There is no doubt that the holidays are a busy time. It can be even busier when you’re pursuing adoption during the holiday season, too. If you know someone who is adopting during the holidays, then they are likely experiencing a lot of stress. The holidays are a time of love and trust, so you can be there for this person during this monumental life milestone.
But, what are some concrete ways that you can support your loved one? That’s why American Adoptions is here to help. We have created this detailed list of five ways to support someone who is adopting during the holidays.
1. Make a Care Package for Them
One way that you can provide support to a hopeful adoptive parent is to make a care package for them. They’re called “care packages” because they show that you care, and you can fill them with all kinds of thoughtful things. This includes festive treats, a kind note, special ornaments and more. Your friend or family member will be so thankful that you thought of them during this time, and it goes a long way toward showing your loved one that you care about them.
2. Help Them Do Some Meal Prepping
Everyone needs to eat, and the holidays and food go hand-in-hand, to say the least. The hopeful adoptive parent in your life may be struggling to keep up with cooking, so doing some meal prep for them can be incredibly helpful.
If this might take too much of your time, then you can create some meal kits for them as an alternative. These meal kits can come in handy if your loved one wants to do some meal prepping themselves. But, if you meal prep for them, then this will save them plenty of time so that they can focus more of their energy on their adoption process. Maybe you can even turn this into a festive activity by cooking together!
3. Run Errands for Them
No one likes to do errands. They’re called “errands” for good reason. They’re far from fun, and sometimes they can take quite a while to complete. To help your loved one, you can run some of their errands for them. By doing this, they can take some time to work on their adoption some more or relax for a bit. They’ll appreciate that you took time out of your day to do something that isn’t exactly fun, but you did it because you wanted to support them.
4. Donate to Their Adoption Fund
Another way that you can support your loved one during their adoption journey is to donate to their adoption fund. In fact, this could even be your holiday-themed gift for them. Although adoption is 100% free for prospective birth mothers, it is not free for hopeful adoptive parents. It can be pretty pricey, so that’s why many hopeful adoptive families set up adoption funds.
Still, not everyone can afford to donate to an adoption fund themselves. If this applies to you, then one way that you can help is by sharing the link to the adoption fund online. You can post about it on your social media accounts and text it to your family and friends. Don’t feel guilty if you can’t afford to donate yourself; spreading the word is important, too!
5. Be a Personal Reference for Them
Part of any hopeful adoptive parent’s journey is the adoption home study. This can be a stressful time for them because it can be pretty substantial and may require a lot of their attention. One way that you can help is by offering to be a reference for the home study. Even aside from the home study, hopeful adoptive parents will need references at various junctures in their adoption experience.
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Adoption is a journey filled with both emotional highs and lows. The holiday season can heighten both positive and negative emotions, so it’s important to support the hopeful adoptive parent in your life right now. They’ll be grateful for your support, and they’ll remember how wonderful you were to them years down the road.
