Hoping Karma Won't Jinx Me for This..
We had to undergo 20 hours of training to adopt a child from the state of Minnesota. One of the things we had to learn and accept is that once we adopt a child, that child is ours. There is no going back.
We are also taught, from day 1, there are no children who are perfect children. All of them have gone through trauma either emotional or physical. Regardless, none will view you as their parent at first--because you aren't, you have to earn that title.
We also had to learn and accept that adopted children come with a world of baggage. Sometimes, they will hide that baggage in the beginning, sometimes they won't. Regardless of what behaviors they exhibit, that child is still your child.
Maybe foreign adoption doesn't come with that training. Maybe the little 7-year-old was really physically aggressive or became really aggressive, however, that's the risk adoptive parents take. It's their job to help him.
This story, about the family who sent a little boy back to Russia makes me angry.
If adoption teaches us anything it teaches us patience
After 6 weeks of time in which to write our home study. Well first, 4 weeks, then 2 more weeks because the social worker was having trouble with the state's new template. Now...well, read the email from our social worker for yourself (the home study is required to be matched with children):
"Mike and Amy,
Thank you for being so prompt in getting your documents together for the licensing piece – that is in process now. I have been working on your study and ask for your continued patience. Unfortunately I was mid-way and for some reason it got lost on the computer and I was not able to retrieve parts so have had to re-write it. Yes, I know it sounds like “the dog ate my homework” and I never thought I would say this, but – it is true. So, it is coming along and hopefully I can get you a draft soon. Just thought you would like to know - "
My email back was asking only how much more time she would need.
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