Thursday, February 28, 2008

Mom of 10?

I feel like a mom of 10 kids right now. I have 10 kids on my caseload right now, ages 1, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, and four 16 yr old girls! Most of these kids carry some combination of the following diagnosis: fragile x syndrome, oppositional defiant disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, dissociative disorder, shaken baby syndrome, encopresis, pervasive developmental disorder, sensory integration disorder, aspergers syndrome, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and depression. I feel like a walking copy of the DSM-IV right now. Anyways, I've decided that this job essentially throws you into parenthood of 10 kids. I have to keep track of things like when the kids need new socks, when their next doctors appointments are due, who has parent teacher conferences tonight, who needs haircuts, who can go swimming, who can go to their friends house, who can participate in girl scouts, when are they big enough to be out of their booster seats, who's having nightmares, etc. Then I do the professional stuff, like think of therapeutic activities to do with my kids who are struggling, transport kids to appointments, attend important games or events, figure out what resources foster parents could use, attend numerous case conferences, consult with all the different doctors and therapists, supervise visits with biological parents, and write 10 weekly reports. I really do like this job a lot, I just feel like a mother of 10 right now. My four 16 yr old girls are really pushing limits and giving me a run for my money. I feel bad for my own teenagers someday, they won't be able to pull anything on me.

2 comments:

Ann said...

Wow. I have a hard time keeping track of my two...and they don't have any diagnoses! sounds fun, though--and 4 16 yo would give ANYONE a run for their money :)

Kim said...

Wow. Well, on the bright side...Like you said...this is GREAT training for your own children.