Search Results for: blog developing relationships with cultural communities part two

In the Majority

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I was with my daughter’s Girl Scout group at a paint-your-own-pottery place which the girls had earned a trip to through their cookie sales. I sat at a table with my two daughters, my older daughter’s best friend, and that friend’s older sister, who was helping. On several occasions, one kid would ask for a certain paint bottle to be passed to her. There was one color, light peachy-beige, for which the girls didn’t know the name. When they gestured for it, the teen helping them said “You want skin color.” On another occasion she asked, “do you want the … Continue reading →

Celebrating ALL Cultures

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I just returned from a Culture Day celebrated by local college exchange students and au pairs, together with their host families. We had absolutely amazing food—Thai and Chinese and Korean, Indian, South African, Costa Rican, Chilean, Swedish, German, and a cheesecake with the Canadian Maple Leaf on top. The Thai au pairs and the children they care for demonstrated children’s games from Thailand. Several South African students showed visual aids they had made with pictures of their countries’ wildlife and beaches, and its many official languages! One host family—including the parents– joined their Indian au pair in a “Bollywood” dance—in … Continue reading →

Never Underestimate the Power of a Role Model

Our family decided to hire a college exchange student from Korea through an au pair agency. I had initially been hesitant, longing for more cultural exchange with Koreans but fearing that I would be judged on my parenting skills, or that someone from another culture might be prejudiced against adoption in some way. Meg herself told us she didn’t want us to get a Korean au pair. (We’ve had two previous au pairs from Brazil, whom Meg loved.) But we thought that having a role model of a young Korean woman would be good for Meg’s self-esteem, so we took … Continue reading →

November in the Adoption Blog: Month in Review

I began the blog on All Saints Day with a tribute to certain “Saints” in U.S. Adoption and Pioneers in International Adoption. Then I wrote a tribute to the founder of my daughter’s Korean adoption agency, who has lived an exciting and multifaceted life and is remarkable for his humble concern for children. In honor of National Adoption Month, I wrote two blogs on Top Ten Myths about Adoption. For Part One, click here. For Part Two, click here. Then I wrote a blog about events on National Adoption Day, Saturday November 17. These events included finalizations of thousands of … Continue reading →

Book Review: Beyond Good Intentions: A Mother Reflects on Raising Internationally Adopted Children

At adoption conferences and web forums, one hears a lot from adopted persons and from parents wondering how to raise their newly-adopted children. Rarely, however, do you hear from adoptive parents whose children are now grown. (Presumably they no longer feel a burning need to attend conferences.) Cheri Register, author of the classic adoption book Are Those Kids Yours? supplies some of that perspective in her newest book, Beyond Good Intentions: A Mother Reflects on Raising Internationally Adopted Children. It is quite a different book than Register’s last book on adoption. Are Those Kids Yours? Was more personal, sharing some … Continue reading →

Developing Relationships with Cultural Communities, Part Two

This is a continuation of my last post. I didn’t have a title for that post until the last minute. The only way I could think of to describe my thoughts seemed ponderously long. Looking for a catchier sum-it-up phrase, I found myself typing, “What Will They Think I’m Doing to One of Their Kids?” Boy is that a self-revealing question! I haven’t felt this worried about how I came across since I was in seventh grade. As I mentioned, I feel a bit hypocritical. I want my daughters to be around people who look like them. I want them … Continue reading →