Sons and Daughters Month: Celebrating the Children Who Foster

“In the beginning of my parents becoming foster parents, I must admit, I was not sure about it, just as I can safely say, my brothers were not so sure either. Of course, I did not see the reasoning of it this way at the time, but now upon reflection, not only would we have to compete for the time and affection of our parents with each other, but with another set of siblings that we knew nothing about. I was concerned, not only for ourselves but for our parents too with the complicated and mammoth task of raising two sets of siblings.

During the first few months, it was difficult with the glaring differences between the sets. I remember sitting down and trying to help my new foster siblings with their fractions homework and being astounded and frustrated at their inability to focus and to grasp the concepts required that I was trying so hard to teach. However, my frustrations would not show in the same way that theirs did, something for which I owe a giant debt of gratitude to my parents. They taught me how to see from another perspective and to realise that we don’t all have loving parents present from the start. I saw the way my parents had been with me growing up, teaching the same ways to these children when they were showing their frustrations. It was completely eye-opening. And before long, my parents would teach the same thing about patience, respect, and above all else, how to be part of a loving family to these children.

Whilst it may have been difficult, to begin with, at the time, I couldn’t imagine that these two sets of siblings would be integrated by my incredible parents into one family. That I would go home to visit my family and my sister would tell me how amazing she has done at school and would be going to university. It seemed unimaginable in the beginning, sitting and painstakingly going over fractions; that, the youngest would be going to university, the middle brother would be at university for law, the oldest would be working a full-time job living in his own home.

Overall, I am not only proud of my siblings for the journey they have overcome, but I am incredibly proud of the job my parents did with all six of us. To be able to do what they did, to have the patience, the knowledge, the determination, and, the passion to be what they were and still are to all six of us is something I can only hope to be; a great parent.”