Pitter Pat

Can you guess what my latest project is? Yeah, pitter pat, pitter pat, and I'm not talking about puppies. I'm not talking about babies, either. My husband and I haven't been able to have any kids of our own, so we're going to adopt a foster child, or two or three. I have been browsing this web site like I'm going through the produce section at the supermarket. There are so many really good sounding kids that need homes. Some of them look like little juvenile delinquents, but others have that adorable lost puppy-dog look.

I've learned the code words they use in the descriptions. You have to read between the lines. They can't admit any of the children are psychopaths, or go into detail on what kinds of abuse they have gone through. I know any of them that mention RAD (reactive attachment disorder) or ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) in their descriptions are ones to avoid. Some of them say they shouldn't be placed in a home with pets or younger children. Avoid them, too.

There are a few kids I really like, but they don't really give enough information in the descriptions to know if they would be a good match or not. Just in case you're wondering what we're looking for, we would like at least one or two kids, about 10 or 12 years old. I would like more kids, and older ones, too, but my husband doesn't want teen-agers. Of course, if we adopt a 10 to 12 year old they would be teen-agers in just a couple of years anyway.

There are a lot of reasons why I would like to adopt a family group of two or three kids. First off, a lot of people would rather adopt a single kid, so the good single kids get snatched up quick. Two or three good kids might have to wait longer to find an adoptive family. Plus the government likes to keep siblings together, so they will help you out more if you adopt a family group. I think they even give you a monthly payment to help support the children. Another reason to adopt a sibling group is because if they are bonded to each other it will be easier to get them to bond with me and my husband. A single child in foster care stops trusting adults, and feels like he can only depend on himself. If he stays with a brother or sister he won't shut down as much emotionally.