When I started mentoring A this January I told him about our adoption “just in case” we got our referral during the school year. He was very interested and wanted to see her photo right then and hasn’t really brought it up since.
Then 2 weeks ago we are working on a Mother’s Day craft together and he says, “Miss Louanne, why can’t your babies momma keep her? Doesn’t she have enough money?” So I go into a very 7 year old explanation about China being a different country and they have different rules and it’s likely that she doesn’t have enough money. He seemed cool with that and we went back to coloring.
Then he says, “Well, I am glad I am not adopted, I would miss my mom.” So I say, “That’s good, I am glad you love your mom, but not everyone can have that.” So he looks at me real sweet and says, “But you will be your babies REAL momma now right?” “Right.” Back to coloring we go as I blink back tears.
A few minutes later in a worried voice he says, “Miss Louanne, you’re not going to be able to feed her!” “What?” (I am totally confused- duh) He then points at his chest and says, “You KNOW!!!” I just busted out laughing because I realized he was talking about breast feeding. So I explained to him about formula and he said, “Oh so that goes in a bottle like a mom’s milk? Cool.”
The kid just cracks me up! Tomorrow is our last day for this school year and I am sad, but hope that I have helped him this year. He keeps saying he is telling his mom that they can’t move so I can be his mentor next year too. I should have been keeping a journal of the funny things he has said to me this semester. He is really smart and asks some great questions, but he is always trying to work a “deal” with me for candy or Happy Meals. So I told him he could get Happy Meals for good behavior grades. Took him about 5 weeks to work his way up from U’s, but he gets better every week. This will be our 3rd week in a row for a happy meal – he got his best grades ever last week.
Guess what his problem is? Talking too much in class!!! Could he have a better mentor? ROFL. We talk about respect for teachers every week. We talk about when you can talk – at recess, PE, Lunch. He likes that I used to get in trouble for talking in class and had to learn to control myself. He tells me every week that he is going to do better and he has been doing better every week.
Being a part of KIDS HOPE this year has been a great joy. Not only to see what has happened with A, but with all the other mentors and their children. Children who just need someone to say, “I believe in you. I know you can do it.” And to be faithful and be there every week. It’s a beautiful thing.