What is your family life like?

Do you have kids? how many how old?

see pics posted all the time and it's nice to see a happy family!

Me and Susan are looking into maybe fostering a child.

and if it goes well move into the adoption stage.

I know when you have a child of your own there are no sure fire clues to determine how the child will turn out.And in a foster home situation we're liable to get anything...boy,girl...good,bad.

but after a little discussion we figured at least we would get to choose when it come to adopting.

or whether to opt out when the child is placed if it's a bad idea.

I'm a happy easy-go-lucky type guy and can put up with quite a bit, so i'm anxious to do this ,but it will probably be next year before we totally commit to it.

alot of pro's and con's discussions to be had.

but what about you?

got any? how many or how old?

:^)

go to the other thread!!

this darned thing double posted on me!

One wife.

One kid.

One greyhound.

A pretty happy home.

The Mrs. and I between the two of us have 6 kids..

3 boy's 22, 21 and 21

3 Girls 24, 20 and 17

Kinda like the brady bunch and events never stop coming arround.. but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

To me Boy's are much easier to raise...

Hog

Rug and I have 4 kids all together, his 2 daughters and our son and daughter, although since their mother has abandoned them those girls are mine. Squatters rights.

It is difficult to raise someone else's kids. There is a certain bond that comes from the whole pregnancy/birthing process that just isn't there. So, instead of that bond that is just there, you have to choose to love them. In many ways it is much more rewarding. The first time Sarah told me that she loved me I felt such a sense of what a real gift it was. And it still is, because I have to earn it. It doesn't come just because I exist, like with my own kids. I have to really be there for her and put myself out on the line.

I think you and your wife would have a lot to offer kids, especially older ones who are more difficult to place. Just remember to talk out your discipline strategy and agree on it long before you ever allow a child to come into your home. There is nothing worse than being divided and conquered because you can't work together as a team. It fosters disrespect and mistrust, and you must be respected before you can be trusted.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Heather

Dup, congrats on the decision. It's a big commitment, but it'll all be worth it if you change the life of one child for the better.

My wife and I have a little girl - 2 1/2 and a little boy who just turned 1.

Having children changed my life and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Dup,

My in-laws have had foster shildren in their house for yaers and years. One of them ended up adopted, and he says it's the second best thing that has ever happened to him (first best was excepting Christ).

As for my wife and I, we have a 3 yaer old boy and a 1.5 year old girl. And a dog (Chesapeke Bay Retriever). Kids truly change your life and keeps you on your toes to make sure your heart and motives are right! At least that's what I'm experiencing now in my life! And I won't have it any other way!

You can truly make a HUGE and lasting impact on a person's life by being a foster parent. Hope all goes well with you and your wife and family to be, Mike!

Lucky

23yr old daughter,from a broken family,who chose too live w me as soon as she grad high school!!! 1st child from my family too grad college w a degree!!! One of my proudest moments!!! Presently working in nuro intensive care unit,fully independent!!!! Yep one awesome kid!!! 13MTH son with blue gemstones for eyes!!! As beaut as the perfect sunrise and sunset,w a smile and pesonality that will brighten anyones mood!!! A real treat everyday too watch him grow,and always looking fwd too the apprehensive future!!! GOOD LUCK DUP,Go for it bro,kids are the greatest gift of a lifetime!!! They will pull all your emotional strings,and enlighten you too learn more about yourself!!!! Good luck again too you and the Mrs!!! Keep us up too date!!!

Dup,

Email me. There are things you need to know before you enter the foster/adopt program. Things the DCBS workers won't tell you that will make your experience much smoother.

My bride and I are adoptive parents of a sibling group of three. They are our kids. We love them like birth children and don't regret the decision. However, there were things we learned about attachment and bonding the hard way that, had we known what we were experiencing and how to handle it, would have made a world of difference in all our lives.

Ruggysgirl has a point about deciding on a discipline strategy from the beginning. You need to be prepared for the absolute fact that you will not be able to rely on parenting advice from family and friends. Nobody in your circle of friends (except for me, that is)will be able to help you solve the unique problems of foster children. What worked for your mom and dad, and their moms and dads won't work for you with foster or adopted children. I can say all this because I have more than a decade of experience living it.

Make no mistake. You will be saving a life if you do it, and the reward will be spectacular. But it will be the hardest job you've ever done in your life.

Email me

marty @ public-finance . com

We have two beautiful girls, one 11 and the other is 4, the 11 year old will start Junior High/Middle school in August, the 4 year old will be in Kindergarten. Also have our pug Frankie.

00camper

EMS

Well my brother and sister inlaw brought the clan up with them for fathers day. had a nice cook-out at my dad's.

they brought thier newest addition to the foster family,

Landon Joeseph Chandler a 9-day old baby......

it's a small one! 4 lbs..hold him in one hand!

cute as a button (i'm going to post a pic) so now his family consists of (all adopted children):

Chandler (10) his sister Elizabeth (soon to be 5) Hanna (3) Alliya (3) and in the foster stage Landon 9 day's old.

All wonderful kids of different races!

playing and fighting together....like normal brothers and sisters.

just as i said to Susan "i want one" she snapped the pic i'm going to post of me holding Landon.