My mom called recently to tell me that their beautifully decorated Christmas tree fell over. The tree took its plunge while Mom and Dad were sleeping. The tree was newly bought, installed, and decorated. The gallon of water keeping it fresh and supple burbled out onto the floor all night. Mom and Dad righted the tree and cleaned the mess. A few days later the tree fell over again. My parents’ tree had never fallen over before; a faulty tree stand is to blame. The neighbors’ tree fell over one year and our cat climbed our tree toppling it our last year in California.
At this month’s foster parents’ meeting the training topic was family traditions. As faster parents, we need to embrace a lot of different traditions and cultures depending on the children we’re fostering. Since it is the holiday season, we talked a lot about holiday traditions. Many of the families open a gift or two on Christmas Eve or at midnight Christmas morning. Some families give new pajamas every Christmas. One family dresses all in the same new jammies each Christmas and then the children take the matching jammies with them when they leave.
What holiday traditions does my family have? We haven’t decorated or put up a tree in years. People have been telling me that I need these traditions for the children. Jessie is too curious and into everything still; a tree would not be safe. I think next year when she’s four she’ll be better able to control herself and will be in the watchful big sister role to make sure that Baby E doesn’t get into the tree.
Decorating the tree was the tradition we had growing up. We’d drink eggnog and help mom put up the tree. I will continue this tradition, just not this year.