Ok, you’ve been licensed, maybe you’ve even quit your day job. Now you wait. Wait for a call or a match that you can say YES to. But, What do you do in the meantime? Here are some ideas: (Not in any particular order)


1. Go shopping. Get stocked up on all your grocery staples, canned goods, cleaning supplies, clothing and personal items. Shopping with children is never as fun or efficient as shopping by yourself or with your present family. New children in the mix just make it even more complicated. Older children may not know how to behave in a store, or just whine and run around. Younger children get tired and cranky. Try to get stocked up so you can make quicker trips each week.

2. Get your hair cut, get a massage, do your nails. It is amazing how these small things become huge luxury items when a new child comes. Take advantage now!

3. Childproof your home. For toddlers, cover plugs, lock up cleaning supplies and other chemicals. Put childproof locks on cabinets. We also had to move our coffee table out since she kept banging her head on it. In the winter we put a gate around our fireplace. (This may be required by your agency.) For older children you may still need to do some child proofing. Keep liquor out of reach, matches and lighters out of sight.

4. Clean clean clean. Your home won’t be clean again for a while.

5. Take parenting classes that are age appropriate for the child you expect to get. I highly recommend Love and Logic for all age groups.

6. Go see an adult movie.

7. Prepare any other children for their new sibling. Shop together, getting your children involved. Let them help decorate, and make decorating decisions. Read childrens books about new siblings to your child. Make changes to your routine before the new child comes so that your existing children don’t see a routine change and blame it on the new child.

8. Research schools, day camps, summer activities, playgrounds. Know where you are going to take your new child and have some fun ideas already set up.

9. Buy a Zoo membership! Fun for all ages.

10. Have a plastic box of welcoming items. Include a toothbrush, towels, age appropriate toys, crayons, markers or pens and paper. A nice jacket. Perhaps a disposable camera. Many of these children have never had one thing to call their own. Many have never owned a toothbrush.

Have fun, and remember, the waiting will end soon.