We have a wonderful family therapist that comes to our house thereby helping to reduce my children’s inbred fear of professionals. So many social workers have marched through their lives that they are hesitant to trust anymore and also tired of talking about their past.

Their past made them what they are today – children deeply in need of therapy as is evidenced by their behaviors.

Today Dr. Mandy told me of a recent study she’d read explaining that children are behaving worse now than years ago and subsequently therapists are not lasting as long in this profession as they once might have done.

That doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve adopted older sibling groups in the 1980s, the 1990s and in the 2000s as well. Talking with other adoptive families and social workers, I find agreement that it is much more difficult now.

I told our therapist that I understood the early burn-out in her profession but let’s take it a step further. They put in their grueling eight hours a day, listening and dealing with horrific behaviors certainly, but what about us adoptive parents?

It is 24-7, no vacations and no let-up. Sometimes sleeping and eating become luxuries and we lose our friends as we have no time for a social life.

My parents offered to babysit so I could get away for a few days. That’s really brave of them but no way could I take them up on their offer. My kids would make us all pay for it. They’d be out-of-control if I weren’t here and resentful of me when I returned. It just isn’t worth it for me to even try.

In just eight more years my most troubled child will be 18. I can do the time standing on my head. I’ll pour myself into raising these last 20 of my children, knowing I’ve survived the other 19 and I have beautiful wonderful grandchildren to show for all my efforts.

Thank God our therapist is young and in it for the long haul with us, I’m praying we won’t be the family that sends her over the edge.

Photo Credit Cindy Bodie