Different family types
Jordan
Living in an extended family with both my parents and grandparents was a bittersweet symphony of love and
tradition. The comfort of having a large, close-knit family was unparalleled. I felt loved by not two but four people
who truly cared about me, which made me grow into a very self-confident man. I also learned to accept and
appreciate the ideas and points of view of two different generations before me. Of course, there were times when I
would have wanted a little more privacy and alone time. I also missed a little more flexibility since my grandparents’
stricter views were an influence on my parents. But despite these occasional frustrations, the warmth and support
of a multi-generational home, filled with laughter, debates, and shared meals, enriched my life in ways I wouldn’t
trade for anything.
Ashley
I have two mums and wouldn’t change that for the world. I have a great – and different – relationship with both of
them. But dealing with other people’s attitudes has been hard sometimes. I remember when I was young, I wanted
to invite a friend to sleep over, and she wasn’t allowed to do so for a while. Finally, her parents said that she could,
but only if my mums promised not to kiss in front of her. I was also teased a lot at school, and Father’s Day was
always an awkward time. Over the years, it got easier because my mums both became really active in the school
community, and once parents got to know them, they grew more accepting. Our family was also really active in the
Pride community, so we knew a lot of gay couples. It was easier hanging out with their kids as having gay parents
was normal for them. In fact, I remember one little girl crying when she first saw a straight couple kissing because
she found it confusing. I think society is starting to change now, though. Gay families are more accepted, and so
their kids have an easier time of it.
Leah
My parents divorced when I was a baby, and my mum left, so I grew up with just a dad. It didn’t feel unusual until I
started school and realised that most of the other kids had mums. Then I started wondering why I didn’t have one. I
felt unwanted and jealous of the other kids who had one. I was angry with my mum for leaving and my dad for not
keeping her. The other problem was that he had to work long hours to provide for me, so he couldn’t come along to
school events like sports day and nativity plays. He was often too tired to spend time with me at home. I can’t
remember us ever playing, doing homework, or preparing a meal together. From a young age, I had to do things
that my friends never had to do, like preparing meals and grocery shopping, so I certainly learned how to be
independent. But at the same time, I was lonely and angry. However, as I got older, I realised how hard he worked
to keep me in a comfortable life, and he inspired me always to try my hardest, too.
Adopting a child
Adopting felt like the right choice for my husband and I. It wasn’t because we couldn’t have a baby by ourselves. I
didn’t get pregnant naturally, but we could have tried IVF. But I was worried that doing so would affect our
relationship. We had always aimed to do things together and share responsibility. But that’s not possible when it
comes to pregnancy and IVF. Plus, my husband’s mother was adopted, so it didn’t seem an unusual thing to do.
Since then, I’ve realised just how many kids are in care, looking for homes and families, and I know it was the right
choice.
Parents interested in adoption have to go through an in-depth training course. They not only learn about the
experiences of kids in care, but also they study their own lives in detail. It’s an emotional process because you
remember all sorts of issues from your past that you’d rather not think about. But it teaches you a lot about
yourself and your partner. Afterwards, you are far more prepared to deal with family issues than people who
become parents naturally.
The adoption agency encouraged us to specify what sort of child we wanted to adopt regarding their sex, age,
appearance, health, educational ability, hobbies and so on. We didn’t feel comfortable about that because we
would have been happy to provide a home for any child who needed it. But their reasoning was clear. The better
the child meets the parents’ expectations, the more likely it’ll succeed. Our training had taught us that we had
certain expectations of family life, so we followed their advice and came up with a list.
We had to have an interview in front of a large panel of social workers to be accepted as potential parents. We did
everything we could to prepare for that. We even volunteered with a local youth group to get experience with
children, as we didn’t have any nieces, nephews or friends with kids. As soon as they’d come to a decision –a
positive one, our social worker brought out a file with information about kids currently in care. We started to put
documents into piles: “yes”, “no” and “maybe”.
We got further information about three of those kids, and one stood out for us both. He was six years old, which is
quite old among children who are up for adoption. Many parents prefer to adopt toddlers because they want to
experience teaching them to walk, talk, read and write. That wasn’t important to us. It does seem a shame, though,
that 6-year-olds already face discrimination for their age.
