Food insecurity is a huge problem with foster children! Thankfully, kind people such as your family eased their anxiety. God bless you!

She is so SMART. It's not about her. It's all about the children.❤️❤️❤️

Do I have any ability to be a foster parent?! No... Did I watch this entire video?! Yesssss!!! Thank you so much for this. I think your wisdom applies to everyone, not just children who live in different homes. You are so wise and have such a great way of explaining things... Never stop being you!!!

The sandwich story got me... bless these children and protect them

Best foster mom ever honestly I was in foster care for 9 years. (12-21 I'm 25 now) and I honestly would have moved countrys to have someone like you as a foster mom, mine was the complete opposite of you and seeing how good you are with these kids makes me so happy that not everyone is going through what I had to.

Don't ever be sorry for loving these children . They need you to love them like this .

The foster system needs more parents like this. 👍

I’m over here laying in bed watching this entire thing, crying right along with you, and I’m not a foster parent or parent at all! I just appreciate how much you care and how you truly see these kids for who they are as humans. You’re an incredible person and I’m grateful for everything that you’re doing for them. This is a special household. I don’t know you or your family, but I can tell there’s real love there. You can just feel it. You are so appreciated for all that you do, even by strangers on the Internet ❤️🤗

I was more than a foster child i was a ward of the state.. but i was truly blessed to have amazing foster parents....they wanted to adopt me but i said no (not for them but for other reasons) butthey are still mom and dad to me and im 41

Yes I used to dread going to my cousins for a sleepover because my aunt would serve dinner and never offer seconds, have the cabinets locked at night to keep us from getting snacks or having certain snacks way up high so we couldn’t reach. She did it because my cousin struggled with her weight as a child so my aunt had the intention to have her lose weight, but it only created eating disorders and for my cousin to get bigger in weight.

Your family works because you're a real mom! Not a KZfaq mom!❤️

Amen. I had foster children that had food fixations. Nobody ever warned us of that. Heartbreaking.

Heather thank you so much for talking about this. Food was a serious issue with our daughter, she went through hell before coming into our home. She was only two but would start to panic when she could smell food cooking and I would give her a cheese stick to reassure her. I truly believe that if you have gone hungry that wound reaches into your soul.

I’m crying with you.. I cry for all the children in the world living in despair, hungry, scared. Children are innocent angels that need so much… To be honest I’ve never cried so much in my life than I have these past two months. Your videos bring so much light in my life. Watching you being you is healing.

I remember my friend, who did foster teenagers, ask to babysit my son ( he was 5). When I went to pick him up she said he wasn't a real boy because when asked what snack he wanted and offered him crisps and other junk food and he asked if he could have sliced pepper. She was in awe that he knew what that was and was a preference and that she was full of sorrow that the kids that came through her life had such a hard time. She is such a good mother and does her absolute best and it shows in their changes in confidence. I even put her as the person I wanted.to take care of my child if anything happened to me.

I’m 64 years old and a former foster child and cried many tears watching this. I’m amazed by your understanding of foster kids and want you to know it makes a difference.I remember living in a place that my sister and I were not allowed to talk about our parents because it was their fault we were in a foster home!Also not being allowed to get food when we wanted it.Despite it all I consider myself lucky that I wasn’t physically or sexually abused.Mental abuse that’s another story and of course you carry it with you all of your life.Thank you for making a difference in your foster kids lives!

I don't think I will ever understand how a person can choose to foster and NOT give kids the proper care?? It is a choice to BE a parental figure to them. A loving, patient, kind individual who they can put their trust in. How in the world can someone take in a child from a bad situation...and put them in a bad or worse situation than they came from? Much much love to those who truly care, you are special people.💕 Thank you Heather and Luke fir being those people.

As a highschooler living at home whose only allowed to eat at school, the bare minimum meal and constantly worrying whens the next meal… and tearing up when I saw a teacher sipping a hot cup of coffee, I really wish more parents were like you… My family has money, we are upper-middle class, its just that my mom doesnt think I deserve to eat. Food is very powerful and can affect my entire mood if i eat or dont eat, so yeah… your kids are lucky to have you 💕

I literally cry everytime mama bell talks about foster care I really pray that I could have half of her wisdom and be able to be a foster mom someday when my kids are older and I have a larger home.

Momma Bell I’m 40 and seriously thinking about putting myself up for adoption 😂 Kidding aside, you and Luke are a true inspiration - keep on keepin’ on ❤ thanks for all you do.

