My day started out just like any
other day; It was 7:30am, and I was quietly minding my own business, studying
for my summer government class at Starbucks, when a small child came up to me
and started dancing. I smiled at her, said hello, and went back to my studies.
However, she didn’t leave, and she didn’t stop “whipping.” It was actually
pretty cute. Eventually, her mother gently guided her away from my table with a
very apologetic look in her eyes. I studied for a little while longer, and
around 8:15am realized I needed to get to work. Naturally, I decided to leave
the coffee shop at the same time as my new little friend. As I’m packing up she
starts asking me a bunch of questions. “What’s your name? How old are you? What
are you doing today? What are you doing this summer?” I told her, “My name’s
Margot, I’m 20, I work at the adoption agency down the street, and today I’m
going to go sit in on a parenting class for moms and dads who want to adopt
kids.” She said, “Okay well have fun!” and hopped into her mother’s car.
I got into my car and thought to
myself, how much fun can I really have in a two day long training for
soon-to-be adoptive parents? I mean, I’m twenty years old, and definitely not
looking to become a parent any time soon. But even just ten minutes into the
training, I realized how important it is to understand children who have been through trauma, even
if you’re not going to be the one parenting them. After the entire thing, I was
very glad my supervisor gave me the opportunity to experience Pathways.
In this activity, one person read instructions to a blindfolded searcher while everybody else in the room was being as loud and distracting as possible. |
Our post adoption team did a
phenomenal job. I listened to personal stories of adoption, and I learned a lot. I learned about the
effects of neglect, abuse, and sexual abuse. I learned about both adult and
child attachment styles, the growing brain, how parents can be healers, and
even did hands-on activities concerning children’s different sensory needs. I learned about how much goes on inside the mind of a child that we
simply just cannot see, but need to learn how to look for. And I already knew
this one, but it was reiterated in my brain that every kid out there has hope.
Every single child, no matter their past, has the capacity to rewire their
brain pathways to give them a better future. I’d say that was my biggest
takeaway from the day. I’m working with so many kids who society would look at and categorize “unadoptable” based on their pasts, when in reality, beyond a shadow of a
doubt, they’re all adoptable. With the right help, every one of them can create
new pathways, no matter what they’ve been through. It may not be a walk in the
park, but it’s possible.
The families who came were so
nice, and seemed to really absorb what the team was saying, even if they had originally been underwhelmed by the prospect of a two-day long parenting class. I spoke to a
couple families throughout the training who were not the least bit hesitant to
ask their questions! By the end of the training, I think every family felt as though
Pathways was worth it, whether they were planning on adopting a domestic infant
or an international sixteen year old.
And, to conclude, I want to give a HUGE shoutout to Angie for putting together all the food (this wouldn't be a true Gladney blog post if I didn't mention food at least once)! We had Mexican for lunch the first day, and barbecue the second. The snacks
were awesome as well—bagels and cream cheese, carrots and hummus, belvita
crackers, you name it! Thanks Angie!!!
By: Margot Twomey
International Adoption Intern
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If you have any questions about adoption, know someone facing an unplanned pregnancy, are considering adoption yourself, or just want to get involved and/or educated on the subject, please don’t hesitate to contact Gladney. We would love to talk to you!
Find out how you can become a Gladney intern or volunteer here. We currently have Summer 2016 internship openings in Accounting, IT, and Marketing.
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