Dear Savvy Auntie,
My sister and I are very close, but she lives in CA and I live in WI. She is my only sibling and I am not married, so I have been (not-so) patiently waiting for nieces and nephews. Thankfully, I have eight lovely local children that so sweetly call me Auntie.
My sister and her husband were just approved to become foster parents and plan to adopt out of foster care. I am incredibly excited, but nervous about trying to establish a bond with the children they adopt...especially since there is such a distance. It is incredibly important to me that I have a strong relationship with these children and that I can be a good support to my sister, too. Any suggestions on how I can build that relationship with school-aged children at a distance?
They didn't start their lives growing up knowing there was an Auntie Dana, so I'm sure this may be a bit awkward/forced for them...especially since we don't know what these children will have been through. At my sister's suggestion, I have written a letter to them (even though we don't know who they are yet), letting them know they are already cherished, loved, and wanted. I've also helped with prepping the bedroom and buying books, toys, games, etc...and while I do plan to spoil them, I want to be more to them than just a gift-giver. I don't want to scare them into an awkward Skype session with some random person.
Due to some changes with my job, and since I not sure the exact timing as to when they will have kids in their home, I'm not sure how often I will be able to visit either over their first year in their new home. Any suggestions?
Fostering Love