A Day in a Life of a Foster Parent
1,2,3
As I looked across the table at my neighbor, the closest thing I've ever had to a little brother, I could see the anger boiling up inside of him. "Ry, wanna take the dogs out?"
"Yes" He hastily replies practically jumping to his feet
"Can I come?" #2 asks. She really is a good kid, under all that anger. But after caring for her all day. Pulling her off her sisters, chasing her when she ran away, cleaning up her mess, I really needed a break
"Sorry not this time" I say as we walk out the gate. Ryan, as always, is a breath of fresh air. Which is exactly what i needed, especially because I walk back into chaos
"#2 tried to run away again" My aunt says as I walk in the door, quite a greeting isn't it?
"where are they now?"
"Everyone's upstairs" & indeed EVERYONE was upstairs. the 3 girls, 2 neighbors, & my sister. & no one was happy. My sister was banging on the bathroom door where #1 was yelling on the other side "IN A MINUTE!" My 1 neighbor was trying to get #3 ready for bed & the other neighbor was talking to #2, the only one I could be concerned with for now. As I walk up to her she turns her back to me
"I told you you can not run away!" She looks up pleadingly to my best friend
"We came up with a system" She helpfully offers her advice. As i listened to my best friend talk I was again humbled and amazed at how good I had it. Apparently when #2 got mad at her Grandmothers house, where she lived before coming to us. She was told to go wander around the streets to 'cool off'. We learned that we can't yell at her, or it only upsets her more. 3 was the magic number. 3 pleases before we were allowed to raise our voices.
These kids reinforced something I had already known, each kid is different. Some need love, some need loving discipline. Some need to be told, some need to be listened to. But all of them need patience, understanding, & unconditional love.
"Yes" He hastily replies practically jumping to his feet
"Can I come?" #2 asks. She really is a good kid, under all that anger. But after caring for her all day. Pulling her off her sisters, chasing her when she ran away, cleaning up her mess, I really needed a break
"Sorry not this time" I say as we walk out the gate. Ryan, as always, is a breath of fresh air. Which is exactly what i needed, especially because I walk back into chaos
"#2 tried to run away again" My aunt says as I walk in the door, quite a greeting isn't it?
"where are they now?"
"Everyone's upstairs" & indeed EVERYONE was upstairs. the 3 girls, 2 neighbors, & my sister. & no one was happy. My sister was banging on the bathroom door where #1 was yelling on the other side "IN A MINUTE!" My 1 neighbor was trying to get #3 ready for bed & the other neighbor was talking to #2, the only one I could be concerned with for now. As I walk up to her she turns her back to me
"I told you you can not run away!" She looks up pleadingly to my best friend
"We came up with a system" She helpfully offers her advice. As i listened to my best friend talk I was again humbled and amazed at how good I had it. Apparently when #2 got mad at her Grandmothers house, where she lived before coming to us. She was told to go wander around the streets to 'cool off'. We learned that we can't yell at her, or it only upsets her more. 3 was the magic number. 3 pleases before we were allowed to raise our voices.
These kids reinforced something I had already known, each kid is different. Some need love, some need loving discipline. Some need to be told, some need to be listened to. But all of them need patience, understanding, & unconditional love.
♠ ♠ ♠
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