One of the most important things we can do as adults to help develop our kids' interpersonal skills and increase their chances of success in life is to help them learn how to build and maintain relationships with others. However, sometimes we don't think about all the skills they need to learn for this process to be successful.
Here are the three critical skills that parents can help prepare their children to be more successful in peer relationships:
Giving birth is an amazing process, but it can also be scary. For centuries, women have given birth naturally, without the help of drugs or surgery. And though giving birth naturally may not be for everyone, there are many benefits to consider if you're thinking about having a natural childbirth. This blog post will discuss the top benefits of natural birth!
Via Pexels
One of the top benefits of natural birth is enhancing babies' brain development. A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that babies born naturally had better scores on tests measuring cognitive and motor skills at 18 months old than those delivered via c-section.
Children are still learning how to identify and manage their emotions, so it is very important to check in with them about how they are feeling. Allowing them to discuss their feelings, including unpleasant ones, will help them gain a sense of awareness for their feelings. Being able to identify their feelings is the first step to being able to manage them.
Pregnancy can be a beautiful and awe-inspiring experience for many families. The reality is that while both parents are preparing, it can take a more significant toll on the person who is pregnant. This can leave many expecting fathers with a desire to do more. While you cannot take over the pregnancy process, there are many things to do to support her. If you want to give your wife some pampering during pregnancy and show her how much you care, here are a few ideas.
The pregnancy experience can have intense physical symptoms. Whether she has muscle aches, back pain or is just tired, consider creating an at-home spa experience for her. Draw a warm bath with her favorite candles, book a massage appointment Chicago IL and give her a foot rub. With this kind of pampering, you will give her a bit of me-time that she likely needs.
 |
| Image by Press 👍👍 Love you 💖 from Pixabay |
As your child grows, his or her bedroom should mature as well. This can be tricky as kids grow quickly and their tastes are constantly evolving. Fortunately, a little forethought goes a long way in creating a bedroom that will suit your child for years.
 |
But it's never too late to turn things around! A quick trip to the IMDb website parent guide, which my best friend told me about now solves all that. (just go to IMDb site and search for the movie or show title, then scroll down to Parents Guide) If something is rated R, don't freak out. Sometimes movies are rated R for something like smoking ;-)
It goes further than Common Sense Media in that it explains specific instances and scenes. I'm okay with most language (hate when God's name is taken in vain though), and some violence is fine, but the sexual stuff that's inserted even in kid movies is just so unnecessary! There's a section at the top called Sex and Nudity and it shows instances and describes them so you can make an informed decision about watching the movie or not.
BONUS: Many of these movies are based on true stories and count as educational history!
Check out this list of movies, vetted by my girlfriend for her family of 7 boys and 2 girls 😀 plus a few of my own. And PLEASE leave your ideas in the Comments section or email them to me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com so I can check them out and add them!
All the Marvel movies (except for the Iron Man movies)
Godzilla movies (newer ones, 1998 and 2014)
Hunger Games series (four movies)
Night at the Museum (and 2 sequels) — We've seen this many times and I didn't realize how clean it was! Sam requested it for his 12th-birthday night movie after his homemade sushi dinner.
Pacific Rim and sequel
Quiet Place 1 and 2
The Bourne Identity (and sequels)
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (we read the book first as a family for homeschooling, then watched the movie ... be prepared to be depressed afterward)
The Greatest Showman (one of our family's favorites!)
True Grit (the newer one)
Walk the Line (Johnny Cash)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Because of Winn-Dixie Just started this book with 12-year-old Sam (November 2021), then we'll watch the movie.
Cast Away (male butt cheek)
Cheaper by the Dozen (how could I forget this one?!) but NOT the second one
Chef (read the sex/nudity stuff before watching with your kids, depending on their ages)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012)
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Little Women (2019) We've read the Junior Classics version of this book, and need to watch the movie!
McFarland USA (it says 7 instances, but one instance says "there is absolutely no sex or nudity" and then it goes on to talk about things like a married couple kissing or a brief shot of a shirtless man, so you do need to read it!)
Me Before You (fantastic date night at home movie, but the message about self-euthanasia is something to watch out for and discuss)
RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous) (my aunt recommended this one forever ago, so I recently checked it out and was shocked that it had zero sex/nudity and only 1 instance of profanity) (Update: if anyone in your household is triggered by being tied up or women with duct tape on their mouth and a bit of cleavage showing at the same time, skip this one. Keep an eye on the "violence" category in IMDB as well, because something like this was not in the "sex/nudity" category and also I didn't realize that people just like you and I are the ones leaving these notes.)
