There are tons of reasons to celebrate in today’s modern world. Whether it’s a traditional celebration like a birthday or graduation, or something that’s unique to your family, it’s up to you to decide which events deserve the most recognition.
One of the most important things you can celebrate when you’re bringing a child into your life, is a birthday. However, if you’re also welcoming a child from outside of your family into your heart with an adoption, this deserves a party of its own.
Unfortunately, because adoption parties rarely get as much attention as birthdays, it can be difficult to know where to get started. Here are our top tips.
Think Carefully About the Guest List
How comfortable is your child with the knowledge that they’re adopted? Would they want all of their closest friends there to see the big day? Or would your child prefer to keep things close, by inviting just a handful of their nearest and dearest? The best way to avoid a mistake is to simply talk to your adopted son or daughter and ask them what they prefer.
Let them know that you’re keen to celebrate them becoming an official part of your family – but only if they’re comfortable with that. Remember, this is about them, not you. Additionally, make sure that your child has approved everyone you’ve added to the guest list.
Consider Gift Options
It can be difficult to know what to get a child for a gift when you’re having an adoption party. You don’t want to make the experience feel too similar to a birthday, as this is a quite different event. However, you might decide that you want to celebrate the anniversary of their adoption every year with gifts, parties, and cakes going forward.
Usually, one of the best gifts for that first adoption party will be a framed certificate that shows your little one that they’re officially a member of your family. If you want to provide additional gifts alongside that, something meaningful will often make more of an impact than a ton of toys. Maybe you could get your child a gift that shows them their new family tree, or a locket that they can keep on them at all times.
Consider Using a Theme
Just like birthday parties, adoption parties are much easier when you have a theme to consider. The good news is that there are a lot of options to choose from. If the child is an infant, then a standard baby-shower style theme is a good way to keep things simple. If you’re adopting a child that’s a little older, try and think of a theme that’s going to symbolise them becoming a valuable member of the family.
For instance, your theme could be something like peas in a pod, or puzzle pieces coming together. If you have some knowledge of your history, then you can also create a family tree theme. This is a great option if you have a lot of people from the family attending the party who can add to the tree with snippets of information about themselves.
Focus on Making Memories
Even if you decide to celebrate the anniversary of the adoption every year for your little one, nothing will be quite the same as that first year when he or she entered your family for the first time. With that in mind, make sure that you do everything you can to immortalize the day. You could hire a professional videographer or photographer to take some snaps and make a professional album for you.
If you do have a professional photographer around, this will also be an excellent opportunity for you to update the family photos around the house. Having an image of all of you together as a happy family is a great way to remind your little one every day that they’re part of your “clan”.
Remember, It’s All About Them
Finally, remember that this special celebration isn’t just about a milestone in your life; it’s about showing your new child how happy you are that they’re part of your family. Gifts and cake can help with this, but you can also keep things relaxed if your child isn’t much of a party animal.
Speak to your child about what they want to do on this special day, and how they would like to remember the vent in the years ahead. That way, you can get a head-start on planning for next year’s anniversary.