A day in the life of Lou
Lou gives us a glimpse of what life is like for her and her partner Amelia as foster carers of a young girl.
How do your mornings usually start?
Mornings start with the little one coming in for cuddles, we then get her into her school uniform, and ready for the day. Head downstairs to make breakfast together and talk about our day ahead. She then has some quiet play time as we get ready for work before we head out the door to school. If I’m up early enough, I’ll take the dog to the beach for a sunrise walk and be back before she wakes up.
What takes up most of your day?
We run our own business, so that takes up most of our weekdays. On the weekends we like to spend time at the beach, reading books, and catching up with friends for yummy food and wine.
You leave the house, and a child has forgotten something. What’s it most likely to be?
Water bottle or hat – but I’ve now learnt to always have spares in the car.
Do you head to any outside-school activities?
At the moment we’re just doing swimming lessons, but she has aspirations of doing hip hop…
What is your evening routine like?
Pick up little one from school, then often go for a swim (she loves the water). Come home and unpack from school, get lunches ready for the next day, make dinner, maybe a family movie if we have time. Then to bed to read books, little one has a little play (puts all her dolls to bed) and we tuck her into bed, then we’ll have a glass of wine and unwind with a good TV series.
Why did you become a foster carer?
I’d always wanted to experience being a mother, we looked into a number of different avenues but nothing really felt right. When I found out how many kids were in need of care, it just made sense for us to go down the foster care path. As soon as we made the decision everything just flowed, and I’ve 100% found the little soul I was meant to care for in this life, even if it’s only for a short amount of time.
What’s your favourite thing to do when you have free time?
Meditate, yoga, beach time, read, eat nice food.
How did you feel when the child in your care arrived to stay with you?
I was excited, but also daunted – we didn’t have any children beforehand, so we went from having all the free time in the world to suddenly having a small human needing us. But as soon as I met her, I knew that this little soul was meant to be in our lives.
What are the child’s greatest strengths or skills?
Oh, she’s just magic. Her intuition is next level. And for such a little girl she has been so brave and amazing in articulating her feelings and what she does and doesn’t want.
What are some of the ways you keep the child connected to family or culture?
They have a lot of family contact, we have a wall of her family’s photos in her room, and we make sure she catches up with her sisters often.
How would you sum up being a foster carer in one sentence?
Amazing, incredibly rewarding.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
Sounds cheesy, but maybe to have the ability to magically help others see the true potential within themselves. Why? I guess one side of it would be amazingly rewarding to change people’s lives like that – and the other side it would be so great and inspiring to surround myself with people that are living in their best lives!
If you could have 3 wishes for your child in care, what would they be?
- That she holds onto the magic and spirit she has now.
- That she lives to her full potential.
- That she is safe and loved.
Do you have a special memory about a moment where you could see that you’ve made an impact in a child’s life?
When she first came to us, she was so scared of the water she would just cling to me in the pool and cry. And now seeing her so confident, independent and just thriving in her swimming lessons is really something.
How has being a foster carer impacted your life?
It has fulfilled something so deep within me. I’ve learnt so much about myself through the process and it’s given my life a depth and meaning I didn’t even realise I was searching for.