Exploring Adoption Q & A: 5 Questions To Ask Yourself When Considering Adoption

Mike and Melanie of 2 in a Zoo have launched a new adoption-focused video series call Exploring Adoption. Today's episode is called "5 Questions To Ask Yourself When Considering Adoption." Whether you're considering domestic, international adoption, embryonic adoption, or foster parenting, this series can help you.
BOOKS TO CHECK OUT:
Orphanology by Tony Merida and Rick Morton
www.amazon.com...
Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child by Patty Cogen
www.amazon.com...
The Connected Child by Karyn B. Purvis, David R. Cross, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine
www.amazon.com...
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The Chandler Family
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[@toriloving3621]

My husband and I actually just signed with our agency to start our adoption journey from India as well ❤️ I appreciate this series and look forward to being part of this with you guys!

[@BehindtheZoo]

So glad to hear this. Let us know how it goes along the way! We're excited to hear!

[@DecemberSammy]

I've always known that I want to adopt, but I want to give the child a good home where we don't have to struggle financially. That's not possible yet. Hopefully I'll be able to go back to university and get a better paying job before I'm too old. I do know that God is on my side and if he wants me to adopt, he will help :)

[@crazyhuman911]

You guys are soooo sooooo soooo good people. I cant, u make me cry. Tears of happiness just. Never knew that such people like u even exist.

[@ldv02]

Every experience is different, every adoption is different. I did feel it on day one, the second my son was put in my arms something changed in me, a switch went on and my life completely changed that instant. Instantly I felt this huge love for him that I had never felt before. My second adoption was different. I didn’t feel that way with my son until day 3 when he called me mama and I completely melted, couldn’t stop crying and felt the same huge love! So everyone and every adoption is different! It takes some ppl longer but not everyone!

[@CarmenCupido1]

Hello Mel and Mike! Today, your Q&A video is the exact expression of why I love behindthezoo as much as 2inaZoo!! You open your hearts and minds so sincerely and are so honest and noble in everything you do that I cannot understand how some people can hate you and, worst of all, take the time to tell you that! My god, human kind really is complicated! I'll never understand how someone can be happy being mean to others! I have no advice to give you because you already know that love and intuition are the best guiders! Keep listening to your hearts and everything will go just fine! Xoxo to you and the children

[@MsDMarc]

Thank you so much for your honesty. I have been watching many adoption vlogs and other videos and I’m glad you are talking about this. It seems not a lot of people have this conversation. My husband and I have been considering adoption and As a bit of research I came across your page. I will be tuned and hope to learn from you.

[@Arela1164]

This was very insightful! I appreciate your honesty!

[@karenl6246]

Thank you so much for your honesty in this video!

[@juliesmith694]

Thank you, Chandlers for starting this series! We are finalizing our homestudy and completed boat loads of training a few weeks ago. While they were great trainings, they were a little discouraging with all the issues thay could pop up. This video gives us renewed encouragement! Questions to come!

[@BehindtheZoo]

We're so glad to hear this!

[@drparvathyrajeev]

Reàlly thanking u both to share this with us. I wish my husband will see it and I really wish to adopt a girl child

[@ameerakunh8987]

I am a college student...I dont even need this at the moment :P but after listening to this I kind of feel like adopting a kid in the future!❤Such a sweet family!God bless u!🍭Love from India!☺

[@dlzk12]

You had KZbin before then why people say that?Can these complainers start a KZbin or adopt??Just ignore them .

[@katieclarke29]

Kids world ppl need to really respect them they had a youtube channel before so why now good question

[@BehindtheZoo]

Thanks for the support. Most of them don't take the time to find out that our channel has been around for longer. They just see a video, leave a comment, and move on.

[@sarathraj5304]

I love you so much 😢😢😢😢

[@haleynicolefender]

I meant 8th like

[@vennelasoudham706]

Iam from INDIA as well.. like ur videos a lot..

[@haleynicolefender]

4th comment 48th viewer and I think 18th like

[@quicksilver455]

people may think you adopted cadie for youtube popularity because your behaviour changed a lot once you started getting lots of subscribers. it feels like your whole aim is to get more subscribers now. you added all those gimmicks like hidden zoo animal and all that. you stopped posting on weekends. you made a patreon account. your videos also significantly got shorter because you wanted people to watch the whole thing. all these things made it seem like you're really after money and popularity, not just the family you used to be making fun home videos. i rarely watch your videos anymore and i used to watch everyday when you were your original selves. please dont be obsessed with getting subscribers. just do what you love to do and we'll watch what we love to watch

[@BehindtheZoo]

We appreciate your opinion. I definitely something that is a common pattern on KZbin. We definitely feel like we're still being ourselves. It's unfortunate that KZbin honors a very specific type of vlog. For instance, we want to share our journey with as many people as possible, and KZbin will only share our videos if our "audience retention" (percent of each video watched) is over a certain mark. Usually this is why vloggers shorten their videos. No matter the length of our videos, people only watch about 5 or 6 minutes. If we put out a 40 minute video (which by-the-way would take so much work we could only put out one video each week) our audience retention would plummet to 12%. However, now that our average video is 8-12 minutes, our audience retention is around 50%, which is helping us reach more people with our story. Regarding 5-day a week, 7-days a week is extremely taxing in the long run. There aren't many people who can do that in the long run, and certainly having children makes it tougher. So it was recommended to us (for our own health and mental well-being) to go down to 5 days, so we can have quite time, family time, etc. on the weekends. It has helped us to make sure KZbin isn't the center of our life (though it is a big part). Anyway, I'm not trying to argue with anything you've said. We appreciate honest opinions like yours. KZbin just doesn't make it as easy as you said ("just do what you love to do and we'll watch what we love to watch"). It's very demanding to run a channel, and for all the work it requires, getting your message out there just isn't that easy...

