This month we have been focusing on Adoption and the Holidays: how to navigate this season as an adoptive family or hopeful adoptive parent, as well as how to care for those in your life who have been touched by adoption.
And while it is easy for adoptive families to get swept up in caring for their child and ensuring their comfort and happiness this season, it is important that we pause to consider what birth parents may be going through during the holidays.
For birth mothers and fathers, this season can be especially challenging. While we all are expected to be joyous and celebratory this time of year, birth parents can oftentimes feel inundated with feelings of sadness and stress.
The grief that birth parents work through this month is unique. Even though they may be happy their child is establishing new family traditions; they still may feel a sense of loss and emptiness for not being able to spend the holidays with their child. And while maintaining a relationship and supporting your child’s birth parents is a year-long, everyday practice, it is especially important during the holidays to reach out and let them know you are thinking of them.
We’ve compiled a holiday gift guide for birth parents for this season! Whether it’s a small gesture or a personalized memento, sending your child’s birth parents a gift is a great way to connect with them and extend your gratitude. A gift may even help to provide some relief to their feelings of loneliness or sadness. Here are some ideas.
Photobooks: Photobooks are a great personal gift to send to birth parents for the holidays. You could include some of your favorite memories and photos of the year, and even attach some messages to go along with the photos! Check out Shutterfly or Mixbook for some custom photobook templates.
Keepsakes: Keepsakes are also another great way to send something sweet and personal to your child’s birth parents this season. The key here is to consider what would be most meaningful to your child’s birth mother or father. Whether you want to send a framed handprint, custom ornament, or memory box, we recommended a quick search on Etsy for thousands of Keepsake ideas and vendors!
Solace Adoption-centric gift box: Now, if you’re in a time crunch and looking for a ready-to-gift item, we recommend checking out these Adoption gift boxes from Solace. 
Solace offers pre-assembled themed boxes that feature practical, yet meaningful, gifts. They have several boxes to choose from depending on what your child’s birth parent is interested in, and you can even choose to donate a box to a birth mother!
Gift Cards: Gift cards are also another great gift to send to your child’s birth parents, for they can be a practical item to give. The gift card does not have to be impersonal: consider what could be most useful to your child’s birth father or mother, and send them the card along with a sweet message. We recommend checking out Adoptionly Yours for some beautiful, thoughtful birth parent cards.