A day in the life of Jodie

Jodie and Russell are parents and carers for two young girls. Jodie gives us a glimpse of what life is like caring for both girls, including providing additional support for one child who lives with complex health challenges.

How do your mornings usually start?

Our mornings usually start with a quiet cup of tea before we get our girls up, then we wake up our foster child with additional needs, carry her out and begin bathing, eating and drinking and medicating her. Meanwhile the other child wakes and has a chat to us and breakfast.

Tea or Coffee?

Tea.

What is the first cereal or spread to run out in your household?

Vegemite.

What takes up most of your day?

Keeping the house, appointments and therapy, preparing for both children to come home, foodbank and grandchildren.

You leave the house, and a child has forgotten something. What’s it most likely to be?

Water bottle.

Do you head to any outside-school activities?

Tutoring, sports days and athletics.

What is your least favourite type of homework?

Maths!!

What is your evening routine like?

Busy—one of the children in our care requires 24/7 care so once she comes home from school it’s very busy stretching and rolling her body, giving her drinks, doing homework and afternoon tea, preparing dinner, changing and washing, showers and lots more.

What’s your favourite thing to do when you have free time?

Catching up with my girlfriends and enjoying coffee and conversations.

What’s the children’s current favourite show to watch?

One loves CoComelon Lane and the other child loves The Dog House.

What’s the most common excuse you hear from the children explaining why they’re out of bed?

Toilet and more water.

How did you feel when the children in your care arrived to stay with you?

I felt like a Mum ready to birth new life. I was super excited to meet our new little precious girls.

What are the children’s greatest strengths or skills?

One child’s is kindness, joy, understanding of others and the other, even with very complex needs she has SO much joy and happiness to give to others.

What are some of the ways you keep the children connected to family or culture?

Phone calls, texts, Facetime, get togethers, stories, photos, cultural activities and lots of talk about who we are, where we belong and how important each of us are.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

To change our world so everyone could simply be kind and understanding to each other.

If you could have 3 wishes for your children in care, what would they be?

• To know that they are very loved.
• For full health.
• To 100% know that they are the greatest.

How would you sum up being a foster carer in one word or sentence?

Honoured and very blessed.

If you could say one thing to encourage other people to become a carer like you, what would it be?

Care for the simple reason of caring. Love and understand each and every individual heart. Never take on foster children to fill your own emotional need or void. Take on foster children to enable and love them in our forever changing world.

How has being a foster carer impacted your life?

Foster care has impacted my heart and understanding of so many needs for our little children. It is my joy and happiness.

Do you have a favourite story or special memory about a moment where you could see that you’ve made an impact in a child’s life?

When one of the girls came into our heart, she had flat head syndrome and a lot of undiagnosed issues. She could not hug or cuddle. I used to hope one day she could feel the love and respond with cuddles. The very first time she put her arms up for a cuddle was so amazing and taught me never to give up showing and teaching love.

Name one thing (or more) a child in your care has specifically thanked you for.

On many occasions, our little one has thanked me for being her Mummy when her Tummy Mummy was unable to be there. She says, “thank you for loving me and caring for me.”

Why do you do it (fostering)?

Why wouldn’t I?!