Fostering a child can be an exciting experience, but, as a foster parent, you need to be prepared for the ups and downs. It’s possible that your foster child has not had many great adult role models before coming to you. Thus, they may not be able to trust you right away. In fact, it might take a long time for you to develop a rapport with your foster child. That’s why it is important to celebrate the little victories.
Parenting as a Long-Term Goal
You can’t get discouraged by how long the process is taking when you get a foster child. It’s necessary for you, as a parent, to have the same degree of emotional intelligence you would like your foster child to have in the future. So, keep in mind that parenting is a long-term goal and not a short-term one.
Celebrating the Little Things
When you become a foster parent, you should celebrate the little things. For example, celebrate you and your foster child having a great conversation or when they start doing well at school. In fact, celebrating the little things helps both, parents and children, to keep going. Additionally, the celebration doesn’t have to be a big one either. You can just spend some time at the playground or take your foster child to the place where s/he would like to eat.
Rewards Work Better Than Punishments
Celebrating the little things is like giving your foster child a reward for doing something good. They’re going to remember it and try to do well in the future. Further, many psychological studies show that rewards work better than punishments. So, it’s a good idea to frame your parenting around this idea.
Limiting Your Child’s Screen Time
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can punish your child for doing something wrong. Nowadays, it’s quite easy to punish kids with less screen time i.e., less access to their phones, tablets, etc. It may feel like a punishment to the child but, in fact, limiting screen time is probably for the best as it will help your child to look outwards and communicate better in person.
Learn More About Celebrating the Little Victories
Contact us to learn more about raising your foster child.
