Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa / Warm greetings to you all
Well hasn’t life taken a dramatic bend in the road! We went from one extreme of coming together in numbers to celebrate Foster Care Awareness Week to being in a state of Physical Distancing and Isolation. I do want to extend my condolences to the whānau in Greymouth for the loss of their loved one, as being a small and close knit community in Kaiata /Greymouth there will be caregivers who will be touched by this sorrow, my heart goes out to you.
Denise Green
Upper South RC
03 929 6578 or 027 369 3333
We will all be in different situations with this rāhui (lockdown) and as a caregiver I am being greatly challenged by a radically changed normal (albeit temporary I hope!) One day I was in an office in town where I could do my work, lock my door and head home, change hats and become wife and mother. The next day I was at home, in my office, working, teaching, locked down, wife, mother, emails going ballistic, kids wondering what on earth they had done to deserve me as a teacher and a bewildered Husband who can’t escape his new role of juggling wife’s demands and Principal of the homeschool. On a more serious note the extra layer of navigating the insecurity of tamariki and rangitahi who are struggling with changing contact with their whānau and friends and life as they know it. There has been extra tears and insecurity and a level of support and reassurance that I haven’t had to deal with for a wee while.
Self care will look vastly different for you this month, try and pop into the virtual support group that I have set up for a Wednesday morning coffee group on Zoom, it will be fun for caregivers around the region to “meet” each other. We are all in this together, staying home and staying safe, so chaos with kids in the background is okay by me!!
Foster Care Awareness Week
Here are some photos from our Foster Care Awareness Week Evening BBQ.
Kia kaha kia maia kia manawanui – Thanks for being strong, steadfast and willing.
Denise
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