Category Archives: parenting

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We spend our lives as parents teaching our children to communicate, but there are those times when our kids say something that stops us dead in our tracks. Whether it’s with embarrassment, shock, or downright panic that you feel, these are the some of the words you never want to hear coming from your child’s mouth. Bless ‘em!

1. “I Hate You”

You spend your life caring for your little one, so those three little words are going to hurt. Why do they hate you? It’s probably because you are forcing them to eat their vegetables, refusing to let them play out after dark, or you have grounded them for something naughty they have done during the day. It’s unlikely they actually hate you, of course, so you need to remember not to take it personally. Don’t give in to the words either. Kids know what words push your buttons, so despite wanting to restore your calm family life, stand firm unless you have given them a genuine reason to say those terrible words. In which case, apologise!

2. “My head is itchy”

These four words spell dread for any parents. After a day at school, coming home with an itchy head can only mean one thing…head lice! At least, that’s what your mind will be thinking. If that is the case, you are going to need head lice treatment, be that a visit to a specialist clinic or a natural product that will get rid of the blasted things! Still, despite your repulsion, you need to remember that head lice gravitate to clean hair, and they don’t jump or fly, so it’s unlikely they will spread to you or your family unless you constantly rub heads together! Of course, the problem may not be head lice at all, in which case you can breathe a blessed sigh of relief… unless it’s one of these other problems. Yikes!

3. “I hate school”

Most children hate school. They hate having to get up in the morning. They hate homework. And quite often, they can hate their teachers too! Hate is a strong word, of course, but this is a word you will hear a lot from your child. Still, there may be genuine reasons why your child doesn’t like school. Bullying is a major issue for many kids, and then there is peer pressure, work that is too demanding for them, and the dread of SAT tests and exams. You owe it to your child to find out why school is such a hateful place for them to be, and if there is a serious issue, you need to help them get over the problem as soon as possible.

4. “I want it”

If only you were made of money! Every time you take your child out shopping, you can guarantee they will see something they want. They won’t settle for substitutes either, so while you try to convince them the cheaper option is best, they will usually want the more expensive item. Whether it’s pure greed or the need to keep up with their peers, your children will bleed your pockets dry with their demands. They want it and they want it now! So what do you do about it? Don’t give in! Unless the item they want is absolutely necessary, and you aren’t just being a Scrooge, say ‘no’ until they get the point. If you do give in, your pockets will run dry and you may end up with spoiled children on your hands.

Finally

Do any of the above relate to you? Have your children ever said those fearful words? Let us know, and if you can add any other phrases you don’t want to hear your kids say, please share them with us. Shudder!

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As soon as you have children, you automatically want to provide them with the best quality of life possible. This is something that almost every parent experiences. When we focus on what we want for our children, all sorts of areas and fields come into play. We consider their safety and the environment that they will be growing up in, both in terms of physical safety and social safety. That’s before we even get to their education and their extracurricular activities. All of these things that we consider, however, are greatly affected by one thing: the location of your family property. Now, where you live at the moment might have served you well as an adult. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best place for your little one to thrive in. Many of us stay put out of habit. But it’s important that you remember that the world is your oyster and now is a better time than ever to make a move for the good of your offspring. To make the decision of whether to move or not a little easier, here are a few things to consider when choosing where to raise your kids.

Consider Disruption

If your child hasn’t yet started school, a move shouldn’t be all too disruptive to their development. It’s when they’re a little older and settled that the upheaval can cause problems. Bear in mind the complexity of the moving process. Your child will have to take part in packing up all of their belongings, experience movers ship their things from one property to another, enrol at new schools, make new friends, and grow used to a completely new environment. This can be daunting for some children. But only you know your child best! Weigh up the pros and cons of moving and take your child’s natural disposition into account. Some are confident and will revel and thrive in new communities. Others may be better off staying put if the benefits of moving are only minimal. Only you as a parent can make the best decision for them.

