Good gift for single mom of adopted child?

[Anonymous]

I just found out my good childhood friend adopted a little boy. We exchange emails but haven’t seen each other in years / are across the country from one another. I have ideas of baby presents I could send that I appreciated when I was a new mom, but I didn’t know if there was anything that was especially helpful as either a single mother or adoptive mother? My budget is probably in the $40 range, more or less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just found out my good childhood friend adopted a little boy. We exchange emails but haven’t seen each other in years / are across the country from one another. I have ideas of baby presents I could send that I appreciated when I was a new mom, but I didn’t know if there was anything that was especially helpful as either a single mother or adoptive mother? My budget is probably in the $40 range, more or less.

Adoptive (though not single) mom here. I'd give her the same thing you'd give any other parent whom you just learned is a parent of a little boy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just found out my good childhood friend adopted a little boy. We exchange emails but haven’t seen each other in years / are across the country from one another. I have ideas of baby presents I could send that I appreciated when I was a new mom, but I didn’t know if there was anything that was especially helpful as either a single mother or adoptive mother? My budget is probably in the $40 range, more or less.

Adoptive (though not single) mom here. I'd give her the same thing you'd give any other parent whom you just learned is a parent of a little boy.

Single (but not adoptive) mom here and I agree.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Thanks to pps. That was my assumption but thought I’d check in case I was missing any nuance.

[Anonymous]

Single, adoptive mom here. If you lived nearby the best gift would have been offering your time to grocery shop, babysit, etc. My first few months were a crazy mess getting into a routine and dealing with everything 24/7.

Best gifts I got were picture books that were meaningful to the sender.

[Anonymous]

You can also send a gift card for delivery meals/food , too. She’s probably very busy like any new mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just found out my good childhood friend adopted a little boy. We exchange emails but haven’t seen each other in years / are across the country from one another. I have ideas of baby presents I could send that I appreciated when I was a new mom, but I didn’t know if there was anything that was especially helpful as either a single mother or adoptive mother? My budget is probably in the $40 range, more or less.

Adoptive (though not single) mom here. I'd give her the same thing you'd give any other parent whom you just learned is a parent of a little boy.

Single (but not adoptive) mom here and I agree.

+1 what an oddly phrased question. She’s a parent not a zoo animal. Please work on your bc empathy and basic humanity.

[Anonymous]

It really depends on the situation. When we adopted, we tried for many years, gave up, and then it happened. We didn't buy much because we were worried it wouldn't happen. So, we basically needed everything quickly.

[Anonymous]

I am a (single) (adoptive) mom. Or more accurately, a mom. I loved getting gift cards for groceries, Target, etc.

[Anonymous]

But if you're buying books, be thoughtful about it. There are great books for all parents, great books for special situations, and some that just don't work in for adoptive and/or single parent families. (My mom kept insisting that we needed to read Are You My Mother? which is a fun book but is really focused on the fact that the bird is looking for a mom that looks like it--and, you know, I don't look like my kid. But my mom also knocked it out of the park with Mother Bruce, which is one of my all time favorites.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But if you're buying books, be thoughtful about it. There are great books for all parents, great books for special situations, and some that just don't work in for adoptive and/or single parent families. (My mom kept insisting that we needed to read Are You My Mother? which is a fun book but is really focused on the fact that the bird is looking for a mom that looks like it--and, you know, I don't look like my kid. But my mom also knocked it out of the park with Mother Bruce, which is one of my all time favorites.)

We got multiple copies of that too.

[Anonymous]

Your favorite baby book and a congratulations card would be perfect! Just be mindful of some books being inappropriate for adoptive families and don’t buy one specifically for adoptive families because you don’t know them well enough to buy something that will align with their values.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely anything - it’s nice to know you’re thinking of her. But others are right about books. I adopted years (decades) ago when people weren’t sensitive about this and some of the book gifts were cringe worthy though given with good intentions.

[Anonymous]

The Family Book by Todd Parr is a good book. Talks a lot different families with colorful pictures for younger kids.

[Anonymous]

I live On the Night You Were Born, which I believe has an adoption hint to it, without being overtly adoption-focused. I read to both my adopted and bio children.

Adult adoptee and mom to both adopted and bio kids.