As a foster parent, you must make many changes in your life. Embracing those changes is sometimes difficult. Your life is suddenly turned upside down, and your routine as you know it changes dramatically.
When you have to make a change in your life, it comes down to choosing to do that.
Our choices are important, every one of them.
Why?
Because your choice will ultimately give you your outcome in any situation.
Changing your thoughts simply comes down to making the decision that you don't desire something in your life anymore.
Making that decision to choose differently may take some time to recognize this is not how you desire to live your life. Though, when you make that decision it is generally made very quickly. The reason for that is that you have finally had enough of the situation, the attitude, or the behavior. In under a minute, you can and will embrace the change you desire and then you will end it.
Recently, I made a huge decision in my own life. A habit I had mulled over for a very long time though when I chose to change I did so in just a moment or two.
Often it is recognizing finally you don't desire to keep this habit or attitude and it's done. Gone. Over. You chose to end it.
When I first became a foster parent I didn't understand how much my life would have to change, and embracing those changes often came with tears and frustration. I had a routine of going to the gym first thing in the morning after dropping my older kids at school. Well, my first two charges, identical twenty-month-twins didn't handle the car very well at all. Just about every time I nearly got to the gym, they threw up all over themselves and their car seats. Something had to change, and it had to be me.
When the moment came that I embraced the need for a change, I chose to do so with a list. First was to see the doctor and work out why they kept throwing up in the car, and second was to buy another set of car seats!
I embraced the change, I made the choice, and I conquered the challenge of working it out. Life did become easier.
I found a great sense of freedom from embracing the new changes. I had to adjust my attitude, and my expectations big time!
The day's routine certainly went smoother when I was choosing to change my daily habits to accommodate my new little charges.
Habits are just that. A way of living that has become normal even if it is something you don't desire or doesn't work anymore. Breaking the habit comes from recognizing it and then choosing to end it.
Your mind is a powerful part of your body. Your mind controls your brain where all these habits are formed. Your brain, of course, doesn't like change which causes us to take time to overrule it with our conscious mind.
The great part is your mind is in control and can make the change when it fully decides to.
What habit or attitude would you like to change?
Remember.
You can embrace the change, make the choice, and conquer the challenge.
I'll leave you with a verse from the bible that says it all!
Philippians 4:13:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
This verse emphasizes the strength and empowerment that comes from faith in Christ, which can be applied to embracing change, making important decisions, and overcoming difficulties.
When we started fostering to adopt, I didn't have any idea of what those benefits were. In fact, I was afraid of fostering in case my heart would be broken. Little did I know that every child who comes into foster care already has a broken heart. I was worried about myself instead of worrying about the abused and neglected children who lived just around the road from me.
If you are on the fence like I was about fostering to adopt or fostering in general here are some reasons, or tips, as to why this is a great idea.
Fostering to adopt, also known as foster-to-adopt, is a process where individuals or families foster children to eventually adopt them. This pathway offers several benefits for both the children and the families involved:
Benefits for Children
- Stability and Permanence: Children in foster care often experience instability. Fostering to adopt provides them with a stable and permanent home, which is crucial for their emotional and psychological well-being.
- Continuity of Care: When a foster family decides to adopt, the child doesn't have to transition to another home, allowing for continuity in care and support.
- Sense of Belonging: Being adopted by their foster family helps children feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, which is essential for their self-esteem and identity development.
- Supportive Environment: Foster-to-adopt families are usually well-prepared and equipped with resources to support the child through their unique challenges, providing a nurturing environment.
Benefits for Families
- Informed Decision: Families get to know the child and understand their needs and personality before making the permanent decision to adopt, leading to more informed and confident decisions.
- Support Services: Foster-to-adopt families often receive support and resources from foster care agencies, including training, counseling, and financial assistance, which can continue post-adoption.
- Building Strong Bonds: The fostering period allows the family to build strong emotional bonds with the child, which can ease the transition into adoption.
- Meeting Diverse Needs: Families interested in adopting can find children who match their preferences in terms of age, background, and specific needs, making the process more tailored and personal.
Benefits of the System
- Reduced Disruptions: Fostering to adopt can reduce the number of placements a child experiences, leading to fewer disruptions in their lives.
- Increased Adoption Rates: This pathway can increase the number of adoptions from foster care, providing more children with permanent homes.
- Cost-Effectiveness: By moving children from foster care to permanent homes, the system can save resources that would otherwise be spent on long-term foster care placements.
Emotional and Social Benefits
- Enhanced Development: Children in stable, loving homes show better social, academic, and developmental outcomes compared to those who remain in foster care.
- Community and Support Networks: Families who foster to adopt often become part of a community of other adoptive families, providing additional social support and shared experiences.
Fostering to adopt is a pathway that can create lasting, positive impacts on children, families, and the foster care system as a whole. It offers a route to permanency that is filled with opportunities for love, stability, and growth.
You can ask me more questions in a complimentary coffee chat. CLICK HERE!
To grab my free resource 5 Steps to Intentional Change CLICK HERE!
p.s. Becoming a Foster to Adopt parent requires change! Ask me, I know!
