Rules, rules

So foster homes have to comply with a LOT of rules. We are after all caring for someone else's child. There's a lot of liability in that for us, our agency, and the state. Therefore, the rules are designed to keep us all safe. In training they kept reminding us that every rule was due to some incident or situation in past. Some of it is just common sense parenting stuff, and some of it gets down right cumbersome.

For instance, I have to have a decal on my glass storm door so that a child in our care knows there is a glass door there and doesn't run into it. You'd think the smudges from three kids going in and out would be enough, but no we must have a decal ;).

I've already mentioned that all the medications in the house have to be under lock and key (we keep ours in a lockable toolbox). I get this one, I really do. Sometimes it becomes humorous when you've got a bunch of sick kiddos around. Mom looks like she's going to do some home repair instead of hand out the tylenol. We had more sickness this winter than we have had in a long time. I spent a lot of time with my toolbox, and we grew used to getting it out almost daily.

A couple of weeks ago my mom came to help out for a few days. We had some stuff going on here that required more adult hands than my husband and I have. Mom came to the rescue.

While she was here, she asked if I had any Benadryl. Sure, I'll just go get it. So off I head to the closet to pull out my toolbox. It suddenly hit me how absurd I looked coming down the hall with the bright orange toolbox all for a little Benadryl. Mom did kind of give me the "what are you doing" look as I opened my big box of Meds. Just trying to stay compliant :).