Im 27 and still struggle with fear that there is not gonna be food. In my childhood we didn't always have enough food. That's one of the reasons why I hoarded food when I moved to my my own appartment

This Is a very important topic. I was adopted and my parents adopted 11 kids and had 3 of their “own” so 14 kids total. I know more stories about kids being upset about food or them hoarding it BECAUSE they were Starved or other food issues. My dad passed away about 2 years ago but after 30 years almost my mom still is fostering even after my dad passed and I’m proud of her. I am an adult so I don’t always see all her foster kids because yes foster care is about reunification. I’m glad you treat ALL the kids the same no matter how long they stay. It’s also rewarding seeing those kids that did go back home but they never forget of my parents names or our names so I actually still get messages from a foster child that lived in our home. I am much older then almost all the kids in my family and my sister and I were the first kids adopted in my parents house. So I have gotten to see like a 3yr old that remembered us and reached out when they were 18. It’s a rewarding journey as a foster parent/family. We change lives. We change perspectives. That’s important. Thanks for sharing this video brings me back to when I was a kid. 😊🙌 Also, THANK YOU for Saying “It isn’t stealing food if they got something out of the family fridge” THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING. Always remind a foster child there’s always going to be food. Also, THANK YOU for saying “don’t say I know your birth mom didn’t do this or that” wow this is an important topic and I love everything you said! May God Bless you and your wonderful family!

Can I just say that I ADORE YOU. This world is a better place with people like you and your husband. Thank you so much for your amazing kindness! ❤

Heather and Luke, the impact you've made on those children is something so incredibly special. The sandwich story is so touching and is such a good example of how much importance is nestled in those small moments. Moments that can sometimes cause us to want to pull out our hair, but also cherished moments that we'd have missed if we blinked. Thank you for sharing your perspective on food and messy kitchens. ♥️ I couldn't agree more! It's worth it. I'm not a mother, but I've been a care provider for children with traumatic backgrounds and there's nothing more precious than seeing that anxiety melt away as a smile spreads across their face! 😁

I was in the foster care system when I was young. Now I'm 42 years old, a single mother of a 14-year-old and 21-year-old which are both mine biologically but I was considering fostering and you pushed me over the edge I'm going to make that leap and I'm going to open up my home to a child that's in need thank you

I 1000% agree with EVERYTHING you presented in this video. Having food insecurities is only magnified by rules and restrictions. Food is something that we all need….the drive to worry about it can be very strong. Thank you for your understanding and tender heart.

Ignore the negative comments... If you are not held as a shining example and such a fantastic inspiration to all.

I'm a 23 year old girl from Spain and I have just recently discovered your channel. I was just crying listening to everything you were saying about making children feel proud and safe. Your love and compassion inspires me deeply. I hope I can be as good of a mom as you are in the future. Sending you a big hug and so much love to you and your family. ✨️❤️

I am so happy these kids ended up with you as their Mom! I was adopted @ 3mths & there were so many times it was thrown in my face that I wasn't one of them! I'm 59 now, & there is still something inside me that's missing! I would have been blessed if I had you, Heather, as a Mom! You are the sweetest & most compassionate person I've come across. I'm so happy I found your channel! I am BLESSED! ❤️🙏💚🙏❤️🙏💚🙏❤️

You’re absolutely my favorite big family on UTube. You’re very real and I appreciate that. I live in Vermont. All school children until they graduate have the opportunity for free breakfast and lunch no matter their family income. Our state has done this for several years. In some cases children may bring home a supper or weekend meals. The schools also cook with as much local food as they can. The schools have gardens and use the vegetables in the kitchen they learn to freeze and can fruits and vegetables. We make Maple Syrup and donate syrup to local schools for pancakes.Hungry children can not learn. I’m happy to pay for this in my taxes.

