Let's Think About Adoption - Killarney (8-11 year olds). (cancelled)

This event is cancelled and will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Many parents say that their children can be reluctant to talk about adoption. We have found that a safe group setting with other adopted children can help open up discussions that are carried on later with parents.

This 2.5 hour workshop is open to groups of no more than ten adopted children aged between 8-11 years old. Parents take part in some of the workshop together with the children.

It aims to be a fun, interesting and supportive experience for the children and parents attending. The core purpose is to give adopted children an opportunity to consider how they might confidently answer questions they might be asked about adoption or ethnicity outside the home.

The workshop also assists children in appreciating all they know about adoption and to explore gently some feelings they might have. We help the children to think about the words other children might use in talking about being adopted.

We also look with the child and parent together at ways they are like each other and characteristics the child might have inherited from a birth parent. The purpose of this is to assist the child in openly thinking about all the different aspects of themselves and strengthening self-esteem.

We draw from the US “Wise Up” programme for some of the content of the workshop and use Theraplay games to keep the children engaged and relaxed. An explanatory handout is available for parents attending.

Facilitated by Cristin Ingleis and Tara O'Donoghue.