Choosing Baby Names in a Multi-Cultural Family

Despite the fact that choosing baby names can be exciting project, and one to which most pregnant women give much thought during their pregnancy, if the woman is in a multi-cultural family, then the choice of baby name takes on a life of its own. Once the initial joy of consulting a book of possibilities wears off, dread and fear of never finding something that will make all family members happy takes over! Although the choice of a baby name does fall to the parents, there are a number of additional problems that can fall on a family which has more than one nationality to consider, and which are in addition to the pitfalls of choosing a name which none multi-cultural families need to avoid.

The first thing that must be thought about is the country in which the child will be raised. Baby names on the top 10 most popular names in the USA may not appear on a similar list in Europe or Asia. There are sometimes reasons for this, the most important of which is that the country will not have names on it which are difficult to pronounce for the people who live there. Not all countries who use the alphabet pronounce the letters of that alphabet in the same way; this means that the way you write the name can also decide how the baby name sounds when spoken by the people in the country in which you live. Some names fair better in translation around the world than others!

Some cultures have a need for baby names which have some form of religious significance, and this will greatly influence the opinions of some family members. Another factor will be a cultural trend towards always naming a child after a family member from a previous generation - a name passed down through hundreds of years. If you are a person who believes firmly in following traditions, then this probably won't be a problem, but if you have a preference for modern names, then this could create friction within the family that is still an issue when the baby graduates college! Even if the tradition within the culture/family is to give the same middle name to each child, this too will raise issues as the first name will have to be something that easily connects to this imposed second name.

When faced with a situation of needing to please everyone, including yourself, do your homework. Find baby names that are going to be acceptable to both respective families and cultures, and are ones which you can live with. If you feel that you don't really like any of them, check the family tree on each side and see if anyone did stray off the traditional path and pave the way for you to do the same. If this fails, see if you can reach a compromise where the baby will have the traditional first name, but a non-traditional middle one so that everyone can be happy about the baby name and look forward to greeting the baby when it arrives, this way the baby will have a right to choose which name to use when it becomes an adult.

Are you looking for the perfect baby name? here for a resource jam packed with advice for finding that perfect baby name.

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Welcome an Adopted Baby Into the Family With an Adoption Baby Shower

The addition of a new child to a family is a wondrous occasion! An adopted baby is just as much a miracle as any other and should be celebrated as such.

And all babies need "stuff", even an adopted child, so having an adoption baby shower for this child is not only acceptable, but necessary.

There are some differences you should consider when attempting to plan this a baby shower for adoption. You will need to know the age of the adopted child first of all.
Some couples may have adopted a baby, but
others may have adopted a toddler or older child.

You will also want to find out if the family wants to celebrate the baby shower for adoption before or after the baby/child is adopted.

For infants, the basic necessities, such as diapers, clothing, feeding items, and nursery décor are appropriate for adoption baby showers. The parents-to-be of an adopted baby/child should register for baby shower gifts just the same as any other parents.

Though it is rare, some adoptive mothers are able to breastfeed their infants, so you should take care to find out what this mom-to-be will be doing. If she will be bottle feeding the baby, gifts of baby formula will be helpful, though you may want to wait to find out what type of formula she will be using, since there are so many.

Some families choose to acknowledge the adopted baby's birth mother in some way. In some cases, they have formed a close bond with the birth mother and may choose to include her in the adoption baby shower festivities.

Or they may want to give the birth mother a gift. Discuss with the parents (tactfully, since it is a delicate subject) if this is their wish. Then consider asking guests to bring a gift to the adoption baby shower for the birth mother.

Because this baby is adopted and the mom-to-be is not pregnant, stay away from any maternity-type games at the adoption baby shower, like "how big is Mom's tummy" or any other such games. You can however, play games to guess the baby's sex or birth date (if they have not yet been born) for adoption baby showers.

It is important to know the age of the child being adopted in order to know what types of baby shower gifts to purchase. Buying rattles and baby booties for a 3 year-old is not helpful to Mom and Dad!

Parents can still register for an older child at any retailer that has a baby registry for the baby shower. Make sure you have an idea of not only the child's age, but also what size clothing they wear.

For families adopting an older child, a fun idea is to have a "welcome" party for the child after he or she comes home. Find out the child's sex, age and what toys or types of entertainment they like.

You can have a sort of birthday party for the new addition incorporating a theme that they will enjoy, for example, Winnie the Pooh or The Wiggles. This is also a great way for everyone to meet the child and allow them to instantly feel like part of the family.

If you are having a baby shower after the adopted child is brought home, pay careful consideration to the family's needs. Adopting a child is a unique experience and can be a difficult adjustment,especially with an older child. Discuss with the parents when they would like to have this baby shower for adoption, as they may want a few weeks to settle in with the new little one.

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