Episode 9 - You Said What to a Foster Parent? – Real Reactions & Better Alternatives

Let’s be real — fostering and adoption come with a unique set of challenges… and sometimes, even more challenging conversations. In this episode, we share the top awkward, cringey, or unintentionally hurtful things people have said to us as foster and adoptive parents — and we unpack why those comments can be difficult, and how to say something more helpful instead.

We’re talking about real-life phrases we’ve heard like:

• “Are you going to keep them?”
• “Which ones are yours?”
• “What happened to their real parents?”
• “You’re such a saint!”
• “I could never do that.”
• “You look tired.”
• “Everything happens for a reason.”
• “At least....”

But this episode isn’t just about the hard stuff — we’re keeping it funny and honest too. You’ll hear about:

• Whitney’s traumatic bathtub corn dog incident during a hair-washing session (yes, it’s as wild as it sounds)
• Our mini bernedoodle’s attempt to save the day
• The beauty and chaos of a full house
• And the sweetest moment when our little one says, “Mommy, tonight was really fun…”

We’re not here to shame anyone — we know most people mean well. But we hope this conversation helps others better understand how to support, speak to, and love on foster and adoptive families.

Whether you’re a foster parent, someone who loves one, or just want to be more thoughtful with your words — this episode is for you.

Let’s Connect:

📧 Email: dreamsmallpodcast@gmail.com📸 Instagram: @dreamsmallpodcast📘 Facebook: Dream Small Podcast🐦 Twitter/X: @DreamSmallShow

🎵 Music Credit:

“Paradise Found” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/