If you have a newly adopted child, it very well may impact how you celebrate the holidays this year.

The holidays provide a wonderful opportunity for building family traditions and memories, and yet they also can easily be overwhelming for a child that is still adjusting to a new life.

Here are some tips on handling the holidays with a newly adopted child.

-Don’t go overboard with gifts…beware of overwhelming your child. A child who has had little to no possessions of their own before can be very easily overwhelmed with piles of presents. It is tempting to over indulge and make a BIG deal our of your child’s first Christmas, but in this situation, less is very often, more.

-Beware of lots of parties…Again, holiday parties and gatherings can be lots of fun and create many special memories for your new child and family, but also remember that they can often be overwhelming for any child, but especially one who is still bonding and attaching to their family. Keeping things relatively quiet this Christmas and holiday season may be in your child’s best interest.

-Be careful of Santa Claus- I know that Santa is not something that every family does. Our family believes in Santa. Some of my older kids may not TRULY believe, but we all love the story of Santa and the spirit behind it, and to us, it is part of the magic and fun of the holidays. My Dad told me when I was young that the year that I stopped believing would be the year I stopped getting presents. So I believe!!! :)

However, a child who has spent many years in an orphanage or in a poor family and may have never received Christmas gifts before, may easily be confused or upset by the idea of Santa. I know that some adoptive parents have experienced this, while other kids have gladly and joyfully grabbed on to the Santa concept and really enjoyed this. Like so many other things, you will have to decide what feels right to you, gently feel your child out on this one and play it be ear, and do what is right for your family.

-Make memories! Take advantage of all of the wonderful things to do at the holidays and create some family traditions. Traditions really help children to develop a sense of belonging, and the holidays are a great time to build family memories, bonds and traditions.

-Don’t stress the small stuff…Enjoy the holiday season and cut yourself a break. Give yourself permission to not have everything just so this year. Remind yourself what is most important.

-Be prepared for high emotions. The holidays are often a time of high emotions for kids, and it is very common for adopted children to grieve for their birth families and other losses more so than usual during the holidays. Encourage them to talk about past holidays and the memories that they have and be prepared for them to have some sad or angry feeligs surface during this time.

-Take the opportunity to incorporate some culture into your family…The holidays are a perfect time to add some culture into your family traditions. Make a dish for your Christmas dinner from your child’s country, add some cultural decorations for the holidays, get some cultural holiday music or books about Christmas in different countries, etc. Even just spending a night discussing how holidays are celebrated in your child’s birth culture/country can be a lot of fun and reinforce how important your child’s heritage is to you. There is a good article titled Making Memories about all of this on Rainbowkids this month.

-Enjoy! Cherish this first holiday season with your child/children. Seeing it all through the eyes of a child, especially one who is experiencing it all for the very first time, is priceless.