Play dates

Although the three adoptive mothers Christina, Kristen and Sue have professional jobs in different cities in the Greater Toronto Area, they try to create regular opportunities for their daughters to play together.

The mothers also exchange the experiences as adoptive parents. Over the past few years, they have visited each others' homes, cooked Chinese food, gone camping, made Chinese friends and attended a Chinese party every two months at FCC.

The adoptive families believe the culture camp helps their children develop a sense of community and a pride of origin. At the FCC, the families get together for a meal during Chinese New Year and Moon Festivals, which helps them establish long-lasting relationships with the Chinese community.

At this past summer's culture camp, Ella, Madeline and Elisabeth learned Chinese folk dances and performed the fan dance for their parents and other FCC family members. The three girls started second grade this month.

Once Ella turns eight, Christina said she will take her back to China to visit Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong for two or three weeks and expose her to more Chinese culture in person.

"We hope she can have some connections to her background. It will be helpful for her in developing her personality," she said.

Contact the writer at renali@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 09/27/2013 page20)