Some of our church members are talking about having older children come and stay at their homes during the holidays to give them a pleasant experience. I think that would be a great idea and am seriously considering one or two myself.

Good luck with that. On the surface it sounds like a good idea.
But be alert and aware! Letting your guard down might be risky.

Where would the children be coming from?

Anne, I am told Social Services have a list of older children in group homes that would be excellent candidates. Right now 13 families or homes would be needed.

Jabber, "Oh ye of little faith." I totally understand but these are not problem kids, they are kids of problem parents or unforseen circumstances.

It's certainly a loving and faithful thing to do, Chatty. My parents always had displaced people in our home for meals. Holidays and otherwise. It always worked out for them, though the last time they did something like that -- they had a young man living with them who was Yugoslavian who lived with them for several months -- my mother ended up being quite nervous about him and ended up reporting him to the CIA...

I was out of the house by then -- don't know how one gets in touch with the CIA personally -- and I don't recall what it was about the young man that "creeped her out"...

I know my Dad thought she was over-reacting, but she has always had good intuition about people.

But that was a different situation - he lived with them for months -- a lot different than a home-cooked meal on a holiday.

Chatty,
I continue working at building Faith in God. But these past several years I've learned to be cautious about people. I've known folks over the years who trusted everybody and it cost
them everything. All I'm saying is, "Be alert. Be aware. Be safe." I think it's a wonderful thing to do, to help others.
Now that I think about it more, I can make a list of people
no longer alive because they were too trusting! Just sayin'...

Jabber, I can understand your caution. I don't trust everybody, but I do trust my intuition - it hasn't failed me yet! I think having strangers with nowhere else to go on special holidays is a wonderful idea.

I agree, yonuh. But my intuition has failed me a time or two!

Well, thanks for all the input, and know I haven't decided to do this yet myself. I may be invited to my grandsone this year anyway and they will have a full house, so we'll see.

Got a call today that there will be six elders from a nursing home that can get a day pass to go to someones home for the holiday. For the firstr time ever I had to say, not this year, I think I have enougn on my plste now and still have not made a decision about having a kid come for the dsy.

Maybe the best thing is to simply put away some of your valuables and money somewhere else.

They are strangers after all.

If the child is only going to be around for several days, it's less of concern that something super terrible would happen.

True!

You're right Orchid, and I certainly will do just that!

It seems so many families have signed up for this program they are adding more children to be given a holiday in someones home. .

I am thinking of dropping out of this program for this year until I make sure I am up to par again.

I was wondering about that, Chatty! Weren't two girls about to visit you just before your fall?

Yes but that's all on hold for now. Maybe next year I can manage having some kids from the program but not right now.

I heard today that all the children have found homes for the holiday. In fact they have more homes than are even needed.

Maybe next year will be a better year for me to think of having children in for the holidays!

Both the child in your home and senior in your home for the holidays was a resounding success this year and no one was left behind!