32-4 Hard to Be a Mother? A Narrative Study of a Mother Who Engages in Foster Family Services

Tzu-Yin Yen Feng-Tsu Liao
National Kaohsiung Normal University

The purpose of the study was to explore, after accepting the foster child, the interactional changes between the foster mother and her own child as well as her perception of the adapting process. The data was analyzed using the holistic-content of the narrative methodology, focusing on three dimensions: time, location, and people and society. This study interpreted the experiences of a mother who had a son and had previous experience in foster family services. When a foster child was placed into a family with an only child, not only does the whole family system change, but the original relation variables were also expanded. The researcher started by clarifying the system members' roles and interacting conditions before deciding to become a foster family, which in turn would serve as the starting point to understanding the subsystem of the biological mother and child. Then the impact of the subsystem of biological mother-son was analyzed, including the six stages: ”the besieging plight,” ”the expanding, starting wind,” ”sailing in huge waves,” ”the subsequent storms and breakers,” ”disillusioned from the storm,” and ”sailing to one's own.” Seven themes were obtained: ”bondage and attachment,” ”worry and rejoice,” ”life battlefield with frequent shocks,” ”jostling for love and resources,” ”tangled and struggling emotions,” ”restoring the lost trust,” and ”reconstructing parent-child relationship.” The mutual influences and changes between parent and child are also induced. Finally, according to the findings, suggestions are provided for parent-child counseling, foster family service, and future research.

Keywords
foster family service、narrative methodology

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