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HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU!
Dear Caregivers,
This month, your days are sure to be filled with lots of shopping, cooking, and visits with family and friends. We hope you have a joyous season!
December is Safe Toys and Gifts Month – a time to create a happy, healthy, and safe experience for everyone. During the holidays, toy-sharing and gift-giving are huge parts of how we have fun with our children. This year, and always, before we give those special gifts to our kids, let’s remember to ask ourselves if those toys are safe and age appropriate.
Before you or a family member gives a child a new toy, look for sharp points, edges and parts that could fly off. Also, check for durability should a child attempt to break, crush or pull the toy apart. Do not give toys with ropes, cords, or heating elements — and make sure crayons and markers are labeled “nontoxic”. It’s important to never give small toys with removable magnets or “button” batteries. These can cause serious injury or even death if ingested. Not every toy is meant for every child. Please keep in mind the child’s age and development level (most toys offer an age range for guidance).
Finally, I’d like to share a few tips for celebrating this wonderful time of year as a foster family. I hope you find the ideas below helpful.
· Prepare children in your care for the holidays in your home. Knowing what to expect will help the children to decrease anxiety around the holidays.
· Prepare family and friends before you visit. Let people know in advance about new family members in your home.
· Remember confidentiality. You may receive well intended, but prying questions from those you know over the holidays. Think in advance about how to answer these questions, while maintaining the child’s confidentiality.
· Have extra presents ready to offset differences. Extra presents may be addressed “from Santa”, even for older youth, to help offset a larger number of gifts other children may receive at the same time. Children often keep count of the number of gifts received (right or wrong) and use it to compare with other kids, so sometimes quantity is important.
Thank you for the tireless work you do every day! We appreciate you greatly. Let’s continue to support our children, their health and well-being. Enjoy the holidays!
Sincerely,
Tim Burch
Clark County Administrator of Human Services
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