Christmas is a time of joy, giving, and togetherness, but it can also be challenging and stressful for single moms. Balancing work, parenting, and holiday preparations can be overwhelming. This Christmas, spread some extra cheer by supporting single moms in your community.
Helping a mom can be as simple as reaching out to offer encouragement or as big as buying them a fun gift that’s just for them! The best way to be life-affirming is by supporting those around you who need extra joy this holiday.
Here are ten things you can do to support single moms this Christmas season.
1. Bring her a meal.
For a single mom (or any mom, let’s be honest), eating a meal she didn’t have to cook or pay for might be the best gift ever. Whether you bring her a pizza on a Friday night or a home-cooked meal to simplify her weeknights, this gesture can mean more than you know.
2. Offer to babysit.
If you are a parent, you know that getting a few hours alone, even to run errands or take a bath, is not a small thing. Text your friend and offer to watch her kids so she can have time to go gift shopping, get her nails done, or do whatever she wants. If your kids are the same age as hers, offer to pick them up from school and do a playdate so she can have the afternoon to relax.
3. Take her to coffee.
After a challenging day at work or dealing with the demands of parenting, a single mom often has no one to sit and listen to her talk about her day. Take your single mom friend out for coffee this Christmas and offer her a listening ear. When things get hard, most of us need a friend to listen, affirm, and encourage us.
4. Fill her stocking.
Many moms spend their time and money during the holidays making sure their kids have the best memories, but when Christmas morning comes, their stockings are flat as pancakes hanging over the fireplace. Picture the joy on her face when she finds her stocking stuffed to the brim on Christmas day!
5. Help her put up decorations.
Can you feel holiday cheer without a Christmas tree covered in lights? Decorating gets everyone in the holiday spirit, but some moms put all of their energy into loving their babies and working to put food on the table. Coming over to help her means she can have an extra set of eyes on the kids, and she doesn’t have to do it alone. The kindness of one friend can give a single mom and her children memories to last a lifetime!
6. Get her gifts just for her.
Moms are always shopping for others. Chances are a single mom is looking for gifts for her kids and hasn’t bought anything special for herself. If you are close to a single mom, you probably know one gift she’s been eyeing but would never purchase for herself. Imagine how loved she would feel when there’s a gift under her tree that she didn’t wrap!
7. Invite her to your holiday dinner party.
For some single moms, the holiday season can be the most challenging time to be alone. It can be hard to see other large families celebrating, and often unintentionally, the single mom will be left off the invite list with couples. It can be even more difficult if a single mom doesn’t have family in town. Invite her for Christmas dinner so she can spend her holiday surrounded by the people she loves.
8. Get her some necessities, too.
One of the most basic ways to support single moms might be the most impactful. Next time you’re grocery shopping, double up on wipes, diapers, and everything you know she needs. Throw in some extra snacks, drinks, and easy lunches you know she and her kids will love!
9. Ask her what she needs.
What do you need? This is a simple question, but it can lift a heavy weight off a mama’s shoulder and have her consider her own needs in the hustle and bustle of life. Ask your friend this question and wait until she tells you exactly what she needs. If what she needs is a big hug for Christmas, you can be the one to give her exactly that.
10. Let her know about the resources available at your local women’s clinic.
If you have a single mom friend who isn’t already benefiting from the services of her local women’s clinic, tell her about the one near you. Search our online database and inform your single mom friend about all available resources.
Doing the work of two parents can be a challenging and thankless job! If you’re a single mom, you are doing better than you think! At Save the Storks, we believe that to be genuinely life-affirming, we must support moms from all walks of life, especially those needing extra joy this holiday season.
The Difference a Donation Can Make
Diana was 21, pregnant, and homeless just two days before Christmas Eve… Save the Storks helped provide her with the housing and support she needed to keep her baby safe for the holidays. Read her story here.
If you want to support single moms like Diana with a generous gift this Christmas, consider donating so we can help more women’s clinics provide tangible resources and compassionate care to women facing unplanned pregnancies.
Let your gift extend to the new year! Read how becoming a monthly donor saves lives.
