Today’s LIVE WELL is kind of unorthodox and also very exclusive to the parent crowd, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to touch on.

To me, living well means a lot of things – one of those being treating people well. Being a good friend and member of society. And with a lot of my friends having children around the same time, it’s often me thinking of ways to be of service in this stage of their life.

Looking back, when I first had Leo, I wasn’t sure what I needed help with. We were beyond lucky to have a good amount of assistance (some hired, some not), but I think what helped more than anything was another set of hands and time for myself. So what I want to remind you of today is that – a piece of advice when it comes to your relationships with people who have recently had a child.

After having Leo, the best gift offered up by friends and family was to come over and spend time with her. Whether that meant babysitting so I could take a shower or a nap (let’s be real here) or even run a quick errand.

I loved that Leo had an opportunity to get comfortable with those closest to us and that I could sneak away for just a bit. And even if I didn’t get the chance to step out, I still got to spend time catching up with a good friend. Or, another option is, if a little more time has gone by since the birth, offer to have the parents go on a date while you hang back with baby. Let the couple reconnect outside baby la la land when they’re comfortable enough to leave for a couple hours. Or even just have dinner alone in their own dining room while you sit in the nursery with bebe.

If you’ve been stressing over what to get the new parents in your life and they already have all the baby things, offer to babysit. Trust me when I say that any new parent will greatly appreciate the gesture.

Have you ever done this for a friend?