Christmas is coming! Are you ready? This gift guide for dads should help. Sometimes dad can seem like the hardest person to shop for – mine never seems to know what he wants! If the man in your life has adopted a child, then an adoption related gift may be just the ticket.
Appropriate gifts can help any adopted child feel more like they belong to the family. Matching “daddy and me” gifts create a visual symbol that a child belongs. Thanks to the wonderful, creative minds behind Etsy webstores, there are plenty of customizable jewelry options to choose from. And country specific gifts provide a great opportunity to integrate the child’s culture into the family environment!
Clothing
Wonderful adoption t-shirts are becoming easier and easier to find. In addition to buying matching shirts, consider these (manly) shirts that promote adoption:
Books
For the bookworm in your family these books offer some great advice on parenting and adoption.
Jewelry
Jewelry can easily be personalized to include the child’s origin. And when I say jewelry, I’m including cuff links and tie tacks!
Movies
Many movies include adoption themes, either directly or indirectly. The Avengers and Skyfall are recently released action movies that include adoption-related plot themes. Often our superheroes are orphans. More specifically connected to adoption:
- Half the Sky – Poignant documentary, speaks to the reasons many children are in need of a forever family
- Beasts of the Southern Wild – moving and fictitious film focusing on the relationship between a single father and his daughter, as well as the world around them
- The Odd Life of Timothy Green – Disney family film
Is there a way to connect a man’s favorite hobby to his adopted child? Fathers who love to cook or grill might enjoy a recipe book from their child’s culture of origin. A woodworking hobbyist might like a furniture pattern for a traditional furniture piece. A sports aficionado might like paraphernalia from a famous team in their child’s country. An outdoorsmen might enjoy travelogues or hiking books about that region of the world. Or how about a fancy “gift certificate” for one-on-one time with their child?
Photo Credit: GunmentalGems
For more information about MLJ Adoptions’ international adoption programs, please click here. To see our Gift Guide for Waiting Parents click here.