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Education

Education is one of the biggest determining factors on whether to move children or not. After all, their schooling can determine their future success. So, take a look at the schools in your current area and their performance record. These are the institutions that will provide your little ones with knowledge. They are the place that they will spend most of the hours of their day. So you want to ensure that everything is top quality. This can be determined through independent reports which examine children’s attendance, happiness, and grades. If the schools you’re looking at fall below par in any of these areas, you might want to look a little further afield. Look at other schools in the area. If they’re better and more up to standard, work out whether you will be able to commute there every weekday around your usual work to get your kids there on time. If this isn’t possible, it might be time to consider a move closer to these institutions, or perhaps moving elsewhere further afield and looking at educational options there.

These are just a couple of factors that you need to consider when choosing where to raise your kids, but they’re a good place to start!

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When you’re younger, or at least when you’re a woman without a family, you often have a vision of what your family life will be like. Not everyone’s will be the same, but they’re generally very different to what it’s actually like when you do get your family. And sometimes, you can wonder why that is. Okay, so there is the issue of not having a realistic view of what it’s like to be a mom, but sometimes, you’ve just fallen off the track that you had hoped you be on. This can definitely be the case when it comes to stress.

Stress is something that every mom is going to have to deal with. No family life is without it. However, you will notice that some moms and some families just seem to get on with it, and you may always wonder how they do it. When that’s the case, you’ll be glad to know that you can create a calmer family life too, you just have to be proactive about it. Because those moms just won’t let the little things get to them, or you’ll get better at dealing with the stress that’s thrown their way. If you like the sound of that, then here’s five different approaches you can take to finally get yourself the calm family life you’ve always wanted.

Everyday Schedules

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The very first way that you’re going to be able to improve your family life is to work on your everyday schedules. You could spend your life trying to find something that works, but these tips should help you.

Wake Up Earlier

First of all, you’re likely to find that if you can wake up that little bit earlier, it’s going to help you for the rest of the day. If you’re always running late, or your family life always seems chaotic, this could be a huge savior for you. Not only will you find that you can start getting things done nice and early, but you will also have more energy when you start the day off right too.

Keep Things Written Down

A huge part of ensuring things calm down a little is to get yourself more organized. Writing things down will always help with this. Because when you have lots of different schedules to keep track of, it can all get confusing. With a family wall calendar, you’ll hopefully overcome this. You should find that your mind feels much clearer with this in place too.

Don’t Overcomplicate Things

From here, you’re going to want to work on your mindset too. Because if you over complicate things, you’re only going to cause more work for yourself. When it comes to your everyday schedules and family life, don’t let things get to you. If you choose not to react to small problems, you’ll find that life feels so much calmer.

Financial Woes

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Worrying about money is another part of life that will always threaten to throw your family calm off balance. But don’t let it. Try to keep your family protected instead.

Cut Back

If you want to keep life calmer, cut back. You may find that you even find frugal living fun! And it doesn’t mean that you have to go without, you just have to be smarter about how you spend and what you spend it on. You can still eat healthy on a tight budget, just like you can still have fun as a family for free. But freeing up cash in this way could allow you a little room for movement.

Start Saving

You’re also going to want to make more of a conscious effort to save. It doesn’t have to be a lot – it could even be the amount you’ve managed to save by cutting back. But you will find that you instantly feel better, and so much calmer, just by having some savings in place.

Put Some Protection In Place

If you are worried about money, then you need to be able to protect yourself. Because savings are helpful, but they’re not always going to be enough. You may also need to protect your income as well. With the right kind of insurance in place, you won’t have to feel so stressed or worry about things the future may or may not bring. And this will allow you to be a lot calmer in life in general.

Work-Life Balance

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Sometimes, you’re going to find that you’re just doing too much. And of course that’s going to stress you out. So you should look to find a work-life balance that works for you.

Stick To Set Working Hours

When you’re trying to do too much, it’s always going to throw you off balance. Instead, you need to only commit to things that you can do – and this include your working hours. Flexibility can work for some people, but it’s often a good idea to have set hours that you can stick to. Because it’s always going to help if you know where you’re at. that way, you can plan easier and you’ll find each day becomes easier to manage.

Leave Work At Work

If you find that you tend to bring work home with you, it can really compromise your work-life balance. Because family time should be family time. When the two blur, it causes you to get more stressed. You’re also going to be cutting into valuable time with your family, which is something you shouldn’t want to do.