My grandmother was a foster mom. The first thing she did was take them shopping for new clothes. Sneakers and dress shoes, everything, underwear and socks, dresses, outfits winter coats because they came with a black garbage bag of ill fitting and sometimes just full of holes and stains. She gave them choices, and they got to pick them out depending on their ages. They had chores and responsibilities. We always called them our cousins. We caught fish, and she would clean them and cook them over an open fire pit. We were so proud of the bass and cat fish we caught. We all shared everything. I keep in touch with a few, and I have the best memories. ❤❤❤❤

Heather, don't ever apologize for showing your tender heart or tearing up. When you were telling about the little boy making his own sandwich had me crying right along with you. I how you handled the food issues. Had to laugh when you talked about the Kraft Mac & Cheese. I agree with Robert. That's the only kind I liked when I was growing up. I was a very picky eater, and had what I now recognize as sensory issues with food. We have 5 senses that we associate with foods. It took decades for me to want to branch out and try more variety, like adding onions, carrots, mushrooms, even ground pepper. I'm now 59 and I love to cook and try out new flavors. I tell my friends I am finally adulting. I do tend to hide some veggies in foods by dicing them up due to a texture issue. Giving your kids choices, letting them and guiding them in food prep and cooking skills, chores, etc also teaches them how to handle being on their own as adults. I love watching your videos, love how you love your family.

Mrs Bell there truly is a special place for you and your husband. I was watching this and cried like a baby.the world needs more people like you and your husband ❤️ ♥️

I am so glad that you agree I hate the term"STEALING FOOD: Because, in my experience, when you tell a child to figure out something fade in the middle of the night so hungry. And I'm going to wait to ask and they grab it. Eat it or if they're home and you're not. You come home like rodeco or I? Ate? Then you use that terminology of stealing what I have seen is kids afraid to even go to the kitchen to get anything? Or sometimes there hasn't been to even ask for anything because of that, so to me. Anytime, I've heard that praise or seen. It used or heard it used or whatever the outcome is not good.

We’ve started the process of foster care because of your Pinterest videos… I also made your chocolate chip cookie recipe a while back. Heather, it’s the BEST recipe I’ve ever had. I wrote it in my recipe book. I was dying for a good recipe and finally found the perfect one. Your Pinterest videos have been such a blessing to me.. I was so happy to see you on KZfaq

I have always told my kids and their friends that " this is what I need for dinner so please don't eat that... However, if you're taking the last one or it's getting low so I can replace it".

You are so wise Heather. I absolutely love you. You have me bawling here right now.

Crying!! I was in a foster home for two weeks as a child. The ONLY thing that I really remember was the padlock on fridge and Foster Mom and her bio kid eating their meals separately from the fosters. Bless you!!

You are doing a wonderful job Mrs. Bell. I pray all foster homes learn from you. You are a blessing to these children!

You are an example to all of us! God bless you and your family!

I knew a person who would order take out (pizza, chinese etc) and it was "only" for adults and the kids got hotdogs. It drove me nuts and when I asked why, I was told the kids would not "appreciate" it and would not savour it like adults would. I just thought that was cruel. How are they going to learn the difference between great tasting pizza, chinese, burritos etc and inferior ones if they don't get to sample things. Taco bell tacos taste a lot different then authentic Mexican food.

I am so glad that I found your site. My gosh. After being incredibly disheartened by watching other family vlogs, you...are absolutely, love.

Thank you for this video, Heather. I’m not a foster parent, but your inspiration and encouragement is helpful for all parents 💕

I deal with a lot of depression, but knowing that there are people like this in the world is so uplifting. To realise that if kids go through a tough time like a broken family and have a place like your home to go where they and their biological families are cherished, educated and respected is a real anti-depressant. Thank you for your strength, organization, good & loving nature, and humility.

You hit me pretty hard! Because I was raised in foster home since newborn to 12 years ago old. Yes I do see my biological parents once awhile. BUT I feel a lot of absence from that and being an only child. Pretty rough childhood I had. BUT I’m glad I founded YOU! Exactly what’s I looked for and who I can talk TO! By the way I’m deaf myself and I’m really thankful have you as that. greeting from Minnesota! 😊

Such emotional intelligence ❤️ brilliant info & understanding here, from a former foster food hoarder ❤️

This woman is changing my life!!! Seriously love her so much!!!

As a future foster parent with the gol,of dotting I really appreciate your advice!!! Love your videos and your loving family, your story is just so heartwarming and uplifting ❤❤❤

I am not a foster mom but watched the entire video and just appreciated listening to your heart and passion to love young people. Thank you for being a safe home for them to come into. For sowing love in a painful time in their lives. You don’t ever have to apologize for the tears! If someone is bothered by that that is something they need to process within themselves. Your tears reveal your passion and deep love. Thank you for loving every child that came into your life!

