The Homegrown Preschooler by Kathy Lee

Author:Kathy Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gryphon House, Inc.
Published: 2013-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

Give your child goals to achieve. No matter how small the increments, your child can learn every day. Goal setting can take the focus off the illness and give a bit of normalcy to life. Be realistic. There are no rules for situations like this. Don’t forget that time with your child is a gift. Enjoy your child. Snuggle. Read. Comfort. Now is the time to be the mama and not worry so much about being the teacher.

Adopting a Preschool-Age Child

I realized at the start that whether a child is biological or adopted, one does not know all the ingredients in the package. That is what growth is all about. A child is the slowest flower in the world, opening petal by petal, revealing the developing personality within.

—Robert Klose,

professor, writer, and adoptive parent

You might be wondering why a section on adoption is included in a book about homeschooling your preschooler. Many children adopted today are beyond the infant stage. Integrating a preschooler into an existing family comes with a unique set of challenges. Since the homeschooler sees life as school, we thought it important to include our thoughts and suggestions on this subject.

Before you adopt, begin researching the possible transition challenges of adoption. Learn about reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and the symptoms to look for. Two books we recommend are The Connected Child by Karen Purvis and Building the Bonds of Attachment by Daniel Hughes. Also, check out www.drbobmontes.com. Dr. Montes is a therapist who specializes in adoption and RAD. Many counselors specialize in RAD; find one near you. While not every adopted child needs therapy, it is good to be prepared because trials can rear their ugly heads quickly. Should you need it, there are in-house treatment facilities as well.

Take a deep breath—this might be a trying time for everyone in the family. Once you bring your adoptive preschooler home, take the time to get to know her. Spend some quality time with your new child. If this is not your only child, she will need some alone time with you. Don’t be afraid to say no to outside obligations. As homeschool moms, we think we are the queens of multitasking. During this transition phase, you need to be home as much as possible. Your child needs to bond with you and your family. If too many other people are in your life on a regular basis, your child will be confused. Explain to friends that your family needs time to adjust. Have a “get to know you” celebration a few months down the road.

Establish a family routine. It is possible that your child has never experienced any type of routine. Sitting down at dinner, having a book read to her, or hearing a lullaby could all be firsts for your child. Schedule tea parties with your other children. Set up a special place in your room or other cozy area where you can connect with your children on a regular basis. Encourage your other children to share their feelings about the adoption and the transition.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.