Becoming a motivator.
Foster carers should not only be there to offer respite care for troubled children but also to act as a constructive role model.
Children are impressionable, if you set a positive example they will follow it. Having good motivational skills is an invaluable resource to foster carers. In the short term, through motivation you can help improve a child’s self-esteem and emotional wellbeing. In the longer term, this can help them in their progression to adulthood.
You can motivate through trying new experiences, praise and empathy. Motivation can also be helping a child recognise a negative behavioural pattern and how to stop it.
The key here is to not punish negative behaviour but to educate as to why it is damaging and to raise awareness of the consequences of their actions. It is then useful to set achievable goals and rewards to reinforce positive behaviour.
Team LondonFostering.