“Parenthood” fans are on the edge of their seats waiting to see if Joel and Julia go through with the adoption of Victor. The season finale airs Tuesday, Jan. 22, on NBC. A preview posted on the official "Parenthood" website makes it look like the adoption is still a go, though Julia has been struggling with the decision for the past several episodes.
Like many couples, Joel and Julia decided to pursue adoption after dealing with infertility issues. Last season focused on their relationship with an expectant mother, Zoe. Joel, Julia and their young daughter were all heartbroken when Zoe decided to keep the baby after his birth. They decided to try another route and nine-year-old Victor moved in as a foster to adopt placement.
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, adopted children often exhibit behavior problems, such as defiance, disrespect and aggression, as a result of the trauma they experienced. Victor's adjustment to the family has been difficult. Julia almost called it quits when he threw a bat at their daughter, Sydney. Victor has also continually rejected Julia's attempts to connect with him, making her wonder if she's the right mother for him.
Corey Waters founded the Early Trauma and Attachment Annual Meeting for mothers of children who have mental health, behavioral and attachment issues as a result of trauma. Most of the mothers have adopted children. Corey said Julia would fit right in.
Waters is pleased with how “Parenthood” has portrayed older child adoption so far. She said,
“As an adoptive parent of older children, I am holding my breath as I watch this storyline unfold... partly because the show is, so far, doing justice to the topic of older child adoption, and partly because I am afraid that it will get wrapped up with a pretty bow on top. I am a longtime fan of 'Parenthood', but the fact of the matter is, the guy doesn't always get the girl. Drug addicts do not always recover. Marriages do not always survive infidelity. Women do not always survive breast cancer. And children do not always recover from the effects of early trauma and abuse. To deny these truths may make us feel good and thus make for good television, but they do not do justice to the difficult topics at hand. I would hate to see any family enter into older child adoption thinking everything will turn out okay, when the sad fact is, it very often does not."
Adoptive mother, Anya Monroe, agrees that the writers and actors are doing a great job portraying older child adoption so far. In fact, Anya has turned off her TV saying the show is
“too real to watch.”
Tune in to NBC on Jan. 22 for the season finale of “Parenthood,” titled “Because You’re My Sister.”
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