Shropshire carers reveal 12 fostering messages of Christmas for the festive period
Foster carers in Shropshire have revealed their 12 Fostering Messages of Christmas in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of the festive period to both children and foster parents, particularly those who may be coming together as a new family for the first time.
Christmas for some fostered children can be a daunting period, particularly if they are sharing it with a new family for the first time. They may feel slightly overwhelmed and surprised at how Christmas looks with a new family, especially if they have experienced trauma at that time of year previously.
Now Shropshire based Family Care Group has worked with its carers to launch it’s 12 Fostering Messages of Christmas to highlight the importance of trying to make a foster child’s experience during the festive period that extra bit special if possible.
The 12 Fostering Messages of Christmas include:
Make your child feel included, very much welcomed and part of the family.
Create new fun activities for your child to do at Christmas, or create a new family tradition.
Let your child know it’s good to remember loved ones at Christmas that they may have lost in the past.
Give your child the space and time to talk about their own family at Christmas if they wish to.
Remember that any gift, whether large or small can be very special for a foster child to receive, especially if it is their first Christmas with you.
Give children the chance to do activities they really enjoy, whether it is making cakes, creating Christmas decorations etc.
Make time to do family things together if you can, whether it’s watching a movie, playing a board game etc.
Remember that if this is your foster child’s first Christmas with you, many experiences will be new so make positive memories for them if you can.
Let your child know he/she is very much part of your family’s plans for the new year.
If you have children of your own, make sure your foster child has the chance to share your Christmas celebrations with them.
Let you foster child enjoy the warmth and build up to Christmas with a loving environment around them.
If you’re thinking of fostering yourself in the new year then follow your instincts and go for it. Every day with a foster child is special, and Christmas time is one of the very best times you can share with them.
Foster carer Kimberly Chapman, from Shifnal, who has fostered 15 children during the past 9 years, believes making a foster child feel wanted and included is vitally important at Christmas, especially if it is their first one with you.
Kimberly said :“Some fostered children have experienced traumatic events in their lifetimes, and Christmas can be a particularly hard and lonely time of year. They may not have experienced a warm family surrounding them at Christmas time, they may not have had gifts, fun or even Christmas lunch.”
One tradition Kimberly uses each year is to have Christmas stockings with the first letter of each family member’s name, helping to ensure that everyone receives the same style and size of presents and can feel part of the same family.
Kimberly adds: “One Christmas we had two teenage girls with us, our son was also a teenager, so to make sure everyone felt included and involved in a shared family Christmas we got each of them the same gift. For us it helped to show that there is no difference in our family between birth children and fostered children “
Another carer, Jane Johnson from Shrewsbury, says building up the anticipation for your foster child at Christmas can play an important part in making their experience of the festive season special.
Jane said: “Making sure you include your foster child in the build up to Christmas is really important. Both myself and my husband will take our children with us to pick a Christmas tree which we will then all decorate together.
“By doing this they feel more included and we can then all build up that excitement to the big day together as one family.”
Kimberly Chapman believes that in terms of bonding with your foster child, Christmas can be one of the best times to do this, making them feel very much part of your life
Kimberly adds: “Making a foster child feel seen and heard, accepting their feelings around Christmas and making them feel welcome and involved can make all the difference to them. If they can experience the warmth and magic of Christmas, surrounded by loved ones, that can help create memories for them that will hopefully last a lifetime.”
Learn more about how to become a foster carer here: family-care.co.uk/fostering
