Baby namings / Adoption ceremonies

“You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth”
– Kahlil Gibran

There is great value in having a family or community ceremony to welcome a baby. It can help the parents to clarify how they want to support their child as she or he grows.

It may include a part for sponsors, who will support both the parents and the child, and for other family members. It also offers a wonderful opportunity to share with friends and wider family and community the wonder, joy, pride and gratitude so many parents naturally feel on the arrival of a new life, born of their own.

Although adopting a child requires as deep a commitment and causes at least as much change as giving birth to a baby, it has not been usual in the UK for there to be any ceremony to mark or celebrate the event. If the adopted child is a baby, a simple baby naming ceremony may be appropriate, but if the child is older, perhaps even a teenager, a different kind of ceremony may be more appropriate – one with much more input from the child, where the taking of the family name is recognised as the start of a new family relationship by all involved.

To find out more, email me or leave a voice message at 0131 208 4041.