As an adoptive parent of two siblings now in high school (12 & 11), I just had to share this fantastic new book with you, by Adoption UK’s very own Rebecca Brooks. Rebecca is education and policy advisor for Adoption UK and has been closely involved in the brilliant “Adoption Barometer”. (We were discussing the merits of this book at our local peer to peer adoptive parents support group on Friday evening and we were all wondering how Rebecca had found the time to write the book and put together the Adoption Barometer – amazing!)
This is the book I wished I had when our children first came to live with us aged 7 and 6. Really easy to read and dip in and out of in moments of panic and crisis in school. This book is equally good for both parents and teachers. In fact, the book is a really good adoptive parenting tool, packed full of reminders as to why our children sometimes behave the way they do e.g. trauma, attachment, toxic shame, and PACE etc.
I particularly like Rebecca’s “real life” classroom examples of how things could be in all our schools for adopted children. In every chapter Rebecca uses examples of practices of some of the UK’s truly adoption friendly primary and secondary schools and head teachers; like Stuart Guest and his school, Colebourne Primary here in the West Midlands. Each chapter includes “approaches to try” e.g. if your child is struggling with peer relationships, Rebecca will give you and your child’s school some “approaches to try!”
My top tip!
This book will really help you as a parent to strengthen your home-school relationship (something all adoptive parents wish for!) It will also help your school to become more “adoption friendly”. Buy two copies! One for you and one copy for your child’s classroom teacher &/or inclusion lead. Last week, both my children had a bit of a wobble at school. Mercifully, their school is very adoption friendly, but the book was invaluable. I needed some ideas on approaches to suggest and try on “toxic shame” and “separation & loss”. The book was a life saver.
Thank you Rebecca Brooks and thank you Adoption UK.
Simon
The Trauma and Attachment Aware Classroom by Rebecca Brooks, published by Jessica Kingsley. Priced £14.63. Available from Amazon Books https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trauma-Attachment-Friendly-Classroom-Practical/dp/178592558X