One of the biggest challenges you may face when you foster in Nottingham is managing your foster children’s behaviour and how it changes overtime. Each foster child is different and have come from different backgrounds with different experiences and can bring disruptive behaviours with them when they’re place into a new family. This can be extremely difficult to deal with. However, with the right measures and continued support from fostering agencies like Fostering Dimensions, you will hopefully be able to manage and nurture them to develop better behaviour.
In this article, we’re going to discuss different management strategies you can use when you foster in Nottingham to provide consistent and successful parents at home.
Use the ABC model
By following a model, it allows some form of structure and routine to be added when you foster in Nottingham. ABC refers to 3 elements, antecedents (triggers), behaviours and consequences. Antecedents can influence your foster children’s behaviour and by understanding what these triggers are, it will be easier for you to recognise them and come up with a way of dealing with them, together. The B stands for behaviours which allows you to identify which ones you want to encourage and discourage. The consequences you enforce, whether positive or negative can be put in place after an outburst. Both you and you and your foster children need to be clear on exactly what these are and more importantly, how to move forward from them.
Once you know what the triggers are, you’re already one step ahead. Through thorough planning and by sticking to a system, your foster children will also be more prepared to deal with any emotions they may be feeling.
Be objective when you foster in Nottingham
Being in a position where you can put your feelings and emotions to one side will really help you when you foster in Nottingham. Remaining calm and level-headed can be difficult but it’s very beneficial and rewarding for relationship development if you can do so. It helps to let your foster children know that they are being understood and that you’re there to help them through it. Taking an objective stance can help remove any attention-grabbing elements from their behaviour. It can also help you see what triggered their behaviour, so you can come up with an effective way to deal with it in the future.
Create visual prompts
Sometimes, your foster children may forget conversations that have happened, in and outside of heated moments. It’s recommended to create family rule boards, reward charts and check-lists to help give visual and tangible prompts to your foster children. This can help them to work through emotions and can also remind them of any measures put in place. This way, they will know what is expected from them at all times and are more likely to stick to them. It’s not just beneficial for them; it’s also handy when you foster in Nottingham. This can be a very successful took to fall back on when you are reinforcing consequences.
Selective acknowledge and receptive to positive behaviour
As the saying goes, it’s ‘good to pick your battles’. Sometimes, your foster children by act up to seek attention. Be selective when deciding when to interact and in what manner. If your foster children genuinely need guidance and intervention, do so with a soft but authoritative manner. On the other hand, when they are behavimg well, shower them with praise and make them feel good! This will make them want to behave more often; just to get praised and feel good.
If you’re feeling over-whelmed or want to know more behaviour management techniques, speak to your fostering agency. When you foster in Nottingham with Fostering Dimensions, you will have continued support and advice when you need it.
Do you want to start your fostering journey? If so, get in touch.