Thursday, May 22, 2014

Foster Parenting, Summer, and Homeschooling?

I actually had to look back and read my previous post....Just to catch up, myself. A lot has changed in the months since November. We had the holidays. In the months of Oct-Nov. we had 7 different children in our home. It was kinda crazy. We took in another teenager. Our final attempt at that. We learned a lot. Basically, our kids safety mattered, but more than safety.....the feel of our home.....that is important. The ability to come home and have a safe haven, a safe place, a place that is protected, a place that we can rest.....that is more important that a bunch of other things. Why? well because you can't really grow, unless you have some of those things. Who needs to grow in our home? Well, all of us. Especially, me. So our family's experience fostering the young adults is that this is the very area that is effected, so my husband, has said a firm no to the teenagers. There is a tremendous need, and maybe someday we will be able to, but it's not today.

Our house settled down in Dec. The revolving door of placements came to a halt in Dec. We had a baby come into our life. Now, I always thought I never wanted to go back to the little baby stage, ever, again. I was wrong. It appears that the baby, who is now really becoming a toddler, may not be with us much longer. It is a roller coaster of a ride. Many highs, and many lows. I have grown leaps and bounds, during this process.

I was looking around for blogs about homeschooling christian families who are also foster parents. Not sure if I'm just not typing the right words, but there just doesn't seem to be many. Oh yah, I haven't discussed that, yet.

It may be premature of me to mention, but I am in constant prayer about homeschooling my kids. All my kids. Last year, well this year, since we are technically at the end of it (2 more days to go), my life looked like this. We  have 3 biological kids, the oldest, I homeschooled. the 2 younger ones go to a montessori charter school, then I had 1 child that went to speech 3 times a week, whom also had many dentists appointments :) We also got a baby, who had a lot of doctor appointment, and then there's NAPS. Mess with naps, well, mess with sanity in the house! I also was able to participate in a bible study that required my tuesday and thursday mornings. Mix in responsibilities as a foster parent...and well, it was a lot to cram in a year. I know that it was God who sustained me. I know it.

And perhaps, if I had not seen how dramatically my relationship with my son changed, I would not be considering homeschooling all of them. But it did, and I am. My younger kids go to a great school. I have been grateful for the school that they have. But there's this nagging feeling that I have, and it's growing......and it has to do with time, connection, and learning. It goes something like this I don't have very much time with them! they are gone pretty much all week, the weekends go too quickly, so as a result, my connection is faint, especially with my beautiful daughter. And then there's character, I want to teach them that. I need to be the one teaching them that. And I have failed them miserably at teaching that. I have kinda just let it come up, but have not initiated that learning and teaching in my home. Pin It Now!