From JD: "Some PCs really appreciate the encouragement" Truer words were never spoken
Even as a 1/C, our DS would remind us of what a treat it was when he would look in the teeny tiny glass porthole of his mailbox.... and see .... nothing.
Ah, the world had just forgotten him. He even admitted that Junk Mail was better than NO mail.
So, parents, significant others, friends and relatives... INDOC is a surprise wakeup for a lot of these kids. But the next 4 or so years for these kids will really be the hard part. make sure you put something in mail to them as a fun pick-me-up -- weekly, bi-weekly, at least monthly.
Get together with other friends or folks from your house of worship, and volunteer to send cookies up to cookie cafe. Better even, if you can actually GO there and help out ! I drove 12-hrs each way, but also made sure I got the rest of our State's kids pizza.
YOU can make a big impact to help these kids... It's a real privileged to do so.
You may be the one that some kid needs NOW, even if your DS/DD doesn't. And there may be some other parent there to help your DS/DD when YOU aren't able to be there. These kids are great, but I have incredible gratitude to other parents and volunteers who were there to encourage my kid regularly. As a parent, I have never seen hearts so big and selfless and arms open so wide and welcoming as those that included PCs whose parents were not able to be there.
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Heck, anything you can do to brighten their day (no matter how small) will be really appreciated when your DS/DD is feeling down. Sometimes, including a few pictures of pets in typical or funny poses as great. From time to time, DS would get cards from 'the cat', who would print letters using backwards 'S's and 'r's, upsidedown 'e's -- who would say she missed DS, would complain about the 'staff'(you call them family), and say the sunbeam she had worked so hard to stay in had gone... It's Food-o-clock, time to eat. Always signed with a pawprint.