[BlessedbySnuggs]

How many children would you adopt?

I was thinking about this, this morninig as I was getting ready with my beautiful daughter sitting next to me in her exercauser. I really feel that to even think about wanting another one is absurd sometimes. A) We feel so fortunate and blessed to have the one we have and B) We are still recovering financially from this one! LOL

But, I started thinking, if we happened to win the lotto (LOL again) that we would adopt again in a heartbeat! I think it's so sad that money has to be such a big object when it comes to adopting. Obviously, I know it is important, but when things were all said and done with this adoption, whew, we spent a lot of money. Two attorneys in two differnet states, agency fees, social worker expenses, birth mom expenses, travel (airline and hotel), homestudy, etc...etc...etc.... Of course, everything was completely 100% worth it, but it just got me thinking...

If money were no object, how many children would you adopt? Thanks!

[Fe2002]

The resource that is limiting children for me is actually time. If I had the time I would adopt 3 children. Because I don't... I'm settling for two. At this point I only have one, but will start the process for adoption #2 when DD is about 2 or so.

[aclee]

I have to divide this answer into before and after.

BEFORE I had a baby, I said 2. God gave me two hands, so he meant for me to have two children (half joking, but serious about the number of kids)

AFTER having Ty, I look back into the Honday Pilot, and say, it seats six, so why not? And what's the next step up from here.

We have three dogs, two over 70 pounds who are rescues with few manners and little awareness of their size....Clearly I thrive in chaos

[Stormster]

Because I am 43 and DH is 45 we would adopt 1 more ...
very close in age. I've always wanted that because my sibs were 8 and 10 years older than I was!

If we were younger probably more. Though if money was no object I could afford plenty of help so why limit myself?

Ok THREE more children please! But one full time housekeeper and a full time mother's helper thank you! Who cooks!

I still have a secret fantasy someone will just FIND us and ask us to parent another baby and all we'll have to do is minimum costs but unfortunately DH would still have financial anxiety. IT's just his personality.

[ourdreamcametru]

I feel that even with unlimited financial means we would still be done with the three children we have. I think that our time is so tight now and our kids are spread so far apart in age that we would want to just be able to spend more time with the ones we have and travel more, do more extra curricular activities.

[Eponine]

Storm - our husbands are peas in a pod - we have a possible situation of someone who found us and may want us to adopt her child (we want her to get counseling and consider all her options before making a final decision).

So, with our agency there would be minimal cost for this adoption because we "found" the emom. Our homestudy is still current, no cost there. We paid very little for adoption of DS because of a state grant so we're not in debt from the 1st adoption.

But he's still freaking out about the cost if we were to adopt a second child this year! I'm all for fiscal responsibility but he's a little overboard....

[nikkianni]

Well, we're not out of medical limbo with DD yet, so I suppose that and money are the limiting factors.
If DD does end up having serious issues, one more. If she doesn't, two more. I don't think I could deal with more than three.
Unless of course as Storm says I could get a full time housekeeper and cook and be a SAHM anyway. Then, bring on the Brady Bunch!

[kelceesmom]

If I could I would have a total of 2. With my age (hmm in my 40's) I just don't have the stamina for more. But I would so like Kelcee to have at least one sibling.

[Stormster]

Ep tell your husband lower income people have big happy families all the time! I tell DH that but it doesn't work. He's nuts! He thinks unless you have no debt (including mortgage) and savings you are in financial trouble. mind you we have a smaller mortgage than ANYONE we know, we have ONE car (he walks to station and we are in walking distance to town), he does his own lawn/gardening (unusual in our town) etc....also in this very house, a brakeman for the Metro North Railroad and wife raised nine healthy kids! Still...one more baby and we'll be on the street!

I gave away all E's baby stuff already anyway (sigh).

K does Kelcee have any bio sibs?

[kelceesmom]

She has 2 bio and 2 half from her bparents. Our bparents have chosen not to keep in contact which makes me very sad. She has lots of cousins here but a sib is different.

[ocracoke]

If money was no object then I would want a large family. Like 7 kids sounds good to me. Might need a little help since I am single. Since money is an issue I am hoping that I can add another one so that my daughter is not an only child. But I would want older children only -- so not a baby person.

Samantha

[Fran27]

Well for us money is an issue for more than just the adoption fee. Even if I got pregnant now, and had an easy pregnancy with not much in term of medical bills, I don't see how we could afford another chil, between every day expenses, and the fact that our cars and house are too small already for two kids and two big dogs.

But if we had money... it's hard to tell now because we're so busy with the twins and I can't see myself taking care of another child right now, but I would have liked to have more than two. Ideally, I would have liked DS to have a brother, and DD to have a sister.

We would probably have started when the twins are 2, so I guess we have two more years to get rich...

[lovemy2boys]

Like Fran, we'd have to have enough money for a bigger house, two big cars as opposed to one, and enough to send a third to private school...

I've always wanted 4, DH wanted 3, and we have 2....If time and money were more plentiful, we'd probably have a 3rd...

[joskids]

We have adopted 4. For us, money wasn't a big adoption issue as my husband has a very good financial assistance which we used for the last adoption and the other 3 came from the system at virtually no cost (except for food and housing, etc.). I'm now a SAHM and it's getting harder and harder to stay home and do the job of parenting ourselves. Bottom line, money isn't the biggest object (I'm past my 40's). My emotional status and something my husband calls "quality of life" is very important so we just have to stop now. I've always wanted to adopt an older girl but that hasn't worked out. So I now mentor an 11 year old which takes only about 8 hours a month of my time. We also recently rehomed our dog because he was causing me added stress. We're working on a new plan -- living within our means and easing our stress level at every turn. I really have respect for those of you that have pets AND children. That's quite a burden when you think about it. We really feel that God brought these kids to us because we opened our doors. And we'd love to save the world from bad bioparents and foster parents who don't do things for the right reasons - but we've learned that we can only do so much and still raise a successful family of our own.

Blessings to all of you.
Josie

[crick]

I'm done... 4 is my magic number and as they get older the more and more I realize that money is down on the list of priorities for me in raising them. (need money of course, but it's not THE factor for us)

It's TIME first and foremost. It's amazing how much time sports/activities and school requires out of your day and then still have time for quality family time etc.

Besides, I've been informed by my daughter that if we have another one it MUST be a girl. I've also been informed by the 3 boys that if we have another one, it MUST be a boy. Don't really see a way around these orders unless I have one of each and that is NOT happening! LOL!