Holiday Survival Supports

Holidays are meant to be joy-filled, but can instead bring stress for adults and reminders of trauma for children with tough beginnings in life. We have gathered wisdom from a variety of sources below to help you, your family and colleagues better weather the season! Please reference our Grief & Loss, Mental Health, Parent & Professional Care, and Play pages for more resources.

Graphic courtsey of magical artist paulahansen002@gmail.com.

Recommended Books & Articles

5 Tips for Your First Holiday Season with An Older Adopted Child by Considering Adoption
10 Reasons the Holidays Hurt When You're Grieving by Rachel Lewis
13 Healthy Responses to Family Drama by ADDitude - regarding the holidays & ADHD
24 Tips for Traveling with Children by Child Mind Institute
Celebrating the Holidays with Foster Youth: Do's & Don'ts by AFS
Christmases Past, Present & Future: An FASD Story by FASD Learning with Hope
Christmas Reinvented: The 12 Days of Connection by the Attachment & Trauma Network
Christmas Sensory Activities by Beacon House - scroll down for some fun ideas!
Foster Care & the Holidays and The Holidays & Foster Children: Times for Joy & Grief by Dr. John DeGarmo
A Foster Kid's Holiday Survival Ideas by Aged Out
Getting Through the Holidays: Tips & Tricks by Foster Club - for older youth!
Gratitude Resources by Slumberkins - for kids!
Happier Holidays by Jessica Sinarski for AdoptUSKids
Helping Young People in Foster Care Through the Holidays by Casa for Children
Holiday Blues by Alice Magnusson, LMFT, PPSC for Foster Focus Magazine
The Holidays in Foster Care: Top Five Tips and more by Foster Care & Adoptive Coalition
The Holidays: An opportunity for loving healing by C.A.S.E.
How to Survive this Holiday Season by Honestly Adoption
How to Take the Stress Out of Holiday Gatherings by Child Mind Institute & en español
Loneliness: How to Cope During the Holiday Season by Mental Health First Aid
A Moffle Christmas Story - so cute, so fun, downloadable...and therapeutic!
Navigating Holidays with Older Adopted Children by Brittany Bagiardi
Our Mama Village
- Connect with Your Child's Love Language Over the Holidays
- Expert Tips for Holiday Meltdowns
- When Kids Meltdown Over the Holidays (infographic)
Recognizing Holiday Triggers of Trauma by SAMHSA
Special Needs Friendly Santa Tips for Parents by ImpactComplexKids
Surviving Holidays as a Foster or Adoptive Family by Transfiguring Adoption
Surviving the Holidays with a Food Hoarder by Honestly Adoption
Trust Based Relational Intervention Around the Holidays by The Baby Fold
Unwrapping Opportunities for Adoptive Families During the Holidays by the National Council for Adoption
When Holidays Aren't All They're Cracked Up to Be by Honestly Adoption
Why Adoptees & Foster Kids Dread the Holidays by Spare the Kids

Culturally specific

Christmas Across Indian Country by Dennis W. Zotigh (Kiowa/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo/Isante Dakota Indian)
- have you read/watched Native American Night Before Christmas?
Crossing Over: Celebrating Holidays as Transracial Families by Brad Griffith
Embracing Family Diversity During the Holidays by Kresta Stone, Fostering Families Today
How to Appreciate Diversity During the Holidays by Simma Lieberman
How to Celebrate Kwanzaa with Your Family by Alyssa Sybertz
Observing the Holiday Celebrations of Your Foster Child by Camelot
A Racial Justice Guide to the Holiday Season by Center for Racial Justice in Education - long list covering multiple topics, faiths & celebrations!
A Thanksgiving Message from Seven Amazing Native Americans by Project 562 - book in ORPARC's library
The Thanksgiving Tale We Tell is a Harmful Lie. As a Native American, I've Found a Better Way by Sean Sherman (Sioux)

Videos & Podcasts

Christmas with Adopted Children by UK Adoption (video)
Holiday Triggers for Foster & Adopted Kids by foster adoptee & parent Lauren Fosters (video)
The Holidays with Kids Who've Been Exposed to Trauma by Creating a Family (podcast)
Honestly Adoption Podcast
- How to Create Structure During the Chaos of the Holidays
- How to Handle Overstimulation During the Holidays
- How to Help Your Child Regulate During the Holidays
- How to Help Your Child Cope with Grief During the Holidays with Deboray Gray
- How to Recognize Triggers During the Holidays
How to Help Your Child Thrive During the Holidays with Robyn Gobbel on the Archibald Project Podcast
More Connection and Less Stress for the Holidays by The Adoption Connection (podcast)
Navigating the Holidays with Lesli A. Johnson, MFT by Adoptees On (podcast)
Why Good Times Suddenly Go Bad by Robyn Gobbel (article + podcast)

Gift Ideas for Mental Health

courtesy of Trauma Informed Parent

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The Nicholas series by Believe In Wonder adds a dash of local holiday magic!

Nicholas & Sabrina in The Busy Season

The Epic of Nicholas the Maker: Book One: The Silver Hart

The Christmas Coat: Memories of My Sioux Childhood by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (Lakota Sioux)

Mr. Shipman's Kindegarten Chronicles: December Celebrations by Dr. Terence L. Shipman

Mouse Celebrates the Winter Solstice by Terri Mack