Managing challenging behaviour
Moving to a new home and environment is stressful for anyone. But for children in care, this can be even more stressful and emotional. Previous traumas and negative experiences can cause children to display challenging behaviours, such as tantrums, sulking, crying, violence etc.
As a foster carer it is your duty to manage such challenging behaviour with patience, in a reassuring, stern manner, diffusing any negative behaviours and teaching the child to express their emotions in a more positive way. How you react to their behaviour will play a role in their future learned behaviours and personal development, ultimately shaping how they behave in similar situations in the future.
Managing exhaustion in your own life
Being a foster carer can be exhausting. The child’s needs must always come first and this can of course be challenging. While you must always put the child’s needs first, it is also important to look after your own mental and physical well-being.
At Nexus Fostering we want to work with foster carers who are willing to always put the children first, no matter what challenges they might face. For us this is a necessity to become a foster carer. And in return we organise events, provide quality support, and equip you with first class training, to give you all the tools needed to be an outstanding foster carer.
Managing relationships and interactions with birth parents
Relationships between birth parents and foster carers can get frosty and can prove to be challenging. In some cases there may be resentment towards the foster carer from the birth parents. However, wherever possible and where it is beneficial, reuniting the child/children with their birth parents should be a priority. At Nexus Fostering we emphasise the need for empathy, as well as professionalism and caring for the best interests of the child. As such, being able to deal with the challenge of managing interactions with birth parents is a key part of being a successful foster carer.
Fortunately at Nexus Fostering we offer extensive training to help all of our carers to deal with any challenges that may arise from being a foster carer. Despite this, foster care is only suitable for those who relish and will rise to the challenges, making them worthy of basking in all of the rewards and benefits that come from being a foster carer. If you’d like to know more about other challenges that foster carers face then get in touch with our friendly team who will be happy to answer any of your fostering related questions. And if you feel you are ready for the challenge of being a foster carer, then apply to become a foster carer today by clicking here.