From the beginning, which in William's case was at age 5, we have tried to instill compassion and courtesy in the kids. William's counselor recently told me that kids with ADHD (like William) don't have empathy. I quickly decided that was either just not true or that William was one of the "good ones." Because every day, … Continue reading My kid’s a nice guy.
Can we adopt my brother?
"Can we adopt Patrick?"We were eating dinner and William asked the question suddenly. I don't really remember how we reacted, but, in my head, it was very dramatic and movie-like. The table got silent for a minute and the question hung in the air...well, dramatically. In reality, Lizzie and Antwan were probably making tons of noise, … Continue reading Can we adopt my brother?
Sibling Separation in Foster Care
There are many things that happen when a child is removed from the birth family. Some good, some bad. In my opinion, the most tragic is sibling separation. It's a reality of foster care. Siblings are separated due to availability in foster homes, to raise their chances of being adopted, or for various other reasons. Even as just a pair, … Continue reading Sibling Separation in Foster Care
Batman, Kindness, and Life Lessons for Kids
“Sometimes people are just jerks.” These are the not so deep or overly-thought out words that I said to my kids on Sunday. It’s simple, but true. “Sometimes people do mean things for no good reason.” In hind-sight, I’m not sure what a good reason for being mean is... I said this because when we … Continue reading Batman, Kindness, and Life Lessons for Kids
Navigating Counseling with a Child: A Parent’s Perspective
There are two clocks in the therapist's office. Neither one works. One is completely missing a hand and the other is stuck on 3:00. I'm watching him type on his computer, wondering what time it is, wishing I wasn't so hungry, and watching William wonder why he's here. I'm kind of wondering the same thing. Why are we … Continue reading Navigating Counseling with a Child: A Parent’s Perspective
Understanding Prejudice in Transracial Families
One thing that I have learned is that when you adopt transracially is that it's going to be different. There are things that I have learned about what it might be like to be black and things that I've learned about being the mother of a black child. I've learned that even the most well-intentioned person … Continue reading Understanding Prejudice in Transracial Families
I’m not that smart…
Brian and I have always loved going to thrift stores. Something about not knowing what you might find and the fact that if you find "it," then "it" probably won't cost you much, is very exciting. So, when we have a free afternoon, one of us tends to suggest stopping by one.And, the kids love thrift … Continue reading I’m not that smart…
Gotcha Day Celebration Gone Bad…sorta
Wednesday was the 4 year anniversary of the boys' placement with us. Four years ago, on that day, we picked the boys up from the agency. The very nice case worker unceremoniously handed us their bags and said goodbye. She was very happy about the match, it just wasn't her first time doing this. But, it was most definitely … Continue reading Gotcha Day Celebration Gone Bad…sorta
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