My sister in law just ripped us apart when we said we wanted to adopt an older child, that it’s our dream to do so. She said how could we ever bring a child into our household that could harm our other children. You don’t know their family hx or background...

I think she was totally uncalled for. I was really shocked by her reaction. My brother who is married to her reacted the same way. My other brother said that it’s a very selfless wonderful thing to do but he would be so unsure and also be so many challenges he doesn’t know he could face.

I’m a speech therapist and have worked with children with many disabilities and backgrounds. I also know who to refer a child to for services or for counseling, for example. My sister in law is a physical therapist which shocked me even more she would react this way. She works with children with low economic status or also abused.

If you have adopted an older children, would you mind giving us some guidance from your experience