Focus Your Mind

To help you compartmentalize and separate the two, you’re going to find that mindfulness can really help you. You need to be able to keep your mind clear if you want to be able to take on both tasks as best as you can. When you work on some mindfulness exercises, you’ll find that you can switch off so much easier, and you’re also able to manage your stress levels more too.

Family Fun

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To make sure that your family life is as calm and happy as possible, you’re going to want to focus on fun! It’s a simple remedy, but it really works.

Letting Yourself Relax A Little

First of all, for this to be effective, you need to chill out a little bit more. Because a stressed, highly-strung mom is never fun to be around. You could even rub off on your kids too, and it’s safe to assume that you don’t want to bring up stressed out kids! So, take a look at these secrets of a laid-back mom – even just for a fun read. When you relax more, you’ll find you can all have so much more fun together.

Plan Regular Activities

From here, you should then start to think about planning in some activities for you to all do for fun. And they don’t have to be expensive either. If you want life to be calm, it should also be enjoyable. Because why spend your life stressing out and worrying when you could just enjoy it instead? And everyone wants their kids to be able to have a fun and interesting childhood.

Engage With Your Kids On A Regular Basis

Above all else, you need to focus on engaging with your children on a regular basis. Having fun on a daily basis, messing around, and just being able to laugh together is priceless. It’s what family life should be all about. So give them the attention they deserve and you’ll see that life feels like more of a breeze.

Preparing For The Future

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Before long, you’re going to realize that the future is approaching and you’re not ready. This is one way to ensure your calm center disappears. So, instead, you’re going to want to lay the foundations now to keep things on track.

Saving For A Rainy Day

How are you with savings? Because if you want to know that you have everything in order, and stop yourself from worrying about what the future will bring, savings help. You may also want to think about retirement planning as well as just saving for random things too. With both options in place, you’ll worry less and can just enjoy every day.

Working On Their Education

You should also channel your efforts into your kids’ futures too. Preparing them for college from a young age is only going to work in their favor. Yes, you want to enjoy life with them, but you don’t want to be worrying about their futures too. So you definitely need to think about putting steps in place today that will help them form the rest of their lives too.

Continuing To Grow

And then you’re going to want to focus on better your family life in the future too. Because you can always take steps to improve life as you know it. Whether you want a bigger house to fit your family in or to enjoy a yearly vacation with each other, you can put plans in place to make it happen. By working to get there gradually, without feeling any rush, you’ll also be able to improve your family life and ensure you do it calmly.

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If you’ve been a parent for a good amount of time, you’ve probably realized that this isn’t a field which can be mastered. Each day, a new challenge is presented to you, and you will have to learn how to conquer it. To do this, most parents will always on the lookout for knowledge and will stop at nothing to learn about the little ones they have to look after. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the best places for a parent to soak up some education.

Trial And Error: Of course, learning through experience is one of the only options you have here. Each and every child is different, and this makes it impossible to prescribe a set of rules to all of them. Instead, you will have to work on ways to keep them under control, while also figuring out what makes them tick. You may make mistakes at some points during this journey, but this is very natural and most people will find themselves with some difficulty. The way that you learn from them is the important part, as this will shape your success as a mom or dad.

Advice From Peers: Along with the experience you have, you also have access to hundreds of hours of other parent’s insight, as well. You will probably know which of your friends and family members are best with their children. They will almost certainly be willing to help you with any issues you might be having. Along with this, though, some simple observation of their techniques could go a long way with your own. Over time, this will lead nicely into developing your own routine to make parenting easier.

Proper Learning: Following advice and solving your own issues will get you a long way in this sort of field. To give yourself an even further head start, though, there are loads of different courses out there which could also help you. Options like TZK Seminars can unlock a huge amount of potential in your parenting. Teaching you how to deal with complex issues and problems, this sort of approach will often save loads of time, and can even make some big improvements in your life.

Professional Help: Finally, as the last area to consider, it’s time to think about getting some professional help with your parenting. This doesn’t mean getting family counselors or other scary people on the scene. But, instead, you should look for the advice of doctors, parenting experts, and other people with knowledge about development and childhood health. A lot of these sources will be able to help you for free. So, even if you think you’re doing well, it can be helpful to seek the help of those in the know.