The Princess Diaries (2001) *Cheerleaders and bathing suits at a beach party*
Twister (I was typing up some Science stuff for homeschooling and this movie came into my mind, so I looked it up and it's clean!)
Wall-E
Walt before Mickey
Yes Day
A Boy Called Po
A Little Game
All is Lost
Arrival
August Rush
Cool Runnings
Finding Neverland
Glengarry Glen Ross
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
Heart of the Country
High Strung
Locke
Martian Child
Mr. Church
National Treasure (cleavage)
Storm Rider
The Great Gilly Hopkins
The Intouchables (subtitles)
The King's Speech
The Truman Show
Waffle Street
Have seen but won't watch again with the kids:
Bedtime Stories (or anything by Adam Sandler, sadly)
Pixels
Image by Devon Breen from Pixabay
Working from home is fulfilling because you get to earn while spending a lot of time with your family and have a more flexible schedule. You also save some money because you don't have to commute to work, eat out or maintain an expensive work wardrobe.
Photo Credit
However, working from home has its challenges; apart from attending to job demands, you still have to run a functional house. There're kids to attend to, a home to tidy, homework to check, and other home obligations that you cannot ignore. When not careful, you can quickly burn out. Here are a few tips to help you prevent burnout.
If you sit down for long hours, you can easily hurt your back and shoulders, especially if you don't have a comfortable chair and work table. Think of investing in a home office away from all the noises and distractions of a busy home.
Critically think about the furniture and equipment you need to be productive. It pays to ensure that you are comfortable working and maintaining a healthy posture, reducing back pain, cardiovascular problems, and nerve constriction. If you already have health issues resulting from poor posture, check out obVus Solutions to improve your wellbeing.
Sitting for long hours can lead to back problems. To avoid this, stand up every 20 to 30 minutes, take a 5-minutes walk around the house, then go back to work. Also, make sure that you get out of the house every day and take at least a 30-minutes walk, keeping you fit and healthy.
It's also refreshing when you are out of the house, helping you unwind, relax and admire the beauty of the landscape, flowers, people, trees, and the greenery.
Running a household can be overwhelming because there's a lot to do, and attending to a business or job gives you little time to take care of yourself. Instead, have a work schedule and allocate enough time to relax, spend with family, enjoy a hobby or the outdoors.
When you feel overwhelmed, get someone to help with the house chores. More importantly, make sure you get enough sleep every night. It also helps to employ people to help with some of the work demands if you run a business. The more you delegate, the more time you'll have to relax, avoiding burnout.
Taking breaks helps to unwind, re-energize and focus on the core tasks. Take one day every week to relax and unwind. Ensure you're resting- this is not a day to handle house chores such as general cleaning, but it's a total rest from all responsibilities as you allow someone else to take care of the tasks. Also, learn to listen to your body. When you're tired with low energy levels, rest, take a nap or go to the spa.
If you are continually finding it hard to stay motivated when working from home, create a reward system. For instance, if you are struggling to keep up with your workout schedule, reward yourself every week that you consistently workout, motivating you to do the same the following week. As a result, regular exercise will significantly reduce or prevent burnout.
Photo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-multiracial-family-playing-with-children-at-table-in-house-6623790/
No more forgetting things! If you want your child to excel academically, then you need to teach them how to increase their working memory. Here are some easy steps that anyone can do.
"Kids' brains grow and develop in the first few years of life, laying down the foundation for everything they will be able to do. But it's not just size that matters: what kids learn in those formative years will have a big impact on their brain development," writes Blythe Corbett, M.D. in an article for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website, Healthy Children.
A strong working memory is essential for building academic skills in reading, writing, and math. But it also has a big impact on your child's physical health, emotional well-being, social skills, and more.
Here are 11 easy steps to increase your kids' working memory:
If you’re a parent, one of your biggest concerns will likely be creating an environment for your kids in which they can thrive. Adults often look back over their time at home as kids, but it’s down to you as to whether they reminisce positively or negatively. Below, we have 7 ways to create a wonderful home environment for your kids that will make it fun and memorable for all of the right reasons!
The first year of a person’s life is always one of their most important. This is the start of their development, making it have an impact on them throughout the rest of their lives. Of course, most new parents are well aware of this and will work hard to make sure that they are giving their children what they need to develop healthily. This process involves seeing a range of medical professionals, but who exactly should your baby be seeing in their first year on Earth? Let’s take a look.
