Our foster son C only learnt the meaning of "sad" at 4 yrs 10 mths (this April). Sure, he had learnt the word cos we had explained it to him in books; he could demonstrate a sad face; & he definitely would have had experienced sad feelings... But somehow he just never put two and two together. C is blessed with a sunny, cheerful and engaging disposition (those of u who have met him would agree), hardly ever crying or showing any low mood in the 1.5 years with us. However, he is often disruptive at school and aggressive with friends, with his behavior escalating since last November. Previously, whenever I asked C if he misbehaved cos he was angry or sad, he would readily agree with me with a deadpan expression on his face. Soon, he started using "feeling sad or angry" as an excuse every time he hurt others, to the extent that I even wondered to my colleagues if he had "callous emotional traits". In April, a week before it finally clicked for him, C crie...

16 July 2016 -  Wonderful sharing by Teh Hsin & Joyce to potential foster carers. Through their care and prayers, their 3-yr-old foster child "Dora" who was at risk for reactive attachment disorder & global developmental delay as a baby, has now blossomed into a confident, bubbly and loving child. While they dread the day she leaves to be reunified with her own parents, they know that loving her AND wanting the best for her means letting go of their own desires AND being willing to get hurt in the process....But it's worth it for the sake of the child!!! Having met a displaced survivor of Hurricane Katrina recently, Joyce reflected that the trauma a foster child experiences at being suddenly removed from her birth family and brought into care is just as devastating - it's like a hurricane blowing through her home, leaving nothing in its wake & removing her from everything she knows. How lost and bewildering that can be !!!! And similar to being swept away...