[wenrl]

Hello Everyone,

I am wondering what everyone did on their first visits with their older children?

Hopefully, we will be meeting our seven-year old child for the first time in the very near future. We want her to have a good time, but we also want to be able to interact with her as much as possible so that we can really get to know each other. THis will be a first for us and we are really nervous.

Any creative ideas out there?

[riley6]

Can you go to a park or playground? My 7 yr old loves to be pushed on the swings. I also help him go across the monkey bars (good way to get touching in w/out her really objecting).

We also play board games. He's just started getting into junior monopoly, but loves card games like Pokemon and go fish.

We love cooking together. Maybe you could make cookies together and then eat them with milk.

We love doing crafts together. Maybe string beads together. Then you could have a necklace or bracelet to always remember your first day together. My son loves playdough. You could make handprints with play dough or paint and always have a momento.


I would call the fmom and ask what she likes to do.

[lucyjoy]

We spent a lot of time in the park on early visits(especially for kids we traveled to meet). We got to see how they enteracted with other kids and had fun with them. It was less confining and easier for everyone to relax. Also, we weren't constantly spending mony on the visits so the kids weren't expecting lots of video games or stuff when they saw us. We wanted things to be a close to our real life as possible. We did take a small photo album on our early visits with pictures of close family members, pets and our house. We labled everyones name. The child could then keep that and feel less strange when meeting people.

[julie23]

Those are great ideas... I have 3 girls... When my oldest was 7, she loved doing all those things you've mentioned... especially crafts... junior monopoly.... junior clue was a real favorite!!

If you have access to a kitchen... highly reccommend baking!! ALL my girls LOVE making cookies, pies.... anything!

They also like being read to.... You might take a few good books...lots of bright pictures... not too many sentences.

We always like to go to places that have walking trails in addition to a park.... the girls love to hike. We take a bag to collect all the rocks and treasures!! Of course, we always have the rule "you want it... you carry it!" It's absolutely amazing how many pounds of rocks little guys can actually carry!

Good luck to you!!

[neebob]

It's exciting taking this first step - I remember so much fun! It's been over 8 yrs now since we picked up the kids and took them on our first "field trip". I would advise though, that if possible, you spend some time at the foster parent's house, pick up on what's going on there, how things are done. It will help give signals when you are out with them.

Have back up plans for everything.....it helps!

and then, ENJOY!!!

[Support2Adopt]

I really like the park idea. Maybe throw in a picnic lunch as well?
JJ

[wenrl]

Thanks for all of the ideas! We ended up meeting and staying at her foster parents' home. It was wonderful and we are going insane waiting to see her again.

[Support2Adopt]

Woohoo! Glad things went so well. When do you get to visit again?
JJ