Adoption workshop - 9 March 2011

Today`s workshop was thoroughly informative again. We spent a long time discussing when and how to tell your child that they are adopted and the various emotional issues surrounding it. Most of us agreed that telling the child as soon as they can understand would be the best time. Using a story in a book form would be very helpful. There are several books available, although most people who have seen 'The Gift' by Terri Lailvaux agreed that it was a fabulous book. After telling your adopted child the basics you would answer questions they may ask as they get older and may want more details or as the questions were raised. I believe that honesty is a very important aspect when building a relationship with anybody. A child is no different. Some secrets are just not best kept. On the other hand one needs to handle the whole issue delicately with sensitivity. From a teachers perspective I thought it very important that the teacher was informed so that the teacher could deal with issues that may arise in the classroom. The South African curriclum focusses on `families` every year from Grade R. Children are often asked to talk about and discuss their family. Differences and diversity is celebrated in South Africa. An informed teacher could play a positive role in promoting acceptance no matter what type of family the child came from.