The decision to stay at home with your foster children and have a few relatives over for the holidays is your first option. Spending the holidays at a family member’s home is another option. I really think it has a lot to do with the foster children you have in your home at the time and your family members.

Taking a foster child that has major behavior issues to your Aunt Martha’s house for the holiday may need some extra consideration. How does she feel about children, especially with behavior issues? How is she going to react if the child has a melt down and the unimaginable happens and the child needs to be restrained? If your foster child talks about inappropriate things, this might make some people uncomfortable. Take your foster children behaviors, and how family members would react into consideration when making your decision. The last thing you want for the holidays is to spend time in an uncomfortable situation and your family members are upset with your foster child.

There are people that are pretty easy going and then you have the people that stress out over the small thing. My Dad is the easy going type and we could show up with any kid he would be okay. Not saying he would like it but would deal. My older sister is the person to stress out over everything, which means that I am going to be stressing before I even walk into her house. A few of my kiddos I would not set foot in her house with.

People do not have to like or even support how you parent your foster children or deal with their behaviors but they have to accept it without adding to the already difficult situation. I have done holidays both ways. I tend to want to stay home where I am comfortable handling any situation that may arise during the holiday. There are some cases depending on the children that would work out spending holidays outside my home. Keep in mind that when in uncharted water, anything can cause issues. We deal with this even with our adopted daughter. She can become fruitier than a fruit bat before you even know what is happening and have the time to react.

More reading:

Thanksgiving Holidays with Your Foster Children

Foster Children and Holidays

National Adoption Month Celebrating With a Giveaway

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