May 5th was a different kind of celebration for us–Our first training event through The Sparrow Fund in collaboration with CHOP’s International Adoption Health Program.
About 100 mothers and fathers gathered to learn all about adoption related issues in the classroom–learning issues resulting from traumatic infancies in institutions or hard situations, developmental milestones and red flags and how to have a big picture view of what we might be seeing in our children, how to handle difficult assignments in school as well as simply encourage adoption and attachment awareness for the educators who work with our kids, and social issues in a school setting for both adopted children and biological children who are their siblings.
Despite some running around, I was able to take some of the training in myself, bringing home some real practical things I can do to help all my children.
But, the highlight of the day was probably in the last 20 minutes. Cheryl Nitz, founder and director of the Attachment and Bonding Center of PA, told parents that if they only remember one thing from her whole presentation to remember this–YOU are what your child most needs.
As I stood in the back and could observe everyone listening, my eyes caught one of the fathers. His wife had shared earlier how much they are struggling, how much her children are struggling. When Cheryl said that statement, this man put his arm around his wife and rubbed her back just a little. Probably no one else in the room noticed. He said no words but encouraged her perhaps more than his words could have, reminding her that she is the mother her children need, whether they realize it or not right now.
And, I was reminded of why we’re doing all this.
Thanking God for an incredible day Saturday and for all the hands involved to make it happen nearly flawlessly.
A fall training is already in the works.
And, we’re excited to see what’s next.
(photography donated by Ben Leaman, who is one of The Sparrow Fund’s partners to Build the Nest this May, mind you)