Pediatrician
Pediatrics is a field of medicine that involves working with infants, toddlers, and young children. Doctors in this field are experts on infant development, making them a great place to go when you want to make sure that your baby is growing well. Seeing a doctor like this within the first 6 months of your baby’s life is a good idea, with at least one follow-up visit by the time they are one year old. Of course, your baby should also see a doctor like this if they seem to be unwell, but this is something that you will easily be able to see once you have had your baby at home for a week or two.
Doctor of Audiology
Hearing is one of the hardest senses to measure, especially when it comes to babies. Many of the most accurate audiology testing methods involve the patient giving responses, and it can be hard to tell whether or not a baby is reacting to sounds. Seeing a doctor of audiology within the first year of a baby’s life can be a good way to ensure that they don’t have any hearing problems that could stunt their development of language. Many regular doctors can perform basic hearing tests, but they will refer you to a specialist if they feel that your baby needs a closer look from an expert.
Dentist
Babies aren’t born with teeth, with a liquid diet sustaining them for their first few months. Their first set of teeth will start to emerge between the age of 6-months and a year, making this a good time to see a dentist. Teething can be a painful process, but this will be much more painful if there are additional problems in your baby’s mouth, and it can be hard to tell if these problems exist without an expert’s view. Taking a baby to this sort of appointment can be hard, but you can be there to comfort them as the doctor looks at their teeth. Thankfully, many dental issues can be solved entirely when they are caught nice and early.
Ensuring that your child develops as well as they can is easier than ever before. Not only do you have access to loads of different medical professionals, but you can also learn a lot around the web when you are trying to find new ways to approach this. There will still be more work to do once the first year is through, but this will only get easier for you.
We’re still in the midst of a pandemic and many of us are starting to consider how we can make this time as easy on our kids as possible. Here are a few suggestions that should help you to provide them with the best and to keep a smile on their faces!
Education
Many of us are finding that our main concern for our children during this pandemic is their education. At the end of the day, they’d usually be in school every weekday learning all the things they need to advance. But while many schools are closed, the responsibility of teaching has fallen harder on parents’ shoulders. While there may be video classes for little ones, many are finding that they want to educate their kids further. Try getting in touch with their school to find out the curriculum they would usually be studying or consider an online christian homeschool curriculum. Just make sure not to put pressure on yourself. All kids are in the same situation and all kids will be able to catch up together when schools reopen and teaching and learning recommence as usual.
Keeping Them Occupied
Of course, learning shouldn’t be the only thing your kids are doing at home. In usual times, they only spend a portion of their day at school. The rest of their days are usually filled with clubs, activities, and fun. Right now, hobbies and extracurricular activities are going to have to be home-based and away from others. So, you may find yourself looking for new things for your kids to do that they will enjoy. Here are a few suggestions that might help!
Arts and Crafts
The vast majority of kids love getting involved in arts and crafts. It helps them to express their creative side and - at the end of the day - is downright fun. Now, some ideas to get the ball rolling include helping them to make mosaics. Encouraging them to create sculptures with clay or plaster of Paris. Drawing. Supervised sewing or knitted. Painting. The list goes on. Simply provide them with the materials required to let their creative sides loose and they’ll be occupied for hours.
Baking
Another fun supervised activity for your kids is baking. So many little ones love getting involved in the kitchen and baking could be a fun and safe activity for you to all enjoy together. Plus, you all get a delicious treat at the end! Look up simple, child-friendly recipes or you could even consider pre-packaged and prepared baking kits specially targeted at kids. While you should take care of anything to do with the hob or oven, they can enjoy mixing, decorating, and all of the other fun and safe parts of the process.
Storybooks
When it comes to the evening, if you want to help your little ones wind down, try reading them a story. This will help them to drift off to sleep. You could also try out kids' audiobooks if you’re not great at reading out loud yourself.
Hopefully, some of this information will help to make the whole pandemic a little easier on you and your children. Each suggestion can really help to keep everyone engaged and occupied, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces on a daily basis!
Have you been stressed as of late and want to reduce such stress? Counseling is the best way you can do so. The good news is that you can easily get a counselor. Thanks to the internet, you can access groups, such as Centennial counseling, to offer you the guidance you need in life. Below are some benefits you will get from counseling sessions.
Sometimes, people can be caught up in challenging relationships and fail to know the best cause of their actions. For instance, an individual might find it challenging relating with their parents, siblings, or spouse. If such happens to you, groups such as Centennial counseling will offer you the necessary guidance on how to go about the situation. Once you have attended several counseling sessions, you will realize that you can reflect and make important decisions regarding the challenging relationship. People who attend counseling have reported a huge improvement in how they reflect on personal relationships.
