Often times adopted stepchildren have severe trust and emotional issues, due to being hurt, and let down by a biological parent time and time again. The children soon learn to shut off their emotions, in order to protect themselves from the pain, confusion, and grief that the absent biological parent is constantly causing them. Once they have shut down their feelings, these children live in bleak, emotionless worlds; having decided it is better to feel nothing at all, than to always feel pain.

Once a stepparent adoption occurs, and the child finally has a chance for a stable, loving home, and a stable, loving family, he or she may not know how to simply turn his or her emotions back on again. What became so easy to do in the beginning, shutting down their emotions, can now seem almost impossible for the child to reverse. The children become locked inside themselves, emotional prisoners, unable to give, or to receive true affection, because the fear of rejection is too great of a risk for the child to take.

Sine adopted stepchildren have been let down by adults in the past, they can have a very hard time opening up to, and trusting, any adult, even an adult who has never harmed the child in any way whatsoever. If your adopted stepchild does not have severe emotional disturbances, or violent outbursts, then consider rescuing an animal for the child to take care of, befriend, and eventually bond, and form an attachment with. Animals are less intimidating to children than adults are. The relationship is a much simpler one. The animal loves the child unconditionally, no matter what the child’s past was like, no matter how bad the child’s day was, or grades at school are, the animal will just want to love the child, and earn that child’s love in return.

Since many adopted stepchildren have abandonment issues from having a biological parent decide not to be involved in their child’s life, the child will be able to see the resemblance, and how the two lives parallel each other, and identify very well with a rescued animal. A child who has gone through the pain and hurt of feeling “thrown away” will have a special understanding of that animal, and a special place in his or her heart, for an animal who has assumed a life of such similar fate as they have. Once the child is able to bond with the animal, be it a dog, cat, hamster, or whatever is decided that would truly be the best match for the child, the child, or children can begin to slowly form trust and bonds with adults. By having a positive, and eventually trusting relationship with an animal of the child’s own, and by not being, or feeling rejected, the child will be able to gain more confidence, as time goes on, and will begin to be able to open up to adults, and slowly learn to trust adults, once more, in time.

The decision to add a new pet, of any kind, to the family should not be one made on an impulse, or a whim. Adding an animal to the family is a life long commitment, and life-altering event. So it is very important to be well informed about the animal that you have chosen to be a companion for your adopted stepchild, before going forward with making an animal purchase, or adopting an animal from a local shelter. It is also extremely important to research different breeds of dogs, or whatever animal it is that you are interested in getting for your adopted stepchild, so that you can not only find the perfect companion for your adopted stepchild, but you will also have the knowledge of how to properly take care of the animal, and give it the best care possible.