6 Month Report - Social Services

Yanmei in her baptism dress

Thomas and Yanmei - June 2000 - at Thomas' confirmation and Yanmei baptism

Six Months report of the 13^th September 2000 – by the Copenhagen Social Services

This visit to applicants is due to the fact their daughter Yanmei, adopted from China, has now been with them for 6 months. Both applicants and Yanmei are present during the visit.

Yanmei will be 3 years old in 1 month. She weights 11.5-12kg and is 84cm tall. Apart for a little fever for one day she is in good health. One of her eyes still droops a little, especially when she is tired, and the applicants will have this examined some day.

The applicants feel that Yanmei is seems quite normally developed. She still appears to be a somewhat younger child, as far as size and development are concerned, but a lot of things are happening with her.

The applicants are not in any doubt that Yanmei is closely attached to them and her big brother Thomas. She is happy and confident with people whom she often sees. She is very shy and reserved towards strangers, but she thaws out after about 30 minutes. She is fond of physical contact and caresses, but only when she wants. She is a happy and satisfied child, and fairly independent – e.g. she wants to do things on her own and determine many things herself. She knows what she does and doesn’t want, and can show dissatisfaction and anger, but is not particularly temperamental. The applicants feel that Yanmei learns and picks things up very quickly.

Yanmei understands almost everything, and she frequently shows that she has heard what the applicants have been talking about, even though it does not look as though she has been listening. She talks continuously when at home, and can at time repeat everything that the applicants say. She can talk in sentences of 2 or 3 words. The things she says are relevant and meaningful. You can also speak to her about people/things that are not nearby.

The applicants still read aloud to Yanmei before she is put in bed in the evening. After the summer holidays, they have started leaving her room after they have said goodnight, which she has accepted. However they sit outside the door with their newspaper, or do other quiet things. The door is ajar so that she can hear them. She still sleeps for about 2 hours at midday, and in the future the applicants will try to limit her midday sleep a little, so that she can fall asleep earlier in the evening.

Yanmei likes most food, but there are things that she prefers such as fruit. Sometimes she shows her independence by refusing to eat some types of food – e.g. mushrooms. She stops eating when she is full up. To begin with, she wanted all the food in her field of vision, but that is no longer the case and stopped fairly quickly. She is not fond of drinking milk, but has milk on her cornflakes. She eats other milk products such as A38, yoghurt and cheese. She mostly drinks water and tea. Yanmei likes to sit on her potty and the applicants put her on it at certain times, and most often with a good result. She hasn’t started saying when she should go on the potty yet.

Yanmei has developed good motor functions, but may still be a little bit behind compared with other children of her own age. She likes to run around and is good at kicking a ball.

Yanmei is still fond of doing the same things as the applicants and of role plays. She gives her doll food, goes for walks with her pushchair, read stories for her teddy bear, exactly as the applicants do for her when they put her to bed. She is good at jigsaw puzzles, and is growing fond of her Lego Duplo bricks, with which she builds towers. She likes books and has also started to enjoy watching TV. She is very musical and is fond of songs and music. Yanmei and the female applicant attend a municipal playschool once a week. Most of the other children are about 2 years old, and their level is suitable for Yanmei. Recently, they have also started attending a musical playgroup once a week, which Yanmei seems to enjoy. The applicants that Yanmei is happy and comfortable being together with other children, that they have enrolled her to a half-day kindergarten from the 1^st January 2001. They do not know whether there will be a place then; but this is not decisive, as the female applicant has not yet applied for a job.

Things are going well with Yanmei. She has settled down well in the family, who are very fond of her, and she is thriving and developing well. Still, she is not at the level of her age, but e.g. her language is in rapid development now, and she seems normal both emotionally and in her contact to others.