Warren's Story

How do you adjust to new adopted siblings?

My biggest worry was that they were going to get into my stuff. But what could I have expected? Little brothers are always going to get into your stuff!

I'm Warren and now 18-years old. I've lived with my two brothers for about six years. David is 11; Emilio is 9. When we adopted them I was 12 and only had an older sister. With an older sister, you learn to respect boundaries quickly or else you're in for a horrible childhood!

We picked them up in Medford, Oregon, and I had to sit through a boring play that David was in. Watching this kid on stage who was going to become a part of my family really scared me.

When they first came to live with us, it was a little hard adjusting to not being the only boy in the family. Emilio has a rambunctious personality and always acted just like he felt. David, on the other hand, did everything he could to please me and his new family, and it was irritating to me. David has become more confident and he's changed into a more independent person and I really like him. Emilio, is well, still Emilio.

As much as I've tried to ignore their antics, horseplay is expected as an older brother and we have fun now. They've gotten a lot better about showing their emotions and respecting boundaries. Emilio always tells you exactly what he's thinking, and David will settle down more when I ask him to now. They're little brothers and can still be a pain sometimes, but I've learned to accept them for who they are. And who they are, are my little brothers. I've come to understand that I'll never understand their past or their feelings about having me shoved into their lives either.

Even though David and Emilio may have different birth-parents than my sister and me, that doesn't take away any of the love and affection that I have for them. Brothers, are brothers. Family, is family.