It is impossible to feel positive and upbeat all the time. However, when you step into a role like foster care, you must make a conscious effort to project neutrality and work on your well-being and regulation as much as possible. You are a role model in a wonderfully intense kind of way, and if you are ever having a bad day, as we all do, here are some positive tips that will help you get back on track.
Respect Your Emotions
There is a lot to be said for sitting with your emotions. How do you feel today? Give yourself an honest answer and roll with it. You feel irritated but you’re not sure why? That’s fine! Everyone has days like this. The trick for foster carers is to embrace and respect your mental capacity every hour of the day and night. When you make peace with a challenging feeling, you are better placed to move forward and see it for what it is, a temporary moment in the bigger picture.
Embrace the Chaos
Some days there will be chaos, and you must learn to be the master of it. Looking after someone can be demanding, there is no point denying it. Every now and then you will start the day feeling as though every tiny thing that could go in the wrong direction has headed that way despite your best efforts. If you can embrace that, you will be able to respond better and adapt quicker.
Use the Discounts for Big Adventures
Regardless of where you foster in the country, there are always discounts to take advantage of for carers. So, for example, if you were fostering In Staffordshire, you could plan a visit to the National Forest Adventure Farm and enjoy reduced ticket prices to make the day out more accessible. There are plenty more attractions and venues that offer different rates of entry for foster carers, and schemes like the Blue Light Card to help as well. This means you can go on more big adventures and enrich the lives of your looked after children while keeping them busy too.
Stay On Top of the House
Relaxing and feeling in control is extremely difficult if your house is a mess and disorganised. While nobody can spend all of their time cleaning and straightening up, it still makes a lot of sense to stay on top of the house. It helps everyone stick to their routines, makes things easier to find, and generally supports a more pleasant experience at home.
Learn as You Go
Thinking on your feet is a valuable skill for any foster carer. You learn as you go and there is no escaping this fact. There will, of course, be continuous mandatory training to engage with; however, a lot of the skills you need will come naturally. You will be surprised just how much your mind absorbs on a daily basis while actively caring.
Foster carers are in a unique position. Embracing the role for what it is and ensuring you look after yourself throughout each placement is simply non-negotiable. The children you look after will have a more positive experience if you are putting energy into the right places.