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Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start working harder than ever before on the resources you use to learn about parenting. A lot of people struggle with this sort of work, finding it hard to know who to trust. In reality, though, most people in this field are very honest, and the information you get is often completely safe to follow.

Life as a single mom isn’t easy. Taking care of the children, minding your own health and trying to find success all at the same time can be a tricky balance to achieve. Luckily, there are plenty of successful single moms out there and many of these tips are the exact same things that they once followed in the past. To help you find success, here are a couple of fantastic ways to bolster your confidence and motivation.

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Know who your support is

In life, we’ll come across a wide variety of people, but it’s important to hold onto the ones that empower you and give you the confidence you need to continue with your life. Identify the people in your life that will gladly give you support and seek comfort when you need it. It could be family members, distant relatives, your friends or even anonymous online support groups. Utilise all of these ways to get the support you need to make it through the day.

Don’t always rely on others

However, you also need to gain independence and you can only do this by managing your own problems. Don’t push your issues onto others if possible and look for ways to deal with it on your own. It’s fine to seek help, but you need to realise when you’re doing it too much and becoming a burden for others.

Professional help is available

Whether it’s counselling to help you overcome difficulties in life or the best divorce lawyer in the state to help you deal with your past, there are many ways to utilise professional help when you don’t want to consult friends and family with your issues. It can be daunting attending your first counselling meeting or admitting to a stranger that you have an issue, but it’s the first step towards recovery and finding success as a single parent.

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Considering working from home

Trying to balance your work and your life can be incredibly difficult, which is why it’s best to look for a way to work at home so you can take care of your children while making a living. Some good examples of working at home including blogging, starting up your own business, freelancing or talking to your employer about remote working opportunities. Thanks to home-based learning, it’s easy to pick up new skills so you can find new career opportunities at home. Even if you can only negotiate a deal so you only attend your workplace a few times a week, every day you spend with your kids at home is a victory.

No more guilt

Many single parents find themselves blaming their own inability for the situation they’re in. However, there’s no reason to feel guilty because you’re the one looking after your children and trying your best. Stay focused and keep your mind off negative thoughts and you’ll find it much easier to reach your goals.

Set time for yourself

And speaking of goals, make it one to set some time aside each day for your own purposes. Whether it’s hanging out with friends, relaxing in the bathtub or going out for a meal with colleagues, try your best to free up your schedule so you have time to yourself.

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Most moms will agree that whilst raising children is the most special time of life it can also be the most demanding. Nurturing young children and watching them flourish into young adults is certainly the most rewarding of journeys however it can also take its tolls on moms. It is no secret that whilst mums are dedicated to their families and offer love and support in all necessary forms, there are many moments where moms can suffer from exhaustion, frustration and sometimes sadness. This is not something that is talked about enough sometimes between mothers, with the pressure being that we all have to balance the demands of being a mom with a big smile on our faces, seemingly always coping with the stresses and strains that it entails.

Of course children bring happiness, but the process of raising a family can have its emotional challenges too. Therefore today we want to talk about the small, but important things that we can do to deal with the stresses that come with the challenge of raising a family, in order to be the happiest versions of ourselves, for our families and for ourselves.

Ask For Help

This is something that we all struggle to do. Asking for help can sometimes feel like a weakness, almost as if it is a sign that we are not quite coping with the daily demands of looking after our children. However trying to do it all, is one sure fire way of burning ourselves out and there is no shame in reaching out to those around you for support and help. Whether that comes in the form of grandparents pitching in to help with that birthday party. Car pooling with other parents of your childrens schools, asking partners to be more involved in weekly chores or even getting the children to dig in more when it comes to the regular things that need to get down. Whatever it is, using those around you to help balance out all the many, many things that you need to get done will help make you feel much calmer and happier through the warmth of the support that you receive.

It’s OK To Be Stressed

This is an issue for some moms. To admit that you are stressed, can feel like waving a white flag that says ‘I’m not coping’. This however again is an unrealistic level of pressure that we put on ourselves to try and make it look like we find it all easy and everything is going swimmingly. We all have moments of feeling overwhelmed and that is completely natural. We need to be more open about it and talk to those around us in order to release pent up stress and to try and feel less irritable. We all know that talking through our emotions is sometimes all that is necessary in order to feel better. Having a good vent and not worrying about perception in an important way to take the pressure off and move forwards feeling lighter and in a better mood.

