4 Educational Activities That You Should Try at Home

Another educational activity at home: having your dad teach you how to switch out a manifold on a truck :-) Go, Joel!

Raising kids is a lifetime job, and you don’t often get a break. The reward, however, is in the  unforgettable smiles, watching your child evolve, and the sense of accomplishment you feel at the end of each day. A significant aspect of raising kids is engaging them in activities to keep them occupied. This often requires that you continuously look for new and engaging activities that they can do either alone or with you. You may be reading this because you’re trying to find some new activities that you can do to keep your child busy. This article is going to suggest a few that you may find useful.

Create a Website

In this technological age, it isn’t uncommon to find a child somewhere glued to their iPad. If your child happens to be one of those kids, why not make their screen time more productive by teaching them how to create a website? You could sit down and let them come up with a website idea that relates to their interests or hobbies. So that they’re even more involved, you could also get them to take the pictures for their site while you help them post. In addition, showing them how to manage and update it on a regular basis or doing it for them until they’re old enough to take over is another way to teach them management skills.

DIY Volcano

If you have kids who are into experimenting, why not create a DIY volcano at home? This is an activity that’s ideal if your child loves science or if you’re struggling to get them to improve in that area. If this sounds like something you’d like to do, you’re going to need baking soda, salt, dish liquid, vinegar, scissors, orange food coloring, a glass jar and a party hat. This baking soda and vinegar volcano is a great way to teach them simple science facts.

Educational Board Games

For those who have kids that enjoy game playing, you should think about getting educational board games. It’s a great way to help expand their knowledge, teach them friendly competition, as well as how to lose gracefully. While schools like Salcombe Private School, North London encourage students to play games like Chess, these are also appropriate games they can play at home if you want them to develop strategic thinking skills.

Plant a Garden

If you have space on the outside of your home, another activity you can do with your child at home is plant a garden. It’s something that can teach your child patience as well as responsibility as they could be in charge of watering and monitoring the flowers and plants. Perhaps think about going through different plants with them and allowing them to choose their favorites so that looking after them will be something they find exciting.

Raising kids often requires patience, understanding and creativity, especially when it comes to learning. It isn’t always easy, but by spending time educating your child at home, you help bring out the best in them. Hopefully, after reading this, you have a few more ideas regarding how to make their future brighter.

Everything You Need to Know Before You Get Your First Family Dog

Getting your first dog will require a lot of preparation; you need to not only prepare yourselves, as the dog owners, but you will also have to prepare your home and know what you need to do. Dogs are huge responsibilities, but they are also incredibly loyal and very loving, which is why the majority of dog owners are completely satisfied with their choice of becoming dog parents. If you are thinking of getting a dog yourself, all you need to do is read through this quick guide so that you know what you will be getting into:

Dogs are Huge Responsibilities

Dogs require daily exercise, love, and training. They are much more hands-on than other types of pets, but it is for this reason that they make such great companions. If you have not looked after or owned a dog before, then you will want to make sure that you know what you are getting in to. Dog sit, learn from your dog-owning friends and get familiar with owning a dog and what it entails. Different dogs will require different levels of commitment, so use this time to figure out what kind of dog suits your lifestyle best.

Different Dogs Require Different Levels of Commitment

Choosing the right dog breed is one of the most important parts of becoming a dog owner. Different breeds have different characteristics, and levels of commitment, and it is your responsibility to know what these are before you commit to any breed. West Highlight White Terriers, for instance, might look like cute lap dogs, but they were bred for hunting and require a lot of exercise and challenges to be happy. If you live in an apartment, they likely won’t be the breed for you, but there are toy breeds that are perfectly suited for your living situation.

Training is Crucial

No matter what dog you choose, you must train them and be consistent with your rules. If you have never trained a dog before, that’s okay. There are puppy training classes that you can join where both you and your puppy learn training basics. Smartest dog breeds require sometimes more training and exercise than other breeds. Be consistent with your training – your furry friend can learn fast, but you have to be strict. If you don’t want them up on your couch, you have to say no every time, not most of the time.

How to Take Care of Your Dog

Dogs require regular exercise and routine, which means that you taking care of a dog can benefit the both of you. You will need to go to walks at the same time every day, feed them at the same time every day, and otherwise structure their life so that they know what to expect and will behave appropriately. If you don’t and become lax in, say, walking them, then they could become antsy and start acting out as a result. Know how to take care of your dog, and be prepared to commit to a schedule.

Dogs are great additions to any family, but they also require some of the most work. That is why it is always important that you know how to take care of a dog, what breed suits your lifestyle, and how to train them before you bring your puppy home.

