Jennifer Pedranti of The Real Housewives of Orange County recently revealed how important it was for her to be honest and open with her youngest son, Dominic, about his adoption. Even if the conversations may become difficult, She wants to foster an environment where he feels comfortable asking her anything and knowing she’ll answer.
In a scene from the latest RHOC, the 46-year-old mom of five plays with her daughter Everlerigh, 11, and son Dominic, eight, and when Everleigh brings out a kitten they are fostering, Jennifer uses this moment to invite Dominic to ask any questions he might have about fostering or adoption.
Allowing him to dictate the pace
At the time, Dominic replied that he didn’t have any questions, so she just assured her son that she would always be open to answering him whenever he did. Jennifer began fostering Dominic at 11 months and eventually adopted him. She has four other children Everleigh, Grayson, 13, Dawson, 15, and Harrison, 18, with ex-husband Will Pedranti, who she had previously battled for spousal support.
She shared that she is always willing to talk to Dominic about his adoption and even answer questions about his birth mom, but she allows him to dictate the pace. She asked him if he thought he might one day want to meet his birth mom, to which he replied, “I don’t know.”
While it may seem difficult to have these conversations, it is the best way to let him know she’s open to talking to him anytime he wants and that his adoption is not a topic to shy away from, even if it can feel hard to talk about.
Handling his insecurities
While he didn’t ask questions about his birth mother, Dominic often expresses that he sometimes feels different from the family, Jennifer explained in a confessional. He often compares himself to her biological children and will say things like, “I want hair like Dawson” or “I want skin like Harrison.”
While it can be sad for Jennifer to hear, she does her best to make him feel included and appreciative of his own gifts but replying with “Mommy would kill to have your skin or beautiful brown eyes.”
She’ll also mention to Dom how he got many of his physical attributes from his birth mom, like her dark eyes and dark hair. “I want him to always feel at home, and that mom’s got you,” she said. “And it is challenging to navigate because I don’t know what falls on him in his own mind.
She may not be able to read his thoughts, but she’s doing her best to foster a home where he knows he can share anything whenever he feels ready.
The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK JENNIFER IS RIGHT TO BE OPEN AND UPFRONT WITH DOM? ARE YOU ENJOYING HER IN THE NEW SEASON OF RHOC?
