The hardest job and indeed the most challenging one you can ever have is that of a parent. When I took in my two foster daughter's, one at a time at 11, I couldn't believe the difference. Angel was tough, already dying her hair, piercing her ears, wearing makeup, wanting and wearing thongs and a bra where no breasts were yet showing. At 5'2 and 180 lbs she was sure the way to get a boyfriend was through sex. I couldn't believe the stress of trying to parent her.
Janelle, on the other hand was so timid, naive and insecure she wouldn't walk into Round Table to pick up a pizza by herself when I was right outside the door waiting. She looked 10 or 11 and acted unsure about so many things. There were things to learn, bicycle trips to go on. She was very dependent.
Foster care had put scars on them both I'm sure. They both came from parents with drug problems.
Then there option arrived, Angle could sullenly, defiantly come to me with snippets of little girl peeking out between the shoplifting in Target, mouthing off in Safeway and running away. She used to cut herself too, although I never saw any evidence of that. After she ran away from my house to meet her grandparents and flee with them to Washington, she was brought back and put in a group home. I once ran into her with a chronic in the computer room of the library. After she ran and I called the police, I discovered a 2 in. stack of porn she downloaded from the computer in the library. She thought at 11, that sex would be a good wat to get if not keep a boy friend. I tried to tell her, the boys would be interested but not seriously. She was so starved for attention, I can understand her craving any kind of affection. I hope Angel got straightened out, weaned off soda, and Pepto. She would be about 18 now.
Janelle wanted to be around more kids. Having just we was pretty quiet although she used to play with Rosemary. I got her school shoes, sneakers and had her come to my class to teach 2nd graders the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates with a lobster shell I brought home. She thrived under the importance and attention. She was a very sweet girl.
Now my county students are, Regla, 16, living in an apartment with a roommate, a group home, independently, with therapy on Wed., and trying to pass English, History, Biology and Algebra to go onto 11th grade. The foul mouth is her protection. She is street tough but still so young.
Thomas, is on the verge of being expelled, living in an apartment with another student, one non verbal, and a care taker. His teacher and tutor go to him. He at least shows evidence of being in class all year. I wonder what Regla has been up to? All the information we cover on W W 1 and everything else seems new to her.
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