What Friends
Do for Cheer ...

Special Observances
in September:

Classical Music Month
Fall Hat Month
International Square Dancing Month
National Blueberry Popsicle Month
National Courtesy Month
National Piano Month
Chicken Month
Baby Safety Month
Honey Month
Self Improvement Month
Better Breakfast Month
Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
Children's Eye Health and Safety Month
Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month
National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month
National Cholesterol Education Month
National Sickle Cell Month
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Check the What Friends Do for Cheer page often. New ideas are added regularly. Have an idea you’d like to share? Send an email to ideas @ whatfriendsdo.com.

Please visit your local blood donation center to share the gift of life.

For New Parents

No time to plan a shower?
Throw an impromptu shower for parents whose special little one has decided to arrive early or for parents who just learned the sweet child they are adopting is ready to join their family. Enlist a couple of friends to clean the house, others to bring food. Others can be assigned the task of assembling baby equipment. As much as new parents would prefer the leisure time of putting their nursery together themselves, with a new baby to care for, they won’t have time or energy for the special touches – so indulge them! Don’t forget something special for any older siblings; they’ll love to be involved in the shower, too. Use your WhatFriendsDo.com team page to get everyone organized.

Plan a housecleaning party
If the precious new baby came unexpectedly early, Mom and Dad may not have been ready. Ask the new parents if it’s OK for some “elves” to show up and work some magic before everyone comes home from the hospital. Use your WhatFriendsDo.com team page to get the “elves” organized: suggest that everyone bring some cleaning supplies so you don’t have to hunt for them. Leave a surprise or two in the house while you’re there – a fun bar of soap in the bathroom or a small vase of flowers beside a bed will bring a smile to your friend’s face.

Click here to read about what friends need to know when helping new parents.

Indulge the new baby with a WhatFriendsDo.com Onesie

$11.99

A family meal
When it’s your turn to take a meal, fix a meal using your friend’s recipes – maybe they don’t have energy right now to fix their own family favorites, but they sure will enjoy the familiar foods. (Be sure you sign up for a day to take food on your WhatFriendsDo.com team page!)

Family fun day
If the new parents have older children, plan an outing for the kids … take them to a museum or the zoo or to a ballgame – get them away from home for awhile. Or, give parents a gift card for dinner out – include a hand-made certificate for babysitting (and then follow up with a suggested date and time to reinforce the sincerity of your offer.)

WhatFriendsDo.com Baby Bib

$7.99

Take it back!
More likely than not, the new mom has some items that were given as gifts that need to be returned to the store. Give her an empty bag. Yes, an empty bag. Attach a note indicating that the bag is for all the items that need to be returned to stores. You’ll save your friend lots of time and give much relief by doing this leg work.

Plan a yardwork day
Taking care of a new baby is very time consuming, so the new parents may not have time to weed the flowerbeds, trim and mow or rake leaves. Use your WhatFriendsDo.com team page to organize friends to spend an hour or two doing yardwork.

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

–Leo Buscaglia