You are incredible and so inspiring! Thank you for sharing ❤

I adopted 2 children and from an early age they were taught how to cook ,shop and make things with us. Have fun play games,experience different things that we as adults expect. What happy memorirs we had even a trip to the beach,feel the sand between there toes. Celebrating occasions helping and joining in on how to do thid. Oh what memories I have also taking lits of photo's❤❤❤❤

You are the kindest, most beautiful soul. God bless you. 🥹😘

Ms. bell I’m 24 years old and I wish you were my foster parent even at this age lol. Loved hearing these stories and your approach to the psychology behind the food rather than just calories in vs calories out. God bless you and your family!

You and your husband are an inspiration

"My pet peave is bending over" 😂😂😂😂

You inspire me! We have 3 bio kids and then adopted a little girl through the state foster care in march of 2020 when she was 4. Both my husband and I felt the Lord was asking us to open our home to adopt a little girl. But you don’t know what your in for until your in it. That was the hardest thing we have ever done! 2 1/2 years in its night and day different with her, but still there are hard things to deal with. The Lord has been with us every step of the way and blew us away with our youngest daughter who was 3 at the time accepting her and loving her and they have been best buddies since day 1. When I watch you and see how amazing you are with 7 foster kids you adopted I am blown away and you inspire me to do and be better. There I times I look back in the day and go why did I need to to fight that battle?! Thank you for the encouragement and the realness! I have always looked forward to the teenage stage with our 4 kids and people sometimes look at me like I am crazy when I say that, but seeing you with your teens and 20 something’s makes me look forward to it even more. God bless you Bell family!!!

This made my love your family even more! You have a heart of gold.

When I was a kid my own biological dad and stepmom would hide food on me and my step sister. We were two kids teenagers either way I was at least 4 years older than her but nonetheless we both were growing girls. And both me and her I guess would drink more than our fair share and milk so my father and stepmother would hide food even got a mini refrigerator in the room to hide food. Even though we weren't gorging on it or going crazy. it's just really awesome to see parents that care and empathize and try to understand their children. Just because a child is trying to eat more than another child or more than you think they are going to does not mean that they are just trying to gorge on it or anything like that. They could have food issues because of other reasons like you were saying as well as everybody's different. Love watching your videos, just started like a day ago but watch quite a few already LOL then binging them. Really loving them. Loving your tough love as well as the way your family communicates and gets along and enjoys each other's company. The family I've always wanted. Not perfect but loving and wonderful and selfless all the same

You’re an inspiration, Heather ❤ My four children were adopted as infants and your words are still very helpful

I want you to know that yes these children will remember . Maybe not everything. But they will remember another. Over the years we've had so many different children come to our home. Not as foster children but just kids we've met. Some of them had a parent who spent the weekend drinking and running around. One group of 3 the mother didn't have any idea that her children spent the weekend at our home. We just took care of them fed them and made sure they were safe. We weren't asked to do it. Or paid to. Over the years we've had some look us up they remember we kept them safe and well fed. They were very grateful. Thanks for all you do. Children need more people to care.

You are an incredibly wise woman Mama Bell.

My stepson and my daughter were 4 and almost 2. They woke up one morning and got the crisco from the kitchen.. I awoke to their laughter and went into the bedroom where they were to find them sitting with their legs spread, facing each other with the crisco between them... they were painting each other with the crisco... after I finished laughing, we put the crisco away and began the cleaning... crisco doesn't come off easily... but we tried to make it as fun as possible.

This is a beautiful family channel. Changing the game. Thank you for teaching. Sharing and caring. ❤ love is enough ❤

You are the best not only are you caring you don’t exploit your kids like some people.

Your story with the little boy and his sandwich brought me to tears. You're an amazing mother.

Preach! You are so on point! Excellent lessons for new families and all families’ ❤

It is so nice to see a hardworking, common sense family on You Tube You are a joy, and a bundle of energy Heather. Thank you for putting out such great , relatable content. Continued success with your family businesses, keep on cooking those yummy meals and treats, and thank you for your positive messages. Your practical and no nonsense ways are much needed in this world, as are your traditions and love of family .

Sweet mama....Thank you for all you do and have done. God bless you

I'm crying with you about your foster kids!! 😢 🥰 I happily don't have any kids but I love channel and your energy!!

After watching this, I will forever ask my children, I have 2, to help me cook, and let them do it their way. You’re amazing. Mine are 7 and almost 5, it’s not too late, but it’s something I’ve always done… but it changes tonight, with tacos ❤

Great job you did amazing explaining forster kids and food .. we sisters in christ and in forster ministry ❤✝️📖

I loved being a foster parent before our adoption. Food insecurity and coping was one of the biggest challenges. I did the same with fruits and snacks. 9 times out of 10 the food hoarding was about a trigger that day, and I loved that it was an opportunity to talk about the root issue and open dialogue. Thank you for sharing.

