Season 6: When and How to Talk About Adoption

This episode is part of our Season 6 series, Helping Your Child Understand Their Journey, where we explore practical ways to support conversations about adoption, identity and belonging.

Join host Eddie Elliott as he speaks with Toni about one of the questions adoptive parents often wrestle with: when do we start talking about adoption, and what do we actually say?

Toni shares practical insight on how to make these conversations part of everyday family life rather than a single, high-pressure “big talk”. She discusses how children’s curiosity can ebb and flow, how to respond to tricky questions about birth families, and what to do if your child doesn’t seem interested in their story at all.

They also explore the language that helps children feel secure, the common pitfalls parents can fall into, and how to prepare yourself emotionally so you can stay steady when difficult feelings arise.

This episode offers thoughtful, practical guidance for parents who want to build honest, ongoing conversations that help their child understand their adoption story with confidence.

Adoption Shared is a podcast brought to you by We Are Family. We believe every adoptive family deserves community. If you’d like to support our work, a donation helps us continue providing services and peer support across the UK. Find out more at wearefamilyadoption.org.uk/donate. 

Contact We Are Family & the Adoption Shared Team:
Tweet us @WAFadoption #AdoptionShared
Tweet Eddie @Eddielliott
Email us hello@wearefamilyadoption.org.uk

Join us www.wearefamilyadoption.org.uk

We prioritise the privacy of guests and their children. All identifying information has been changed or removed. We provide guidance to all guests about how and whether details of their adoption journey and their children’s stories are shared.