2. Midnight feedings? I'm out of practice! I'm not sure how I will do with middle of the night feedings/rocking/swaying if we get a baby. I might be enlisting Dan's help this time! Good thing the boys are heavy sleepers.
3. Appointments might take over my life! I know I can't just stop my own life, but I need to prepare to slow down a bit. It's unlikely but still possible that my life will turn into one appointment after another. Like any mom adding children to her plate, I will have to loosen my grip even MORE on the bit of freedom I have left.
4. Interactions with bio family will be difficult. Prior to our training, I had no idea that regular visits were part of fostering. I thought we would have more of a removed role, focusing solely on the health and protection of our foster kids. For the record, it's much much more than that.
5. Being out numbered. Being outnumbered is not a general fear of mine when it comes to family planning. For Dan, four kids is a stretch, but I could see myself with five or six. The thing that blows my mind is the lack of transition period. There will not be time between us finding out we are getting one or two kids (possibly twins!) and them entering our home. No 9 month period to get used to the idea. It will be sudden and probably very very hard at first.
6. Not having the strength or patience to be the parents these children need. Thankfully, God promises to be with those who follow Him. He gave us a calling, a passion to care for children in need and I believe He will also provide the emotional support to carry this through.
9. Team dynamics. Not only will we be meeting and working with the bio family, but a monthly meeting will be had with all team members involved, including case workers, counselors, and family members. I'm nervous about who these people are, their personalties and agendas. I imagine it will be much like a high school group project where you didn't pick your team members. You all have a similar goal but so many different personalities. It's hard to know what to expect.
10. Attachment. I'm afraid of both attaching too much or not enough. Most people we talk to are worried about our family getting too attached to a child only to see them go back home. It was a fear of mine, too, until we learned that the goal of fostering is to give the kids back! We learned in our STARS classes that attachment is actually an important part of fostering. We, as the foster parents, can have an impact on how these children learn to relate to people. We get to teach them about healthy relationships and might possibly be the first people they attach to appropriately. I'm hoping my years of nanny-ing will help me in this!
Thanks for your honesty! I am enjoying this series.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for your journey! It's gonna be so exciting, and I'm pumped to see where God leads you!
ReplyDeleteHey! I've been a silent reader for awhile; but I've really enjoyed reading about your struggles and joys with beginning fostering! That's something my husband and I have been tentatively interested in, and I really appreciate the opportunity to hear the thoughts of someone who's doing it--thanks so much!
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