I felt like I was watching an old Rodney Dangerfield movie. One of the instructors had just called Yessika and told her that we had no class on Thursday night. This was a little over an hour before it was supposed to start.
It seems that God had blessed the Central Arizona region with copious amounts of rainfall, mixed with pea-sized hail and strong winds. Of course, being the desert, we had the obligatory full-on dust storm first, so the first drops of rain were similar to a mud bath.
It also seems that the storm had stalled over the office where we have our class. The instructor said that it was raining so hard the streets were flooding. So, we missed out. This adds another week to our training schedule. Oh well.
I need to sit down and write up what we went over in the last class as I find that I forgot to do that. Maybe tomorrow.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Helping With Attachments
Thursday night we learned about dealing with attachments. Through examples and classwork, we learned that Attachment is the affectionate and emotional tie between people that continues indefinitely over time and lasts even when people are geographically apart.
If there is no attachment, there are several things that do NOT occur, according to research. The importance of attachment is that through it, a child learns to:
We learned the Four Healing Emotions; Anger, Sadness, Fear and Sorrow. Through examples, we tried to ascertain where certain sample children fall in this process. It was very eye-opening and disturbing at the same time.
We also worked on ways to develop positive attachments between parents and children.
So far in this process, the main thing we have learned is that a child in foster care is a complicated bundle of fear, anger, hurt and confusion, with most of them trying to hide it and be brave.
What are we doing to our children?
If there is no attachment, there are several things that do NOT occur, according to research. The importance of attachment is that through it, a child learns to:
- Develop a Conscience
- Become Independent
- Develop Future Relationships
- Deal with Stress, Frustration, Fear and Worry
- Think Logically
- Grow and be Healthy
We learned the Four Healing Emotions; Anger, Sadness, Fear and Sorrow. Through examples, we tried to ascertain where certain sample children fall in this process. It was very eye-opening and disturbing at the same time.
We also worked on ways to develop positive attachments between parents and children.
So far in this process, the main thing we have learned is that a child in foster care is a complicated bundle of fear, anger, hurt and confusion, with most of them trying to hide it and be brave.
What are we doing to our children?
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Losses and Gains
Thursday we worked through understanding the loss and grieving processes children go through when they are removed from their home.
It doesn't matter if it is a safety issue or what, there is a shock and grief process.
Working with the case profiles in the material is heart-breaking. While I know that they are fictional, there are too many children in the system with the same issues and problems.
Pray for us, and for them!
It doesn't matter if it is a safety issue or what, there is a shock and grief process.
Working with the case profiles in the material is heart-breaking. While I know that they are fictional, there are too many children in the system with the same issues and problems.
Pray for us, and for them!
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