There is a wide range of adverse childhood experiences which can negatively impact people for the rest of their lives. Today’s guest, social worker turned lawyer, Debbie Ausburn, has spent the majority of her adult life caring for children who have gone through some form of trauma. She has fostered approximately 30 children, and was the step-mother of five more, all while running a law firm! We are so grateful to have her join us on the show today to share some of the vital learnings she has had while raising other people’s children (which is also the title of her new book).
Debbie explains why children who have experienced trauma are often not able to function at their full capacity (and why she ensured her children knew that going to college is not a prerequisite for a good life), the importance of building a safety net for yourself if you are looking after traumatized children, some of the strategies she used to find a balance between her work and home life, and the importance of understanding that if you are a foster parent or a step-parent you will never replace a biological parent (and what this means for the parent-child relationship.) Although raising other people’s children was the hardest thing Debbie has ever done, it has also been the most rewarding, and Debbie has invaluable advice for anyone who is on a similar journey.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
There is a wide range of adverse childhood experiences which can negatively impact people for the rest of their lives. Today’s guest, social worker turned lawyer, Debbie Ausburn, has spent the majority of her adult life caring for children who have gone through some form of trauma. She has fostered approximately 30 children, and was the step-mother of five more, all while running a law firm! We are so grateful to have her join us on the show today to share some of the vital learnings she has had while raising other people’s children (which is also the title of her new book).
Debbie explains why children who have experienced trauma are often not able to function at their full capacity (and why she ensured her children knew that going to college is not a prerequisite for a good life), the importance of building a safety net for yourself if you are looking after traumatized children, some of the strategies she used to find a balance between her work and home life, and the importance of understanding that if you are a foster parent or a step-parent you will never replace a biological parent (and what this means for the parent-child relationship.) Although raising other people’s children was the hardest thing Debbie has ever done, it has also been the most rewarding, and Debbie has invaluable advice for anyone who is on a similar journey.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: