Lori Loughlin

Adopted Child: “You’re Not My Real Mom, Anyhow”

Submitted by FaithA on Mon, 11/16/2009 - 07:22

Loner (c) Lynda BernhardtSorry about dropping off the face of the earth last week. I came down with the H1N1 virus last week – not fun! I ran a fever for two days and stayed very dizzy for five days. I am so thankful to cross that “joy” off of my list of things to do. On to a much more interesting (and less nauseating) topic … adoption!

On 90210 last week, adopted child Dixon (played by Tristan Wilds) said those dreaded words to his adoptive mother, Debbie (played by Lori Loughlin): “You’re not my real mother, anyhow.”

Let me back up. Dixon’s girlfriend claimed to be pregnant as a way to keep Dixon from breaking up with her. Debbie figured it out, called the girlfriend on her scam, and told her to stay away from her son. The girlfriend claimed that she had a miscarriage. Dixon beat himself up over how he handled the “pregnancy,” so Debbie finally came clean with the truth. Dixon was very angry with Debbie for keeping this information from him. Dixon’s adoptive father, Harry (played by Rob Estes) tried to intervene, but Dixon responded that Debbie isn’t his “real mother” anyhow.”

Oh how I dread the day that those words are thrown at me by an angry teenager. It is one thing for an eight-year-old child to lash out in anger with those words because a little kid does not really get the damage that those words can inflict. A seventeen-year-old adopted child knows d@#$ well the damage that those words can cause, but he chose to do it, anyhow.

90210: Adoption Search & Reunion Effects on Birth Siblings

Submitted by FaithA on Fri, 11/07/2008 - 08:15

Mother and child (c) Lynda BernhardtAs I shared in my blog entry 90210 Adoption Search and Reunion Storyline for November Sweeps, 90210 is diving into an adoption search and reunion storyline. This week’s episode was the first installment. This episode gave me a lot to think about regarding the dynamics of adoption search and reunion.

When I think about adoption search and reunion, I generally think about how it feels for the birth mother and the adoptee to meet again. I have also thought a little bit about how an adoption search and reunion might affect the adoptive family. However, I have not given much thought to the ramifications for birth siblings. That was focus of this week’s episode of 90210.

90210 Adoption Search and Reunion Storyline for November Sweeps

Submitted by FaithA on Wed, 10/29/2008 - 07:45

Statue (c) Lynda BernhardtAccording to the October 27 issue of TV Guide, the adoption search and reunion storyline will kick into high gear on Beverly Hills 90210 just in time for the November sweeps. On November 4, adoptive parents Harry (played by Rob Estes) and Debbie (played by Lori Loughlin) will tell their teenage children, Annie (played by Shenae Grimes) and Dixon (played by Tristan Wilds), that their father has a 22-year-old birth son. The audience will meet the birth son, Sean (played by Josh Henderson), on November 11.

The family is not new to adoption. They adopted Dixon out of foster care when he was younger.

“90210” Kicks Off an Adoption Search and Reunion Storyline

Submitted by FaithA on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 07:45

Looking out over ocean (c) Lynda BernhardtWhen I decided to watch the new 90210, my only motivation was nostalgia. Who knew that this show would provide me with a seemingly endless supply of adoption topics to blog about?

As I have shared before, 90210 has a transracial adoption storyline, with Dixon (played by Tristan Wilds having been adopted into a Caucasian family. I also shared that 90210 introduced a storyline in which Dixon’s adoptive father, Harry Wilson (played by Rob Estes) found out that he was a birth father.

In this episode, Harry’s high school sweetheart, Tracy Clark (played by Christina Moore), who is the mother of his birth son, asked Harry if he would like to search for their now 22-year-old birth son.

Transracial Adoption Issues: “That’s Your Child??”

Submitted by FaithA on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 08:45

Peppers (c) Lynda BernhardtAs I have mentioned before, watching the new 90210 is one of my guilty pleasures. I was pleased to learn that 90210 has a transracial adoption storyline. While the transracial adoption storyline has not been the central focus of the show, it does factor in from time to time.

This week, the transracial adoption storyline arose again in a climactic scene toward the end of the episode. That scene highlighted a dynamic that I would imagine every transracial adoptive family winds up facing at least once. It was the “That’s your child??” moment.

Dixon (played by Tristan Wilds) is an African-American boy who was adopted by a Caucasian family.

More on 90210’s Transracial Adoption Storyline

Submitted by FaithA on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 07:45

Peppers (c) Lynda BernhardtI have really been enjoying the way that the new television show 90210 has been revealing just a little bit about the transracial adoption storyline each week. In my first post about the 90210 transracial adoption storyline, I shared that Dixon (played by Tristan Wilds) is an African-American boy who was adopted by a Caucasian family. Dixon’s adopted sister, Annie (played by Shenae Grimes), is the parents’ biological child.

As I shared here, Dixon and Annie had a brief conversation about his adoption in the pilot. That conversation was mostly about how Dixon was not looking forward to having to explain his adoption to a bunch of new people.

In the second episode of 90210, Dixon alluded to growing up in rough foster homes.