Letterbox

[TripleB32]

I've looked through previous threads about letterbox contact but I can't find any reference anywhere as to how to sign off the letter? Just about to submit our first one.
Our children are too young to write themselves so I have written it from our perspective, but I don't really want to sign off with mine and DH's names.
Any advice?

Did your letterbox co-ordinator give you a "how to" guide? We got one that covered this sort of thing, which covered this. I sign off with my first name only (I have a very common name as it happens, but anyway, I think birth mum would know my first name from the profile about us for her info pre-placement, and it would be weird for her to write back without knowing a name to use).

The guidance I was given re letterbox a good few years ago, was that it was communication between birth and adoptive parents rather than between birth parents and child directly. I'd be wary of the child writing themselves in the future unless it was explicitly stated in the letterbox arrangements for a specific reason.

I sign off using one of my forenames (but not one I am regularly known by to friends). Other suggestions from my LA include signing off as 'X's adoptive parents' or using nicknames. You could also make up an entirely fictitious name if that would make you feel more comfortable.

Great thanks for the advice.
Yes, I don't mean that the children will be taking it into their own hands entirely, but maybe adding something of their own at some point. I get that it's supposed to be from us though.
I think we'll go with one of our forenames but not our main one.

Good plan

From what I've read on these boards I think letterbox is hard for everyone involved. Definitely worthwhile though.

As a birth sibling, in the letters I received one set of adopted parents signed with their names and the other signed with Best Wishes.

We use our, quite standard, forenames.
We also met the BPs during intros, so maybe that makes a difference.

I never use names....i say something like.....
we hope this letter finds you well, and we send best wishes for the coming year, take care xxx

We use forenames. DW has a very distinctive name, so we abbreviate it.

Contact is definitely hard for everyone.

We've been advised to use 'with best wishes' or 'X's adoptive parents'. I think the first option may be less hard for the birth parents to read, though that's purely my assumption. It will seem strange not signing off with a name though.

We were told to use fake names. We also met BP and were introduced under our fake names then and sign off letters now with them.

The LA should have a department that all Letterbox correspondence goes via and is vetted.

Our friends found the SW had given foster carers (for a sibling) their actual home address and they were written to directly, which I am sure is totally illegal, but on complaining they were told to go away.

Sign off's shouldn't include stuff like "missing you", or anything like that. Emotion can't come into it.

Again, with our friends, as stuff was sent direct it therefore wasn't vetted, so it was full of "miss you", "it's not fair", "i wish" etc and was quite distressing, so was not passed on.

I'm a birth mum with 3 letter box contacts behind her. My birth son's parents used to just use their first names but have recently used their names, their son's name and their dogs (our dogs share the same name and are always mentioned in the letters). In return I sign mine with "lots of love" or "best wishes" then my first name