[momraine]

Do you plan on taking your child back to Poland for a visit?


I want to take my son when he is older. I am hoping that by then it will be more wheelchair accesable.

[LisArno]

Absolutely! My oldest (11) and I are planning on a mother-daughter trip next summer (2009). I would go this summer but all three kids and I are going to the States instead (husband will remain in Germany). I'll take the younger two when they are a few years older. My parents may come to visit in a couple of years and they would also like to go to Poland, so that may be the complete family trip. I would also like to return to Poland again for more Polish pottery, but that is a "mommy trip", though the oldest may accompany me.

[Kama]

Yes! But, that is easy, since I am from there and would want to visit anyway. I am also rethinking the idea of bio family... I feel much more comfortable now being supportive of my kids wanting to meet their bio relatives some day, if they wish to.

[mschaefer]

Yes. We would love to go back, although I expect it will not be for a few years when our girls are old enough to understand a bit more. Ideally I would like to go back in the next 4-5 years.

[tony_nyc]

Does anyone have concerns about taking their adopted children back to Poland? My wife and I really enjoy traveling to Poland to visit her family that is still there. However, I could possibly see children creating an "old life, new life" mentality in their heads, so once in the U.S. they don't want to revisit their "old life" back in Poland. My wife has been reading some of the "scary books" (re:RAD, etc.) and this kind-of thing is hinted at.

[momraine]

Some adopted children do have bad memories of thier home countries, but not all. My son has wonderful memories of Poland. My daughter's Russian memories were not quite as positive. For her first few years she did not want to hear Russian. Now she is fine with it and proud of her heritage. My son loves to talk about his life in Poland and looking at pictures. He prays every night for all of his friends in the orphanage to get adopted and get thier own families. Contitions for Polish orphans are much better than those in many other countries.

[lastpaige]

Since we stayed for one big long trip we were able to take our daughters and their new brothers all over Poland. So - if we don't get back, at least we had that time to travel, enjoy, and learn.

For now we're just going to pay off our FIRST trip!

A thought on old life/new life - we gave our boys their 'new life' in Poland when we gave them their new names. That has really helped, as they know that "Slawek's" mother (bio-mom) didn't know how to take care of him, but that "Jakub's" mother (me) knows exactly what he needs and will love him - prawda & na zawza.

[LisArno]

My 11 year old daughter is looking forward to going back. She would like to visit with her foster mom again and I have no problem with that - very nice family. She also would like to see where she used to live with her "old mom", though she does not want to see her. I've talked to our youngest two (4 and 5) that they used to live in Poland and lived at a very nice Dom Dziecka. They have asked if they can go to Poland some day.

[jessipea]

We just got back, so we aren't planning anything yet. When they get older! I am totally with the paying off the first trip

My kiddos are just able to talk about their memories a little more, every once in awhile they will say things like, "I got hit by a car in Poland." Things like that still shock me, but I am glad they are able to talk about it with me...they liked their orphanage but not bio family.