Episode 78: Navigating the Holidays with a lot of Kids!

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but we are truly in the thick of the holidays! We get this season can be SO STRESSFUL for so many people, but it doesn't have to be that way if we can plan appropriately (or as much as possible.) Don't forget to create some margin for your family! It's easy to get wrapped up in all of the holiday parties and events, but don't forget to intentionally make time to be home, have dinner as a family, and REST. This is good for you as the parent, but also good for your kids! It is also important to Over-Communicate with your kids! Tell them what is happening today, tomorrow, and what things are expected of them. Whether that's dress code, food choices, people they are going to encounter, etc. Episodes 38 and 39 feature Christie Priem, a speech-language pathologist, and even though we spoke primarily on detecting developmental delays in children, she also gave so many great tips on avoiding, and dealing with behaviors in all children. So those episodes are definitely worth a listen if you have toddlers in the house! Make sure you have BOUNDARIES around your time, relationships, expectations, and so on. We also spoke on those in episode 40, and we always highly recommend the book, Boundaries, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. Chris is passionate about people keeping boundaries on their MONEY, so make a budget for your holiday spending, and stick to it! Don't make emotional decisions based on what is on sale, and what other people are getting for their loved ones. Have a plan, stick to the plan, and if the things you were planning on happen to be on sale - that's a win! Good Word of the Day "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?  Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." - 1 John 3:17-18 Let's also PLAN to GIVE! Donating to those in need during the holidays may seem even more stressful, or not possible. But if you plan to give, and make it a family activity, then it makes it possible, and even more rewarding. We hope you enjoyed this episode, and if you want to connect, we are always happy to hear from you guys! Thank you for being the best listeners! If you would like to connect: Jihae on Facebook Chris on Facebook Fostering Voices on Instagram Jihae on Instagram You can also email us at [email protected] AND we would LOVE it if you would SUBSCRIBE and leave us a review on iTunes! This helps others to find our podcast so we can share these voices from the foster care and adoption community with more people!