If you are a foster parent, quality time is about setting time aside when you can give your foster child your undivided attention. Don’t take calls or sit on your phone. Get active together and pick activities that encourage direct communication. This does not have to cost you money, but it can allow you to build a stronger bond with your foster child, so it is well worth the time you can put in.
Here are some activities that can help a foster parent nurture that precious relationship.
Read Together
Reading will enhance your foster child’s language comprehension, give them a wider view of the world, and increase their knowledge. At the same time, it will boost your closeness. You can make an event of it by going to the library to pick out books or even buy a few from a second-hand bookshop. These can become treasured presents. Additionally, you can find free books online.
Cook Together
Preparing a meal together is a great way to find out what your foster child’s preferences are. Get out some recipes and discuss them. Ask your foster child to pick one. If you need to purchase ingredients for the recipe, this will allow you to extend the activity to shopping for items.
Cooking together will impart new skills and teach independence. It also provides a perfect opening for conversation, such as asking about favourite and worst vegetables. This can develop into a discussion of movies your foster child enjoys. As a foster carer, you will have to lead the conversation initially, but once you have opened the doors to communication, the child will find it easier to open up about more topics and even to share their feelings with you.
Play at the Park
Make an occasion of going to the park. Let your foster child help with preparations, like putting together a picnic basket to be enjoyed after running around, playing ball, swinging, and enjoying the jungle gym. Build a store of memories by making this a weekly activity.
Enjoying Nature
Children need fresh air and exercise. Take advantage of national parks to plan a hiking trip that everyone will enjoy. Remember to ask your agency for fostering in the UK about which trips need permission upfront, e.g., an overnight camping outing.
Take photos and be sure to have them printed so that your foster child can continue to enjoy the memories. Get a book on the animals you may see and find pictures of them when you spot one. When you get home, enjoy some creative time together by drawing pictures of the day.
Creative Activities
Being creative encourages self-expression. Have a good selection of pencils, paints, and crayons available so everyone can create the picture they desire. Be sure to hang your foster child’s artwork up where it can be seen and appreciated.
Weekly Game Night
Take it in turns to choose the board game for the activity. This allows your foster child to express their choices and feel respected in them. Making it a weekly event ensures that everyone has the game and companionship to look forward to.
With very little effort, you can create bonding experiences with your foster child.
