This weekend I had to pleasure of attending a book signing for “Who Would Have Thunk It: The First Adventures of the Fraser Foster Kids” with George Fraser and his sister Emma Fraser-Pendleton. The eleven Fraser children were placed in foster care after their mother’s mental illness surfaced and their father could no longer care for them. This sibling dynamic duo represents everything that we hope youth in foster care can attain and achieve — loving families, academic success, meaningful work, financial security, and a heart to serve others. You may remember our National Foster Care Month interview with George titled ‘George – From Foster Care to Power Networker’.
“Who Would Have Thunk It” is more than a book tour. It is a crusade to save our children told through the voices of foster children. Below you will find highlights from the Fraser book tour presentation and discussion:
Save Our Children
- We must accept full accountability and responsibility for our children.
Creating A Legacy
- The purpose of life is to love, give, and serve. Give value to somebody or something. The greater value you add or the more people you serve the more your earnings will increase.
- We are competing with the world. Good enough is not good enough – we must be amazing.
- Build wealth that can be transferred through generations.
- Emma Fraser-Pendleton is a wife and mother who earned 5 college degrees in 15 years. “The time would have passed anyway”, she advised.
Making Connections
- There is no power in disconnection. We need a lot of doing a little instead of…a little of us doing A LOT.
- “When spiders unite they can tie up a lion.” – Africa Proverb
- Connect with people who are where you want to be.
- Youth in foster care need to build new connections to replace broken family ties.
Get Back to Basics (Parenting tips from George Fraser)
- Your children should be able to read, write, and count at grade level. This proves that they can think and if they can think they can succeed.
- Cut off the television and make your children read. One book per week is George’s recommendation.
- Go back to the kitchen table and talk to your kids about church, money, and where they are going to college.
Book Tour
- ‘Who Would Have Thunk It’ is a book to inspire kids to know they can succeed in spite of the odds.
- Emma educated attendees on the challenges of growing up in foster care with both passion and compassion.
- Most people write about what they overcome. -Emma Fraser-Pendleton
- Available for purchase to commemorate National Adoption Month
- Visit the website to learn more: www.fraserthunkit.com
Nicki Sanders, MSW, Chief Visionary Officer
The Teen Toolbox provides youth portfolio development and civic engagement and academic empowerment strategies to help teens set goals for life after high school and create a road map to reach those goals through its PACKAGED FOR SUCCESS™ Programs.