My Friend Just Lost Her mother...she Was Very close...she Has 3 Kids......

I suggest offering specific ideas to your friend on how you'd like to help. Perhaps bring over a nice cooked meal (a casserole or something) so that her family can eat without her having to worry about cooking - I have a great recipe for a 5 cheese pasta that can be heated and re-heated for leftovers - I've brought it to friends after they have babies and they love it (both adults and young kids like it so that's helpful too). I usually pair it with a basket that contains a salad and bread for sides and maybe some brownies for dessert.

Or maybe you can offer to watch her kids if she needs to get out and just have a "me" day (maybe she can visit her mom's gravesite to spend some time grieving or just get out and walk around the mall to clear her head). I have a very close friend who lost her 4 year old nephew last year and it was incredibly hard on her family. At the time, I made specific offers to take care of my friend's daughter while she helped her family through different things and she was incredibly appreciative. When I originally just told her, "let me know what I can do", she said thank you but she didn't really respond. But when I said "Can I watch your daughter this afternoon for you while you do X, Y, and Z", she took me up on the offer. The way I included my own daughter so that she didn't feel left out is that I brought my daughter with me to play with her daughter while I was babysitting. This is a good way to show your support, especially when you don't really know what your friend is going through (since you haven't experienced it yourself).

Please just go to her and ask her what it is that she needs most from you for that day or week.
A lot of people are apprehensive of approaching people in that situation, but the best thing that you can do for your friend is to find out from her firsthand what she needs, and then do what you can
Hope this helps

I lost my mom before I had kids, but I know I was feeling very private about my grief. I would not have wanted someone outside my family hanging around. But bringing them some baked treats or calling and asking if she needs anything from the store when you're going, offering to have the kids over your house for an afternoon, those things would be nice. If she's like me, she'll appreciate that you're there but needs her space. So make those offers weekly not daily, and always let her know that if there's anything else she'd like you to do, to call you. As far as your family, I'd present it to them as a family effort, making sure they know their sacrifice of your time is to help someone else, and that they can help them too, by helping you.

My mom passed away 2 years ago...we all miss her dearly. I like Sarah mourned her death in my own way, which most people do(it took me a year). My friends did call me occasionally but since we have lived in MI for only a few years most had never met my mom(my mom lived in chicago). Do you have a social circle of friends? My friends took up a collection, gave me a beautiful card with a plant a tree in memory of your mom and we planted a flowering tree in my backyard in the spring. Just be the friend you are to her and not to overbearing, ask her kids to come over to play or bring dinner or order a pizza for her family. Most of all just be there to listen when she does call to cry, that's what she will really appreciate.