Do you have a friend who is going through a tough time? Here’s how to help a friend in need.
Motherhood is hard. This is true on any given day, but it’s especially true when life throws a curve ball at a mom. Curve balls can come in many shapes and sizes. They can be huge or small. Everything from a new baby to an illness to a surgery to being double booked with kids’ activities counts as a curve ball. Whatever the curve ball is, it throws her out of whack.
It’s when moms are thrown these curve balls that they need help from their village. That’s where you come in! Of course you want to help a friend in need. But it’s hard to know where to start to be the most helpful. That’s where I come in! Here are some great ways you can help a friend in need.
How to Help a Friend in Need
Food
The first thing that comes to mind when I want to help a friend in need is food. Feeding people is my love language. If you lean on food when times get tough, here are a few food-related things you can do to help a friend who needs you.
Make a meal
Feeding a family is a never-ending responsibility. If you have a friend who is going through it, taking one meal off her plate is a huge help. The obvious meal to provide is dinner, and that would certainly be helpful to bring a friend in need. My tips for meals to bring to a mom with a new baby work for any curve ball your friend might be experiencing. Baked ziti is always my go-to delivery dinner. Don’t forget a big green salad and garlic bread to complete the meal and a dessert to finish it off!
Even though dinner can definitely be helpful, it’s not the only helpful meal you can bring a friend in need. I find that breakfast is often the forgotten meal. It’s hard to get your stuff together to feed your family on a normal morning. When you’re dealing with a life upset, forget about it! So swoop in and save her mornings with breakfast.
My go-to breakfast delivery is a basic breakfast casserole and a fruit salad. This is an easily customizable meal that can be altered to fit any family’s preferences. Vegetarian? Skip the meat! Gluten-free? Swap bread for breakfast potatoes!
Takeout/Delivery
If you don’t fancy yourself a cook, you can still supply a meal. Pick up a prepared meal at your local grocery store, call and order takeout for pick-up or delivery. It doesn’t have to be hard to be helpful.
Grocery shop
Another food-related way to help a friend in need is to grocery shop. If she has a list but can’t find the time to go to the store, take the list and get the groceries. You can head to the store, of course, or you can order her list for delivery right to her door when it’s convenient for her. If she doesn’t have a list, at least get her the basics: bread, milk, some fresh fruit and veggies, and snacks.
Kids
Kids don’t stop needing things when life gets hard. If you really want to help a friend in need, deal with her kids’ needs.
Playdate
If you have kids, tell your friend that you’re taking her kids for a playdate. Don’t ask her if she wants you to take them, just tell her when you’ll pick them up and when you’ll bring them home.
Drive them
Why do kids have so many places to be all the time? Playing chauffeur for the kids is a massive help to a woman who has a full plate. Just make sure you have the proper restraints to keep them safe in your vehicle.
House
When life throws extra things at a mom, the house and all of its needs are often neglected. Dealing with one or more of these house chores will be a huge help to a friend in need.
Clean
When I was in high school, my dad had a scary medical situation that kept my mom and me at the hospital pretty much round the clock for many days. Although many people were very worried about my dad during that time, the thing I remember most was my mom’s friend coming to clean our house. At 17, I thought that was the most thoughtful thing anyone could do for a person who was struggling. More than 20 years later, I still remember her thoughtfulness. If you’re going to be like my mom’s friend and help a friend in need by cleaning her house, she’ll remember the gesture forever.
Laundry
If you’re someone who outsources your own house cleaning, you might opt instead to help a friend in need by doing her family’s laundry. You can either post up at her house for a day and get it all done, or you can pick it up and bring it back to your house for fluff and fold services, gratis of course. Having someone do your laundry is the ultimate luxury!
Yard work
Does your husband want to help you help a friend in need? Have him head over and do some yard work. Helpful tasks on the outside of the home could include cutting the grass, raking the leaves, or watering the plants.
Walk the dog
If your friend has a dog and you’re a dog person, lace up your walking shoes and leash up the puppy. No one wants the dog to suffer, but taking the dog for a walk can easily slide to the bottom of the list when life gives you lemons. Help your friend and Fido by checking this task off the list. And hey, you’ll get some exercise and maybe a wet kiss out of the deal!
Small gestures
Want to help a friend in need by simply bringing a smile to her face? Do something small to brighten her day, even if only temporarily.
Flowers
Flowers are an easy way to bring a small hit of joy to someone who needs it. Just a simple bouquet will do, you don’t have to get the fanciest flowers you can find. Heck, you can even go with a faux flower arrangement so your friend doesn’t have to worry about changing the water. If you do choose real flowers, make sure you’re sensitive to any allergies to flowers that may be at play. You don’t want to inadvertently add to her trouble.
Book
When I am seeking comfort, I often turn to a book. So, if you want to help a friend in need find some comfort, or just a momentary escape, bring her a book! I recommend picking a lighter book that won’t bring her down. Some good lighter books that I’ve read recently include:
- A Winter in New York by Josie Silver – Great for the Fall/Winter!
- The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella – This one made me laugh out loud.
- Happy Place by Emily Henry – Help her escape to her happy place.
- The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory – Really anything by Jasmine Guillory. She just knows how to write a rom com.
- Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan – She can read the book and then watch the movie (which is very well done!).
Company
The last category of ways to help a friend in need, but certainly not the least, is to offer your friend some company. Going through a life upset is always hard, but it’s just a little less hard when you know you’re not alone. Your company may be just the thing your friend needs.
Check in
A quick call or text to check in on your friend who is having a rough time shouldn’t be overlooked. It might not seem like much, but it can be a lifeline for someone who is struggling.
Distract her
If you want to connect with your friend in need in a grander way, distract her with a fun activity. Plan a fun day out or night in and make her participation mandatory. This can look like a shopping trip, a movie night on the couch, or just a walk around the neighborhood. Anything to take her out of her struggle is the perfect thing to do!
Other posts
Looking for other ways to be helpful? Check out these posts that try to give you some good ideas:
I hope this post gave you ideas for how to help a friend in need. What would you add to this list that someone has done for you? Please share in the comments or over on Instagram @sarainseason.