Matching panel

[Je123]

Hi
We have matching panel in 4 weeks when shall we start buying items or getting bedroom ready? Don’t want to do too crazy as there’s always that small chance of something going wrong!

I would get started... there might not be long between matching and introductions. I would keep reciepts for big items like car seat/pram burn het ready!!! Xx

*but get ready.... not burn het

thanks, we really want to start but nervous something may happen. Also any ideas for intro book for a 1 year old?? Can’t seem to get the tomy forget me not toy anywhere! We were thinking maybe a teddy bear with voice and a children’s photo album.

As exciting as it is I would make a list, write down the Ikea codes, possibly put them in your amazon basket but not actually buy things yet, call me superstitious (I'm one who bought barely anything prior to the birth of my baby!) It can be fast afterwards but you will have time. The voice teddy bear works brilliantly, my friends ds (adopted 3 years ago) still insists on it coming to and from school with him!

We did a pillow with our faces printed on from boots - which I love! Don’t stress about the forget me not toy it’s basically non existent nowadays! Last summer when we did intros with our ds it was no where to be found and social workers kept talking about it...!

Teddy bear with voices sounds lovely! I would go with that! I’d also laminate some a4 pictures of yourselves that can be used for anything, placemat. Our ds still has them in his toy box now and loves taking it out. Our foster carer had them blue tacked at eye level for him to see and he definitely recognised us when he first saw us!

I personally think at this stage I would ask your social workers what they thought. If they think you should be getting ready then you ought to get ready! We had pram, car seat and cot all before matching panel and definitely think this was worth while! Though I’d definitely get a cot bed...!

You could also record yourself singing some nursery rhymes or talking on a video. Depending on how good your fc is they might play it a lot and reckon that could really help - but ask your sw about this. I know I would have felt really uncomfortable doing this but I know many that did.

I would also go out for dinner pretty much every day...because soon you won’t be able to.

Totally worth it though!!

Thanks for the advice. A pillow is a really good idea and didn’t know boots would do that so will look into that. Our social worker said about the laminated picture of us for the Foster Carer to pin up.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who has been frantically searching for that forget me not toy! Glad I can forget that!! Think we will take a trip to build a bear for a teddy with a short message with our voices recorded.

We will take to our social worker about when the best time would be to get things ready. I am normally an organised person but things seem to always be taken out of our hands.

We know it will all be worth it in the end

There are websites which sell [https://www.spacekraft.co.uk/talking-photo-album.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwocPnBRDFARIsAJJcf97uqhaopoBXZGY53WmUw72eGwwNmZQxQHdaa2KgGTxJAana2940v2gaAlPlEALw__wcB talking photo albums] which, although not specifically marketed for babies might be something that you could record onto and have your little one look at with their foster carer.

Haba do a couple of different style cloth [https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Photo-Friends-Enchanted-forest/dp/B00BF3FX8A/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=haba+baby+photo+album&qid=1559318428&s=gateway&sr=8-5 photo albums for babies] if you want something that can be used more independently too, although they’re not talking.

Sorry for complete failure to do clicky links there:

talking album

babyphoto album

Great thanks for the links will have a look

We haven't been asked to get anything ready yet - matching panel in July. When did others get told?

(I mean photo type stuff - obviously we are doing the bedroom etc)

You can do the voice record thing with build a bear online btw - you get a phone number to call and special code to record the message. Worked really well and delivery was speedy in case you're not near a branch don't want to record your message in a throng of squealing children

Teddy sounds lovely. How exciting? Boy or girl? X

Topcat - you should go to panel with photo type stuff prepared as normally it would be given to your foster carer straight after - so would ask your social worker what they think you ought to do depending on the age of the child. (Sorry if what I’m saying is wrong - but I would get photo stuff ready!)

I had the bones of everything in place prior to matching, eg rooms decorated and furnished, I knew my two were coming with a lot of stuff so I didn’t go out buying things like clothes until they were here and we took the DC for car seats during intros so the seats could be fitted to them and to our car. By matching I was looking for school places, tying up loose ends at work for adoption leave etc so it felt quite safe to get practical stuff in order.

They wouldn’t be putting you forward if they didn’t think the match was a good one and there can be a very quick turn around between matching and intros with lots that needs to be done, so I’d get ready as best you can.

Hi, yeah we were told it works best for you if everything is prepared before panel with the child's room and the life book, more so the life book as this will be handed over on day of panel if approved. We just sorted the bedroom regardless as we were excited to get it done and even if you don't get approved (fingers crossed you do) then at least its ready for when you eventually do as I'm guessing you'll keep going until you do. I've read these posts for a while now and panel will appreciate that everything is prepared before you meet them as intros could start as little as a few days after panel and you obviously won't have time to decorate and do life book in between. Good luck and fingers crossed for you 🤞😀