The Hidden Risks of Holiday Gatherings: Protecting Your Kids and Yourself
The holidays are supposed to be about joy, gift-giving, and time with loved ones. At least, that’s what the Hallmark movies would have you believe. But for many families, the holiday season is more stressful than magical. Between the financial pressure of gift shopping, the strain of planning meals and events, and the cold weather (and inevitable wave of colds and flu), it can feel more overwhelming than festive.
Add in family get-togethers—and all the social dynamics that come with them—and things can get even more complicated.
What do holiday gatherings have to do with child abuse?
Family gatherings usually mean going to someone else’s house, or hosting people in your own. Either way, it’s busy, noisy, and often chaotic. The adults are distracted with cooking, socializing, and keeping things moving. The kids are off in another room, hanging out with cousins or playing video games. You’re probably hoping they’re just laughing over cat memes or watching movies.
But what if they aren’t?
We hate to say it, but not every adult—or teenager—at these gatherings is guaranteed to have good intentions. These parties bring together extended family, out-of-town relatives, new partners, and friends of friends. It’s not always easy to know who everyone is, or what their background may be.
How confident are you that everyone at the party is safe?
If your holiday gathering is small and only includes people you know well, that’s one thing. But if it’s a large get-together with relatives you haven’t seen in years—or people bringing plus-ones you don’t know—you can’t always be sure who’s in your home or whose home you’re visiting.
No one wants to think about these possibilities when planning Christmas dinner, but the reality is this: abuse sometimes happens at family events. It’s rare, but it does happen. And in some tragic cases, parents later find themselves under investigation—not because they hurt their child, but because someone else did while they weren’t looking.
What happens if your child is harmed and you get blamed?
It sounds unbelievable, but parents have been charged with neglect or failure to protect their children simply because they weren’t present when something happened. Not knowing what was going on at the time can sometimes be viewed—by CPS or police—as a failure to supervise.
And when that happens, the legal consequences can be serious.
Even if you were unaware and had no reason to suspect anything was wrong, you may still find yourself the subject of a CPS investigation or facing criminal charges for child neglect. It’s heartbreaking—and it’s unfair—but it happens.
Don’t face this situation alone
No parent wants their child to be harmed. And no parent should have to defend themselves for something they didn’t do. But if someone hurt your child and now the system is blaming you, you need legal help immediately.
At The Kronzek Firm, we’ve spent decades defending Michigan parents against false allegations and CPS overreach. We understand how these cases unfold, and we know how to protect your parental rights when they’re under attack.
Call us at 866-766-5245 if you’ve been accused of neglect, failure to protect, or if CPS has opened an investigation against you. We’re available 24/7—even during the holidays—because your family’s safety and future are always worth protecting.