109: Isolating at Home During Holiday Events to Avoid Illness w/ Amanda Griffith-Atkins

No one wants to spend the holidays feeling isolated or left out, but the reality for parents of medically complex/disabled children is that we sometimes have to skip events and gatherings for the safety of our kids. On top of that, we’re the ones stuck making the decision whether to stay home or go out, requesting accommodations and assurances to protect our kids, and trying to decipher if we’re “overreacting” out of anxiety or just being reasonably careful. In today’s episode, Amanda Griffith-Atkins and I discuss how to manage and interpret anxious feelings you might be having around the decision to attend a holiday gathering and how to set realistic parameters to help you make that decision. We also share listener feedback and suggestions about how other parents made their decisions and how to approach uncomfortable conversations you might run into when declining invitations to holiday events. We’re here to validate whatever decision you make for your family because we know how fraught the process can be, but also how frightening it is to feel like you might put your child in a risky health situation. Whatever you choose, we want to help you do it without guilt and with as little anxiety as possible. Thank you to all the parents who shared their experiences about making these decisions! You all make this podcast possible! Links: Listen to our other episode in this holiday series with Ep 108: Why Holidays Kinda Suck with Amanda Griffith-Atkins. Check out Ep 81: Health Anxiety which also features Amanda Griffith-Atkins. Get a copy of Brené Brown’s book “The Gifts of Imperfection.” Donate to the podcast via Buy Me a Coffee. Follow Amanda on Instagram. Follow me on Instagram. Follow the Facebook page. Join the Facebook group Parents of Children with Rare Conditions. Access the transcript on the website here. And if you love this podcast, please leave us a rating or review in your favorite podcast app!