Are you a foster parent?
While this one wasn't emailed to me, I've been asked this several times over the past month or so. Often enough to make me wonder exactly what it is about my demeanor, or my children, that make people think they aren't mine!
Ok, I admit, one of those times I was at the mall with a friends 3 month old baby who's racial heritage is much more interesting than my own and her gorgeous complexion shows it! While her mama is as fair skinned as I am, no one assumed she was my baby but they at least factored in that I could be related. Other than the one foster mom question that day, several people asked if she was my granddaughter! Ouch! That hurts! I'm not THAT old, am I?
The other times I've been asked about fostering I've been out with my own kids. When they were smaller, I was asked repeatedly if I ran a daycare! I guess now that they are old enough to not be day care kids, the next most logical option is foster care. Is 4 kids just that far outside the norm that people would think foster mom before assuming they were simply mine?
I think it's a little funny that people were more likely to assume that the ONE beautiful, little, cocoa skinned baby I pushed around the mall could have been related to me but the 2 gangly teenagers and 2 hyper preteens I took to McDinner had to be given to me by the state! I know there are times when we are out in public that I WISH I wasn't related to them, but yeah, they are all mine!
Parents of larger than average families and foster parents, do you get quizzed? How do you answer?
I don't think anyone's ever asked me that question but then again, the dynamic duo obviously look like me! I have had people express amazement that Firstborn is mine and you know twice i've been asked if Lil Miss is my granddaughter!
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't think 4 is such a large number but then again, you and I are the only ones I know who have that many so maybe it is "large"