And because I have both birth children and adoptive children
And because it's different for everyone
And because I want to write about it
What are your biggest challenges during the holidays? For you personally (but not asking for personal info) and for your family as a whole?
For me:
Eating all the wrong stuff (but I am making time to go to the gym)
Stress from the stress my daughter is under (delivering in less than a month and her doctor was arrested for possession of cocaine yesterday, living with husband's dad and step mom)
One child determined not to follow any of the rules and then acting like she doesn't understand them and being indignant at the consequences
Financial strain
Mega load of appointments, surgeries etc
Be sure to read my post about rejuvenating on my parenting blog HERE and let me know if you have any suggestions to add.
10 comments:
I found your blog through a search for Foster/adoption blogs. As we are preparing to become a foster/adoptive family, I have enjoyed reading some of your experiences! Our biggest stress through the holidays is finishing our homestudy in 2 weeks. Also, My family lives in Australia and my husbands family isn't close so it's really stressful to create a special time of year for our daughter because it's just us and not filled with lots of family, so it's all up to me to make sure it's special and fun. Money is always a stress too!
It might sound weird, but one of the great challenges of the holidays is how to react to people wishing us happy Chanukah on December 25 in most years, when Chanukah absolutely doesn't coincide with Christmas. It is absolutely condescending, but replying with "I'll remember it in 347 days" is rude.
Other than that, the big challenge is getting kids ready for school on January 1 after being up till midnight, as it's a regular business day here.
Our seasonal anxiety comes from memories of Pillar of Defense three years ago (including the bus bombing in Tel Aviv on a line several of the kids frequently used). That was the first time most of my kids experienced a non-drill air raid alarm.
Brittany--we don't have family close either. Both our families are 900 miles north! Jessica is having a baby in less than a month so I guess we're building our own family here--the next generation. Unfortunately both of them are talking about joining the military which will take them from us.
Hevel-acts of terrorism have to be stressful. Thankfully we haven't experienced anything like that.
Looks like Chanukah falls on our Pearl Harbor remembrance day this year.
Holiday stress for me this year isn't even related to the holidays, really. It's a pending lawsuit against the attorney and accountant to handled my grandmother's estate...malpractice. Filed my my sister and me. Not fun. Also, a major paper due for my class next week, but my prof had major abdominal surgery and we didn't get the planned class period where we discussed the requirements for the paper. THe paper still has to be written and counts as 40% of the grade for the class, but the only direction I have on it is one paragraph about it in the syllabus. Totally stressful! I feel like I can't enjoy the season until I get that monkey off my back. Ugh. Praying for Jessica. She has to be so upset!
Chanukah lasts 8 days, so es, December 7 is part of it. So is Saint Lucia's Day this year.
Sorry, I meant to say it looks like it starts on the 7th.
Emily--Both would be stressful. And as we get closer I think some things may escalate.
That my husband is gone until the 18th and naturally everything that can go wrong has been going wrong! I can't get anything accomplished with my little one running around, he has learned new skills. Kassi's boyfriend last his job 6 weeks ago and hasn't gotten a new one yet. She is the only one working and is due Jan 10ish. We paid their last months rent and helped with food but I told her I couldn't pay this month. Jason is half living here and has no job. His dog is living here and Michelle didn't close the gate. Can't find a roofer and the pool people havent returned calls. Larissa in pain so on the the ortho after the ortho sent me to the dentist. Oh, holidays.....actually done with most shopping and have been making candy late at night to satisfy my craings. Not sure how to deal with the two kids who have been acting out. I am not inclined to shop for them much.
That is a whole lot to deal with! You should still come on the 12th. Rick says if we wanted to do Wonder Works (or somewhere less expensive) he will keep the ones not going here at the house :) Because we get it and we have one that is not doing much until attitudes change and she write the verses she was given for being ugly to Ty.
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