Birthday Letters

If you are not already doing this, I encourage you to sit down each year around your child's birthday and write him or her a birthday letter.

I actually started this tradition with Noah, the son I am parenting. His first year of life had so many ups and downs because of medical issues stemming from his prematurity that a few days before his first birthday I sat down and wrote a letter to him briefly recapping everything that we had been through in that first year of his life. When his second birthday rolled around I did the same and it just became a tradition. I’ve put them up for him to read one day when he is older.

Around Charlie’s first birthday as I was thinking about what I wanted to do for his birthday, Noah’s birthday letters came to mind. It seemed only natural to sit down and write a letter for Charlie each too.

I usually do include a little bit about something that happened during that year of Charlie’s life, such as a field trip to the apple orchard. Last year I decided to make the letter more scrapbook style and added a few pictures in with the letter.

A birthday letter is a tradition that would work with any type of adoption. If your adoption is closed, instead of sharing things you’ve done with your child, share things that have gone on in your life in the current year and then include a picture or two of yourself and other children if you have any. Hang on to the letters in a special spot and when you and your child are reunited you’ll have a great stack of letters as tangible proof that you thought of him/her each and every birthday.

So, if you are writing your child a birthday letter, what do you include in the letter each year? And if you are not, why not start this year when your child's birthday rolls around. It doesn't matter what age he/she is - it's never too late to start a new tradition!