Navigating the Holidays: Understanding and Supporting Foster Children. The holiday season, often associated with joy and family gatherings, can be a particularly challenging time for children in foster care. This blog post aims to illuminate the unique difficulties these children face during the holidays and provide practical advice for foster parents to help navigate this sensitive period.
Why Holidays are Hard for Foster Children
For most people, holidays are a season of joy and making wonderful memories with family and friends. However, for children in foster care, this time can be a painful reminder of what they have lost or are missing. These children often grapple with complex feelings of grief, loneliness, frustration, and confusion. Even those who have experienced abuse or neglect may long to be with their biological families. Away from their familiar surroundings and amid uncertainty, trauma, and anxiety, the holidays can amplify feelings of being far from “home”【47†source】.
How Foster Parents Can Help
- Frontload Your Foster Child: Prepare your foster child for the upcoming holiday season by discussing what to expect, including festivities and family traditions. This preparation helps the child adjust and feel included in the new environment【53†source】.
- Incorporate Their Traditions: Every family has unique holiday traditions. Including the traditions of your foster child in your celebration can help them feel valued and respected. If the child chooses not to celebrate, it’s crucial to respect their decision【53†source】.
- Create a Welcoming Environment: Ensure that the child feels completely welcomed as an equal part of the family, while also being mindful and respectful of their emotions and experiences【53†source】.
- Include Their Broader Community: When possible, involve the child’s broader community in holiday celebrations. Allowing them to spend time with relatives and close friends can provide a sense of connection and continuity【53†source】.
- Support Their Mental Health: Be patient and create space for the child’s complex and potentially conflicting emotions during the holidays. Seek support from therapists or mental health professionals if needed, to help the child navigate these feelings【53†source】.
Conclusion
The holiday season can be a period of heightened emotional challenges for children in foster care. Foster parents can play a crucial role in easing this difficulty by understanding these challenges and taking proactive steps to create a supportive and inclusive environment. By acknowledging and integrating the child’s experiences and traditions into the holiday celebrations, foster parents can help foster children feel more secure, valued, and connected during what can be a challenging time of the year.
Bibliography
- Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation. (2021). Why the Holidays are Difficult for Children in Foster Care. Retrieved from www.affcf.org
- Youth Dynamics | Mental Health Care for Montana Kids. (2021). How to Support Your Foster Child over the Holidays. Retrieved from www.youthdynamics.org
