In just over 36 hours (give or take), Jon and I will be foster parents to two teenage girls.
What to the what? Right. I know.
In the deepest part of my heart, God has been preparing this for about a little over a year. There is such a calm and peace about this. In the midst of peace, I get the overwhelming fear and questions..
-We have NO IDEA how to parent teens. None. None. None. None.
-How in the world are we to squeeze two more people into our house? And get more beds? And bedding? And everything? The space. The money.
-It's summer time. How in the world will I entertain them all day? I highly doubt they enjoy the same thing my 14 month old and 4 year old do.
-What about our summer plans? Do we take them with us or find respite?
-Will I ever go on a date again with my hubby?
-Will they get along with the girls in the youth group?
-How will Caleb do with another disruption?
-How do we handle chores/responsibilities, consequences, etc?
-Caleb and Chic will be sharing a room----so will I ever sleep again?
-How can I build a relationship with them and pour into them?
-What hobbies do they have?
It is going to be hard. I am already thinking of reasons to call my caseworker and say we can't do it. And I know we can't on our own, but with Christ as our stronghold, we will. This is for the glory of His name, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world that so desperately needs Him.
I will be spending the next day transforming Chick's room into a room fit for teen girls, and moving Chick into C's room.
I'd like to get a little "Welcome" gift for the girls. What exactly do you get a 13 and 14 year old girls?
Any advice....PLEASE
And prayers. We need the prayers.
3 comments:
15 years ago, when Mike and Sharon picked us up from Teen Ranch, the first question I asked (as a 13 year old girl) was "can I shave my legs? The group home we were in prior would not let me even shave my armpits. They feared suicide. (I can't begin to guess why.) Those were the things we didn't think about, the necessities. A hairbrush would've been nice, too. And maybe fancy, girly soap and lotion?
There was a stark difference in the two placements we had. Mike and Sharon's was, and is, a loving, caring, Christian home. And I believe that really helped us deal with what was happening. You are making an impact with your love. Thank you, we need more parents like you and Jon.
You're going to be great! Maybe start by asking them what you can do to make them feel welcome / feel at home? When I was around that age, I really liked books, but girly things would be great, too!
I can NOT wait to hear how things are going!
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