Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents' Perceptions of Parental Bonding During Early Parenthood

Although there is a fairly large body of research on children's attachment to their parents, less attention has been paid to the experience of and process by which parents, particularly adoptive parents, develop affectional bonds to their children. The current qualitative study examines lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents' perceptions of bonding to their adopted children. Forty-five couples (90 adoptive parents) were interviewed 2 years postadoptive placement, allowing parents to reflect on their initial postplacement bonds, changes in bonding over time, and their current parent-child bonds. Findings revealed that more than one-half of participants described a strong and stable bond to their child beginning at the time of placement, which parents attributed to a variety of factors, such as the child's young age. Other participants described a slow initial bond to their child (e.g., owing to the "shock" of becoming parents overnight), followed by a gradual strengthening of the bond over time. Finally, a few participants described a waning emotional connection to their children over time, which they typically attributed to challenges related to their child's developmental stage. The majority of participants reported they were currently strongly bonded to their child. These findings highlight the individual nature of the bonding process, and suggest that practitioners can support adoptive parents by promoting awareness of diversity in bonding experiences, as well as engaging in efforts that will enhance parent-child bonding.