Normal Families?
Certain activities in class allow me to learn a lot about each of my students individually. Today's activity was one of these. We did an activity in which students had to create a family pedigree and then trace a genetic trait through the family. I thought I covered my bases when I discussed what students needed to do for divorces, deaths, remarriages, and adoption. Little did I realize what other questions might come up-and what information I would learn that I didn't really want to know. Here are a few questions I received and a few things I learned today....
1. What do we do if Grandma was married three times?
2. I don't know what my mom looks like-I haven't seen her in 5 years. She has a restraining order.
3. My mom and dad are first cousins.
4. A students "step-mom" is really his mom's partner.
5. What do I do with my step siblings and half siblings?
6. What do I do with my 3 half siblings who all have a different dad who my mom was never married to?
7. How do I show my sister's baby if my sister was never married? This was followed by conversation in which I learned that not only was the sister never married, but the baby is a result of artificial insemination and the father was an "unknown" donor.
8. There are 17 family members living in my house.
9. What do I do if there are quadruplets in my family?
These were some of the questions I was asked. I wonder what some of the questions were that I was not asked. How many of the students come from divorced families? From families where there is no dad and their mom was never married? How many of them have mom's who have had children with several different men? It makes me grateful to have a normal (but apparently not so normal anymore), stable, and relationship-healthy family where someday my children won't have to ask the teacher "What do I do if.....?"
1. What do we do if Grandma was married three times?
2. I don't know what my mom looks like-I haven't seen her in 5 years. She has a restraining order.
3. My mom and dad are first cousins.
4. A students "step-mom" is really his mom's partner.
5. What do I do with my step siblings and half siblings?
6. What do I do with my 3 half siblings who all have a different dad who my mom was never married to?
7. How do I show my sister's baby if my sister was never married? This was followed by conversation in which I learned that not only was the sister never married, but the baby is a result of artificial insemination and the father was an "unknown" donor.
8. There are 17 family members living in my house.
9. What do I do if there are quadruplets in my family?
These were some of the questions I was asked. I wonder what some of the questions were that I was not asked. How many of the students come from divorced families? From families where there is no dad and their mom was never married? How many of them have mom's who have had children with several different men? It makes me grateful to have a normal (but apparently not so normal anymore), stable, and relationship-healthy family where someday my children won't have to ask the teacher "What do I do if.....?"
Oh, the memories of that assignment!! It's so true--sometimes you learn way more about the kids than you really want to. My record was a girl last year: her Dad had fathered 5 OTHER children, all with different mothers. CRAZY!! It was super fun trying to put her half siblings on the pedigree.
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