The idea of losing a child or infant is heartbreaking. Parents are devastated and sometimes beyond consolation. So you can help ease a small portion of their sorrow by acknowledging it. Your grief-stricken friend will appreciate your gesture of kindness. And it may help them get through one more day.
Thoughtful Gifts for Grieving Mothers and Fathers
When a child dies, it feels like a part of us dies with them. Children are so full of energy and joy that they leave behind a huge gap. Acknowledge your friend’s loss by sending a sympathy card and calling to check-in. In addition, thoughtful gifts for grieving mothers may help them to set down their sorrow for just a moment.
Gifts don’t take away the pain, but they let your friend know you care. These suggestions for gifts for grieving parents will show your concern and love.
- Take Food To The Family.
- Provide Housecleaning.
- Mow The Yard.
- Restaurant Or Gas Cards.
- Make A Charitable Donation In The Child’s Name.
- Give A Molly Bear.
- Make A Memorial Quilt Or Pillow.
- Name A Star After The Child.
- Willow Tree Remembrance Angel
- Memorial Butterfly Tree Picture
- Watch The Other Children.
- Personalize An Ornament
1. Take Food To The Family
After death, food is the last thing on the family’s mind. No one has the energy or desire to cook a meal. So taking casseroles and desserts to a grieving family is the perfect way to let them know you care.
Think about taking a meal for the family as a Mother’s Day gift to a grieving mother. It could be months after the death, but it still lets your friend know how much you care.
2. Provide Housecleaning
Provide housecleaning services to grieving families. You might offer to come over to clean, or you may choose to hire a local service. Either way, the grieving mom and dad will appreciate this thoughtful gift.
Remember to coordinate the housecleaning with your friend. Don’t just show up or have a service show up without prior scheduling.
3. Mow The Yard
Like housecleaning, lawn work falls to the wayside after a child dies. Instead, the parents focus all their energy on planning the funeral or simply just getting through the day. So offer to mow the yard or pull weeds.
And when you make the offer, state it more than ask. For example, say, “I’d like to come over Tuesday at noon to take care of your lawn mowing. Does that work for you?” Again, being specific with your offer to help is better received than what otherwise may sound like a platitude.
4. Restaurant Or Gas Cards
When you aren’t sure what to do or say after death, still say something. Don’t worry about saying the wrong thing; just let your friends know you care. For example, give a gift card to a local restaurant for take-away or delivery service. Your friend may find comfort in food from a particular cafe.
In addition, gift cards for gas stations help cover some more mundane tasks. For example, funerals costs add up, so gasoline coverage helps defray expenses. Finally, gift cards are great for parents who have lost a child.
5. Make A Charitable Donation In The Child’s Name
Sometimes families ask for donations to specific foundations after a child dies. Supporting a cause dear to the family’s heart is a great way to show your support to a grieving parent.
6. Give A Molly Bear
After Molly Bear’s founder, Bridget Crews, lost her daughter Molly Christine at 34 weeks, she was given a weighted teddy bear. Bridget used rice to make the bear weigh the same as Molly. Then, she began making the bears for other moms in her support groups. And she now has produced and sold over 17,000 bears for other grieving moms.
This small weighted Molly Bear makes a perfect gift for grieving moms. Siblings of the deceased infant will also find comfort in holding a bear the same size as their brother or sister.
7. Make A Memorial Quilt Or Pillow
A custom baby clothes memory blanket is a great way to honor a young life. You will need to work with the family to make this unique gift. Parents and siblings choose items of clothing and blankets to sew together into a memorial quilt or pillow.
If you’re crafty, offer to make this blanket yourself. Otherwise, crafters on Etsy make beautiful memorials.
8. Name A Star After The Child
Register a star under the deceased child’s name as a gift for their parents. What a touching memorial for a parent to look towards the heavens and see a twinkling star named after their beloved. You’ll receive a certificate and star map upon the naming.
9. Willow Tree Remembrance Angel
Willow Tree makes sculpted statuettes from artist Susan Lordi’s hand carvings. This beautiful angel expresses sympathy, comfort, and healing. It’s a reminder to hold memories in your heart.
10. Memorial Butterfly Tree Picture
For baby loss and miscarriage, this personalized butterfly tree picture is perfect for bereaved parents. It captures the feelings of loss and love to remember a stillborn or miscarried baby. This gift also works well for older infants or children who’ve died. Personalize the color, wording, and frame choices for a beautiful memorial picture.
11. Watch The Other Children
Another gift for grieving moms is to watch their other children for a couple of hours. Sometimes when grief overwhelms her, all a mom wants is for a peaceful moment to take a shower. Or maybe she needs to go to the funeral home for arrangements. Again, be specific in your volunteering. Ask her when is the best time for you to watch the children. Set a date and time rather than simply throwing out a generic offer.
12. Personalized Ornament
This personalized ornament makes a unique sympathy gift for grieving moms who have lost a child. Christmas is an excellent time to remind the family that you share their burden of loss. Giving a gift in remembrance of the lost child shows your support.
Times To Send Gifts For Grieving Moms
After the first initial shock of losing an infant or child, families go back to some sort of daily routine. But then, life takes over, and perhaps other children need care, or work pulls parents back into a schedule. But that doesn’t mean grief ends or thoughts of the lost child go away.
- Remember the grieving family on the child’s birthday, too. Acknowledging the lost life helps the parents know their child isn’t forgotten. Send a card and make a phone call to let the grieving mom know you’re thinking of her.
- Another time to honor the child is on the anniversary of their death. Parents take this day hard, so send a small gift to remind them they are not alone.
- In addition, you can reach out to grieving parents on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Just let them know you care and are thinking of them.
- And finally, remember the grieving family on Christmas and other holidays.
FAQs: What To Say & How To Support Grieving Parents
Here are a few tips about supporting parents who have lost a child.
What To Say To Grieving Parents?
Don’t try to find the perfect words since there aren’t any. Instead, just let them know how sorry you are. Next, call the child by name. Parents want to hear their child’s names. It tells them you haven’t forgotten. And finally, simply acknowledge the hole left behind by the child’s death.
How Do You Support A Grieving Mom?
Giving small gifts like the ones I mentioned above is an excellent way to support a grieving mom or dad. As you can see, gifts don’t need to cost money. They can be acts of service, which are hugely appreciated. So if your budget is tight, offer to babysit, mow the lawn, or clean the house.
Another way to support a mom who lost a child is to sit with her. Allow her to talk about her child and her loss in her timing. Being present in the face of grief supports grieving parents by reminding them they aren’t alone.
Conclusion
The death of a child or infant affects everyone around them. Parents, however, grieve the deepest. You can support friends whose child has died by giving them small tokens of your love.
- Give gifts to support grieving moms and dads.
- Perform acts of service through cooking, housecleaning, babysitting, and yard work.
- Talk with parents to acknowledge and honor their loved one’s life.
- Say the deceased child’s name aloud.
- Don’t let your support fade. Instead, remember grieving parents on birthdays, holidays, and the child’s death anniversary.
Remember that your friends are still parents, even if their child wears angel wings. Gifts are a beautiful symbol, but what your friend mainly needs is you.
