If you are thinking about becoming a foster parent, you need to also consider everyone else around you. Mainly your spouse (if you are married). I get lots of emails from women saying they are interested in fostering, but their husbands are not onboard. This is a deal breaker. My suggestion is to give them information about it. Find out why they aren’t interested. Address those issues together and talk it out. Hopefully you both will find useful information in this series.
But be careful. Fostering isn’t something you should have to talk your husband into. It isn’t a large purchase, or where to go on vacation. Being able to get your husband to “give in” should not be the goal. This is something you will have to jointly agree on and support each other with.
Because frankly, fostering is hard. It is a type of parenting (duh Kim, foster parenting). When was the last time you found parenting a breeze?
You will need your spouse. You will need your family. You will need your extended family. You will need your friends. You will need all of the same people you need now. Because imagine life now, but add an extra child/children, paperwork, visits, schedules, and a ton of extra emotions. I am making it sound dreamy, aren’t I?
This is the main reason I am asking you to share this series with friends. Especially if they are not interested in becoming foster parents. It isn’t to try to convince them to become foster parents. It is so they can know more about the system. So they can be a better friend or family member in that support team for a foster parent.
Becoming a foster parent isn’t just a lifestyle shock to the parents, but it is to everyone around them. It is worth it, though. To get to touch someone’s life in an amazing way is something completely indescribable.
Ummm....I'm pretty sure you're talking to me in the first two paragraphs! And it's what I NEEDED to hear. I've told you Seth isn't keen on the idea...and I usually get my way in the end with most things...so thank you for just putting it how it is!!!
ReplyDeleteI still strongly feel that God is nudging me towards fostering...perhaps it's just not in a parenting role. A gal in our small group heads up the Child's Hope ministry at our church and I know she needs help like crazy. Perhaps I'll start there!
With being new to fostering I have found this to be surprising so true. Not only do my husband need each other but also this around others. Thanks for sharing this, helped it make more sense to me!
ReplyDelete~Kristen