Ways to help families of deployed soldiers

I've seen lists everywhere of ways people can help families of deployed soldiers. I wanted to share some of my favorites along with my thoughts. If you are looking for ideas of ways to help, be sure to check the comments, some of my fellow military spouses may have a few ideas to add! Here goes:

Call just to say hi - I could literally go a full day without talking to anyone over the age of 7. I force myself out of the house (or onto the phone) to get adult interaction. However, I welcome a phone call anytime! :)

Stop by with some baked (or store bought) goodies - I don't remember the last time I baked goodies. I do good to get dinner on the table! :) I got some goodies about a week ago from a friend at church and it made my day!!! She owns a bakery so they were REALLY yummy treats! :)

Offer to watch the kids for an hour or two - I pay $6/hr for a babysitter. That adds up FAST!!! By the time I get a sitter for the necessary stuff (ie. this week will be dentist appointments) there isn't much left for the fun stuff. My mother in law came to visit a few weekends ago and watched the girls while Andrew was at a Saturday program for a few hours. I got more done in 2 hours that I normally do in a week!!!

When you go to the store, call and ask if they need anything - My sister does this a lot for me. I almost always need a gallon of whole milk! :)

Do yard work - The last time I had my yard raked and mowed, the carport and sidewalks cleared and the yard toys stacked neatly. THe cost? $60!!! I did get lucky last fall when some guy asked if he could have my pinestraw for free if he raked my yard.

Avoid talking about the war - I don't watch the news. I do read the news online when I can pick and choose the articles I want to read about. Don't tell a family member about the latest attack over there. Also, if you oppose the war, that is your right. The soldiers there are there because they took an oath to follow orders whether they agree with the war or not. I know soldiers who agree with the war and soldiers who don't. Regardless, they serve and follow orders. Please respect that.

Order a pizza for them - Let them know ahead of time so it doesn't show up AFTER they have had dinner! :)

Bring flowers - I never really thought of this one but when I read it, I thought it was a sweet idea. I know in Morocco last Spring, when the adoption was getting rough, a friend of mine stopped by my house and brought me flowers. It made my day.

Bring them a gift card to a local restaurant - Cooking and watching kids at the same time is hard. Enough said. :)

Offer to do maintenance projects (change air filters, light bulbs, take the car in for an oil change, etc.) - I had a burned out light in my carport for about 6 weeks because I couldn't find a time in the daylight to watch my kids and safely climb a ladder to change the bulb! I'm waiting for my mother in law's next visit to get my brakes done and my tires rotated. Mechanic's waiting rooms are rarely toddler friendly! :)

Invite the family over for dinner; especially holiday meals. - It is possible the holidays may be too hard to visit. Also, understand that if they say “no thanks” that it may be because it’s not fun to try to enjoy a meal with friends while worrying if their children are tearing your house apart! Better yet, bring the meal to them! I honestly could never relax at someone else's house with my girls unless they had children around the same age.

Offer to go to a child’s extracurricular event for or with them - I was so thankful for family and friends who came to Andrew's soccer games last fall. Sometimes the girls were too challenging so I had to push them in the stroller and missed those goals. Thankfully he still had someone cheering for him.

Call the mom and ask her to go out for a girl’s night but give her enough time to get a sitter! - My sister and I went to see a movie a few weeks ago and it was so fun to be silly, giggly girls instead of busy mom.

Shovel their snow - Not necessary for me around here but anything outside is hard to do while watching children so I'm sure this would be appreciated in the colder climates.

Do their dishes - Thankfully I have a dishwasher but if someone came to my house and watched the girls in the living room while I cleaned another room I'd be thrilled!

Look for opportunities to recognize them – Local tv and newspapers that honor local soldiers, tv shows looking for families of deployed service members for special shows, etc. - I know sometimes tv shows do special things for families. I got a free gym membership that includes childcare and I'm thrilled! The girls love the childcare and I love my workout time.

Those are some of my favorites. OK, fellow military wives, speak up in my comments section!!! :)