After nine months of living in a shelter, with her husband incarcerated and her children in foster care, Janine managed to find housing and a job and finally got her kids back. But the family’s challenges were far from over. All that upheaval and uncertainty was tough to bounce back from. Sibling conflicts and even violence erupted and became daily occurrences at home.
Janine felt like a failure, a “bad mom” who didn’t know how to set ground rules for her children or stop the fighting. She turned to IYR Family Counseling for help.
At first, all five kids balked, terrified that if they said the wrong thing they might lose their mom again. But through group and individual counseling they soon began to open up and talk about their fears, feelings, hopes, and dreams.
As a family, they agreed to focus on respecting each other. Janine learned to create routines, provide choices, and follow through with consequences. She discovered a newfound confidence in herself as the kids’ aggressive behavior and angry outbursts became rare.
By the time the family completed services, there was stability and trust at home. Janine started a new job and has since been promoted, proud of being able to support her family.
“Now I believe I can be a good mom, even with the mistakes I made in the past,” she said. “the Idaho Youth Ranch gave me a new start.”
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