New Delhi: The following are exercepts of an interview with Dr Sanjay Chugh, a psychoanalyst, on single women adopting children.
Gulf News: What drives a single woman to adopt a child as an option?
Dr Sanjay Chugh: The mothering instinct that is natural to most, if not all women, would be the strongest driving force or motivator, which need not necessarily be gratified by having biological kids only.
But in most cases, this would be an option that is considered after the possibility of having a biological child has been excluded for whatever reason.
Can a single woman become a ‘good parent'?
Parenting is both a skill and an art that can be learnt and practiced by anybody... If the person is able to provide an environment where the child's personal, social and emotional well-being [will be] handled responsibly, there's no reason why her ability to raise children should be questioned.
As the child grows, will there be any negative effects?
When the child gets exposed to his/her surroundings and the larger world he/she might begin to ask questions about the [parent's] marriage, etc. These are questions that need to be addressed with care. If the child's confusion is... attended to carefully, there is little chance for it to impact him/her negatively.
