Whether it’s their first, second, third baby or beyond, parents of a newborn can experience plenty of challenges in the early days. Your support can provide stability and enhance the well-being of every member of the family. Read on to find out four ways you can help parents after their baby arrives.
1. Bring Food
Baby’s not the only one who has to eat. Bringing nutritious and delicious meals will help sustain the family’s health and lift a burden.
You can cook the food yourself or coordinate a meal train so multiple people have scheduled times to bring food. Remember to ask the family about dietary restrictions and allergies.
Make meals that are simple to heat up or prepare. Casseroles that parents can pop in the oven or cold meals they can pull right from the fridge work best.
2. Help With Housework
An expecting parent does a lot to prepare for coming home with a newborn, but chores never end. With a newborn in the house, parents can quickly run low on energy and free time.
Helping with housework will relieve stress and create a more peaceful and cleaner environment for the family. You can either complete the chores yourself or hire a cleaning service to come in. As with any offer you make to help, be specific with your offer and ask if it’s OK with the family.
3. Offer to Pet-Sit or Babysit
Another way to help parents after their baby arrives is to offer to pet-sit or babysit. Whether the new parents have a dog, cat, or another pet, taking care of their beloved animal will give them more time to look after their newborn. They’ll appreciate knowing their pet is getting plenty of attention and care.
Babysitting older children in the family will give the parents time to recharge. And when you take care of the other children, they get to soak up the special attention you provide.
You can also offer to babysit the newborn! While you watch over the little one, the parents can engage in self-care acts such as napping, showering, or going for a walk.
4. Help With Errands
Finally, running errands for the family helps to meet their needs and saves them precious time and energy. Rather than asking broadly if they need something, offer to pick up specific items.
You can state that you’re going to a specific grocery store, pet store, or home goods store and ask them if they need anything from those locations. Or you can share a digital document and tell them to update it with items they need to replenish. When you’re ready to get the items, reach out and let them know you’re taking care of the shopping.
Bringing food, helping with housework, pet-sitting or babysitting, and running errands are just some of the ways you can help parents of newborns. Any support you offer will make a difference, and the parents will deeply appreciate your help.
