Find out about and then attend any extracurricular
activities of your child: sports, music, drama, etc.
Find out what your child's hobbies are. What are the achievements
of your child in these activities: did he/she receive any
commendations , prizes, sports trophies, etc. The knowledge
of the areas of interest of your child can help you to choose
the kind of activities that can help the child to advance
in the group and give him/her higher status. Such activities,
for example, as soccer, chess playing, etc. might not be widely
popular here, but the child may already have certain skills
in these areas. Applying them at school will certainly boost
his/her self-esteem, will help adaptation, and acceptance
at school.
Find out how your child gets along with other
children. Is he/she a leader or a follower?
What kind of responsibilities does your child
have in the school and/or in the orphanage? For example, teacher's
assistant, class attendance monitor, sport team captain, etc.
Find out if your child is attached to any adult
in particular. You may get an idea if you learn that someone
in this orphanage took your child home for a holiday, or gave
the child a special treat for his/her birthday. Talk to this
person to get insights into your child's personality, likes
and dislikes.
