LifeLovePassion Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 I'd like to get something for a friend who will soon be finalizing an adoption of a teen out of foster care. She moved in with them last summer so there are no immediate practical needs. I'd love your ideas. I had thought of making her a quilt, but through conversations, she's been gifted quite a few blankets along the way, so that's a no. 🙂 Happy Friday everyone! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 Will the teen be taking on a new last name? If so, you could do something personalized with their new name. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 Jewelry? Maybe something with the new monogram, or with her birthstone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 So nice of you to do this. When I adopted, I/my kids got very little, even though we were a part of a church that gave huge bridal and baby showers. Another idea is a gift certificate to somewhere special she might like to go to eat, a spa day with mom or ??? Also, not knowing her situation, while there is great joy in adoption, there is also heartache and loss and grief of a birth family that couldn't be. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 You are very thoughtful to want to mark/ celebrate this milestone. If there are no immediate practical needs, I'd maybe think in the direction of documenting the milestone (separate journals for adoptive mom, dad, teen; a gift certificate for a professional family photo shoot; volunteer to make & address announcement card, etc) or creating new-family memories (membership to local museum, subscription to local theater, strip of mini-golf passes, whatever they like). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 (edited) If she is changing her name, matching T-shirts for everyone with the family name on them? My daughter would wear it as a pajama shirt, so I would go extra soft on the fabric. You can make it like a sports jersey with the year, or just the name. The year may make it more memorable, but leaving the year off, may be nice since it emphasizes the family itself and not when they became a family. Edited February 5, 2022 by Tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 I would ask rather than making a guess. Some of these kids are very mature, others are years behind. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 Do you know how she likes to spend her time? Some ideas that may or may not be appropriate, depending on interests, cost & availability: mother/daughter manicures or spa day gift certificate for book store, a store relevant to her hobbies or a clothing store gift certificate for a class of some kind - photography (to record new memories), quilting or other crafts like pottery or jewelry making (to create family heirlooms) A charm bracelet with a few charms - something to represent the past, the present and the future, for example. You would need to talk to her mom to see if “the past” is appropriate at all & if so, what. If not, you could do a charm that represents “the now” and one for the “still to come.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 I love the family photo shoot idea. If you’re a decent photographer you could even do it, have a print made, and frame it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 11 hours ago, Katy said: I would ask rather than making a guess. Some of these kids are very mature, others are years behind. When we adopted a 9 year old what I wanted was for people to see him as an individual. We cocooned pretty intensively between ptsd/attachment issues and medical issues, so people didn’t meet him in person, but it meant so much if someone asked me about him and gave a gift that reflected that they knew he was a little guy who loved chess and Harry Potter rather than guessing and giving him something with a generic boy theme like Star Wars or baseball. So ask and find out if she’s the kind of girl who would like a piece of sparkly jewelry to commemorate the events or tickets to a college basketball game with her parents. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 On 2/4/2022 at 9:22 PM, Katy said: I would ask rather than making a guess. Some of these kids are very mature, others are years behind. This. She might not even want attention drawn to the adoption (meaning the teen). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted February 6, 2022 Author Share Posted February 6, 2022 Thanks for the ideas. I was thinking along the lines of a family type gift / more in the practical realm...like a casserole shower. I like the idea of something with the family name. I will chat with her mom a bit more too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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