Counseling enables an individual to appreciate their flaws. This makes it easy for them to love and appreciate themselves more and hence, raising their self-esteem. However, through counseling, people can learn how to appreciate themselves, and this raises their self-esteem. According to Central Park Counseling, people living with low self-esteem deserve counseling regardless of what caused the low self-esteem.
The counseling process makes it easy for an individual to improve their decision-making abilities. Through the counseling process, an individual gets to learn important skills that enable them to view life from a clear perspective. It is such a perspective that enables an individual to make better decisions than they used to make before the counseling process. According to Central Park Counseling, people should seek counseling often, whenever they feel like they are not in a position to make the right decision. The counseling process gives someone the insight they require in making such decisions.
Counseling helps an individual in understanding their feelings and character. A substantial number of people do not have self-awareness, and this affects the manner in which they react with other people. Some people tend to increase their self-awareness through yoga and meditation. However, counseling is considered to be the most effective strategy for improving self-awareness since the counselor helps you understand your character. Other methods of increasing self-awareness will only help you understand your feelings. If you are seeking better results, it is advisable to find a counselor near you, and you will not regret the results.
The best part about counseling is that it enhances how you understand other people. If you had a certain perspective about an individual, counseling might make you understand their character better. It gives you a better understanding of other people’s behavior by changing your views about life. An example is a case where you tend to judge someone based on their actions. If you attend counseling, the chances are high that you might understand why they behave so.
Going for counseling is not a decision that other people can make for you. It comes to a situation where you feel the process is necessary since it will help you live a happier life. It is also advisable to seek counseling even when you feel that you do not need it. You might have issues that need resolving through counseling and fail to know it.
Do you want to:
Connect with editors of top parenting publications,
Discover a community of writers who make a good living doing what they love, and
Learn insider secrets to landing an agent and more?
Register today for the live, online Parenting Journalists Conference on March 12-13 and unlock a package that includes interactive workshops and networking opportunities, roundtable conversations, master classes, and access to a private Facebook group.
If you’re wondering whether this year has impacted your child in one way or another you’re probably right. From digitizing their education to seeing friends and loved ones less, it’s normal to worry whether they are growing and constructively adapting to the constant change and challenges in their life.
No one likes their kids to feel discouraged, but being challenged and experiencing failure are important to allow them to grow. Below the folks at Tommy John outlined three ways to help kids develop a growth mindset during this time of uncertainty along with some helpful printable activities to support this growth.
Setting high expectations for your kids is great because when you show them that you believe they’re capable of handling difficult tasks, they feel empowered. But setting high goals is only half the point. You need to communicate and help them realize realistic and attainable ways to reach these goals. When kids find themselves in challenging situations the expectation grows bigger and it’s easy to get frustrated if you don’t have a road map. Encourage your child to look at the problem from all angles and set micro-goals to reaching a solution.
Committing to a daily routine is one of the best ways to increase structure in your child’s life and ease anxieties. When some days seem more chaotic than others, rather than barking orders, help them through their routine tasks. Let your kids control simple tasks like picking out their clothes, but support them through the process of getting dressed.
Life will be full of struggles and challenges for your child and it’s easy to look to a parent for a quick solution. Help them cultivate their independence by resisting the urge to help them right away when they confront a problem. Instead, ask open-ended questions to help them come up with a solution on their own. For example, “I know you're frustrated because X, how can we find a way around it?" Active problem-solving builds resilience and creativity.
We hope these three tips help you navigate the turbulent time we are all in. For activities geared at helping your child develop a growth mindset, we’ve sourced three printable activities to do together. Whether you try the Emotion Grid Exercise, Growth Mindset Conversation Cube or the Goal Setting Worksheet, all of these printable worksheets are perfect for doing together as a non-screen and educational activity. Download the activities below. For detailed instructions on using the printable worksheets check out Tommy John’s post here.
Moving to a new house is stressful even at the best of times. You have to spend hours packing up your belongings, changing your address, and negotiating with shopping companies. You’ll have to figure out how to ship your car across the country (hint: use CarsRelo) and find a buyer for your current home. It takes up an enormous amount of time and money and will occupy your mind for months before the moving day. But when you have young children in tow, it can be even worse.
2020 was a weird year for everyone, but for those of us that had a baby, or have a family to raise, it has been a wild ride. However, the good news is that you get ahead of the curve by checking out my guide to the biggest mom and baby trends of 2021, below.
