Keywords:
family structure, elementary school, chosen family
family structure, elementary school, chosen family
Transcript
Tara: Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day can be conundrums to use the word of Kate Reid, who is a brilliant musician and one of our students. And how did Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day go for your girls?
Ernst: That’s really interesting because early on, the teachers would feel they were supporting us and got our children to make Mothers’ Day presents for us.
Tara: Right.
Ernst: Although we just through default probably have taken on the mother role being two men in many ways.
Michael: To a degree.
Ernst: Yeah to a degree they have mothers in our situation and-
Michael: Yeah they have birth mothers and they have a relationship with them.
Ernst: We are in touch with their birth mothers. So, early on Milena would go and say, my teacher said I don't have a mom, but I do, her name is Heather. So, you know, but they were doing it to actually support us. And then it was a matter of Milena or Clara at that time saying, no I actually have a mother Diane or Heather and they make Mothers’ Day cards for their birth mothers and we send it to them and yeah so. And we get double Fathers’ Day cards.
Michael: It’s a big day.
Ernst: It is! It’s like Christmas here.
Tara: Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day can be conundrums to use the word of Kate Reid, who is a brilliant musician and one of our students. And how did Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day go for your girls?
Ernst: That’s really interesting because early on, the teachers would feel they were supporting us and got our children to make Mothers’ Day presents for us.
Tara: Right.
Ernst: Although we just through default probably have taken on the mother role being two men in many ways.
Michael: To a degree.
Ernst: Yeah to a degree they have mothers in our situation and-
Michael: Yeah they have birth mothers and they have a relationship with them.
Ernst: We are in touch with their birth mothers. So, early on Milena would go and say, my teacher said I don't have a mom, but I do, her name is Heather. So, you know, but they were doing it to actually support us. And then it was a matter of Milena or Clara at that time saying, no I actually have a mother Diane or Heather and they make Mothers’ Day cards for their birth mothers and we send it to them and yeah so. And we get double Fathers’ Day cards.
Michael: It’s a big day.
Ernst: It is! It’s like Christmas here.