Adoption Baby Shower – How to Make it Special

Any new baby is cause for joyous celebration, no matter how the baby arrives or at what age. If you have friends who are adopting a baby, they why not throw them a baby shower to help them celebrate? The key here is to make it like a traditional baby shower, but with a few important differences. First and foremost – no surprise parties. The new parents should be well aware of the party and fully on board. There may occasionally be tragedies driving the adoption, either on the part of the birth parents or the adoptive ones. In some cases, the adoptive parents may not want a public celebration and you should let your actions be guided by the wishes and needs of the parents.

Timing is the next thing. It’s best to wait until the new baby arrives, but not the day the baby comes home. A few weeks or maybe as long as a month would be best. Give the new family time to adjust – this is a big step for everybody involved and that should be respected. Also, adoption arrangements can fall through. Wait until the happy event has actually happened and the baby or child is home with their new parents for the celebration.

When you send out the invitations, do so three to four weeks in advance of the shower – just as you would with any other event. With adoption shower invitations, you can include baby’s name, birth date and date the child was welcomed into the family.

Gifts can be any of the gifts you’d usually give upon the arrival of a baby, unless the new addition has some medical condition. Many people adopt medically-needy kids and there are some gifts that are appropriate and some that aren’t. This is why the involvement of the adoptive family is vital. Ask the adoptive parents to register at a couple of different stores for items they need or to give you some guidance so that you can help shower attendees who request your help.

Once all of these particular details have been decided and hashed out, you can turn to the decoration and games. Here, you can get creative. Banners and streamers are always a good idea. In addition, party favors can be a big hit and a sing-along is a popular option.

In general, the games you choose should be short, engaging and tailored to the crowd. Aim for no more than two or three games in order to keep the party moving.

Another innovative idea is to include the men. Adoption is a family event and they’ll be as much a part of the new baby’s life as anyone else. And since there will be a minimum of the pregnancy-related frivolities, they’ll be more comfortable than at most baby showers.

As to the special case of an older child being adopted, transform the shower idea into an age appropriate party with, of course, the cooperation of the adoptive family. The key to all of this is the wishes and the needs of the new family – that should be foremost in the mind of any party planner. Anyone who keeps that in mind has the key to a successful and meaningful party.