Go Back to Work

One of the best things that we can do to invest in our own happiness is to do something that will make us happy. Sometimes that is going back to work. Whether you crave social interaction with other adults, or whether you are looking for mental stimulation or perhaps you just want to feel empowered from having a different purpose in life. Whatever your reason, going back to work can be a fantastic way of focusing on yourself outside of the family dynamic.

Perhaps you previously worked in an industry that inspired you and you want to start getting the feelers out to re enter that sector. Or perhaps you fancy trying something completely different and want to train for a different career. Go online and check out the variety of courses available for different sectors. You may be pleasantly surprised by the diversity of courses and training programmes and how flexible they can be to revolve around your routine. Perhaps you might fancy looking into something like online clinical social work programs to get into the care sector or maybe you would like to attend a college that specialises in a specific area of business. Whatever you decide you will certainly not be without a wide range of options that will help and guide you back into your working life.

Sleep, Glorious Sleep

One sure fire way that we are not going to feel our best is by not getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest contributing factors to depression, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness. Therefore one of the kindest things that you can do for yourself is to make a good night’s sleep a priority. If we are tired we are less likely to want to do little things with our children or to do those important tasks that need ticking off our ‘to-do’ lists. When things start to slip, we then start to feel like we are failing or that somehow we are not doing well enough. That kind of anxiety keeps us awake at night. That then turns into a vicious circle, which could all be avoided by just prioritising getting enough decent shut-eye on a regular basis.

Re-Thinking Priorities

One way that you can ensure that you are feeling more positive is by reconsidering your priorities. Maybe you are not happy with the dynamics of your day to day life and you feel like you either spend most of your time in the supermarket or ferrying the children around. If that is the case then perhaps it is time to start mixing things up in a different way and planning your weekly routine from a different perspective.

Of course certain things need to be done, but perhaps there are different ways of going about them that will save you time or perhaps you are making hard work for yourself feeling that you need to do everything yourself. Perhaps you can pay someone, a couple of hours a week, to help you to get the house straight, so that you can have an afternoon or two to yourself. Perhaps instead of spending sunday nights getting through the mountain of ironing, you can delegate it to a professional service company so that your sunday evenings are freed up to spend with your family.

Whatever it is re prioritising is a great way to remind yourself of what is really important and also to remind yourself of your strengths and why you are doing such a great job of looking after your family.

Enjoy the Moment

We all hear the statement ‘Live in The Moment’ and often it is easier said than done. However as our children grow up so fast, there is never a more important time to live by this philosophy than when watching our children grow and develop. Therefore taking the time to just stand back and enjoy everything that you have and the family that you have around you is absolutely one of the most important ways that we can do to invest in our happiness.

Whilst we all know that it can be really hard, to always be worrying about everyone else and to be prioritising our children’s needs over our own, we must all ensure that we don’t forget ourselves in the process. That we find lovely things that we can do for ourselves in order to stay happy, to feel positive and in order to be able to enjoy this crazy and wonderful journey of being a mom.

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In life, when we go from being a couple to a family there are a lot of changes that take place. Whether you’re new parents or a young family, you’ll know that all too well. Not only do you have to get used to a new family dynamic, but you also feel as if you’re being tested on a daily basis. So, you kind of get used to the idea of change. But what about the kind of changes that you actively choose to make? Sometimes, there are changes that you need to make for the benefit of your family. And if you want to do what’s best, here are a few changes that you may consider.

A Career Move

When your career gets you down, stresses you out, or takes up too much of your time, it may be time for a change. As a mom, you want to make your family your priority and not always have a job that prevents that. The website She Knows shares some great advice on flexible jobs that would be great for moms. If you want to be less stressed and be around for your family more, then it could be a crucial change to seriously consider.

A Better Schedule

Sometimes, you may find that it’s your every routine that is messing things up. Whether you’re finding that your kids are too tired, or that you can’t fit everything in, you may need to make a big change to your schedule. Then, if you do, you may be able to nail those bedtimes and even find that you’re more productive too.

