Have you recently welcomed a long-term foster child into your home? Do you also have birth children and are now looking for ways for everyone to bond and get off to a positive start? The great news is that there are all kinds of tips you can use that will benefit the entire household – not just the kids – which help to build trust, love and compassion for one another. Fostering a child is a wonderful experience not just for you as the foster carer but also for your birth children, who can be involved in making a difference in someone’s life.
Get Everyone Involved in Household Responsibilities
There’s a good chance that your birth children have a list of responsibilities and chores that they are well aware of. When welcoming a foster child, there is no problem in giving them time to adjust and feel comfortable, but you also want to make them feel as much of the family as possible. That means assigning chores and household responsibilities to them too. It keeps things even across the board, and both your birth children and foster child will have equal responsibilities.
Just be sure to assign chores based on their age and capabilities. If you have a young foster child, it can be as simple as tidying up their toys at the end of the day.
Plan Family Activities That Everyone Can Take Part In
It’s also smart to plan some family outings that appeal to everyone. The goal is to create positive memories and experiences together, as this can start to create a bond that will grow stronger over time. Not sure what activities to plan? Ask for input from the kids. What do they like to do? What are their interests?
Remember, it doesn’t have to be a big deal; it can even be a family picnic in the park, a walk through the neighbourhood, a nature hike, and so forth. Note that most fostering agencies tend to host activities and events throughout the year as well, so these can be perfect for the whole household to attend.
Give Kids Time to Themselves
You may feel inclined to linger and be part of the bonding activities, but there’s also plenty to be said about giving kids space. Give your birth children and foster child time to play on their own, chat and connect on their level without you there to interject. If they are close in age, this will probably happen quite naturally on its own.
Encourage Communication Daily
One of the best ways to bond with someone is to communicate. If you are looking for the perfect opportunity, why not create a habit of each person talking about their day during mealtime? Everyone has a chance to catch up, connect, and share stories.
Reach Out to Your Fostering Agency
Finally, don’t hesitate to reach out to your fostering agency for additional tips and support. They may have advice you didn’t even think of. For example, Foster Care Associates Scotland doesn’t just offer professional support; they also have an online portal and a helpline. All of this help can speed up the bonding process.
Helping your foster child and birth children to bond can be much simpler than you think, and you’ll have a whole lot of fun in the process.