[@quicksilver455]

thank you for the reply and explaining your thought process. but my point is, were you concerned about viewer retention rates and all that before cadie? you were just posting for fun. why are you so concerned now? i understand that you may want to get your story across but i think , people who are meant to watch you will find you either way. it wont depend on viewer retention rates and youtube sharing your videos. i found your videos by simply searching for 'india adoption' because i was coming across many adoption videos from china but not from india. your old style vlogs were "real", i mean even you used to talk to the camera a lot. some vlogs were even 40 minutes yet i watched the whole thing because it was enjoyable. and there was a new video everyday. whereas nowadays the vlogs are so short and it feels like you're more concerned about popularity. if you did it purely for your health and well-being, i really understand and respect that. but you did say you did it to make people watch the whole thing so yeah...not a fan of that. and the hidden zoo animal...whats the point of that? its a gimmick to make sure people watch the whole video. it feels really marketing-like when you do things like that. and the patreon account. and the fact that you keep trying to increase your subscribers. it seems like the popularity is getting to your head...which is a shame

[@BehindtheZoo]

To answer your question, Yes, we were just as concerned about retention rates back then. We did a lot of research on how to have a KZbin channel, but in the years between our old videos and our new videos, a lot changed on KZbin. So when we began vlogging again, we had to re-learn, and un-learn some things. What you’re seeing in our older videos is not more authentic. What you’re seeing is us doing the bear minimum to have a channel (with all the frills and extras stripped away). Back then, we had ideas to do some things we’re doing now, but we never did them, because we never saw the point in doing them when our videos were getting 18 views. That’s not a typo. Imagine how demotivating it was to make videos and have as little as 3 views... We had so much more to give and so many ideas, but we held back because we couldn’t justify the time. (Back then I worked two full-time jobs, so my time was more contrained. I was also in school.) What you’re seeing us do now is what we always wanted to do, but now that having a successful channel is a real possibility, we can justify the time and effort it requires.

[@quicksilver455]

thank you for your explanation. if that is the case, i respect and understand that. i'll go back to watching your videos regularly!

[@EmTheFairy_]

Mike kind of looks like Jesse Eisenberg

[@godslove3565]

Thanks for the honesty guys. One love

[@jacquelineballard6846]

I am currently in the process for getting my foster licence, with the open heart that when God calls it the right time, I will foster to adopt my child, so these videos are helpful in a lot of ways preparing my heart, though my story will of course be different, but its nice to feel supported!

[@BehindtheZoo]

We DO support you! We've gone through those classes as well!

[@mindtraveller7228]

When are you going to adopt next? Are you going through the process now? Please share if you do

[@katieclarke29]

When will u guys have a interview with cadie like a intro on this channel what u did with the boys

[@dedekikination427]

I'm the first comment and I'm a big fan

[@katieclarke29]

Nice video mike and mel and i am really forward for more in this series u mention

[@maxwellsmart2744]

Thank you for all your advice on willingness to consider adoption. They were lessons well learned and I look forward to seeing you all in your next video.

[@chandrika8919]

Good human beings never scare others....we enjoy, understand and support you!!! Love from Kolkata, India!!!

[@norberttirkeyful]

Plz...react to your oldest videos"😍😍😍"

[@katieclarke29]

EDWIN TIRKEY they did that on the other channel

[@BehindtheZoo]

We've react to Timmy's Birth before

[@motupaltu1032]

Splendid bro

[@snowonder024]

Thank you for sharing. I'm sorry that some people have put you down. My parents adopted my sister and she is dark too like sweet Cadie, and I am so glad she is my sister! praying for you! God bless.

[@patricia.garcez]

How lovely 💝 Would be cute to see the kids friendship on the church or neighborhood 😍

[@Badiasaanise]

Enjoyed it throughly!

[@geek7227]

💜💜💜💜

[@shubhangis6922]

Best parents on the earth , KD is really really lucky to have ths family , god bless u all Tim where r u darling 😘😘

[@Pathologymadesimple]

Cadence is her name💕

[@Star3marie304]

shubhangi S timmy♡♡♡

[@kenititaa]

what church you guys attend?

[@lXXTHENINJAGirLXX3]

I have got a lot of respect for both of you. Biggest fan from India. Lots of love to the kids.💕🙏

[@anasuyaguha8284]

Your videos makes me so happy...really a stress booster for me..! :-)

[@shubhangis6922]

Anasuya Guha buster*

[@anasuyaguha8284]

shubhangi S ..Yep..thnx for the correction ..

[@shubhangis6922]

Anasuya Guha welcome