Arranging A Baby Shower For An Adopted Child - By: Don Saunders

For most parents adopting a child is a very exciting, but also a very anxious, time. Most adoptions take a considerable time and are not without problems along the way so that it can be many weeks or even months before the adoptive parents can breathe easily and resume their normal family life. The finalization of an adoption is also a time when many parents want to have a baby shower to gather their family and friends together and welcome their newest family member.

In many ways a baby shower for an adopted child is no different from a shower for any other child and the only real difference lies in the timing of the shower. Planning the shower date before the adoption is finalized is often considered to be unwise as there are invariably delays of one sort or another and there is always the possibility that the adoption will not do through at all. It is best therefore to wait until everything is finalized and the adoption completed before making any plans for a shower.

But waiting until everything is completed may not always be what the parents want. If for example, the child they are adopting is their first child they are going to need baby clothes and other items and the baby shower is the ideal time for friends and family to help out with these. Even if the child is not their first, or is an older child, they may still need age appropriate items for the child and again a baby shower provides the ideal opportunity for others to assist.

Each adoption is different and parents will handle the adoption process in their own special way. So, when it comes to planning a baby shower the best approach is simply to talk to the parents and see how they feel and what they want.

Another very important consideration when planning a shower for an adopted child is the child's age. Children of all ages are adopted and it is just as appropriate to welcome an eight, ten or twelve year old child into the family as it is to welcome a baby. With an older child however you need to consider the fact that the child himself or herself will be much more the central figure of the party, rather than the usual mother-to-be, and so your planning will need to be centered very much around the child.

For an older child it might be more appropriate to organize a shower along the lines of a birthday party themed to the age of the child and involving other children of a similar age. You might also want to think about hiring a professional entertainer such as a clown or a magician and of organizing games centered on the children rather than the adult guests.

Gifts can sometimes pose a problem with an older child because guests may need some guidance on whether their gifts should be items which the parents needs for the new child or should be more in the way of birthday gifts for the child. Here again it is best for the host to be guided by the parents and then communicate their wishes to the guests in the normal manner.

Other than the points already mention planning a baby shower for an adopted child should simply follow the normal pattern with a date and venue being selected as far in advance as possible and invitations being send out. Such things as decorations, food, drink and games will then follow on in turn and everyone will have a thoroughly enjoyable time with the newest member of the family feeling that he or she is loved and is surrounded and supported by a new family and friends.

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