Beyond Terrible Two’s - By Anonymous

I was warned by our pediatrician that the “terrible twos” start at 18 months. What I was not prepared for was how our foster child’s behaviors went far beyond what could be considered normal outbursts.  

As a first-time foster mom and parent in general, once our foster son reached 18 months old, every day seemed like a struggle. Getting him in and out of the car could take up to 15 minutes. He would violently vomit when stressed or upset. Elopement issues caused a fear of even taking him to the grocery store for a gallon of milk.  

I reached out to Child & Family Connections - Early Intervention and soon learned we were experiencing far more than a case of the terrible twos. They immediately helped us get occupational, speech, and behavioral therapists to help us as a family to heal and grow. We received referrals to a behavioral pediatrician who explained our foster son displayed classic ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder] characteristics of a child exposed to drugs in utero.  

With understanding comes knowledge and power to overcome and thrive. We are heading into year four and we are still learning every day. With all that we are learning, we are well on our way for him to thrive at 5!