Ethiopian Adoption Party Shower Ideas

Are you in the planning seat for a friend or family member growing their family through an Ethiopian adoption? Why not throw them an Ethiopian themed "Adoption Shower" party?

Adoption showers may be much like traditional baby showers but with a curve ball; the family may know the gender, name and age in advance but have many many months to wait...and the new addition may not be a baby! Further, the family is welcoming not just a child, but a entirely new cultural connection into their family. This lends some unique opportunities!

When the family is adopting from Ethiopia, as the planner you also have the opportunity to theme the shower to the culture of the country this family owes their newest member to; this can be a lot of fun, and what this page is all about!

Making the Most of "The Wait"

Adoptions from Ethiopia now require the prospective parents to travel twice; once in order to meet the child and accept the referral, and then a second time to complete the adoption and bring the new child home. Most adoptive parents agree that the 6-12 weeks period in between trips is often the most agonizing and hardest part of the whole 1-2 year wait process. It is also a great time to throw an adoption shower.

Adoption showers are a great distraction during this excrutiating wait time and can really help the new parents satisfy their "nesting impulses." The bonus is that the family had a good idea of what kind of gifts and clothing sizes would be needed. They also might enjoy collecting donations of gently used kids items to take with them as a donation for the orphanage on their return trip.

With the adoption process lengthening to a two trip process, there's a lot of time to throw a shower. The first wait between referral and travel is a time that the parents could really use distraction, but the parents haven't actually met the child and the adoption isn't totally final. Between the first and second trip the parents have met their child, experienced the culture and may have a much better idea of their needs for the child.

Ethiopian music has its own very exotic sound. This album is a perfect backdrop to set the mood for the festivities with traditional Ethiopian kids songs. If the honored child is older, they may find this memory of home very comforting as well.

I've designed a whole range of fully customizable cards and postcards to use as adoption announcements or shower invites. Fully customizable you can upload your own photo and change the suggested copy to suit your occasion. Where else can you find an announcement with a nod to their Ethiopian heritage? Click here to view all my Ethiopian Adoption items

Honor their Ethiopian roots

The shower games are a great way to honor the culture of the newly adopted child. Here are some ideas:

A traditional way to honor guests in Ethiopia is by having a coffee ceremony where fresh Ethiopian coffee is ground, prepared and served ceremoniously with sweet rolls or popcorn. Find a Jebena - an ethiopia coffee pot - online as a centerpiece.

Using Ethiopian words, make your own game of Memory. Use the list of common family-oriented Amharic words on my blog post "Amharic for Adoptive Families."

Mancala is a traditional Ethiopian game that could be played at the event. You can find Mancala boards on Ebay. Look for the Ethiopian ones which are often called Gebeta (or Gobeta).

What other ways have you found to infuse your Ethiopian party with culture? Do you know of any great online shops for Ethiopian crafts & gifts? Add them here. "Amesegenalu (Thanks!)."