Part 1 : Gift Ideas for Adoptive Parents
- Rachel Rosana
- Dec 23, 2018
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 24, 2019
By Rachel Rosana
The holiday season is upon us and many gatherings involve gift giving. Gifts can come from different places, such as store-bought or homemade. On many occasions, the giving of a gift can be an extremely thoughtful gesture. This blog entry will consist of two parts. The first part will focus on gift ideas for adoptive parents and part two will be suggestions on gifts for birth mothers.
Gift Ideas
There are several different holidays and occasions that are appropriate for gift giving. These can be good opportunities to recognize adoptive parents through unique presents that celebrate the experience of adoption. Therefore, adoptees may want to express their feelings related to adoptive parents in a different way by buying or creating a gift specifically for them.
The relationship between adoptees and their adoptive parents can be considered to be a very special relationship, unlike any other in their lives. They go through a lot of ups and downs emotionally together; but, at the end of the day, the adoptive parents remain by their sides.
Gift ideas can come in all shapes and sizes and from different people in the adoptive families’ lives. Of course, the adoptee should never feel pressured into giving a gift of any kind. For some, gift-giving may be emotional or stressful, especially as relates to their adoptive parents. For those adoptees, family members and friends who are interested in gift-giving, they can look to the suggestions described in this blog as possible options for good gifts for the adoptive parents.
Adoptees to Adoptive Parents
Gifts for the adoptive parent or parents can come from different people in their lives. When the gift you are receiving comes from your adopted child it can be both memorable and emotional. Adoptive parents that receive these gifts, whether purchased or handmade, the thoughtful gesture behind the gift can be the most memorable. For an adoptee, gift giving can be confusing. There may be a concern that the parent’s response to the gift reflects the love they have for the adoptee, and that the gift itself can cause them to love the adoptee less or more. The list below are suggestions for the adoptee to consider. Some of the ideas consist of spending money, creating handmade gifts, as well as, spending quality time together, one-on-one between the adoptee and the adoptive parent/parents.
The following are examples of gifts adoptees may want to consider for their adoptive parent or parents:
Personalized Gifts: Etsy is a source for purchasing personal items for gifts. The items sold on the website can range from handmade scarves, glass wear, wooden crafts, and jewelry. There are different items adoptees can search for when looking to give something special for their adoptive parents. Necklaces can be a wonderful touch to give for adoptive parents from the adoptee. Etsy.com is often able to create any style and unique engravings that are specified by the customer. You can have sayings, names, dates and much more engraved and etched into the jewelry pieces you are considering buying, as shown in the photograph of the engraved necklace, “love > dna.”
D.I.Y Cards: These are also known as, “Do It Yourself” cards that adoptees can create as gifts. There are websites that can help create DIY cards, such as Snapfish.com, or Shutterfly.com. Sites like these can be accessed online. Most card making sites have user-friendly steps, and tips to help simplify the process at creating one of a kind cards. However, if the adoptee does not feel creating a card online is a gift he or she wants to give, a store-bought card that has handwritten words from the adoptee can still be given as a meaningful gift. Only the adoptees can judge what is the best gift for their adoptive parents.
Photographs: Throughout the years there may have been memorable moments that were shared and captured. The photograph could be of the adoptee, or of the adoptee with their adoptive family. Either way, a photograph chosen by the adoptee can be a wonderful keepsake for the adoptive parent or parents. Pictures in frames, and/or collages can be great ways of displaying different photographs from their lives.
One-on-One: Time spent together can be one of the most memorable and important things an adoptive individual can do not only for the adoptive parent/s but for themselves. Whether the adoptee decides to spend a nice day at the park, go out for lunch or share a massage experience, time together for adoptive individuals and their families can foster bonding and a closer relationship between family members.
Family and Friends of Adoptive Parents
Friends and family of the adoptive parents who may have been part of a support system throughout the adoption process or after the child’s arrival may feel the need to give a gift for different occasions and holidays. Friends and family members may not be familiar with the topic of adoption. Therefore, gift giving may be a confusing thing for them to do. When gifting presents surrounding adoption friends and family should be careful to not overstep their boundaries or make the adoptive family feel uncomfortable by their gift.
The following list offers a few suggestions on what can be considered as gifts for adoptive parents before and after the adoption:
Adoption Baby Books: There are many types of books available for babies such as picture books, touch and feel baby books and more. It’s especially meaningful to find a book targeted for those who have gone through the process of adoption. Adoption baby books can be hard to find but when found they are a really helpful gift for the adoptive parents. The website, Adoptiongifts.com has a nice selection of adoption books for expecting or current adoptive families. One such book, “Over The Moon” by Karen Katz, tells a story about, “A long-awaited baby girl is born, and the adoptive parents who have been dreaming of her fly far, far away to bring her home.” There are many other books such as, Over the Moon, that discuss positivity, tips, and suggestions surrounding the topic of adoption. These adoption books can be helpful for not only the adoptive parent or parents but the development of the adoptee.
Food: Bringing homemade food over for the families of the newly adopted baby or child can be very helpful to the adoptive family. The adoptive parents or parent are probably spending much of their time with the baby, making sure the baby has anything he/she may need, therefore, not much time to cook home cooked meals for themselves. It is a very thoughtful gesture that can be a wonderful gift to consider.
Framed Photo: New and current adoptive families may enjoy photographs or frames of the adopted child or children. Friends celebrating a wonderful time for the family is very important to the adoptive family. It shows support and love to the adoption. They have spent all these months and possibly years on the journey to adoption and would love friends and family having a keepsake item for them to have.
Flowers, Cards, and Baskets: The simple pleasure of flowers, cards, and basket arrangements are all gifts that are still considered as thoughtful gifts for adoptive families. These types of gifts can be done any time of the year. The personal touches can be seen in types of flowers, the words left in the cards and the arrangements of items placed in the basket. Adoptive families always need support from those they are closest to. Although bringing home the new baby or child is a joyous time for them it can still be a stressful one because of the many tasks and adjustments needed to care for a new family member.
Conclusion
Gifts are wonderful things to give to adoptive parents. If the gift is coming from the adopted individual, it can be a stressful, emotional and meaningful process. The adoptee may have gone through a lot of ups and downs in their lives before being adopted and later with the adoptive parents by his or her side. Often these are things the outside world may never truly understand. Overall, gift giving can be a wonderful thing for an adoptee to do. It is a way for them to express and show how grateful they are for the care, love and support the adoptive parents continue to give and show them.
Family and friends are also among the group of people who bring great joy to the adoptive parents or parent. Some may have been on the adoption journey with the couple or single parent, or they got closer because of the adopted individual. Gifts are a wonderful touch to show how much you care for someone, but it really comes down to the thought of what you are giving to the ones you care for so much. What adoptive parents need most, though, is love, support, and friendship from the individuals closest to them.
Source:
“Adoption Gifts | Gotcha Day, Jewelry, Shirts, Books, Mugs.” AdoptionGifts.com, Adoption.com, 2018, adoptiongifts.com/.
Craft, Carrie. “Top 9 Great Adoption Gifts: Find the Perfect Gift for Your Loved One.” LiveAbout, 10 Apr. 2018, www.liveabout.com/top-adoption-gifts-27008.
Elder, Time. “10 Simple Birthmother Gift Ideas - Blog.” Infant Adoption Guide , 15 Nov. 2017, infantadoptionguide.com/10-birthmother-gift-ideas/.
MudbugsAndLilypads. “Love > Dna Necklace with Heart Charm.” Etsy, 2018, www.etsy.com/listing/465320004/love-dna-necklace-with-heart-charm?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=adoptive%2Bparents&ref=sr_gallery-1-39&organic_search_click=1&frs=1%29.
“Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale (Karen Katz) | Adoption Books for Children.” AdoptionGifts.com, Adoption.com, 2018, adoptiongifts.com/collections/books/products/over-the-moon-an-adoption-tale-karen-katz-adoption-books-for-children.
“Personalized Gifts for Adoption.” National Geographic Kids | Put Me In The Story, Put Me In The Story, 2018, www.putmeinthestory.com/personalized-gift-occasions/adoption/.
“Popular Items for Adoptive Mom.” Etsy, www.etsy.com/market/adoptive_mom.
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