Things happened very fast after that. We met the boy’s foster carers and teachers, and his social worker visited us
at home. However, parents only meet the child they’re going to adopt once the adoption has been finalised. That
way, the kid doesn’t get stressed or given false hopes. After a second interview, we were accepted. A week was put
in the diary when we would first spend time with the boy at his carer’s home, taking him out on trips or just
hanging out playing games and reading stories. A few days later, they stayed at a hotel near our house, and he
gradually spent more time with us. Finally, the carers left, and the boy stayed – we now had a son!
The people below will soon move to New York and they want to do a course at the Brooklyn Activity Centre. Read the descriptions of eight
activities at this Centre. Decide which activity would be the most suitable for each person. There are THREE activities that you DO NOT
need to use.
People
6 Kezia
Kezia is from London in the UK. She loves her city because it’s exciting and interesting. In her free time, she likes going to restaurants. She
enjoys trying products and dishes from different countries.
7 Floyd
Floyd is from Kingston, the capital of Jamaica. He lives near the Bob Marley Museum in the city centre. In his free time, Floyd likes to visit
the zoo and gardens with his friends and enjoys walking to the waterfall in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.
8 Badou
Badou is from Paris, France. During the week, he’s a student at the Sorbonne. At the weekends, he works in a bookshop in the city. Badou
loves visiting museums, painting pictures and shopping when he has time.
9 Jennifer
Jennifer is from San Francisco in the United States. She owns a small shop that sells women’s clothes, bags and shoes. She works a lot, but
in her free time, she loves music, meeting friends, and going to nightclubs.
10 Carla
Carla is from Sydney, Australia. She works in the National History Museum. She likes her job but wants to travel more in the future. She
speaks Spanish quite well, and she is learning Mandarin. She wants to live in Beijing for one year as an English teacher.
Activities
Brooklyn Activity Centre
Welcome to Brooklyn Activity Centre. Here is a list of activities you can do at our centre. Let our membership team know which class you
would like to register for!
A) Dance
In this class, you will learn four different types of dancing: salsa, tango, Zumba and hip-hop. Join our excellent dance teachers, Antonio and
Stella, who will show you special techniques over a ten-week course. So, if you love music and are ready to have fun, join our classes on
Monday and Wednesday!
B) Film School
This year, Jason Williams is leading our film school course. Jason is a young director and teacher. He will show you how to use a video
camera, manage lights, and act in a movie. The group will make a small film at the end of the course. This is an exciting course, so sign up
now!
C) Hill Walkers
The Hill-walking Club opens on September 1st. If you love walking in the mountains, this club is for you! The first walk is to Crystal Lake on
Mount Marcy. Hill walkers should wear good walking shoes and bring lots of water, a raincoat and food in a bag. If you’re ready to get
exercise, join this group!
D) Dog training
This course is for you and your dog! Learn to train your dog how to sit, jump and run. Dog-training expert, Imelda Ruff, will show you
techniques to train your dog for local and national shows. If your dog is successful, you can enter the big national show at the end of the
year. So come to this course if you and your best doggy friend want some fun together!
E) Ancient China
In this unusual course, we discover China’s ancient art and culture. Hyung Wei Chang will teach you about the best ancient Chinese artists,
the Ming dynasty, and you will also learn about ancient Chinese buildings. On the last day of the course, the group will have dinner at The
Golden Elephant on Green Street.
F) World Music
In this amazing course, you will listen to music from Africa, Australia, India and many other countries worldwide. You will also have the
chance to try unusual instruments like the triangle. In this course, you will meet famous world musicians and go to concerts to listen to
their music. This is the most expensive course, but it’s excellent.
G) Cooking
Do you love to eat? Then, maybe you should learn how to cook! Pierre Chevalier teaches you how to prepare French food in a simple way.
Pierre will also teach you about Italian, Greek and Turkish food. Everyone must bring their own ingredients, but you are allowed to eat
everything you make!
H) Painting Course
Nikolai Ramonov will meet all new students at Studio 4 to teach art. The course includes art history and painting. You will learn how to use
oils and watercolours. You will also learn how to paint an object, a person and a landscape. Nicolai is a well-known artist in his town of St.
Petersburg.