Relocating

Maybe it’s less about the things in your life and more about where you live that’s the problem? Whether you feel like you’ve not got the best quality of life right now, or that you need to be closer to family, relocating can often be a crucial change that you need to make. When that’s the case, you’re going to need to find someone like national moving company  and a realtor. Then, assess your options and the cost and see if it’s something that’s worthwhile.

Moving Schools

From your area to schools. It may be that your town or neighborhood is right, but the school that your kids go to is not. Sometimes, you have to make the tough but necessary decision to pull them out of school and find someplace more suitable. This could be down to standards or even if your kid is just not settling where they are.

A Healthier Diet

And then there’s always your lifestyle choices to consider, like your diet. It’s easy to fall into a routine of eating out, getting take out, or just generally tucking into junk, but if you want to lead a healthy and happy life, you should consider making a serious change. Even you feed your kids healthy, nutritious and balanced meals; you still need to be healthy for them. Plus, it may be a great excuse to shift any baby weight and finally feel better in yourself.

Father’s Day will be taking place on Sunday in the United States, and that means you’ve got an opportunity to show your partner – and your children’s daddy – just how much they mean to you. They work hard throughout the year, and you know what they’re like – they don’t expect too much in return for their sacrifices, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to be treated every now and again. Below, we’ve put together some gift ideas. Don’t worry if you’ve already sorted their Father’s Day gift – or if you don’t have children – as these gifts are appropriate for all, all the year round.

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Free For The Evening

Your partner won’t always want a gift: they’ll just want some time to do whatever they want! If you’ve got a home and a family, then there’ll nearly always be busy with the various tasks that need to be taken care of. When you give them a card, slip a little note inside with a ‘Free for the Evening’ card. At some point in the future – maybe when there’s a sporting event on – they can trade in the card and free themselves of adult responsibilities for the night.

Releasing Their Inner Child

The best gifts for men are the ones that make them feel like they’re a child again. That means, doing some cool activities! If they’re mad about cars, then get them a driving experience and let them tear up the track in a car they’ll likely never be able to afford. You can also get them flying experiences, scuba diving sessions, skiing adventures…the list goes on. They’ll get an adrenaline buzz and have the time of their life, we’re sure.

Indulging in their Passion

If your partner is particularly passionate about one thing, then why not build their gift around that passion? If they’re particularly interested in, say, craft beer, then you already know they’d love a trip to a craft beer festival. Buy two tickets – one for them and a friend (maybe you!) – and arrange transportation so they can sample the delicious beers without worrying about getting home. They’re sure to have a passion which is uniquely their own, so use that, and they’re sure to be happy.

Special Attention

If you can’t think of one gift to buy for your partner or don’t have time to think about big gifts, then you can always just make the entire Father’s Day special. Start off with breakfast in bed. Think of an activity they’d like to do in the morning, and treat them to a few small gifts along the way. They can have the afternoon to do whatever they want and then in the evening, prepare their favorite meal or go out to eat at their favorite restaurant. Make it all about them!

Making Every Day Count

You don’t have to wait for Father’s Day or any other day dedicated to them to make your partner feel special. Show them every day! Small gestures of love are easy to do and go a long way to ensure your relationship stays healthy.

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We all know that being a parent is like a whole new job in itself. But not only is it the greatest, most rewarding job in the world, it can also be tough and hard work. When you’re trying to balance your job and your health with entertaining your family and just getting through each day, you can often wonder how you’re still standing. Because taking on everything can sometimes get a bit too much. And that’s okay because we all experience it from time to time. The trick is not to sink but swim instead with the help of these pointers for getting things done.

Hire Help

To some Moms, this will seem too much. But, hiring help could be the answer to your problems. It doesn’t mean that you have to get a nanny to take care of the kids. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Because you want to be able to spend more time with your family, you might need a little help with all of the other bits and pieces you have to get done. From household chores and cleaning to your home business, hiring a cleaner, lifestyle assistant or admin assistant could really make a difference to your life.

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Plan Ahead

It can sometimes feel like a dream to have the option of planning, scheduling, and organization. Because no matter how much you try, you always find yourself falling asleep at the end of a busy day and not getting a start on anything else. But, when it comes to think like appointments at vet clinics, dentists, and eye doctors, and even play dates, you can schedule these in months ahead of time to make attending them feel like clock work.

