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My oldest just went to bed after typing up a persuasive essay she had to do for school. The topic? Adoption of foster children! She is in favor of it! She asked me to print out statistics on adoption from foster care, including the racial break down of who gets adopted--she seemed concerned that the white kids get adopted most frequently. Two words of explanation here: I don't let her use the internet after she used it to set up a MySpace account AND get a 35 year old friend--ICK! That's why she had to ask me to print out resources. Two, my kids are of Mexican descent. I am DYING to read this thing, and I hope she will show it to me when she gets it back. I didn't want to push--so much of raising her is like having a butterfly land on your head; one quick move, and off she goes! Anyway, she also asked for me to print out information about how you would go about doing it. She asked me directly why anyone would have to pay for adoptions--I explained you don't pay for foster care adoptions, and that the fees in other types of adoptions are about administrative costs, not buying a child. This seemed to satisfy her. Anyway, I think it is a very good sign that she sees adoption as a positive thing. I admire her willingness to put this topic out there, it's so personal. I like her interest in factual evidence. She also checked with me to make sure she understood the statistical data so the chart she made is accurate. A slightly geeky interest in accuracy, like what I have! She is coming along!
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That is great! Has she given the speech, yet? How did she do? My son just gave his speech on how the abusers of children don't do jail time that equal the crime...meaning that drug dealers {etc} do more time. Anyhow, his teacher asked how he knew. Then my son asked me questions to the content he had looked up and was surprised that I knew. I told him that sadly, I knew!!! Earlier this year my daughter did a presentation on adoption. I got some information from Dave Thomas Foundation and a speaker from our local foster care adoption office. Anyhow, you have every right to be a proud mommy! :banana:
Well, finally, she did her persuasive speech today! I asked her how it went, and she told me she was trying to convince people to adopt children, especially older children. She said they need homes, too, because kids can make really bad choices without families. She told the class that sometimes people can't raise their kids because they don't have enough money or because they're not ready, but they should know that their child will miss them and want to be with them. And yet, she was sincere in saying that folks should adopt kids, especially older kids. I think the overall message was only make an adoption plan (she used the phrase "give up for adoption," a phrase I never use), if you really can't raise your child yourself; everyone else should consider adoption. She thought she'd have two "of her own" children (another phrase I hate), and adopt two kids. What was really amazing was that she went on to tell her classmates about attachment disorder, and that that was a risk in adopting older kids! Her teacher said, "Since you mentioned it, what is attachment disorder?" and my daughter answered, "What I have." :eek: She then told them when she was 9 she'd have tantrums, and once "I broke my mom's nose." :eek: :eek: :eek: Can you believe it? I asked her how the class responded to this information. She said they were all very quiet. She felt like the presentation went well. I think this is very interesting, because on one hand, it is overdisclosure, but on the other hand, it is a way to say to her classmates that her adoption was a positive experience. I am also amazed that, in at least what she reported to me about it, the theme was not, if my Mom would do X or not do Y, I'd be just fine, woe is me, I have a strict mom. It was rather an acknowledgment that raising her is not easy. That's what I take from this, anyway. I also was touched that she used some of the materials I had printed out for her for her presentation--what she took was not the statistics on waiting children, but information on how you adopt, and what questions you should ask yourself before adopting an older child. I think she probably read some of this stuff to the class. In the section on qualities an adoptive parent should have, it says "an awareness that healing doesn't come quickly, all wounds cannot be healed, and your child may not attach to your family." Pretty serious stuff for 13 year olds!
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Simply AMAZING!!She was able to acknowledge that she has issues is huge! To discuss it and break it down in a way that is understandable is an impressive accomplishment.HECK....she actually DID A PERSUASIVE ESSAY! That itself regardless of the topic and quality is pretty dang exciting!!!!!
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