In these trying times we feel helpless- we see the world crumbling. We feel unsure for the future, we don’t know what it will hold. We are trying to make life as normal as we can for our kids but we feel like we fall short every day. We can’t control anything right now- we don’t even know if there will be school for our kids next week. We are all trying our best as parents right now.
We can’t control much right now as parents, however what we can control is how we react to this uncertainty. We can show our kids to choose faith over fear! We can show them how we bond together, to help each other, in these scary times. We can lead by example.
Doing something to help others can give us purpose right now, it can help us make a difference, it can give us hope.
Here are a few small things you can do give back, with your kids, and make a BIG DIFFERENCE right now!
Make blankets
Project Linus, is an organization that we have had first hand experience with! My son and daughter both were hospitalized last year- I can tell you the ER is a scary experience for kids. However, Project Linus offer my kids a comfort that even as a mom I could not offer!
Project Linus gives kids who are hospitalized blankets. They replace those scratchy pale yellow hospital blankets with colorful kid’s size blankets. Some warmth and comfort for those tiny bodies.
Each time we ended up in the hospital, a nurse walked into the ER room and wrapped my tiny humans in a big colorful blanket- to this day my kids still sleep with their Linus blanket, and these are kids who NEVER had a security item growing up. To this day their blankets are so special to them and offer them comfort!
So, make a tie blanket, whip out the sewing machine, or buy one from a local craft fair- go to www.projectlinus.org to see where you can drop them off. THEY MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE!
Just Lean On Each Other
The best thing we can do right now is lean on each other- help each other. Shovel a neighbor’s drive way with the kids before they get home from work, drop off snacks at a friend’s door for their kids, mail a board game to a cousin, call your grandparents (they are lonely)- anything to lighten the load of someone else.
Something simple can make such an impact on someone else life.
Make Any Day An Event
There are so many older people right now suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia, they are living in nursing homes unable to see family members and they can’t understand why.
There are thousands of people caring for their aging parents or grandparents- taking care of them at home without the normal in-person support they would receive. Alone, scared to even leave them unattended to shower.
Those people are truly suffering right now!
Help by hosting your own families The Longest Day event for the Alzheimer’s Association! Raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association so they can keep offering help in this rising time of need! They offer online and over the phone support for family, countless services, and help for those families!! I have seen them at work first hand- THEY NEED OUR HELP!!
Host a game night, do a longest day of baking, host an online crafting event to raise money, the longest day of Ice Fishing… anything to raising money and hope for those suffering alone right now!
** we did a longest day of running in September as a fundraiser and it was so much fun! The kids had a blast!
Support Mom and Pop Business
Support local and small business! Support those trying their best right now to keep their local business a float. These businesses have missed out of traffic in stores and who have been hit the hardest during this time.
With the holidays around the concern, buy from someone local. Help them pay for dance classes for their kids, for gifts for under their tree, or help pay for a movie night with their kids- buy their products help local families!
Here are just a few of my favorite small business:
laughterandkisses.com 