Phase 2 of our family
Back in the summer we were contacted by our daughter's former care home to ask if we would consider fostering/adopting another child. This came about from a casual remark I had made about the office/study that I created for me and my daughter, that she has barely set foot inside in two years . . it is a decent size and would make an ideal third bedroom.
Before making any decision, my wife and I agreed that we would take all emotion out of the process and act as rationally as possible. It will mean me postponing, and possibly cancelling, my ambition to retrain as a teacher in order to extend our caring commitment by perhaps another seven years. We also had no idea about how our daughter would react.
For the past couple of months my wife and I have been quietly visiting the home to get to know the child better, take her on outings, and get involved with her interests. She is eight years old and rather shy and nervous, but has the warmest, most wonderful smile that has occupied my thoughts constantly for weeks.
Autumn half term holiday was the natural due date, when we could have her to stay for a few days as an initial trial. We were going to sit down with our daughter this evening and decide on a plan.
Ironically our daughter went into the study this morning and started reading the folder on my desk with the adoption details. Since when, she seems to have got it into her head that we are going to give her a "little sister" for Christmas 😊 She has talked about nothing else since, and is currently making plans for a joint birthday party next year despite not even having met the girl yet 😅
So much for taking emotion out of the reckoning. My brother-in-law is going to make a new bed - partly out of my daughter's unused desk - but we will keep the room very simple until we have got to know each other better. Probably weekend visits at first, before moving towards something more permanent. We are coming towards the second anniversary of our daughter's adoption, so this seems an appropriate way to celebrate.
It's funny how life works out sometimes 🌞
Before making any decision, my wife and I agreed that we would take all emotion out of the process and act as rationally as possible. It will mean me postponing, and possibly cancelling, my ambition to retrain as a teacher in order to extend our caring commitment by perhaps another seven years. We also had no idea about how our daughter would react.
For the past couple of months my wife and I have been quietly visiting the home to get to know the child better, take her on outings, and get involved with her interests. She is eight years old and rather shy and nervous, but has the warmest, most wonderful smile that has occupied my thoughts constantly for weeks.
Autumn half term holiday was the natural due date, when we could have her to stay for a few days as an initial trial. We were going to sit down with our daughter this evening and decide on a plan.
Ironically our daughter went into the study this morning and started reading the folder on my desk with the adoption details. Since when, she seems to have got it into her head that we are going to give her a "little sister" for Christmas 😊 She has talked about nothing else since, and is currently making plans for a joint birthday party next year despite not even having met the girl yet 😅
So much for taking emotion out of the reckoning. My brother-in-law is going to make a new bed - partly out of my daughter's unused desk - but we will keep the room very simple until we have got to know each other better. Probably weekend visits at first, before moving towards something more permanent. We are coming towards the second anniversary of our daughter's adoption, so this seems an appropriate way to celebrate.
It's funny how life works out sometimes 🌞
36-40, F
