While raking leaves today and watching/listening to the kids playing in the back yard I realized their job right now is to learn to play together nicely, share and co operate. They are learning every day to be a family. Thats a lot of work for them! It sounds strange but We are a blended/instant family. Our daughter arrived at our foster home when she was 22 mths on my sons 5th bday. Surprise! There was no adjustment or baby steps into the family. Toddler meet preschooler. Preschooler meet toddler! Now we are a family! THAT is part of the reason we home school. Lets spend some time together and learn how to be a family. Both of my kids have traumatic, abusive, chaotic histories and first introductions to family. Relearning that family is love, family is fun, family sticks together, family is safe, family counts on each other, family always says sorry takes time and is hard to relearn- especially when it meant pain, danger and fear in the past! Living in foster care means that you have therapy almost every day for something... Speech , OT, PT, play/psych, infants and toddlers, visits with parents, visits with siblings, visits with CASA, judge, lawyers, social workers! Add public school to this- when do we have time to learn to be a family? When do we spend time together? My son (now adopted) was so stressed out by these numerous daily visits that he is still affected when his sister goes through them. And so I homeschool. We are learning a curriculum, focusing on a grade level, but more importantly hes learning to be happy in a family. Hes learning his role. Hes learning to move beyond control and working together is more fun than fighting with his sister. Hes learning that he can teach too. Hes learning to relax and be in a family. He still has therapy almost daily but after his hour of time away, hes back to familiar. Hes back to family.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 18:45:36 +0000