If you’ve ever wondered what a group of 3rd graders have to say on the subject of parenting read on… When discussing our future family plans this past Mother’s Day, each of Stacy’s students presented their own piece of parenting advice:
1) “You should help with the kid’s reading and homework.” As two teachers I can comfortably say we have a handle on this one; we are avid readers and encourage it at every opportunity.
2) “Be cool and give good hugs.” We certainly hold our loved ones close, but in terms of that first point we’ll just have to try our best.
3) “Cook, cuddle and love your baby.” Done, done, and done. We love to cook together- often attempting to replicate the great meals we’ve had in our favorite restaurants.
4) “Never let them leave the house when they grow up.” Now this one we have to push back against a bit. Sean and I will always encourage independence and will certainly assist our child at every step of the way as they carve out their own place in this world!
5) “Run and play and if [the child is] good let them play on your phone a little bit.” There are so many play areas in our neighborhood to explore, we are excited to discover even more.
6) “Take your kid to the park”, this is perfect because we often frequent the park a block away and you’ll already find us there with our dog Pepper most nights. Finally,
7)”buy your kid a PS5.” Well guess what? We already have one of those too.
We met through a mutual friend while we were both attending Michigan State University. We were both wearing pajamas, as it was a Saturday morning-themed party complete with pancakes and cartoons playing in the background. Nearly a decade after we first met, Sean placed Stacy in a semi-headlock on the New York City High Line and asked her to be his wife.
We ran off to Greece in June of 2018 to partake in what we thought would be a small destination wedding, but 70 of our closest family and friends were able to join. Truly the trip of a lifetime and one that made all of our mother’s Mamma Mia fantasies come true! Since then, we briefly called North Carolina home before reuniting with our Michigan community 5 years ago and settling into the Midtown neighborhood of Grand Rapids.
We enjoy walking our dog around unfamiliar corners of our neighborhood, trying out new restaurants- then attempting to replicate the recipes at home, exploring bookshops to find new books, taking road trips, and traveling abroad to visit Sean’s family in the United Kingdom. Travel is a passion of ours – we have been lucky enough to visit Guatemala, South Africa, Ireland, France, Spain, Greece, Austria, Serbia, and Czechia together.
We have our own hobbies as well, Stacy likes to kayak around the lake shore, scope out new coffee shops, and find treasures while thrifting. Sean unwinds by playing hockey twice a week, collecting and playing retro video games, and puttering around in the garden. Our ultimate summer activity to do together is hosting friends for dinner and bonfires in our backyard.
Gender: Any Gender, including an Ambiguous or Transitioning Gender Child
Ethnicities: Any Race and Ethnicity
Age: Newborn to 2 Years Old
Total of: 1 to 2 Children or 2 Siblings
We Live In: Grand Rapids Area
Our Faith: Open to All Religions
Pets: Both Cat(s) and Dog(s)
Kids Already: No Children Now
Child Care Plan: Licensed Child Care Center Stay-at-Home Parent
We both have close relationships with our immediate families and connect with our parents via FaceTime weekly. We know we can go to them with any issue big or small and they would help us talk through solutions. We prioritize visits with Stacy’s family every two weeks or so to share a meal, go for a walk, or get advice on the maintenance that owning a 100-year-old home entails.
Sean’s family lives in metro Detroit, and we try to visit every 1-2 months. We are lucky enough to share a college friend group that has cheered us on from the very beginning. While the majority of them live on the East side of the state now, we make an effort to meet up multiple times a year. It’s been such a joy to watch their families grow!
We moved to the Midtown neighborhood of Grand Rapids about 5 years ago and initially gravitated to the area because of its diversity and walkability. We have access to Martha’s Vineyard corner shop, Lyon Street Café Coffee shop and Nantucket Bakery all a block over from us. We can truly say we know and get along well with our neighbors.
A block from our house in the other direction is the Midtown Green, which hosts various events (fall fests, cook-outs, plant swaps, etc.) throughout the year. The Fulton Street Farmer’s Market is also only a few minutes away on foot. On the weekends you’ll often find us scoping out new coffee shops and bakeries with our dog Pepper by our side.
We live in a 3-bedroom house from the 1920s, which we absolutely love! We spend a lot of time in the garden, planting both native Michigan plants and fruits and vegetables. Sean’s favorites to grow are garlic and butternut squash, and Stacy loves picking our raspberries.
Given our line of work, education is valued and central to our daily lives. We also both grew up in households that made education a top priority. Books are a central part of our household, literally! We have hundreds of books and are avid readers. We will support our child’s curiosity and foster their love of learning, while helping them on their own unique path.
Our child will be expected to express themselves and their feelings in a way that doesn’t harm others. We plan to lean heavily on positive discipline which relies on positive reinforcement and the delivery of consequences (not punishments) in a kind but firm way. We want our child to feel like a capable and connected member of the household.
