What is your read on the statement "Consider adoption, a loving alternative to parenting."?

sunny

I think they're trying to imply that adoptive parenting is superior to the kind of parenting the pregnant mother could give.

If she were 'loving' herself, she'd give her baby to other people to raise.

The target audience for an ad like this is not someone who's considering abortion--it's a mother who has decided to raise her baby and is probably being pressured by other people to give up her baby.

The agency's ad is playing on her doubts.

tish

my read...

C-H-A C-H-I-N-G!!!!

parenting yields no moola to the adoption industry. besides, sunny, you do KNOW there's a baby shortage, duncha? so we can't have all these poor, single women out there just having and raising their OWN children..

this website is disgusting and needs to be shut down.

o0lauren0o

Tish, your answer is amazing!! Its too true! Family preservation is whats most important and adoption should be the 'last resort'. If there is any way to keep a family together, it should be done. Adoption is too often a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

concerned

Hmmm. Well at least it's more truthful than the usual line (adoption as a loving alternative to abortion). I give them props for that, for recognizing that adoption isn't the flip side of abortion.

BUT...

It's still repulsive. Still no mention that the CHILD might not consider it loving.

Momof2!

I would personally take it as meaning a loving option if you already DIDN'T want to parent.
It doesn't suggest to me that parenting isn't loving, but I know that nobody could take my children away from me, whatever the tagline said.

Isabel A

You know, call me crazy, but I just don't think it's very loving to give your child away to strangers.

It could be a practical option or a convenient option or even a painful option. I just wouldn't think to pair the word loving with relinquishment.

Marketing these days is something else.

Velken

I think they are trying to find a way to say things nicely instead of "Give the baby away instead of killing it". Some people find abortion and adoption wrong, so its to help those people see its not just birth, its parenting for 18+ years. I think they could have phrased it better, but to each his own.

Andraya

I much prefer the statement. "Consider abortion, a loving alternative to adoption."

Loving alternative to parenting? IMHO this implies that choosing to parent is not a loving choice and that sickens me. COERCE MUCH?

spydermomma

I don't like it at all, for the reasons lots of others have said. To me it kinda makes it sound as if a woman who was considering reliquishing her child for adoption could not possibly be a good and loving parent -- so that her "loving alternative" would be to adopt. Probably they didn't >consciously< mean to imply that, but I think that their subconscious thoughts came through.

Phoenix

Or how about keeping your own child, bringing it up yourself and saving it from years of uncertainty and all the other crap that comes with adoption (for a lot of people, but not everyone)
It does seem to imply that parenting is a non-loving option, which is horrible.
Bleurgh!! Dont like this slogan.

lahdh4

beyond sickening

Heather B

Sounds like we should all be giving our kids away for adoption!

How ridiculous. I'm with Tish, Kerchiing!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$

coercive tactic to make money off vulnerable people

LaurieDB

Huh?? I thought the loving thing to do when you have a child IS to be a parent!

Talk about pulling out all the stops. Trying to twist and guilt women who are already feeling scared and confused is so wrong.

irishboney

There are many people who become parents that are simply not equipped to do so. I think that this ad is saying instead of possible hurting or neglecting your child with poor parenting skills, give the child to people who are able to take care of it. It is actually a pretty good slogan that will hopefully reach its intended audience!

Patricia S

My immediate reaction was that they were implying that parenting is not required when adopting. Maybe I just take things too literally.

c_a_m_2u

Sounds to me like it's a way to address the women who, instead of abortion, will keep the baby, especially if they are not fully equipped to handle parenting. I'd agree that abortion isn't always the answer, but neither is keeping a baby out of guilt if parent can't handle the future properly. The writer of the quoted comment has a good argument... If you can't take care of the baby, then adoption would be the loving thing to do for your baby.

adkwolf

That is outrageous. Adoption is PARENTING. In some ways it's more challenging than parenting babies born to you, because even small babies grieve for birth parents. There re also issues of helping the child feel loved and understand that the birth parents choice to not raise a child wasn't because the child was bad. ADOPTION IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO EXPAND A FAMILY not an alternative to parenting!!!!

AdoreHim

I don't like this at all- parenting is a loving alternative as well. What I really hope they meant by it was that adoption is the only other loving alternative. You should actually call them on it- because it does make it sound like parenting your own child is not a loving alternative. Abortion definitely isn't loving- but parenting is. Maybe if you asked them about it, they would change this statement- because if I was a birth mom, it turn me off, and if I was a man and woman looking to adopt it would turn me off too.

EDIT- and for those who say that it is not loving to give your child away to someone else, I have this to say- so if your birth mom could no way raise you, you think it would be better to abort? I am an adoptee and also have adopted 2 kids- and since our 3 birth moms could not raise us, it very loving and selfless to place for adoption. If I got pregnant and could not raise my child, do you think I would sacrifice my child on the altar of abortion? NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

littleJaina

I don't read this statement as implying that parenting is NOT loving. Rather, they are saying that you can either parent your child OR you can give it up for adoption and BOTH are loving options. I think the adoption folks are trying to just take abortion out of the equation all together. Maybe if we stop reminding girls they legally can get abortions, they won't do them.

I think it's truly awful that anyone believes abortion is anything less than murder (except in life threatening situations) and that honestly believe adoption is worse. After all, if an adopted person truly believes they'd be better off aborted, there are lots of high bridges in the world they can jump from.

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