River

Kids model what they see, right? The things that happen around them, the things that they see, hear, feel…all of that informs how kids behave and understand the world. Our job as parents is to do our best to make sure that our kids experience as much love, support, positivity, and encouragement as possible. Unfortunately, River didn’t have the right mix of positive and negative experiences growing up. Most times, his behaviors and outlook reflect the good experiences he had when he was younger. He’s a happy kid who is kind and caring for those around him. He loves video games and playing outside with his friends. But sometimes, the effects of those negative childhood experiences come to the front. River can get angry and lash out when things get to be too much for him, and he needs a lot of re-directing to more appropriate responses when he doesn’t get what he thinks he needs. Re-learning how to respond when the anxiety and fear and confusion come is hard work, and sometimes two steps forward are followed by a step back, but River is trying. He just needs a strong, experienced family to wrap around him with consistency and stability and support to help reinforce the lessons he’s learning every day. Sooner rather than later, there will be lots more positive life experiences than negative for River, and he’ll finally know what it’s like to be in a place where he feels home.

Age: 16