Here Is How You Can Make Your Foster Child Comfortable With You
When you decide to bring a foster child in your home, it can be an overwhelming experience for your entire family. Fostering is a second chance at a better life for the child and the experience is rewarding for the parent and the members of the family. You need to make a well thought out decision about fostering, it is not something you take lightly. It could bring about a huge change in your family and sometimes the decision could go wrong as well.
There are some things you need to be aware about before you decide to become a foster parent. There could be numerous reasons why a child ends up in foster care and a lot of them have problems adjusting with the new family and new situations. You need to understand how to become a foster carer and make a well informed decision. The process is rigorous and time consuming, this is to ensure that the child goes into the right foster home. The social worker will have a case file for the foster child and it will include details about the family information and past history of the child. You should try your best to ensure that the child is comfortable in your home and feels safe and at ease with your family members. Here are different ways you can achieve the same.
Maintain a positive attitude
When you begin fostering, it will be new for you as well as the child and most importantly, you need to remain positive throughout the period. You will have to make efforts to be happy right from the day the child arrives at your home. It will help you make a good start to the new life and will let the child know that they are welcome in your family. You need to encourage the rest of the family members to have a positive attitude and to welcome the child with open arms.
Gain information about the child
As a foster carer, you will have to do your homework and have enough information about the background of the child. It will also carry details about the interest and the personality of the child. You might want to buy a few things that will make them feel at home and sit down with everyone in your family and talk about the history of the child so everyone is well prepared mentally.
Talk to them
Once they are a part of your home, you need to sit down with them and have a chat. Remain open to any questions or concerns that the child may have and discuss the house rules if you have any. Talk to the child in a calm and rational manner and make them understand what is acceptable in your house and what is not. It will make them feel like they matter to you.
Organize family activities
In order to make the child feel comfortable with the entire foster family, you need to include them in family activities. This includes regular activities like a movie night or a board game night. You can ask them what they would like to do and incorporate the things they like. Ask them to give you ideas and try to follow their interests. It will give you an opportunity to bond with the child. There will be a lot of fun and laughter in addition to family bonding.
Treat them right
When it comes to fostering, you need to remember that the child needs love and care. You should treat them like you would want to be treated. This is a rule you should always follow in your life. The foster child is a part of your family and they should be treated with respect and dignity. They should feel like they belong here and you should not single them out. Do not treat them differently.
These are only few ways you can help the foster child adjust in your home. It will require patience and commitment for the first few weeks. If the child is difficult, do not give up very easily. There might be times when the child will refuse to talk but you need to stay calm and remain patient to help them get out of their shell. Make your home a loving and safe place for the child to grow in. Accept them as a part of your family member and give the child enough time to become comfortable with you.
