The Grandmother... Sharon
”It’s important that Penny doesn’t feel on her own.”
"From the very beginning, we knew adopting would be hard for Penny because she is a single mum and older children have gone through a lot of trauma. We knew all this because Penny kept us so well informed. She gave us books to read, and reported back information from workshops. We were painted the blackest picture possible – and, actually, the reality has been incredibly positive, with no problem insurmountable!
We try to see Penny and Nathan about once a fortnight, as it’s important that Penny doesn’t feel on her own. She’s a new mum, and has been bombarded with cooking and cleaning, as well as the childcare, so I mostly help with mundane chores! I like to give Penny time to focus on Nathan and spend time with him.
Her dad and I are also here as support for Nathan, to provide further stability, as he’s had so many changes in his life. We hope he understands that we’re part of his ‘forever family’ – that he won’t have to leave us. Last time he came over, he made some people with Playdough. He said: “That’s my family: me, mummy, grandma and grandpa.” It brought a lump to my throat. And if anything exciting happens, like he gets a certificate from school, he phones us up to tell us. We love him to bits."
Last updated: 02 July 09
