To take teenagers or to not take teenagers...that is the question.

From an early age when I thought of foster care I always saw myself taking in teenagers. This has never really changed for me. Recently Davin talked me into the idea that daycare would be easier than school but I was still very leery. I never really grieved Alea getting older when she was under 5 years old. Each new day and each new thing she could do was such a relief to me. The early years were not my favorite part of being a parent. 

Yesterday during the panel we heard from five different families who had all experienced fostering all ages of children. We heard from some families who started out like us, only taking children younger than their bio children. They ALL spoke so highly of taking teenagers and how they were all so happy that they took teenagers because really they were easier than the younger kids. Many of the parents talked about how the younger kids seemed to cause more tension with their bio kids. One family said it like this, that children are like them so they take some of their attention away but teenagers seem more like adults to them so the attention they get doesn't seem to come out of the bio kids attention. Alea told me the other day that she is tired of being the role model (to her younger cousins I think) and that she just wanted to be the younger sister and have someone else be the role model. Wow! We haven't even really discussed the teenager vs. kid issue in front of her. 

Davin was adamant before the panel that we would not take teenagers and after the panel he could at least see some of the benefits. He is still scared of having a teenage girl in our home and I totally get that. One family said that when they get a call they just see if they have "a peace" about it and go from there. I think that will be what Davin and I will do too. 

Yesterday Davin said he could see us taking a teenager with a baby because we have done that before (and it seems to be a pretty common theme in foster care). 

God knows His plans for us so all of our planning and worrying are for nothing. He has us in His care.