6 Lessons ‘This Is Us’ Teaches Us about Foster Parenting
DON’T MISS #3
The season 2 episode “This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life,” which aired in March and told the story of a foster child named Déjà, was ambitious and honestly examined the lives of foster families like the Pearsons. Season 3 of This Is Us has proven to be just as real, from the premiere to the …
If you’re thinking of taking on this vocation, first of all, thank you. The system is in desperate need of good foster parents. But second, let’s do a reality check. There are several things you should know and accept before you take on this mammoth of a job.
- Trust your social worker. I can’t tell you how many foster parents I’ve trained who refused to believe that this kid would be different. They assumed that they were already experts because they’d raised children of their own. As a mother of four and a social worker, I promise you that parenting your foster child is unlike anything you’ve experienced with your biological children. Think about everything the social worker on This Is Us, Linda, had to teach super parents Beth and Randall. These are kids who have suffered abuse and neglect. They might not understand how a family works because theirs was never what you might call “normal.” Your social worker has tools that can help you handle all these challenges.
