So, today I went to Ashlyn's 1st grade class and talked with them about Ashlyn's adoption. Ashlyn loved being the center of attention and the kids liked hearing about everything. They were funny with the stories they told and also about the adoption. A lot of the girls said they wanted a play date with Ashlyn. It was too funny.
Awhile back I made a scrapbook on "10 questions about my adoption", and this is what we shared with the class. Then we shared a scrapbook on the actual China trip. The kids were very curious. I also asked them if they sometimes had a hard time understanding her. Some raised their hands and some didn't. I told them to touch their tongues to the roof of their mouth. Then I asked them if it felt hard. All of them shook their heads yes and then I explained that Ashlyn's was not hard, and that it was soft. So this sometimes makes it hard for her to use her tongue properly to make certain sounds, no matter what language she's speaking. I also told them that she is still working on learning more and more of the English language, but she already knows a lot.
I was so nervous about doing this and wasn't sure how much to tell them, but I was very honest and forthcoming, and the kids seemed to really get it...hopefully! I was happy I did it, and Ashlyn loved showing all the pictures.
I did this when conor was in 1st grade about his Diabetes. I was so nervous to be in front of all the kids. I wanted them to understand why he had to give shots and check his blood sugar.
ReplyDeleteI think it helped with the fear of the unkown.
This probably meant a lot to Ashlyn for you to talk to her class. We just started really talking with Zoe about her adoption and every time we call her her chinese name she pretends that she is crying.