Ree Drummond introduced her “Bonus Kid,” Jamar to the world on Monday, November 9, 2020.
In a blog post on her website, The Pioneer Woman, Drummond revealed that she now has a foster son named Jamar. She admitted that she hadn’t written or spoken publicly about him much, due to the strict rules that the state agency enforces when caring for a foster child. The rules do not allow foster parents to post their foster children on social media.
However, Drummond shared the primary reason she waited till now to share the news of her “Bonus Son” was because she felt protective over him. She didn’t want him to be overwhelmed with unwanted attention, and she always wanted his story to be his own. She also wanted to give him a chance to get settled in their home saying, “We needed to let things breathe!”
After living with the Drummond family for a year-and-a-half, she shared that Jamar has become an “inextricable part” of their family, and admitted that it had become “increasingly strange” for her not to talk about him.
Now that he’s turned eighteen, the state agency restrictions no longer apply, and they’re all more than ready to share Jamar with the world, himself included.
Drummond describes Jamar as bodacious, bright, and brilliant. She explained that his becoming their foster son was “entirely situational,” saying,
“Fostering a kid was never something Ladd and I pursued or felt called to do, but Jamar’s circumstances presented themselves to us in a way we couldn’t ignore—so, long story short, all six foot five inches of him showed up at our house one afternoon, bag in hand, ready to move in.”
It was her husband’s idea to have Jamar live with them. Both he and her sons knew him from high school football. Drummond never met him until the day he moved in. She shared that their first conversation went something like this.
“Hey!” I said, looking up. (Way up!)
“Hello,” he said, looking way down. (I’m five foot nine.) “So . . . what’s up?” I asked.
“Not much,” he replied.
“Glad you’re here,” I said.
“Thanks,” he said.
“Cookie?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah!” he exclaimed
In true Ree Drummond fashion, she shared that “cookies are always a nice starting point.”
Read more about Jamar here and watch the video below for more photos of the family.