More sustainable baby products
Sustainability is most definitely a watch-word in mom and baby trends this year. What that means is less of a focus on disposable items such as nappies, and wipes and more on good quality reusable ones that can be washed and used over and over again.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xs3WtSBvYvk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This focus on sustainability also means there will likely be a reduction in plastic toy use, and perhaps a move back to more traditional wooden toys. Something that fits well with the Montessori educational ethos.
Finally, when it comes to sustainability you can expect big changes in the Baby Food Industry as well. In particular, plant-based baby food is set to be big this year, not to mention packaging made from materials such as sugarcane pulp which can be recycled or composted as easily as any other biodegradable waste.
More gender-neutral clothing for baby
I know that gender reveals seem to be as popular as ever on social media, but 2021 may just be the year we see this trend start to shift. After all, there is a real conversation about gender going on right now, and many parents are reluctant to impose an identity onto their children that may not ring true for them as they get older.
With that in mind, expect to see more gender-neutral dressing and outfits in yellow, greens, and especially greys.
More deliberate screen time for the kids
2020 was the first year that many kids of all ages experienced online learning, and due to the constraints of the pandemic, we can largely expect this trend to continue.
Of course, this can be somewhat problematic to families that like to limit screen time. However, it is important to recognize that not all screen time is bad. Indeed, at the moment it is what is allowing our kids to maintain their friendships and their educational process.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cxyW12PjlW4" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Having said that, will the necessary increase in deliberate screen time, it may be wise to encourage other non-screen-based activities as well, especially ones that involve outdoor activities and exercise.
Outside parenting support
Let’s face it, parenting is hard, and I'm pleased to see that we as a society are finally beginning to acknowledge this. Indeed, instead of getting on with the task of parenting the kids alone, there is now a lot more support for those of us having a bad day, or struggling with longer-term problems like poor mental health.
I often find that one of the best places to go for support is other mommy bloggers, as many are wonderfully honest about the downs as well as the ups of parenthood. Then there are text and video call therapy services and there are even subs like r/breakingmom on Reddit that are specifically designed to be non-judgmental places of support and encouragement.
In life, your kids are going to need to know how they should go about getting what they want. It’s not going to be a case of wandering through their days and demanding things, because this isn’t going to fly in the real world and it shouldn’t work for you either. But, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a right way to do it. In this article, we’re going to be looking at some of the things that you should do to encourage your kids to go for what they want in life, without seeming like spoiled, entitled brats. If you would like to know more about this topic, then keep reading down below where you will find the information that you need.
It's easy to say that divorce is something that can make us feel like, as parents and as partners, we are a failure. But when it comes to making sure that you prepare for your children's future, you must remember that the art of co-parenting is about working together with your ex. If you have come to the decision of sharing the parenting of your children after a split there are some essential rules to make the arrangement easier for everybody. Let's show you some of the best approaches.
Speaking Positively About Your Ex
Something that we can all feel tempted to do, especially after they've hurt our feelings and our souls, is bad mouth them. But even if you think that your ex is someone who is more than keen to smear your reputation, you might be quite surprised as to how reserved they can be throughout the divorce process. Even if you consult divorce lawyers for men, throughout the process, you might be quite surprised as to how reserved and accommodating they are. And it's important that you both learn the fine art of keeping a lid on those visceral emotions. Not just for the sake of the divorce process, but what you say about your ex is something that your child will react to. They can also think this about themselves. And, the most important thing to remember when it comes to co-parenting is that your child still loves them as a parent. You bad mouthing them is going to be a dagger to your child's heart.
Keep the Rules in Both Households Consistent
For the sake of your children, they need structure and routine. Everything needs to be the same in both homes. It's about making sure that you both, as the child's parents, run a tight ship. This will make sure that you create a sense of security for the children. Wherever your child goes, and whenever they are, they will know that rules will be enforced. By operating in this respect, the children won't feel so insecure, which will result in a greater sense of well-being.
The Importance of Open Dialogue With Your Ex
Many marriages and relationships break down due to a lack of communication. By creating an open dialogue with your ex and keeping each other informed, it will make the relationship work. It can be emotionally painful, but making sure that you are both informed about the changes in your life or challenging circumstances will ensure that your child is never the key source of information. This is vital because if you ask your child what is going on in the other person's life, it is second-hand information, and it also results in putting your child in the middle. This is something that you will never, ever want to do.
As painful as it can be, you can make it work. The art of co-parenting during any separation is very much a fine one. It is not easy, but it is achievable.
