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Perfect Timing
When to Tell Your Child About
His Birthmother By Jamie Moore
His Birthmother
Marcus needed to hear the truth. She says she needed to know her parents weren't ashamed of her or of her birth mom. She needed to know that the truth about her family was more important than lies and appearances. "I understand how devastating unhealthy family and parental behavior can be on children," she says. "A child picks up all those subtle and not-so-subtle cues from their caregivers shame, secrecy, lies and half-truths. They affect a kid's self-esteem, beliefs and behavior."
After years of therapy and heading back to school mid-life for a degree in mental health counseling, Marcus says she's much more compassionate and understanding than she was at age 12. In fact, she's seriously considering adopting a child herself. "The truth is the only way," says Marcus. "I will positively handle it early, often and openly."
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