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Name fail on a kids day out

Most kids love fun days out and trips.

Whether your own kids, your little nieces and nephews, your foster kids, and their friends, having a day trip out can be special and really fun. A reward for being good all week or a birthday treat.

Taking your foster kids out can be both rewarding and terrifying as the foster parent especially the first time. You worry, perhaps over-worry. How will they react to strangers? Are they good in social situations? If they were previously subject to grooming will a special treat appear in their eyes similar to the treats they were groomed with? Do they even know how to play?

Many kids who come into care haven't had a proper childhood, so going out for a treat, even just to the park, might seem strange to them, let alone going to a 'big' treat like the zoo.

We've all made mistakes. One of mine at the very beginning was taking two respite children (that I was having for two days) out to an activity centre where the children were given special entry tickets with their names printed on them. I knew their first names including how to spell them, but I didn't even know their last name. Odd I know but they were a last minute placement, and in the quickness of arranging things, they were just known by their first names.

When the lovely lady on the till asked me their names to print on their tickets I froze.

I simply did not know. I had to ask the children themselves, and being very young one didn't know, or really understand the question and the other one knew it, but not how to spell it.

Cue very awkward moments. The lady tried her best with me being a bit flustered and spelled it phonetically. However when I gave the children their tickets they both said in chorus 'that's not our names'. I tried to calm them and they did have fun at the centre. Kinda.

They were a little upset about their names, understandably.

This is the kind of mistake you wouldn't make with your own children. There are others too, such as whether you can sign permission slips for trips and activities. Are the kids afraid of heights? Can they swim? Are the good in the dark?

Sounds silly I know. It can be hard to be prepared though, but whatever you can do to make day trips out as enjoyable as possible is a winner. Don't push the child though; if they don't want to go on the water slide, let them be. Divert with an alternative.

But do at least know their full names! Don't make a rookie mistake.

All the best, Bristol Fostering.

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NB Bristol Fostering is a personal blog and not affiliated with any fostering agency. The author just happens to be a foster carer in Bristol, UK

We do recommend Bristol Council though as they're fab. Bristol Council fostering enquiry form


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