Prioritize Well

As a Mom, it’s far from easy to prioritize. You can often feel like you have too many jobs and not enough hours in the day (or hands) to juggle them all. But, if you want to relax a little and ever learn to let go of the pressure, you’re going to have to be strict. One evening, decide what’s more important to you and cut out the rest. When you can breathe a bit, it will feel worth it.

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Prep Away

Mealtimes can often be a huge issue to parents. Whether you’ve got four different kids demanding four different meals, or one dinner that has to be served at different times, you can often feel like you’re always slaving away in the kitchen. But, you can help yourself by working with made ahead meals. By opting for dishes that can be done in the morning and served up whenever they’re needed, you will save a bit of time and a lot of stress.

Slow Down

And if you’re still struggling to get it all done, slow down. You’re only one person, and you can only do so much. Learn to say no a bit more and remember that your happiness, health, and family should always come first. As long as your kids are loved, everything else can wait. You’re your own kind of SuperMom, even if that doesn’t look like what you thought it would.

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Finding out your child has a serious illness or has been severely injured can be an incredibly difficult time. Your emotions will be all over the place, and the impact can affect your entire family and social network. As a parent, you will be stressed, feel helpless, and have serious worries about the future for your child. However, there are a few things you can try to help deal with the intense feelings, and we’re going to go through a few of the coping strategies you can employ today. Let’s get started with some of the basics – read on to find out more.

Focus on your child

Ultimately, your child will be the focus of all your attention, and it’s important to put them first, of course. Hospitals and medical environments can be incredibly scary for children at the best of times, let alone when they are in acute discomfort, pain, or are feeling ill. And, while you might be feeling scared about the outcome, you need to be there for your child, and try and put a brave face on – it can make a difference and reassure them they are safe.

Watch out for signs of trauma

Traumatic incidents can leave severe mental scars on everyone involved – including you. It’s important that you are able to recognize some of these warning signs, as the impact can be significant and grip you for many years without resolving them. If you are experiencing avoidance, reliving a traumatic event, or are feeling anxious or jumpy, it’s likely that you may need some help. Don’t forget, if you want to be there for your child, it’s important to be as fit and healthy as possible – you will be able to perform your parental duties much better if you look after yourself.

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Seek knowledge

Coping with a chronic illness or life-changing injury as a parent can be incredibly difficult. But the more you know about symptoms and impacts, the better. You will find there is a lot of information on almost every type of injury or illness as you can imagine, and your doctor will be able to point you in the right direction. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and look at joining some support groups. These groups and communities will be invaluable to you as you attempt to get to grips with the aftermath of an accident or illness to your child.

Seek justice

Has your child’s illness or injury been caused by someone else? You might think that in the event of an accident that is someone else’s fault, compensation claims should be a straightforward process. But according to https://www.rothlawyer.com, there are many stumbling blocks. The legal team and insurance companies will fight tooth and nail to minimize any payout and try to avoid responsibility for their actions. And regardless of how emotional or compelling your argument, the simple fact is that the opposite team will do everything in their power to limit their damages. It is vital that you find a lawyer to help with your case, to ensure you and your family get the financial compensation and help you deserve.

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Be honest

It might be tempting for parents to hide the facts away from their children. But kids are savvier than you might think, and will often be able to tell that you are keeping things from them. It is much better for your outcome to be open and honest, and discuss the issues at hand in a way that your child understands. If for example, you keep details of pain problems hidden away from them, your child will hold it against you when they experience those problems. Ultimately, if kids aren’t prepared, their imaginations can often run wild – and they will tend to start thinking the worst.

Avoid overprotection

In the long-term, there may be certain activities that your child can and cannot do because of their illness or injury. Be clear about these boundaries, but, as pointed out at http://www.apa.org, don’t try and overprotect them. You don’t want your kids to miss out on anything in life that is good for healthy development and that other children enjoy as much as possible. You should also involve your children with decision-making at an early stage. It’s important to give them some feeling of control, as it will help them become more independent, grow, and start taking personal responsibility.
Nothing can prepare you adequately for the horrendous experience of seeing your child experience pain and suffering. But, these ideas should help you give the right support, and help your child overcome many of their issues.