You may have noticed I missed a few Friday posts lately. I'd love to give a great reason why that happened, but there isn't one. I will be shutting down this blog at the end of May. As of June 7th all of this will disappear... so if you wanted to stroll through the posts… Continue reading The Beginning of the End
Tag: albertafosterparent
Purpose
There have been some challenges in our fostering journey lately. We have a teen who is desperately wanting freedom and doesn't want to wait. They are chaffing under the basic rules and pushing boundaries. They are vulnerable to the suggestions of others and starving for their peers admiration and acceptance. This has led to some… Continue reading Purpose
Which way are you facing?
It's that time of year in Alberta. As we drive east or west on the backroads you see winter on one side of the road and spring on the other. If you look one way you see sad snowbanks that are crusted in a winter's worth of filth and brown trees standing barren above them.… Continue reading Which way are you facing?
Connect before Correct
I've been reminded a lot lately about the value of connection. There is lots of information about how important it is for us to be seen and heard in order to feel loved... secure... valued. It has shown up in the things I have been following about education, mental health, parenting and even workplace dynamic.… Continue reading Connect before Correct
New things
"No!" "I don't want to!" "No way.... please don't make me!" "Do I have to?" The desperate pleas of a scared teenager... What is this terrible thing we were forcing on her? Well, we started off the day hinting that the day would be about driving. We got out the Learner's permit flash cards and… Continue reading New things
Be different
Have you ever wanted to be different? A different size or shape? A different ethnicity or ancestry? A different age or intelligence? It seems a bit of an epidemic in the teens I have in my world! One wants curly hair because theirs is too straight, one wants straight hair because theirs is to curly.… Continue reading Be different
unexpected
I had a day surgery procedure last month on my arm. It was presented as minor and my understanding was that it would be a local anesthetic but that it would be done in the OR at the hospital for safety, due to my tendency to bleed and bruise. I went to the hospital still… Continue reading unexpected
Annual
We've been doing a lot of paperwork lately. Our annual renewal date is coming up! Hard to believe we've been doing this for 3 years already. We've had a health inspection done on our house and a licensing inspection. We've filled out paperwork talking about the skills we've learned and the situations we've encountered in… Continue reading Annual
Divergent
What does it mean to be divergent? Maybe you've seen the movie adapted from the book by Veronica Roth. The movie seems to imply that we all have only one character strength and are destined to live out our lives being only that. The heroes of the story are those who are divergent... able to… Continue reading Divergent
The Struggle
The struggle to figure out how to live life is real. For teenagers it is a complicated world of mixed messages and competing competencies. "Do I impress my friends, or obey my parents?" "Do I want good grades or an easy time at school?" "Do I want to save for a car or enjoy food… Continue reading The Struggle
February
February is not my favourite month. It has been mild as far as the weather goes, but it's still not spring. The cycle of freeze and thaw has made it challenging to do anything much outside. It seems it is either raining or snowing... or sometimes both. It's a month where many people struggle to… Continue reading February
Outside
My dog and cat both like to go outside in the morning. Or at least they think they do. They both have differing opinions about what outside should be like when they do go out. The dog, of course, has to go outside each day to do her business. Not going outside is not an… Continue reading Outside
Caught or Taught?
"Why do people leave their shopping carts all over! It's not that hard to just put them away!" This was said in an exasperated tone by my 13 year old foster daughter the other day in the Costco parking lot. I smiled on the inside... some things do just rub off without ever saying a… Continue reading Caught or Taught?
Let’s Talk
It's okay to not be okay. This week was Bell Let's Talk Day. An annual event aimed at fighting the stigma around mental health issues. Sometimes it's hard to admit when we're not doing okay! When worry and fear are slowly taking over and your hope and joy are gone it is important to say… Continue reading Let’s Talk
Breakthrough
We were done! Tired! Frustrated! Feeling betrayed and disrespected. I had reminded myself that behaviours are symptoms so many times I was having a hard time believing it. I can know that they are dealing with stress. I can know that they are feeling overwhelmed. I can know that they are wrestling with who they… Continue reading Breakthrough
Other Mother 