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What do you think about the Holidays, Are the children more difficult?

webmaster Nov 1 2005, 08:48 AM Post #1

I just wrote a blog entry about the Halloween and the Holiday season. I want your opinions.

Do you think Halloween has any effect on the kids?
Are the kids more difficult during the Holidays?
Do you find yourself more stressed during the Holidays?

webmaster Nov 4 2005, 07:53 PM Post #2

Does nobody have an opinion or has everyone left the forum?

prsthelrd Nov 4 2005, 08:20 PM Post #3

Halloween--- I think that the enviornment that you are in and create will determine the way the kids respond during halloween. Kids live up to our expectations or lack there of.

Holidays--- yes I think that alot of emotional things are going through them that at times we forget or even just ignore. We forget that there are people out there that they wish they could see and are missing. Sometimes the memories can flood in and really set a depressive mood.

Stress---I love the Holiday season, especially after we get done with open house it relly gets to be alot of fun for me. I do however get stressed when the administrators pass on their stress to me.

Lady Incredible Nov 6 2005, 10:58 PM Post #4

Are the kids more difficult during the Holidays? Not usually for us. Our numbers really go down during the holiday season so we get to do more things with the ones we have.
Do you find yourself more stressed during the Holidays? Definately!!! Lots going on.
All in all I look forward to them tho.

gotmercy Nov 7 2005, 11:04 AM Post #5

Wow! I would have a different response completely.

In our school, the students are permitted to return home for the holidays usually for 7+ days. About two weeks before they are going home it becomes difficult to get them to do chores, focus on study hour, and keep their behavior in check.

You start having to follow them around and constantly remind them of what they are supposed to be doing and they start losing lots of merits and privileges.

Usually a week before they leave they start losing IDs (which they are required to have to depart from/return to school); then in the few nights before they leave one or two will have a full-scale melt-down over something.

The only solution seems to be to continue to enforce the program expectations as consistently as possible and remind them that they ARE still at school.

Diana

chiefsfan Nov 7 2005, 10:26 PM Post #6

From my short experience in child care, I find the Holidays to be more difficult for the kids. The kids in our home have home visits and many go home to families during Thanksgiving and Christmas. This brings a variety of emotions for the kids. They are reminded of the family they do not have or they are reminded of how messed up their physical family really is. We see an increase in behavior problems a few days before each home visit. They really seem to settle down after the Christmas break and get back on task. It takes a lot more patience and understanding during the Holidays!

sandylegsntoes Dec 12 2005, 01:53 PM Post #7

I haven't seen that the children are more difficult...either the little ones or the teens. I believe their level of stress over the holidays is directly related to the degree of which they are exposed to contributing factors...i.e. holiday plays, concerts in which they are to perform.

What I have observed are negative parenting techniques some of the adults are using to control the kids. Specifically, telling the kids if they don't obey the rules then they will tell Santa. This is totally unacceptable to me. But, hey, what do I know...I'm ONLY the respite.

Another thing that I've saw that wrenched at my heart was the decorating done exclusively by the resident houseparents. Neither parent included the kids nor asked whether or not my husband and I would like to help decorate.

My hubby keeps telling me that I am just different than most. If the shoe was on the other foot, I most assuredly would have included the kids and the teens in decorating, complete with our own little house party. I would have helped them make their own ornaments as well as homemade gifts for others. I would have invited any respite staff as well as regular
 

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