Mark & John

Mark and John live with their adopted son and their two cats.

Why did you decide to adopt rather than foster?

We didn’t want children coming and going, we wanted a son of our own.  As a gay couple, we were restricted with our options.

What advice would you give people considering adoption?

You need a very strong support group, especially ones that are available during the day as most people work! Become friends with school parents, they’ll be a great support.

What was the hardest part of your experience with adoption?

Adoption is hard. When our son was settling in, he had a lot of anger and, as the main carer, I bore the brunt of his feelings. I ended up with post-adoption depression; we didn’t want to lose our son but I just needed help. When we finally got the right support for our problems, we began to feel like a real family.  Our son no longer has tantrums – perhaps just once a month, which is brilliant!  He’s just like any other child now and we’re all one big happy family.

What was your best moment?

Probably seeing our son settle and be happy. He’s grown loads and has learnt to read and write. We feel very proud.