Thursday 10 March 2011

Bite Sized

I have about ten minutes to write this. Let's see how fast I can type, shall we?
  • Does anybody else think that teething is like PMS for toddlers? It's totally unprovable, some people suffer much more from it than others, and it's a fabulous catch-all for all kinds of unbearable behaviour. I notice this today because three people in my family are currently suffering from one of those ailments. You can probably guess who has got what. All I want to do is go back to bed with a hot water bottle and a bag of M&Ms. I have no idea what they want; if I did I guess this whole thing would be a lot easier.

  • For a balanced and very thoughtful response to the recent changes in Ethiopian adoption, I recommend that you read this post. For what it's worth, here's my solution: Not a slowdown - fines. Money is the problem, right? So let's make the solution about the money. If agencies faced fines, I think they would waste a lot less of MOWA's time with poorly prepared applications, and (much more importantly) be much more intimidated about misrepresenting (okay lying) about children's circumstances. If an agency sends incomplete paperwork to court: they get a fine. If they send incorrect paperwork to court: they get a great big fine. If they send falsified paperwork to court, they get a HUGE, ENORMOUS, totally financially crushing, see-you-later-don't-let-the-door-hit-you-on-the-way-out-sized fine. And the person who tips off the authorities that agencies are falsifying information should get to keep half the money. I'm not kidding. I think this would work.


  • I don't know what to say about the incredible series of posts that you have all written about attachment. For once in my life, I have nothing to say. Words fail me. It's been amazing. The best I can do is: Thank you. And you, and and you, and you.

10 comments:

  1. YOU ARE brilliant. FINES ... of course that would be an amazing answer. Let agencies police their own paperwork. LOVE LOVE this idea (as demonstrated by all my obnoxious words in quotes). You should tell someone this idea ;)

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  2. Yes, I do think teething kids have too many similarities to PMS :)

    Hope you feel better soon!

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  3. love the fines idea - brilliant!

    and THANK YOU for pointing me to the 'straight magic' post about the new MOWA rule -- i have been waiting to read something like that all week! you rock.

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  4. YES! Absolutely, completely, 100% FINES!

    BIG FAT FINES!

    Brilliant!

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  5. Toddler PMS- of course!!! Wish I had thought of this when my boys were small... ;-)

    and YES to fines. GREAT idea and I really think it would work.

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  6. I find it hard to comment on this topic as Ethiopia is no longer my program, but I also think that fines are a great idea. Mostly, I think that slowing down the court process will do nothing but make things slower. How it will translate to a more ethical process . . . I have no idea.

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  7. I think since money seems to drive EVERYTHING that fines make a ton of sense.

    I'm going to go send you an email right now, have a specific question for you :)

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  8. I have a friend - nearly 40 - whose wisdom teeth are coming in and not coming in nicely. He is in agony. Yesterday he said, "Now I know why babies cry."

    Ow.

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  9. Absolutely agree with the fines, and with how amazing the attachment posts are. Thank YOU for suggesting it. Can't comment on the toddler PMS comparison since our came complete with 20 pearly white but I will pray for your friend and for peace in Jima. So much to pray for these days...sigh...

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  10. Fines are a great idea! Teething is a killer. Praying for your friend in Jimma and all of Ethiopia!

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Over to you!