When we first got married we swore up and down that our children would never sleep in our room, let alone enter unannounced. Then we adopted children from traumatic places and our iron-clad rule washed away like sidewalk chalk in a rainstorm.
It’s a question we’ve been asked quite often. We’ve even asked ourselves this question a time or two when we were still fostering. The answer is, yes! And here’s why…
It’s one of the worst decisions you may have to make for your child on the journey of foster care and adoption. Placing your child in a residential treatment facility is never easy. But how do you know when the time is right to do so?
What do you do when the child you love, parent, and pour tons of time into, continues to push you away and look for approval from everyone else besides the mother who never leaves? It’s difficult and defeating, but there is hope!
I came across this post as I was searching through my archives and wanted to share it again. My wife wrote this a few years ago to our 22 year old daughter and I shared it last year on this blog. We believe our children are one of the greatest gifts we’ve been given. Even when life is difficult, we love them and believe in them!
One of the most difficult aspects of being an adoptive or foster parent is that the vast majority of the population around you believes your child is damaged and it’s their responsibility to rescue them. Nothing could be further from the truth!
I love honesty. It’s one of the primary reasons I created this blog. I believe honesty brings healing. You can find healing through books, going to counseling, attending a workshop, or watching Dr. Phil (maybe). But, there’s something extremely healing in finding out that you’re not alone, that other people think about the same things you do, and struggle in the same ways you do.
This is a post by my wife, Kristin Berry. She has worked as an in-home daycare provider, special education assistant, children’s minister, and most importantly, a homemaker. She is the reason our family functions at a high-capacity. She is an expert in parenting children with special needs. You can connect with her on Facebook.
