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I wonder what other Care Experienced people felt when they heard that the Argos catalogue was going out of print. That book, with its bright pages with every product you could imagine has a particular meaning to me. THREAD:
One of the many weird things about being moved around in care is the need to build up new relationships each time. Getting to know people is hard work - sometimes I didn't bother and sometimes the people caring for me didn't bother either.
I kind of get it. Being one of many staff members, in a house that has a revolving number of young people living there must make it difficult to get to know people. They'd get some knowledge of me from my records but the rest would just depend.
Like many people will remember, I was handed the Argos catalogue around the time of my birthday and Christmas. Unlike many people, I was also told what my budget was and that I could ONLY get something from Argos. It turns out, the council had an invoicing agreement with them
This was also going to be all I got. Friends would talk about the SURPRISE BIG PRESENT that came with the stuff they asked for from the catalogue. There was no surprise present for me because no one knew me well enough to get me something I would love.
Care Experienced people are just like everyone else. All I wanted was someone to show me that they knew I existed. That I mattered and that I was loved. It's hard to feel that when the basis of your birthday and Christmas is what's easiest in terms of admin
I'm looking at my son's play room, packed full of toys and games. And his garden playhouse, built and painted by hand. And I'm sure that lifelong impact of care is real.
It will be my blessing and my curse - wanting him to have everything and to know he will never have to ask for it. Because I know what it's like, on birthdays and Christmas, to open items from the Argos catalogue, not tokens of love from someone who knows me.
