Along with the joy of adopting a baby comes a stream of questions from friends, family, even nosy strangers on the street. They may not be meant maliciously, but they can certainly be hurtful. While you don't owe anyone an explanation of your family life, you can be prepared for the inevitable queries. When a question seems especially out of line, try these brief and effective answers:

Q: Is that your real child?
A: Yes. I'm a real parent raising a real child.

Q: How much did he cost?
A: It's always expensive to be a parent, isn't it?

Q: What a shame you can't have kids of your own.
A: I'm so grateful that life made this child mine.

Q: Your kids look so different. Which one is yours?
A: They're siblings, and they're both my kids.

Q: Are your kids from another country?
A: We're a family, so we live together.

Q: He's so lucky to have been adopted.
A: We're the fortunate ones to be his parents.

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