Bethenny Frankel Reveals She 'Tried a While Back to Adopt a 3-Year-Old' Child

The Real Housewives of New York alum is mom to 10-year-old daughter Bryn

Bethenny Frankel is opening up about her past experience with the adoption process.

On Sunday, the former Real Housewives of New York star, 49, wrote in the comment section of a PEOPLE Instagram post that she once looked into adopting a 3-year-old but that it was a difficult process.

The Instagram post was about a 9-year-old boy from Oklahoma named Jordan who spoke with a local TV news outlet about being in foster care, soon prompting 5,000 adoption submissions from potential parents who saw the broadcast.

Frankel — who shares daughter Bryn, 10, with ex-husband Jason Hoppy — first commented that she would adopt Jordan. "I will adopt him," she wrote, adding, "Bryn said 'momma you should adopt him.' "

Also in the comment section, the reality star opened up about the adoption process.

Bethenny Frankel. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

"The thing that surprises people is that once they get into the system, it is hard to get them out," wrote Frankel. "Growing up, we always heard that everyone wants a baby and not an older kid. I tried a while back to adopt a 3-year-old and it was a harder process than a newborn. If it's like other family law systems, it's not as easy as the movie[s] make it."

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In May, Frankel marked Bryn's 10th birthday on Instagram, celebrating her "sweet, loving" daughter.

"Peanut, I love you so much. You have given me ten years of joy, inspiration, laughter and absolute love. You bring meaning to my life every day. You are such a sweet, loving and sunny person that shines light on everyone around you," Frankel captioned the post.

"You are loved. I wish for you health an happiness and that you continue to do what you love and what makes you happy every day and let your spirit fly!"

Back in 2016, Frankel told PEOPLE she was "definitely serious" about adopting a 5-year-old girl who was abandoned at a New York bus terminal. At the time, she tweeted an article about the little girl, writing, “How do I adopt this child?”

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Frankel is currently dating Paul Bernon, a real estate developer and film producer, whom she began a relationship with in 2018 following the death of her on-off boyfriend Dennis Shields. Speaking to PEOPLE in December, Frankel raved about their romance, saying things with the businessman have been "wonderful."

"He's a good person who I love," she said. "I don't know if it's a yin to my yang, but he's really relaxed, he's mellow and he's very, very funny."

And last year, during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Frankel called Bernon "a beautiful human being inside and out." She added: "And yes, Bryn knows him and loves him. They’re very, very similar people."