Week in Review Jan. 22-28
This week the adoption blog has moved from personal stories,to practical tips, to questions about our society, and back again.
Monday, January 22
Services Provided for Former Foster Children Ed tells us that many foster care children age out of the system at age 18, suddenly homeless without means of support. He shares a model of a center set up in Texas to provide them with counseling and referrals and suggests that other states look into this. He also notes that, with all the material needs foster children have, the number-one request many have at this center is assistance in locating siblings who have been separated in different foster homes.
I Have a Dream I (Pam) share how Martin Luther King’s dream, which I’ve always thought inspiring, is suddenly much more personal since it becomes a dream for my daughters.
Care of African American Children in Transracial Adoptions: Winter Skincare Guest Blogger Andrea Hermitt shares the importance of moisturizing, signs of too-dry skin, where and how to moisturize, and suggestions for creams to use.
Tuesday, January 23
Andrea continues her series with Care of African American Children in Transracial Adoptions: Summer Skincare . She tells us that while moisturizers are needed, the heavy ones used in winter melt in the sun and damage skin. She suggests alternatives and also informs us that sun exposure and sunscreen are both necessary for darker skin and shows us how to tell if a darker-skinned child is sunburned.
In Saving the World, Ed shares that not all problems can be solved by hard work and dedication, that modest progress is possible, and that all adoptive parents should be prepared to ask for help.
Wednesday, January 24
The Impact of Exposure to Cocaine in the Womb
Ed shares good and bad news—that the effects of cocaine may not be nearly as devastatingly irreversible for children as was believed in the past, but that mothers who abuse cocaine are likely to have co-existing problems such as poor nutrition, use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and low birth-weight babies. A doctor shares her view that the prognosis for exposed children is good if the children have a good environment and excellent medical care and advocacy after birth.
How to Tell a Young Child That He Is Adopted
Ed shares his bedtime routine with his son and the story they tell together of how his joining their family.
Care of African American Children in Transracial Adoptions: Basic Hair care
Andrea returns to write about basic hair care for African-American children. She shares how often to shampoo, how often to moisturize, what type of comb to use, and links to suggested products adoptive parents may wish to try.
How Many Children Should You Adopt?
Ed discusses reasons for a keeping an adoptive family small, then encourages people who feel called to have a larger adoptive family to go for it!
Thursday, January 25
Finally, An Ethnic Question That I Can Answer
Ed shares with his son his knowledge and enthusiasm about the late “godfather of soul”.
When Foster Families Adopt Ed shares the advantages of a child’s foster family becoming his or her permanent adoptive family.
Friday January 26
Helping Children with a Dual Reality of Birthdays
I (Pam) talk about adopted persons who report feeling sadness around their birthdays. I note that many adopted children are aware that it is supposed to be a happy day, but something bad did perhaps happen on their birthday—their parents chose not to parent them. I review two children’s books which I believe help adopted children celebrate their birthdays and understand how wanted they are.
Be a Servant
Ed reminds us that we don’t have to be perfect parents, to own a home, to be wealthy, young or talented—we just have to be ready to serve.
Saturday January 27
Trying to Rescue Disadvantaged Kids Ed shares more of his experiences mentoring kids in the inner city.
Hard Work with Little Return continues the story and tells how he realizes that it was an uphill battle while the children remained in that environment.
Respecting Your Child’s Privacy I discuss the tension between wanting to share my experiences with adoption and my realization that my children may someday want some details of their past to be private. I discuss the potential for future employers and classmates to use the internet to get information about my children’s struggles.
Sunday, January 28
Educational Crisis in Texas Ed shares information about the dropout rate in Texas and wonders what the answer is, and if a program in Milwaukie may have part of the answer.
“Do You Love Them Both the Same?” I reveal honestly how mine and others’ thoughts on how our experiences differed with our birth and adopted children—but in the end, our feelings didn’t.
Thank you for reading. We welcome your comments and questions.