Christmas is a wonderful time of the year for any child, but if your foster child has only just arrived, you might be wondering how best to make the holiday as memorable as possible for them. As a foster parent, there are many things you can do to help make the holiday season feel special, warm and fun for the child in your care. Here are some tips.
Make Them Feel at Home
Foster children may feel displaced, alone or unsure of their place in your family around the holidays. Make an effort to include them in family traditions and reassure them that they belong. Ask for their input on decorations and meals. Give them a Christmas stocking with their name. Make them feel like an important part of the household.
Ask About Traditions
Every family has their own holiday traditions. Ask the child if they have any traditions they would like to continue. If it’s feasible, incorporate these into your family’s Christmas celebrations. This could include certain foods, activities, even small rituals. Maintaining their own traditions will help a foster child feel comforted.
Create New Traditions Together
Make the season feel special by creating some new traditions that your foster child can look forward to each year. They could help decorate a tree, make holiday cards for their relatives or bake Christmas cookies. Even simple traditions like hot cocoa and driving around to see neighbourhood light displays can become meaningful if you are fostering with Fosterplus Glasgow.
Give Thoughtful Gifts
Discuss gift ideas with the child’s social worker to make sure presents will be appropriate. Think about their interests and needs when shopping. Foster children often have very little that is their own. Christmas is a chance for them to receive something heartfelt that they’ll treasure. Wrap gifts beautifully to build excitement.
Prioritise Quality Time
More than physical gifts, a foster child needs your time and true presence. Schedule focused one-on-one time doing festive activities you both enjoy, like seeing a Christmas pantomime or going to see Santa. Put away distractions and make them feel genuinely valued through your attention. Simple presence is the greatest gift.
Keep Things Consistent
Major changes in routine can be unsettling for foster children during the holidays. Try to keep daily schedules and expectations as consistent as possible. Prepare them in advance for any shifts, like travel or having relatives stay over. Maintain regular bedtimes, meals and rules amid the holiday hustle and bustle.
Check Your Expectations
The holidays may not be a time of uncomplicated joy for a foster child. Keep your expectations realistic. Some children will take time to warm up to new traditions. Be patient if they seem withdrawn or distant at times. Focus on keeping the atmosphere loving, calm and stable.
Making Christmas meaningful for a foster child centres on making them feel safe, included and valued. With your compassion and effort, the holidays can be a wonderful time for foster families to bond and create lasting memories.
