My daughter has been watching Heidi a LOT lately. So I decided to pull my worn-out copy from the shelf and read it again. WOW... Heidi is a classic case foster child.
1st- She is brought by her aunt (CW) to her grandfathers and insists he watch her
2nd- After loving living with her GF, the CW shows up with a "better" place for Heidi to stay. She isn't given time to say goodbye.
3rd- At her new home she many issues- Doesn't understand the "language" of the new home. For instance, the maid says that Breakfast is Ready. Heidi has never heard this phrase before and waits patiently in her room to find out what it means. Then Fraulein Rottenmeier (FP) storms into the room demanding to know why she did not come and eat breakfast. Something for all of us FPs to remember- use words and phrases the kids understand, not what we assume they should know!
Then Heidi begins to hoard food. Of course, it isn't for herself, but she gets in trouble with the FPs for having a closet full of white rolls.
Then Heidi starts having her mental issues from being separated from her family- sleep walking, not eating, etc. They even think she has a mental disability, but she is only missing her family!
School issues too.. Heidi assumes she can't learn to read, so she doesn't! Then, she starts bawling when she looks at a picture of a shepherd and the sheep, cause she misses her home. Later, she is told not to cry by her FP, so she holds all her emotions inside, making her physical problems worse!
Anyways... to make a long analysis short. Heidi gets to go home and gets healthy and makes her FS healthy too.
It just shows us that we can't arbitrarily move kids from what they know and love and expect them to immediately thrive in our homes.
If you haven't read this book since you were a kid.. read it again! It is such a nice story!
1st- She is brought by her aunt (CW) to her grandfathers and insists he watch her
2nd- After loving living with her GF, the CW shows up with a "better" place for Heidi to stay. She isn't given time to say goodbye.
3rd- At her new home she many issues- Doesn't understand the "language" of the new home. For instance, the maid says that Breakfast is Ready. Heidi has never heard this phrase before and waits patiently in her room to find out what it means. Then Fraulein Rottenmeier (FP) storms into the room demanding to know why she did not come and eat breakfast. Something for all of us FPs to remember- use words and phrases the kids understand, not what we assume they should know!
Then Heidi begins to hoard food. Of course, it isn't for herself, but she gets in trouble with the FPs for having a closet full of white rolls.
Then Heidi starts having her mental issues from being separated from her family- sleep walking, not eating, etc. They even think she has a mental disability, but she is only missing her family!
School issues too.. Heidi assumes she can't learn to read, so she doesn't! Then, she starts bawling when she looks at a picture of a shepherd and the sheep, cause she misses her home. Later, she is told not to cry by her FP, so she holds all her emotions inside, making her physical problems worse!
Anyways... to make a long analysis short. Heidi gets to go home and gets healthy and makes her FS healthy too.
It just shows us that we can't arbitrarily move kids from what they know and love and expect them to immediately thrive in our homes.
If you haven't read this book since you were a kid.. read it again! It is such a nice story!
