Welcome to my Lifestyle Parenting Blog, where I explore topics related to chronic illnesses such as ME/CFS, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia while embracing a passion for yoga, books, and blogging.
5 Lessons I learnt My Kinship Daughter Taught Me
We’ve had Special Guardianship for 10 years now… wow, where has time gone. As with most, if not all SGO’s the child comes into your life completely unexpected, and with little or no notice. It flips your life completely upside down (that’s an understatement).
Over the 10 years I have reflected on the journey and the lessons I learnt My Kinship Daughter Taught Me:
How to explain an absent parent and what I learnt
When we think about motherhood, the first words that comes to mind are unconditional love and protection. This rings true for me as a mother, but not just to my boys who I gave birth to, but also to my little girl whom I may not have given birth to, but I am her parent.
It's normal that Summer has questions about why her birth parents do not come visit her anymore,
Please don't blame yourself
"why doesn't she want to see me anymore"
"why doesn't she like me anymore"
"I think I annoy her"
"why doesn't she love me"
these are some of the questions Summer asks again and again.
The first few months, when her mum decided to blank us completely - 12-months ago,
Dear Darling.. I Let You Down
My darling little girl, I am truly sorry. I let you down.
When you came to live with us at just 5-months old I promised I would protect you. You had ended up in foster care at just 3 weeks old, and from day one we fought to get you out of care and at home with us. When you finally came to live with us, I made a promise, a promise that I would protect you.
4 years on, and I have let you down, and to see how your little heart is hurting, it breaks my heart too.
Your birth parents came in and out of your life,
Applying for a Passport for a child under a Special Guardianship Order
We are going on holiday soon and I had to renew a couple of our passports, but for Summer we are applying for her first passport. We booked our holiday in April, and started the passport applications in April. As her special guardians, I knew it was not going to be so straight forward, so I read as much information as I could from other guardian experiences. After reading lots of advice and tips I rang the passport office and asked for their advice.
2 Years on Since Becoming Guardian's
Just 5 months old, her hair hadn't grown yet, she had lovely blue eyes, a big smile and she was very close to her foster carer. She was a baby who ended up in foster care near the start of her life, no fault of her own, just her parents couldn't or wouldn't put her needs in front of their own, she is my baby step-granddaughter.
Cuddles
How important are cuddles with a child? Is it one of the most important things you can do with your child?
Research on infant attachment and bonding recognises cuddles are critical to a child's development, and maintaining that bonding helps build important neural pathways in the brain, as there are hormones released from the baby when you cuddle them and that's why when they are crying and you cuddle them and they soothe, they're calm and that's why it's so important. It also gives infants a sense of security and trust.
She's gone.......
Nearly one month ago we heard heart breaking news for Summer, her Mum had left! When we first heard the rumours that Summer's mum was moving away, very far away - my first natural thought was surely not, surely she would not leave her daughter and walk out of her life, unfortunately that silent thought of hope was short-lived.
One Year On Since Becoming Special Guardians
It's been one year this week since our beautiful baby granddaughter came to live with us.
Summer was 5 1/2 months old when we became her kinship carers, and then a month later we became her special guardians.
Is it bad parenting to dress Children in stained vests?
Okay, I admit it, white is not the best colour to buy baby vests in the first place, but they are cheaper, and they do the same job as any other colourful vest. Unfortunately white does attract dirt and will get stained, and even after soaking them in vanish, some stains just don't budge
Becoming a Special Guardian - making it through the assessment
Meeting Summer at 5months old, and the first time since she was taken from her parents at 3.5 weeks old.
This is my story on how we became special guardians of our little princess, Summer - our Granddaughter.
Summer was taken into care when she was only 3.5 weeks old, my husband and I