If you haven't personally adopted, you may not be sure what you can do to show your support and love to a friend or family member that is bringing home a new son or daughter. In honor of adoption awareness month, I have put together seven easy and very practical ways you could show love to the newly adopting family....
Whether the adoption is domestic or international adoption - these families are making major family adjustments! Much like when a newborn is born into a family there are lots of "new norms" to establish. Some of them are fun, some very tough, and all are energy and time consuming. I can guarantee that showing your love and support will mean so much to an adoptive family.
Early days, weeks and months need to be filled with spending as much time as possible loving on, getting acquainted to, playing with and adjusting to the newest family member!
Here are seven suggestions. Maybe you'll find one or two you can chose to bless an adoptive family?!
2. Take their dirty laundry home and bring back clean and folded. I'd even go as far as to suggest not "asking" if you can but instead tell them you'd like to bless them in a practical way by doing their laundry and you'd like to come and pick up their laundry on such and such a day. Does that day work or would there be another day that would be better? You can tell them you'd be happy to just grab it off the front porch if they want to through it all in a garbage bag (you get the idea here) and you'll not be staying for a visit as you understand things are busy and you'd love to bless them.
3. Offer to clean a floor of the home (or the entire home). Cleaning the house often has to take a backseat to meeting all the demands of a family that is transitioning. Having someone offer their cleaning services would be a huge act of love!
4. Run errands. Going out and about can be very stressful to a newly adopted child. "Cocooning at home" is often helpful with the bonding process. Having someone offer to get groceries, prescriptions, diapers, formula can be a gift to the newly adoptive parents.
5. If the newly adopted child is not the family's first child, perhaps you could offer to take the other kiddos and do something fun. This gives the parent(s) a break and "alone time" with the new child but also gives the other children something extra special to do.
6. Gift card for dinner out (might not be able to be used for several weeks or months) - but it shows your love and support!! And the adoptive family has a fun, free evening to look forward to!
7. Deliver a meal..... fresh or frozen - not having to plan, prepare or cook a meal is a big blessing.
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