11. Placement (Part 2)
11. Placement (Part 2) The Routine: Regardless of the child or children's age, I would argue they all need a predictable and rigid structure initially, so they know what to expect day in day out. A clear, consistent routine will help them root themselves and promote feelings of stability, security and trust. It does not have to be super rigid forever, but I would keep it as similar as what they had in care as possible until you are confident they have settled. This varies greatly and but can take a couple of months or longer. Our little one took a bit longer than usual and did not fully settle until about a year later; however, we were dealing with more than just moving between placements. All of my smoothest and most successful placements have been with adopters who do this. Remember you can't get those early days back. Children who have experienced multiple professionals, carers and placement moves are likely to be more indiscriminate than what you would...