Gifts for Divorced Mothers or Fathers

If you know of any single parents, you should know how tough it can be when they have a special occasion and there is no one to help them feel special. Yes, it is true that a child is a natural gift. But if you are the babysitter, can you find it within yourself to reach down inside and find a way to touch the single parent's heart? After all, everyone needs to feel encouragement and compassion from their children. If there is no one to help teach the children compassion and teach the children how to encourage mom or dad, life can indeed become bleak and depressing.

When I am helping a friend who is going through a rough time, I try to put myself in that person's place. (No, this is not an article to pat myself on the back. It's about helping others.) When people are married, it is normal for one parent to help the child shop for a gift for the other parent or to help the child perform a special service. If there is no other parent present, sometimes a caring grandparent or best friend may step in and take the reigns to go to the store for gift shopping. However, many times there is preoccupation in the lives of those around us, no extra cash, or just no one who has thought of the single parent in this situation. While it's true that it is indeed a gift to have a child who is insightful on his own, many times the child must be taught to pay attention to others on special occasions. If there is no one to make them aware that parents need care, too, much is lost.

Divorced mothers or fathers need love, too. If you take just a few minutes out of your busy schedule to reach out to someone trying to raise their children alone, you may just change a heart or at least provide a much-needed uplifting of the spirit to give the parent hope that all is not lost in their lives.

It doesn't take much to teach a child compassion. Money doesn't have to be the focus of the gift and should not be. Children of divorced parents or single parents won't usually have their own money and transportation to go shopping. It would be rare indeed should that be the case. But most parents only want the quality of the thought that goes into the gift so the memories won't seem so bleak.

A child needs to learn not to focus only on his own needs. To create a card or a note of love takes little effort. A color page is special and can be upgraded by using acrylic paints instead of crayons to help the child feel more creative and more interested in the project. Small crafts are a great idea and can be made with coffee cans or soup cans wrapped in construction paper and decorated as pencil holders, scrunchie holders, or bill holders. Tiny beads and unusual buttons can be bought at thrift stores and garage sales to help keep the cost down on providing the supplies to make special gifts for the single parents. Back-to-school sales are not just for parents. They are also for the care providers who want to make a difference in someone's life. During these occasions, folders can be purchased for the visiting children to decorate. Markers and crayons can be bought cheap. Glue sticks and bottles can be purchased at lower than usual costs. If you have cardboard and some push pins, a simple homemade bulletin board can be made. Just cover it with some low-cost fabric and ribbon, glue or staple the material on the cardboard, and cut small note papers to be used. Let the child put stickers on the note papers to make a custom notepad.

If you babysit children who are not the creative type, at least show them how to reach out to their parents by doing services for them for their special day. It can even be a day the child creates, like a thank you day for mom or dad. The child can put together a sandwich, sweep floors, fold laundry, read to the parent, rub the parent's feet with lotion, take out the trash without being asked and so on. A little effort goes a long way towards lifting the spirits of the single or divorced parent.

This is a perfect opportunity for you to also do yourself the service of giving to others. It's a rewarding experience that helps put a positive perspective on a life otherwise in turmoil or depression.