The idea of having your kids help you cook is smart, when I would babysit my 5 year old niece enjoyed helping in cooking. It was honestly a win-win, she enjoyed it and it was one less task for me to do and also she enjoyed the food more.

Not a foster parent and never will be but I love you and your family!! 😁 The best parenting advice I ever got was don't do food battles with my children. I don't force them to eat anything that they truly detested and never forced them to clean their plates. I never cooked a separate meal, and they ate what I put in front of them, or they didn't. It wasn't a big deal. I didn't force them to clean their plate but if they didn't eat what they had, they didn't get anything else. Best advice ever.

Preach it! I love hearing about foster care.

Words of wisdom! We all need a reminder! Thank you! :)

As an early childhood educat or i admire your take on food and foster care i agree that it is important to provide or teach food security.like you said sometimes school is the only time to eat.,i also agree there are no differences between adult food and kid food

I really love the foster care videos. Please keep doing them.

My mom was 7 yrs old when she was adopted with her 4 siblings... they went without food because their bio parents were SEVERE alcoholics. The 5 siblings were removed from the home in the early 1960's by the state. Which was rather rare... my grand parents adopted all 5 kids to keep them together... they had 6 kids already... so they went from 6 kids to 11 kids overnight... my mom and her 4 bio siblings would save food from their meals and hide it in their rooms for later... they did not know when they would get to eat again... my grandmother had to work very hard with them to curb this behavior, and it took some time... restricting food would make it worse.

Heather you need to write a book on Foster care. You are amazing

This is so good. Redirect and guide. Include them in meal planning and cooking. ❤

When I volunteered with the Bosnian refugees back in the early to mid 90's the children did some food hoarding behaviors. But it was quite often ice cream. When they fled from their homes into the mountains before they came to refugee camps or were flown to other countries while they waited for the Bosnian crisis to resolve, there was little or no refrigeration or freezing of foods while they were in transition from place to place. So the commissary where I was had a freezer like you would see in a 7/11 or corner store and you slid the glass lid across and helped yourself to ice cream treats. The children would grab an ice cream and put it in their dresser in their room to save it for later 😂. And no matter how many times the interpreter explained that the ice cream would melt and needed to be kept in the freezer, there was always a kid or 2 who couldn't help themselves. Food insecurity created a mental glitch, and they couldn't help themselves. It was so sad, and messy, and frustrating, and wasteful but you just had to feel for those poor kids. Their normal had been turned upside down, and they just couldn't trust that the ice cream treats would be there tomorrow.

Thank you so much for sharing the motto,"Pick your battles!"

The sandwich part with the lil foster kid 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢 how sweet how so freaking precious

Your such a beautiful vessel of God ❣️Thank you😘

This video is everything! I am in love with you!

I think you are so much better than this other lady blogger that has foster or adopted kids. ❤️🙂

That’s how we all do it with our own kids

Hello i was in foster homes . i had a lot of people making funny of me . but at the age of 7 1/2 years old i got adopt.. And yes i know my real mother but she dose not care for me anymore.Im glad I found your video's ...Keep up the Great Work you are doing ....

This is so helpful and informative. I’d love to see more videos like this. My family will be starting the adoption process soon.

So much respect for what you are doing

This women is the absolute best

You’re an inspiration Mama Bell!

you really are a wonderful woman. God bless you, your husband and children. Heather you are amazing! my heart is full listening to you. Absolutely wonderful.

“This sandwich is mine” that broke me 😭

I hate when people talk about kids stealing food from their own homes (or wherever they’re living). It’s crazy to me that people don’t just let their kids eat. I understand not wanting kids to eat everything in the pantry without asking, but eventually they need to be able to feed themselves and get their own snacks. They can’t be expected to ask for permission to eat forever.

Heather and Luke you are awesome people and parents! I hope that Dougherty’s watch you. These adults need some education on how to take care of children…it’s sad in so many ways🤦🏻‍♀️

I absolutely love this and you and your family 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

Growing up if we didn’t like what was for dinner, we simply didn’t eat or just order something for us with our money, mom always said “we’ll go get your own food with your OWN money”

Tlc needs to pick up all up on their network ❤