Due Date

Getting ready for a house full of teenage girls

Back when Sarah and I accepted the position as a family teaching couple here at Boys Town I with tongue-in-cheek said “We’re expecting!” We found out that we were going to have an addition to our family, but instead of a baby it was going to be 6-8 teenage girls.

We found out yesterday that we will start welcoming girls into our home next Tuesday.

We have a due date.

Since Sarah and I completed our official training on August 19th, Sarah and I have been in the homes of various Family Teaching couples as a “transition couple.” Through this we get to see how other couples run their homes, we get to interact with their girls, and we constantly get the opportunity to practice teaching.

The level of support and structure that Boys Town offers is second to none. They really are doing what they can to set us up for success. Of course there’s all sorts of things that we’ll be learning as we go, but we’ve learned so much these last few weeks. We’ve gotten more comfortable and confident with teaching and addressing the various situations that arise in the home at any given time.

It has been hard taking our boys into other people’s homes, but they have seemed to enjoy going to new places, meeting new people, playing with other kids’ toys. Sarah and I have sometimes had to take shifts because of how difficult it has been trying to keep track of our kids in someone else’s home while also attending to the needs and behaviors of 6-8 teenage girls.

So we are actually very excited that we will be running our own home starting next week. We’re excited about getting our apartment ready: new decorations, bedding, school supplies, etc. It’s all really happening. And soon!

I would love to provide more details about what it’s going to be like for us, including pictures and names and specifics, but I am not going to be able to be very specific about such things due to respecting the privacy of the girls and their families (as well as the law).

I do hope to continue providing short little updates every now and then about how things are going for us. And if you have any questions, please be sure and contact me and let me know. Or if you’re in the area and would like to visit us, let me know and we can make that happen.

I have often heard people say that you’re never truly ready to have a baby. There’s never really a great time for it. But what about getting ready for teenage girls?

We’re as ready as we’ll ever be. Pray for us!