Due to the privacy of one of my siblings the name is unmentioned and picture is covered with a flower petal.

    What was your experience like growing up in a multicultural family?

Growing up I would be very annoyed when people would say things like “But your sister is Latino so she really isn’t your sister? Or “Well they aren’t your real siblings”

    According to the world’s standards if I do not  look like my siblings we aren’t related. If we all have different birthparents it is “impossible” to have a bond with eachother in ways birth flamilies do. Adoption world is different. I do not feel closer to my sister fom Romania verses my sister from America. They are all my siblings. It is like asking twins if it is weird to be a twin when their answer would be no why?  Because it is all they know. To me it would be weird to have a sibling that my parents didn’t adopt. I know it’s rude to stare and I wrote an article on it (It’s Rude To Stare) but there are times I would catch myself staring at my friends and their siblings or parents because they do look alike. It is normal for me to see a multicultural family. It is normal for me to hear everyone’s story before they came to be with their forever family.

    What is the biggest age difference between you and your siblings, and how does it effect your relationships?

    Being the oldest girl that already makes me one of the bossy ones. This has also given me the “second mom” standard in my house before I moved out. Because of this I have learned what it takes to run a house and it has opened my eyes to the reality of not wanting twelve children  as one could imagine. My youngest sibling is 6 and my older brother is 26.

    The ages are 6,7,10,14,15,18,18,20,20,23,24,26.

    Based on your experience growing up, what is one thing you plan to do differently When you become a parent?

    I would honestly say more encouragement. Adopted children are more fragile whether they want to admit it or not and need it. All of us have the sad story before we got to live (adoption) and for some the struggle is harder than others. Being encouraged on the little things like how well they listened, or how helpful they were with something on a day to day bases makes them want to seek attention in a positive manner and not feel the burden of being unwanted.

https://hylachamberlain.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/mom/

https://hylachamberlain.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/show-and-tell/

https://hylachamberlain.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/talk-about-adoption/

https://hylachamberlain.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/the-beautiful-t/

https://hylachamberlain.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/courageous-child/