Practical Ways To Help a family When a Parent Dies

When a family loses a parent, household tasks may become overwhelming and hard to manage. It's important to remember when you want to help to ask them how they need help. Here is a list of some practical household tasks a family may need help with when their mother dies:

• Cooking and Meal Preparation / Delivery -- Preparing meals for the family can be difficult during this time, as they may not feel like cooking or know what to prepare. You could bring a meal, arrange meal deliveries, or restaurant gift cards.
• Cleaning – Arranging for a professional to clean the house can be so helpful for those walking through grief and loss.
• Laundry – The family may need help keeping up with the laundry, as it can be easy to let it pile up during this difficult time. They may ask you to use a service or allow you to do their laundry.
• Running Errands – The family may need help running errands like grocery shopping, picking up medication, or going to the post office.
• Transportation – The family may need help with transportation for themselves, their children, or running errands.
• Childcare – If the family has children, they may need help with childcare. This could be someone who does this in their home, daycare, or preschool.
• Pet care – If the family has pets, they may need help feeding, grooming, and walking or boarding them for funeral and memorial services.
• Gardening and Yard Work – Gardening or yard work will still need to be done. The grievers may need help from friends and family or a lawn service to help with maintaining the garden or yard.
• Home Maintenance and Repairs – The family may need help with these tasks if their home requires maintenance and repairs. You could gather a list of professionals or handyman services to help them with these repairs.
• Bill and Mail Management –Managing their bills and mail can be overwhelming. You could help them organize, make online payments, or mail out payments for their bills.

This list is not exhaustive, and the specific tasks will vary depending on the individual and their circumstances. It's important to remember that the grieving process can be overwhelming, and respecting the help someone needs is essential.