Anyone who's had a child of their own will know this one;You're in a supermarket looking for the peanut butter which they re-locate to keep you browsing.Suddenly you hear a baby crying.You freeze. A shiver runs down your spine, your body tenses.It triggers memories of a call to action from the past, when your little one needed you. You'd fly out of bed and run to their room, or drop the potato...
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Friday, January 26, 2024
DO YOU GIVE YOURSELF "OASIS MOMENTS?"
In fostering you need little "oasis" moments.One of mine happens around 10.00am weekdays.I'm up a tad too early for my liking, we're a two-dog household at the moment, and the pair of them gang up to ask for breakfast earlier and earlier.Our second dog is technically temporary, we're 'looking after her' while a relative sorts themselves out. Blue Sky always do a check-up on pets in foster homes. Our...
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
OUT OF THE BLUE
We had an "unannounced visit" today.An unanounced visit is a brilliant Blue Sky feature. They simply show up at your place, big smiles, and say "Hi! Unannounced visit!"The idea is that foster parents can tidy up the house when we know a social worker is due and make sure the child's room is in order.And that there's no bleach in the downstairs toilet. By which I mean that there can be bleach...
Saturday, January 13, 2024
CHRISTMAS ALWAYS GIVES..IN THE END
It's post-Christmas-time at the moment here in the UK.The last few weeks if you foster are always…I'm going to say…interesting.But however interesting it gets, the Christmas Holidays are one of the big rewards in fostering.Our own families fill our lives more than usual, but if you foster your fortnight is filled with not only your own family, but other people's.It's a Godsend that Blue Sky...
Tuesday, January 02, 2024
THEY GROW
Our eldest foster child is now old enough to drive. And so he does.We insured him for our modest Peugeot 208 (cost: arm and a leg). I can say for sure, hand on heart, nothing has emboldened him for the adult life ahead more or better than driving.We have apps on our phones that let us track him and register top speeds, acceleration and sudden braking. He's a bit quicker than us, but doesn't...