We hope to use brief time-outs as a discipline tactic if the child needs a safe space to collect themselves. We believe parents should set limits and be consistent with discipline and consequences. Once given, consequences should be followed through immediately, with no empty repeated threats of discipline.
Though we were both involved in our church communities growing up, we do not actively practice a religion now. We remain open to all religious beliefs and fully support our future child as they navigate their own belief system. We continue to celebrate Christmas and Easter with our extended families.
I like being able to see the same students year after year and build relationships with them and their entire families. I love how I can flex a creative muscle with ELL (English Language Learner) instruction. I get to take the great work done by classroom teachers and enhance it with visuals and hands-on activities.
I learn so much from these kids in turn. Expressive language can be difficult for English language learners, so seeing my students confidently present on a topic aloud or tackle a writing task is fantastic!
We hope to enroll our child in a licensed childcare agency or in-home provider during the school year, Monday through Friday. As a teacher I will have the weekends, holiday breaks, and summers off, so childcare will not be necessary during those periods. I have 12 weeks of maternity leave that I plan on taking before returning to work full time. We are lucky to have many friends and family members ready and willing to babysit.
The goal of my scientific research is to protect our freshwater resources. I find great meaning in conducting research that helps to preserve the environment and help society. I get to learn something new daily, and every day is different and exciting. As a professor, I love pursuing my scientific curiosity, sharing that curiosity with students, and inspiring them to find their passion in the field of environmental science.
We hope to enroll our child in a licensed childcare agency or in-home provider during the school year, Monday through Friday. My job is quite flexible on a day-to-day basis, allowing me to work from home for part of the week, and have significant time off over major holidays and during the summers. I have six weeks of paternity leave at my disposal.
I have Irish, Czech, Dutch, and Native American ancestry. My family has resided in west Michigan for nearly a century. The bulk of my family on both sides lives within a 5-mile radius of my childhood home making it easy for us to get together for both little and big celebrations.
I had pumpkin-carving parties at my aunt and uncles, Christmas and Thanksgiving at my grandparents, and a small town parade and firework show with all of my mom’s cousins on the 4th of July. Many birthdays were celebrated poolside in my grandparents’ back yard.
As a family we would kayak around the lakeshore and during the summer months, when my parents’ schedules were more flexible, we would all pile into the minivan and explore national parks out west.
I am of European (English and Polish) decent. Family celebrations with extended family that live close to my childhood home are centered around meals, especially traditional British food and major holidays (Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving) and birthdays.
We play board games or trivia during these events or watch major sporting matches on TV. Growing up we were devoted to playing hockey, with most weekends spent at the rink – something that is still a major part of my life today.
Hey there! First off, we wish you the very best as you navigate the many decisions surrounding adoption. Our past familial experiences with adoption have only been of the closed variety. Having now researched open adoption we’re seeing all of its merits- that it is ultimately an act of love; you choosing us out of love and believing in our ability to carry out the vision you have for the child. Everything is out there, no secrets, just openness.
We feel very lucky to have the immense support system that we do. We have already established a stable, caring family unit and cannot wait to bring a baby into the fold. We understand that adoption is a life-long commitment that involves all of us coming together to craft the best possible future for a child. With your involvement it can be a really beautiful thing!
Your role in our family’s life will be validated from the start. We would never deny our future child this piece of their identify and will discuss their adoption openly and respectfully. We also would love for you to be a part of these adoption discussions because you are important.
Essentially: we want them to know their origin story from all of our perspectives. If you wish it, we would love to have an ongoing relationship with you in some form or another, that could be through in-person visits, video chats, texts, and lots of photos.
We hope to enroll our child in a licensed childcare agency or in-home provider during the school year, Monday through Friday. As a teacher I will have the weekends, holiday breaks, and summers off, so childcare will not be necessary during those periods. I have 12 weeks of maternity leave that I plan on taking before returning to work full time. We are lucky to have many friends and family members ready and willing to babysit.
Your role in our family’s life will be validated from the start. We would never deny our future child this piece of their identify and will discuss their adoption openly and respectfully. We also would love for you to be a part of these adoption discussions because you are important.
Essentially: we want them to know their origin story from all of our perspectives. If you wish it, we would love to have an ongoing relationship with you in some form or another, that could be through in-person visits, video chats, texts, and lots of photos.
Just one more thing...Your role in our family’s life will be validated from the start. We would never deny our future child this piece of their identify and will discuss their adoption openly and respectfully. We also would love for you to be a part of these adoption discussions because you are important.
Essentially: we want them to know their origin story from all of our perspectives. If you wish it, we would love to have an ongoing relationship with you in some form or another, that could be through in-person visits, video chats, texts, and lots of photos.
