"Moonbeam thinks it through" is the title of a recent post by the talented writer who calls her blog Paragraphein. I love her writing and have mentioned her blog several times. This post discusses how her daughter processed the addition of a new brother into her adoptive family. The post is short and sweet, but full of meaning.

Critics of open adoption often talk about how confusing they are for children. However, many children of divorce have shared custody arrangements much more complicated than any open adoption. An open adoption is not co-parenting, however, there are some obvious similarities.

In Paragraphein's post, it seems pretty clear that her relinquished daughter (Moonbeam) "gets" their open adoption arrangement. She does not sound the least bit confused. I think she has a better grasp of the situation than many adults.

Many children of adoption have multiple siblings, some in their birth family and some in the adoptive family. In Moonbeam's case, she already had a sibling in her birth family, and now she has one in her every day family as well.
I think it can be very beneficial for adopted children to have siblings within their family and in their birth family as well.

In some families, not all the adopted children within a family are able to have contact with birth family. A few situations I know of, the birth mother of one child within an adoptive family include other children within the adoptive family on special occasions.

A second child in the adoptive family could bring up some feelings for the birth mother to work through. However, I think most birth moms understand that growing up with siblings can be good for their child and eventually accept that idea. I suppose one's views on siblings is affected by how you grew up. However, I think many of us believe that growing up with siblings is preferable.