So I haven't typed any new posts lately cause we have been trying to figure out a lot of things!!! There is soooo much to consider age groups, mental, physical behaviors. We don't have any kids and we have only had our nieces and nephews stay with us a night or two , but this is a day to day thing. I tell someone what we are doing and they chime in their answer "oh you want someone young, cause teenagers have too many problems" ( I know i have said this before) In our classes those seem to be the ones that need the most love.
Our class on Valentine's Day was on Impacts of abuse on development. There was a video of this man telling his story that he lived in an alchoholic family and was never taught anything. He didn't graduate and before he turned 18 he had been arrested 24 times. The police officer told him that will be the last time you will be tried as a juvenile next time an adult. Well that was the first person he said cared enough to tell him something. So he started working at a fancy furniture store delivering and setting it up. He was taught culture and enjoyed it. One delivery he made was to a surgeon who he had him set up his furniture and told him to come by again. Well the boy did and would almost every weekend. The surgeon and him would watch football , eat, talk, etc. He said one time the surgeon took a nap and he was ok with him staying and watching the ame on tv. So the surgeon asked him why haven't you finished High School? He didn't really give a good enough answer so the surgeon said just do it!!! So he did he got his diploma, went on to college, went onto medical school. While doing surgeon rotations the boy now a man got this big adrenilane rush doing surgery and now he is a top thorassic SP? surgeon. His adrenilane rush that he had stealing cars breaking in was all put into surgery!!! All because one man gave him the respect and trust that he needed to move on.
So does this mean we are going to take in a teenager? I don't know.
Although it has been put off for a little longer than I had hoped, but in one of our classes they told us if we have a vacation coming wait till after that to foster. So that is in August , but I still want to DO SOMETHING. So we might do respite care till we get back from our trip. Respite care are people who take in foster kids for a period of time, not long though. While the foster parents go out of town. Some parents wont allow their child to go on vacation with their foster families so they send them to a temporary home while they leave. That way we can have a feel of how this all works!!! Take in some teenagers and all agesthen we can decide what we can handle!!!
I wish-- WISH!!!-- we were in a place where we could foster teens. I fully expect to foster teens in the future. I can't wait to do it. Teens have challenges just like little ones do. Look at Z and how many problems we've had with him. I would have thought he would have fewer than a teen but some days I think probably not.
ReplyDeleteWhen we did foster care, we wanted little, of course. Now I want big. I look forward to that so much. It will be awesome.
Be open to the possibilities. You'll get the right kids.
Love you! So proud of you guys for doing foster care.
Sarah