What do your foster children call you?
Yes, I know they call you all the names under the sun sometimes, but I'm talking about the familial name they use for you.
And while on the subject of names, what do you call them, and how do you say it?
Interestingly, research shows that "Daddy" is the most common first word spoken by British children followed closely by "Mummy", those two words being...
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
IS POCKET MONEY A GOOD IDEA?
I'm feeling a bit anarchic at the moment, maybe it's the snow.
Who invented this "pocket money" thing anyway? I don't think my parents generation picked up a weekly half-crown every Saturday for no reason; there just wasn't the money in the house.
Is it a good idea?
I can see that the idea of encouraging a child who might have previously had precious little to...
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Horsemeat Burgers and Fostering.
Whatever you think about the news that bits of horses have turned up in supermarket burgers, the issue throws up (apologies, no pun intended) big questions for foster carers.
Because food is almost always a huge deal for the child, sometimes the biggest thing in their life.They may have been half-starved, fed nothing but takeaways, learned only to eat with their...
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Many thanks to those readers who posted about Contact.
To those who are considering becoming foster carers, or are completing the process I'd like to say this:
Fostering is, simply, one of the best things you can ever do. And you're not alone in the job; there's a network of support available not just from your agency or local authority, but other foster carers. I hope the blog reinforces that sense....
Monday, January 07, 2013
CONTACT ISSUES
Contact seems the biggest common fostering issue, for carers.
If you're reading this and not yet a foster carer, "Contact" is the term for a meeting between a looked-after child and their "significant others". You, the foster carer, are usually responsible for getting the child to the appointed place - there are Contact Centres all over the country nowadays - and then responsible for helping...