Present for my friend's baby

[Marmaladegin]

So my wonderful friend has just received the all clear and will be adopting her 2nd dc imminently. Dc is a toddler and she has an older dd (7).

Does anyone have any recommendations for presents? I am obviously over the moon for her and her family and would like to get her something helpful yet cute. I'm thinking maybe a storybook about love within an adopted family (think there's a nice one by Jamie lee Curtis...?) and something with new dc's name on, plus a little 'big sister' present. But I would love to hear words of wisdom

It's fab you're thinking of getting her a present.

We loved getting books, not necessarily adoption focused, but just lovely warm books. There's a lovely one called 'I like it when' about a mummy and baby penguin and all of the things they like to do together.

We also appreciated presents for us! We were absolutely drowning in soft toys etc (which was very nice of everyone of course) but some old friends of my parents gave us a bottle of champagne and that was a standout present for us in our exhausted state!

I always suggest a nice card along with vouchers, so they can choose things themselves as and when they need it. There can be such an avalanche of stuff that comes with a LO on placement, I think it helps with claiming to get to choose some of their things.

It's worth checking out Todd Parr's books if you wanted to get a book. They're lovely, colourful storybooks, not directly about adoption but sometimes referencing it and all about celebrating difference.

The best present we got was annual membership to a local attraction that we were able to visit as a new family.

Oh yes, love the Todd Parr books. We have The Family Book (I think) and it has a nice, straightforward adoption reference.

Todd Parr books are lovely! (The feelings one is good too; my daughter loves the 'sometimes I feel like kissing a sea lion' part). A big no to the Jamie Lee Curtis one though - have a look at the reviews on Amazon - it's very American, and aimed at babies relinquished voluntarily, which is it likely to be your friend's baby's story.

*isn't

My favourite present when we got DS was letters that spelled his name, we put them up on his door. They were brightly coloured, wooden letters, a bit like these from [https://www.jojomamanbebe.ie/multi-colored-painted-primary-3d-letters-a7727.html Jojomamabebe]] but with clowns on.

Muffed up the link, here

I bought "My Family, My Journey: A Baby Book for Adoptive Families" which worked really well, even though mine were 5 and 6 yrs at placement. It is a lovely diary.

Mary Hoffman's "Great big book of families" is an excellent book. Little one won't understand everything yet, but there are lovely pictures and in a little while dc can read it together with his or her older sibling.

We got big towels with the names of the children engraved. They are still being cherished.

Thank you for the jamie lee Curtis warning- I would totally not have thought of that. And for the recommendations of other books. I'll look at them. My friend is very hip and I don't want to get her something that she'll hate the look of in her home, and no offense but not keen on vouchers- and I know she wouldn't be either- so books are a good place to start. As is something for her!