adoption

A short story of mine, Sheena Up A Mountain Wearing Flip-Flops, is up on Red Peter today - a damn fine online venue edited by Steve Finbow.

Call me me over sensitive - actually don't, I'm rather sensitive - but as an adoptive parent there's a whole raft of terminology, thoughtless phrases and terms of reference which imply a second-bestness in the relationship I have with my children.

"Real mum and dad"
...referring of course to the birth parents.

"Where are you adopting from?"