Being a good sibling also means being a good daughter or son. Before the adoption of Gracesyn, I never knew the effort my mom and my dad had to put into raising me. Since the adoption of Grace, I understand and appreciate a little more about the hard work it takes to care for a little one. As a small thank you to my parents I can help them out as they care for the needs of a busy toddler. Here are a few suggestions you may want to consider to help your parents.

After a long day at work, coming home to care for a little one while cooking dinner, answering the phone, cleaning or whatever other mayhem may be going on in your hectic household, your parents get tired and worn out. How about offering to put your sibling down to bed for the evening so your parents can rest and relax or to turn in early so they can get that much needed rest.

With taking care of the children, your parents may not get enough time to spend together alone. Surprise them by suggesting they go out and have a date night on a Friday or Saturday evening while you stay home and man down the fort. Let them enjoy their time together. Call only when necessary and tell them not to rush, but to enjoy their time with each other.

Chores, yuck. Us kids and teens all have them, but how often do we ever do our chores without being asked? I know I have been guilty plenty of times of over looking things that need to be done around the house that are over and beyond what my responsibilities are. Take out the garbage when you see it is being stuffed to the maximum capacity. Offer to clean up after dinner or to do the laundry. I know some kids may not know how to do the laundry, so here is a link that I hope will help called So You Wanna Learn to Do the Laundry: by SoYouWanna.com.

Adoption is a beautiful and rewarding, yet expensive process. You might want to offer to help your parents out financially by giving them back your allowance for a month to go towards the adoption expenses. As kids, we may not earn very much money, but to see the happiness and gratefulness in your parent’s eyes when you give them your allowance is worth much more then a months worth of allowance you might receive. To you it may seem small, but to your parents it will mean so much to them. You could also do some work around your town to give a little extra. I made pocket books made out of old jeans and I embellished them with really cool patches and beads and sold them to friends. Here at Getting Green, they have some awsome ideas for kids to make a little extra cash.

Most of all, tell your parents you love them and that you are grateful for what they do. They do not get the credit they deserve, but hearing a simple “thank you” from you or doing a simple chore gives a little back, for a lot they do for you and your sibling(s).