the audience. ...

www.clomedia.com/content/anmviewer.asp

means the transfer of ownership of a dog or a cat, or any other companion animal, from a releasing agency to an individual.

www.vbgov.com/vgn.aspx

A person cannot marry a child he/she has adopted.

rootsweb.com/~swewgw/Fact/Dict/facdic_...

Arms of Adoption. [See under Arms.]

www.digiserve.com/heraldry/pimb_a.htm

Making a commitment to an unreached people until there is an indigenous, reproducing church established among them. Aspects may include prayer, research, and networking toward church planting. Sometimes called “people group adoption” or adopt-a-people. ...

www.antiochnetwork.org/Pages/Definitio...

Answer 2

No it does not bother me. But maybe I have a better prospective on this than some as I was adopted and my dad was the humane officer for our county. Adoption is for any living creature that doesn't have a home, not jut human. And you can't use the infant thing because not all human adoptions are for infants. Animals in a shelter are living creatures that need a loving home. And in  reality in some shelters before you can adopt a pet you have to meet certain standards before you can take the animal home, and an adoption fee must be paid. I have seen many abused and neglected animals of all types living where I did. The thing is all these animals want is someone to care and love them.  They are living creatures that have endured cruelty and trauma also.Adoption isn't limited to just humans. Just like not all who have kids should be called parents some do not deserve this title but they are given it huh! Like I said I grew up seeing how cruel humans are to animals and I endured abuse by  so called parents too so I have a clear picture of both sides.

Answer 3

When it comes to adopting pet its understandable but anything outside of kids and pets, kinda does p**s me off.

Answer 4

I get why some people think adopting pets is okay, but it still bothers me nonetheless.  In the case of pets, the infant pet is still allowed to remain with it's mother for some time before being separated.  Someone somewhere watched their animals to see when that ideal time of separation should be so there are the least amount of obvious harm done to either the mother or the infant animal in question.

With people, there is not the same consideration.  Infants get taken at birth.  I don't like the association of adopt a pet and adopt a human infant with that the mother is disposable with no visible sign of loss in the same way.

Answer 5

well I could understand a pet, many people treat pets as very iportant part of the family!

Answer 6

Well, I can kind of understand pets only because when you "adopt" a pet, someone else was taking care of it first.

I can also see how you would be sensitive to the term as well, of course a baby and a pet are not the same so yes I understand what you are saying.

Maybe if it ever comes up with your son, you can just explain that it is just a term used when people become parents to a living being that was once taken care of by someone else at one point in time.

Answer 7

I've never thought of it that way...

But it makes sense yeah

Answer 8

You know Sweetheart I completely understand where you are coming from, we as Parents absolutely know our children are the BEST, most WONDERFUL presence to ever hit earth and to compare the gift of a child, either through the act of "natural" birth or the Most loving act of Adoption to anything else is beyond us as mothers. Just remember, It Is You that makes the difference in how your little man will view "how" he came into your life....I don't think I would worry semantics...it is JUST a word...you know, they use it to signify something for lack of a better word...the same way they use the term "Mother" to assign meaning to horrible mothers the same way we use Mother to assign meaning to us as wonderful Moms..."Adoption" in the case of anything besides humans is used for lack of a better word. Just keep being the Terrific Momma you are and forget the rest, your Son WILL understand that his adoption is in NO way equal to the acquisition of an animal or an inanimate object...I hope this makes sense to you.

Answer 9

I think that sometimes a word in used to describe something simply because there isn't a better one.  What else do you think getting a pet from an animal shelter should be called?  I think they call it adopting because you do have to pay a fee, and they don't want to calling it purchasing because they are all about animals are not objects and so on.  So I guess they just call it adoption for lack of a better word.  I think that if your son is old enough to raise that question that he'll also be old enough to comphrehend that there are many different types of adoption and you should explain them to him.

Answer 10

If it's something that isn't alive, Yea i guess... but I adopted my pet.. see pet adoption is different.. if you dont adopt and save the pet from the pound, and no one else does, they are going to kill it. I dont think they kill kids if no one adopts them so i think pets earn the right to be adopted as well.

Answer 11

It sort of does bother me just like it bothers you. Maybe you should explain to your  son what REAL adoption is but don't mention that you adopted him. Tell him that you're just going to take care of the thing.

Answer 12

I can kinda understand how you could worry about that.  I can tell you that I was adopted and it never really occured to me to compaire the two.   Don't worry to much but I understand and appreciate the concern.

Answer 13

Adopt: to choose or take as one's own; make one's own by selection or assent

I think you're being over sensitive, as the word clearly is applicable to a cat at the Humane Society.

Answer 14

i think its grate that you adopted your son ..... i cant stand people who adopted point less things like toys and stuff.

i can see sense in people wanting to adopt animals from shelters because there giving the animal a new home.

Answer 15

adopting is welcoming another living thing into your home that you didn't give birth to so adopting an animal is still adoption.  They are homeless animals looking for a loving home with a caring "parent" so to speak.  No a child isn't like an animal but it is still adoption just the same.  As for cabbage patch kids that is just something for kids and i think it is great as it introducing children to adoption and everything, i mean you know how many children i have heard ask their parents what adoption was because they learned it because of the cabbage patch adoptions?  It is an education thing.  

I really think you are to sensitve and your 5 year old will never think that his adoption is just like the adoption of an animal.  I think you are reading to much into it.  I know that my cousin can be protective of her adopted son and just wants him to feel he is as love and wanted as birthchildren but even she understands that animal adoption is still adoption just an animal instead of a human.

Answer 16

Yes, this does bother me a little.  Not like a "picket, sign-carrying, write my congressmen" kind of bother, but an eye-rolling, shake my head, irritated kind of bother.

You can "Adopt a" anything nowadays.  Adopt a dog, adopt a cat, adopt a family, adopt a highway, adopt a tree, etc.  None of these even come close to the requirements and experience of adopting a child. I see why it's sometimes use, particularly with dogs and cats (I'm an animal lover), because animal shelters are filled with dogs that were purchased for a Christmas puppy, then get brought to the shelter six months later when they aren't cute puppies anymore.  Adoption is supposed to denote permanence.   Again, I understand it, I'm sympathetic to it.

But I believe it would be nice if the causes du jour used a different term than "adoption.

Answer 17

It doesnt really bother me that much actually. When they advertise and make them sound like they are getting a child rather than a pet, that DOES bother me! They try and pull on the old heartstrings. I do agree that adoption should be portrait in a better way than on a cabbage patch kid. If only adoption was as easy as that! I have looked up the word on www.dictionary.com and It looks as if the word "ADOPTION" isnt just used to adopt a child. I could be wrong, but hey, its 7.00 in the morning and my eyes are still shut lol.

Answer 18

Pets are part of families too....the pets got to be a good home just like him...they are the same... It does compare..toys and stuff. i dont think so

Answer 19

i think that you shouldnt feel that way a child is an amazing responsiblity. A human is somthin that is a part of you somthin that you gave time and effort to, a cat only lives for 10 years a human last for much longer. if u truley love ur son which i know you do. then dont put him in comparison to a animal or doll, just becuase hes so much more then that. He is a human being and adopting a doll or a pet is nothing like adopting a child, a life that is now in your hands dont be sensitve about it becuase this child is apart of u now and part of your life and part of you which you have to be with 100% he shouldnt think that his adoption is as common as a cat or  a dog as long as u love him he'll never ask.

i dont know how much help i would be anyways im only 15