Although some will argue that it started as soon as November 1st rolled around, the carols and festive decorations have declared that the holiday season is officially upon us. And while the upcoming few months are generally revered and celebrated, some are already looking forward to them being over. For many people across the world, this season is not cause for celebration, and actually is a source of pain or a reminder of better times. Whatever the reason, the holiday season is not always smiles and happiness, and those who are going through the adoption process could potentially be going through a rough time around this season as well.
Here are a few things you can do to cheer up a birth mother this holiday season, no matter what she or her family is going through:
1. Baked goods
Although these gifts can sometimes represent the holidays the most, there are possibilities to make them less holiday-centric. For example, you could bake cookies in a shape unrelated to the holidays, or just simply bake a cake or pastry. Make sure you are aware of any dietary restrictions! Overall, however, if the birth mom you are thinking of enjoys baked goods, this gift can be one of the best ones to give to distract from the poor feelings they might have regarding the holiday season.
2. Home-cooked Meals
Once again making sure you know of any dietary restrictions the birth mother has, a helpful gift idea is to make one of her favorite meals. The holiday season can be one that also leaves many people in a tight financial bind, and a home-cooked meal can go a long way, especially if the family is large. This can very much help birth moms perhaps get on their feet if they need to for a couple of days at least.
3. Massage or Spa Credit
Who doesn’t love getting treated to a spa? As long as the birth mother enjoys things like this (touching, quietness, close contact, etc.), this can be a wonderful and useful gift that can really show the birth mom that she deserves to treat herself.
4. Meeting up for Coffee
If you feel comfortable enough to meet with the birth mom for a coffee or meal, do it! Sometimes, all someone who is struggling needs to feel heard or seen is to be invited to a meal or meet-up.
Here are a few gift ideas for adoptive parents, depending on what stage of the adoption process they are going through:
1. Early Childhood Essentials
This can be anything from diapers and bibs, to a furniture store gift card for the parents to buy a new crib from. Keep in mind that not everyone has a support system that can provide them with hand-me-downs or gifts for early childhood of the place baby. These can be great gifts that can go a long way.
2. A Night Out
While new parents will most likely want to be around the place baby as much as possible, raising a child can be overwhelming! Give an adoptive parent or couple in your life the gift of a night out. Perhaps you can volunteer to watch the baby one night to give them a chance to take a breather and spend some time alone.
3. A Photography Session
If you consider yourself photography-inclined, this could be a really nice way to help the adoptive parents celebrate their new family member. If you know someone else who is more apt to taking photos, you could contact them as well to get some personalized snapshots of the new family.
If you know someone who is struggling this holiday season, take the time and practice some humanity toward them. Make sure to gather information on what they like, what her interests are, and what they need – hopefully every season can be a giving one!
