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Sheila and Paul have been foster carers for almost 15 years. Sharing Christmas with their foster children is Sheila's favourite time of the year.
"I've always loved Christmas, it's my thing," says Sheila
"Our family do all the traditions, even decorating the bathroom! We have six Christmas trees in total. My husband Paul even dresses up as Father Christmas to visit our neighbours on Christmas Eve. Our daughter Katie, who's 33 now, used to dress up as a reindeer with him. She loved it,"
Sheila has been sharing the magic of Christmas with foster children for years. She found her inspiration in an usual place! "Years ago, while pregnant with Katie I saw a Home and Away storyline about a foster family. I thought it was something I’d love to do but never thought I’d pursue it.
Later, I was a childminder and met a foster carer caring for a baby suffering from drug withdrawal. Paul I felt this was something we could do too. Since then, we’ve fostered around 38 children."
Sheila and Paul are long-term foster carers
There are different types of foster care. Sheila and Paul are long-term carers, they have been looking after three boys for over three years.
"I can't see life without them, they're our family now,
All foster children have experienced disruption and trauma. That includes missing 'small' things most of us take for granted - like a traditional Christmas.
"When the boys arrived, they didn’t believe in Father Christmas. They believed they were ‘too naughty for Christmas presents’, which was heartbreaking from a six-year-old. They had never experienced Christmas and didn’t even know what a cracker was.
Paul and I went on a mission to help them believe in Father Christmas
We watched Christmas films back-to-back. I didn’t realise there were so many! One day, one of the boys said “That’s it. Father Christmas is real!”
On Christmas morning, they woke up and came running into our bedroom, telling us Father Christmas had left them presents. They were so excited, we couldn’t believe they hadn’t tried to open them! They dragged their stockings upstairs, tipped up and started opening them.
Sharing the magic of Christmas
"All three boys said it was their best Christmas ever.
For the first Christmas, we had less decorations up because we worried it would overwhelm the boys. Christmas is a sensitive time – a lot of children want to be with their family, especially when they have only recently met you. Luckily for us, the boys think of us as part of their family.
In my opinion, Christmas should be magical. If children are living in a safe, loving environment, they can experience that magic.
It’s important for older children, too, because they’re still children. They might be 14 or 15, even 18, but if they’ve never experienced Christmas, they need to. Christmas is Christmas, and it should be magical, no matter how old you are."
What would Sheila share with anyone thinking of fostering?
Fostering has its challenges. I never would have thought that we’d be looking after our boys almost three years later, but it’s so rewarding. I’d tell anyone thinking of fostering to enquire and find out more. Being able to give children that special feeling around Christmas time is amazing. Every child deserves to enjoy the magic of Christmas."