I am a cantankerous person by nature. You would think this would keep me safe....for the past 29 years I have been the recipiant of many an errant child. Why people think this is a good idea, I will never know. I have never gotten a child from the state, but through the church and word of mouth. I've taken in more than one child or dog in the middle of the night. I can't count the number of dogs or cats or horses, but there have been 21 foster children. I have a small house. Funds are always tight. I make them do chores. I MAKE them behave. I scold them, reprimand them. I'm a slave driver. I made them go to church, volunteer, go to bed on time, and dress like a respectable human being. And on the inside I might cry for them, because their life is crap, but I wouldn't ever tell them that. I tell them if they don't like their life...fix it. They have choices.
That's very good of you to do Syl. I'm the youngest of 3 kids that have never lived with their mom and dad. It's amazing that it took me 30 some odd years to figure out exactly what a disservice I was given thanks to them. Until I married last year and experienced what a real family should be like with her and her parents. I was tossed to Great grandmother until she died, then grandparents and then a great aunt, then mom and step dads and that's where things got real bad and I ended up in Brenham, Tx. at a place called Miracke Farm Inc.
360 acres if I remember right. When you arrive, after checking in you live in the woods for 2 weeks and build your own shelter in the trees and live and work outdoors. The point is to build trust and respect and to learn the rules. Learn how to talk to someone. Learn how to deal with your anger etc.
When you graduate this course you move into a house with bunk beds in the rooms and a centralized bathroom. The Home Parents live in an attached apartment and often have children of their own. There were 4 different houses that were progressively nicer to live in than the next.
It was ran with rankings like any Ranch, that started with Greenhorn, then Maverick and Top Hand and so-on ... I remember the Top Hand made $10 per week and the Greenhorn made $1.50 per week.
5:30 am we woke up and everyone had chores based on the ranks. Pig Stalls would be on your low end and feeding grooming the horses or goats on the high end of chores to have. Lol The Farm is situated like a strip with a road all the way down the middle of it. From front to back there was a Sheep Barn/Rabbit boxes on one side and a Goat area on the other side. Eventually I would start Great Pyrenees to protect them. At the far back were the Cow/Horse Barn and the Pig Barn then the pastures, and everything that comes with all of this. Oddly enough, no chickens. Now that I think if it, that's weird. Anyways.
We had to feed everything twice a day. Milk Goats and Cows everyday. Clean everything's stall and areas. Address problems that they might have. Mow/Weedeat the ENTIRE place. Cull dinner. Repair fence and equipment. I'm from Louisiana originally and there were alit of other country kids there but imagine there were these city kids that got sent there and how hard it must've been for them to transition. Many were scared of everything at first. Eventually you have no choice but to toughen up.
Once a year we had a livestock auction and event at the farm. During baby season, we all claim newborns from all the animals and train and from them for showing at the auction. It is run off of do actions so most of the time the winner donates it back to the farm and may see it next year and so-on.
This place changed my life. My brother just got out of jail for his third DWI and I could have very easily gone down this path. It's because of people like you Syl and places like this that a lot of us were not forgotten and thrown into the world with no clue of how to conduct ourselves.
Know how we were punished?
For minor infractions, (talking back, arguing etc) we could get a drop in tank which meant a drop in allowance obviously but also dropped you to worse chores than you had a day ago. Doesn't sound bad but it's the difference in bathing a beautiful horse or washing out hog stalls.
For fighting and major infractions it may be surprising. Immediate drop to the lowest rank and had no allowance. You also had No Chores and got to participate in any project like building fences or anything. Just watched everyone else work while you wait in the truck. Doesn't sound too bad but when it's 100 degrees out and everyone resents you for not helping, peer pressure works both ways.
I'm sure I will be taking in some strays before too long. We're wanting kids of our own and I'm sure my door will open in the future. I'm 38 now and left the farm when I was 18. Joined the Army not long after and here I am now.
Helping over 21 kids is amazing. You know how much they say raising a kid is? Wow. Just 1 is a big difference, 21 is special Syl.
As soon as my husband comes home this next weekend we are going to assess the chicken coop and see what needs to be done before we get more chickens. The part that got ripped open is just 2x4's and wiring so the chickens wouldn't get to hot but maybe we need to put some plywood or something along the bottom for the first 2 feet?
