This is a sponsored post. I was gifted this car seat in exchange of my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.
I’ve been asked a lot of questions about our future adventure with fostering. That is, questions about the real part; the call, the placement and beyond. I’ve been asked what kinds of products we already have without knowing about the child(ren) who will come into our home. What we think our lives will be like with little ones, and how we’re preparing for our lives to change overnight. Yikes. When preparing for a child there’s a lot to do! When preparing for a foster child you likely know little-to-nothing about who will soon be a part of your home. Or at least that is the case for us. This is how we prepare for Our first placement.
What baby/toddler products are we getting?
There are the required preparations such as safety upgrades around the home and baby proofing the crap out of everything. (I actually talked a bit about some of my favorite safety products here.)
For the rest- well, shopping for a child of unknown age, gender, and interests is just about as challenging as it sounds. But we’re the kind of people who like to be OVERLY prepared, so that has not stopped us. We found that essentials that are made to be modified to suit a wide age-range has been easier than we expected and given us peace of mind. From a convertible crib, to a changing table topper on a standard dresser. We even have a bathing device suitable for a newborn to toddler with just minor adjustments. We feel ready to adapt and provide a comfortable and safe home right away. Hopefully that will eliminate some stress the first few days…*some*.
Related: Nursery Tour
How We Prepare For Our First Placement
We may not know our future children’s exact interests, but c’mon, they will be Disney obsessed if we have anything to do with it. So when preparing our home for that first placement, we also wanted to provide an environment that feels like part of the family. And that means all the Disney things.
When looking for car seats, for example, we prepared by having both a newborn (still boxed, just in case we are placed with a toddler) seat. We also wanted a fun “disneyfied” toddler seat.
This KidsEmbrace Buzz Lightyear car seat couldn’t be more perfect for just that. Our car will be every much as part of our little one’s environment as the home. Especially when you consider drives to visitations, court dates, etc.
Let’s be real- car rides to and from these happenings show the potential of being very stressful for a young child in the foster care system. Having a bright, fun, playful seat that is not only all theirs but also provides the Disney-loving vibe of the safe environment they’ve come to know is PERFECT. Not to mention, this thing is suitable for a child from 22lbs-65lbs, and then converts to a booster later too! We won’t need to keep getting different products as they grow.
What do we think our lives will be like with children?
Different. But happy. & crazy. & stressful. & so fun. We’ll have to change a lot of our “daily routine” but we’ll establish a new structure that meets the needs of the kids and helps them thrive. We don’t intend on changing our entire lives right away, but continuously adapting to the changes that will come.
We are already a Disney family through and through. Our family listens to Disney music as we clean and cook, we go to Downtown Disney any chance we get, and have put all of our vacation funds over the years towards Disney trips (for which my wife and I also own a slew of Etsy-esqe Disney tees). Introducing our Disney love with our future family style is a given. Our lives will absolutely be filled with witnessing our children experience all the magic that comes with Disney visits, tons of lessons via the stories that Disney movies tell best… you get the picture.
How do we prepare for our lives to change in the blink of an eye?
I wish there was an easy answer for this, but the truth is no matter how anxious and excited we are to get that call, we’re never going to be truly ready. And I don’t think any parent is. But we have participated in all the trainings for our certification and had the great fortune of working with social workers who have been open to our 63729473 questions and provided thorough answers.
Practice, practice, practice
Other than that- practice. Honestly, we’ve already practiced setting up the car seat. We’ve ensured we understand the proper installation to lessen the stress of that first pick-up. We’ve saved the manuals for all of our convertible items and have them ready at a moment’s notice for us to quickly make adjustments for the child we’re placed with.
Beyond the basics of preparation, we’re just ready to be a family! To be a safe space, teach and give love, and watch the little ones grow into the best version of who they are. It is going to be the strangest combination of pixie dust and stress. But we’re beyond excited to see how our family story unfolds and who is meant to be a part of our home.
Be sure to check out Toy Story 4 in Theaters June 21st!
