My co-blogger Deb just posted an excellent series about siblings separated by adoption and this got me thinking about my own two boys who are half brothers but yet separated by adoption and living in separate households with different parents.

One of the reasons I chose open adoption was so that my boys would know one another. Before Charlie was born, A and I discussed this and talked about how important it was to both of us that they know they are brothers, be able to refer to one another as a brother, etc.

The boys see one another through out the year, buy one another gifts, and attend each others’ birthday parties and what not. When we are all together, they will play with one another, although a lot of the play has to be facilitated by me as Charlie doesn’t know sign language yet, which is Noah’s main form of communication.

We do refer to them as brothers and they do have some traits and likes in common. They are both stubborn. They both prefer chips and pretzels over candy or chocolate. They have some of the same facial features and some of their baby pictures are very similar. When Charlie does something that is like a trait of Noah’s, A will comment, “You look/act just like your brother when you do that.”

Sure, it is challenging and it may not be your typical brotherly relationship as they are separated and not sharing the same living quarters as most siblings tend to do, but with all the non traditional families nowadays that have step siblings, half siblings, single parents, grandparents raising their grandchildren, etc. this is just another type of extended family.

My husband and I do plan to add a baby to our family which will be another biological half sibling for Charlie. I know that a baby will add another set of challenges to our non traditional family, but we are ready to face them as they come along.