Instilling Respect for Birth Mothers... What Shin Ae-ra Told Her Two Daughters at the Time of Adoption

"Your birth mother is truly an amazing person"
"There's no need to keep it a secret" Adoption background revealed

Actress Shin Ae-ra (55) revealed the background of adopting her two daughters in the past.

Past images of actress Shin Ae-ra and her daughters, Ye-eun and Ye-jin. [Image source=MBC variety show 'Radio Star' broadcast capture]

On the MBC variety show 'Radio Star' aired on the 23rd, Shin Ae-ra disclosed the reason behind publicly adopting her two daughters in 2005 and 2008. She married actor Cha In-pyo (57) in 1995 and gave birth to their first son, Jung-min, in 1998. Later, in 2005, she adopted a one-month-old daughter, Ye-eun, and in January 2008, she adopted Ye-jin, who was 100 days old at the time.

Shin Ae-ra said, "I saw my (adopted) eldest daughter at an orphanage I visited for volunteer work when she was less than ten days old. The moment I saw her, I saw my son's face in hers." She added, "I wanted to see her eyes open, so I tried to wake her, but she kept sleeping. The caregiver said, 'She wakes up at night and sleeps during the day. She cries all night, so it's hard for us.' At that moment, I felt that I should hold this baby at night."

Shin Ae-ra also recalled meeting her youngest daughter, Ye-jin. She said, "I adopted the third child before she was 100 days old. When I adopted Ye-eun, I thought that somehow giving her a sister would be the greatest gift I could give." She continued, "She pooped so much that the diaper overflowed, and while I was cleaning her, the caregiver said, 'She must feel good in Mom Ae-ra's arms; she pooped after three days.' That's when I realized she was my daughter."

Past photos of actor Cha In-pyo and Shin Ae-ra couple with their daughters Ye-eun and Ye-jin sisters. [Image source=MBC entertainment program 'Radio Star' broadcast capture]

She also confessed that there was a difference in opinion with Cha In-pyo regarding how to handle the adoption in the beginning. Shin Ae-ra said, "I wanted to keep telling the children about the adoption. If I were adopted, I would want to know and not have it kept secret." She added, "From the start, I used beautiful adjectives with 'adoption,' saying, 'Thank you for allowing us to have a blessed adoption,' so the baby could feel that 'adoption is a good thing.'"

She continued, "My husband told me not to explain it in detail and asked why I kept talking about adoption. He was cautious. I understand because many people think that way." However, she emphasized, "Adoption means giving a family, a world, and siblings to a child who would otherwise be lonely. But many babies in orphanages today do not have that. Therefore, there is no need to keep it a secret."

She added, "At some point, the children learn about the adoption, and from around age five, they also talk about their birth mothers." She said, "I told them everything. 'The mother who gave birth to you is a truly wonderful person. Even though she couldn't raise you, she protected you until the end and gave birth to you.' So, the children have respect for their birth mothers."

Netizens who saw this responded with comments such as "Such great love is admirable," "I hope health and happiness always fill your family," "Your values are truly wonderful," and "Thanks to your excellent parenting philosophy, the children seem to have grown well."

Meanwhile, Shin Ae-ra recently shared the news that her daughter Ye-eun was accepted into the prestigious University of California, Berkeley, in the United States, receiving congratulations from the public.