Why Choose a Healthcare Career for Your Kid

Healthcare industries are a passion more than a profession. This is a service sector that demands skilled professionals; thereby grooming your young children to pursue their career in the healthcare industry in the future will develop tremendous skills from the early age. Similarly, the scope of this industry is really wide, comprising of specializations in various disciplines such as nursing, psychiatrist, ultrasound specialist, gynecologist, physiotherapist, heart specialists and general practitioners.

The medical industry is the most rewarding and profitable industry with several job opportunities across the globe. This post will be insight for those parents who have an idea of bringing up their children in the healthcare industry. Listing down is few promising reasons for why choosing healthcare sector for your kids’ profession is an ideal choice.

Career Opportunities

This is a fast-growing and ever-demanding sector; thereby parents need not worry about the scope of this profession in the future when children grew up. Career opportunities are extremely wide in this industry; however, developing greater technical and subject-matter knowledge is the key to shine here. When talking about career opportunities, there are various disciplines from which one can choose to specialize in.

Becoming doctor and nurses are common openings that every day are generally aware of, however among several remarkable disciplines such as ultrasound technicians, scan technicians and so on. There are some Best Ultra Sound Technician Schools that can groom the students into expert ultrasound technicians, by giving them hands-on training and complete coaching in this field.

High Paid Profession

This field might be a surprise to many parents, as these skill sets have high scope in the industry. The ultrasound technician will be one among the high paid specializations in the medical industry. If one acquires the expert skill in this field, there is a high demand for this job with a great salary and good abroad opportunities. Even entry-level technicians earn a really high salary, provided they have graduated from top ultrasound technician schools.

Ultra Sound Technician Schools

Top clinics and hospitals create a good opportunity for ultrasound technician experts. What is really important is to choose the right school to graduate in. The best ultrasound technician schools offer extremely well-versed training for the learners and will make them complete subject-matter experts. These courses will have both theoretical and practical learning which gives the learners the real-time experience right at the learning phase itself. Learners have to pass an examination conducted by American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) in order to become a certified ultrasound technician.

Different Disciplines

Ultrasound technician courses focus on specializations such as radiation therapy, diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists. There is a bachelor’s degree course for ultrasound technician and also a 1-year certification course and associate degree course. There is also a two-year Sonography course which is a certificate program. Sonographers and ultrasound technicians who graduate from expert ultrasound technician schools will always have a good demand in the market.

Conclusion

Parents who want to give a shining future to their children can definitely groom their skills to become an ultrasound technician and other healthcare industry professions, guilt-free.

3 Tips for Losing Baby Fat Fast

This was back when I only had 4 kids ... and miraculously they all fell asleep at the same time ... this had to be at night after a long day? 

On average, it takes about a year for a new mother to get back into proper shape, post-delivery. The exact time period differs from person to person of course, but that’s roughly how long it takes. However, you don’t necessarily have to wait that long to lose the baby fat because there are things you can do to speed up the process naturally and become healthier and fitter while you are at it.

Start Exercising Early

Most modern doctors are of the opinion that all it takes for your body to recover sufficiently from childbirth is six weeks. You might stretch it by a week or two if you feel like it, but that’s generally the maximum time you need to wait before starting to exercise. By exercise, we don’t mean deadlifts and splits, but just light activities such as power-walking or jogging to begin with. A time for heavier exercises will also come but wait till you feel that you are psychologically and physically ready to take them on. In addition to making you lose weight faster, a regular exercise routine will also help you immensely against postpartum depression.

Control Your Diet Intelligently

During the breastfeeding stage, it is important for a mother to eat healthy and sufficiently (2000 - 2200 calories per day), but what you cannot forget is that you are no longer eating for two people. It is a habit that you need to break out of as soon as possible. Talk with your doctor and dietician about it to figure out how you can both eat healthy and reduce your daily consumption of calories without affecting the lactation in any negative way. Even on your own, you can try out the eBay Shakeology Chocolate meal replacement shake because it is rich in protein, phytonutrients, adaptogens, antioxidants, prebiotics and various essential amino acids. Given that it has everything that your body needs and nothing that can contribute to weight gain, this shake might just become an essential part of your diet. Also, the watery nature of the shake fills you up, without adding any more to the calorie count than it needs to.

Get More Sleep

This may seem far-fetched for more reasons than one. Firstly, no mother is really able to sleep properly when there’s an infant at home and secondly, sleep is thought to be detrimental to weight loss. Let’s cross the second one off this list first because it has been proven that people who sleep less, gain weight faster and hold on to fat more. The first one is true though, but it is possible to get enough sleep even when you have an infant to take care of. It will take a few weeks before you get adjusted to the changes, but it can be done with the following steps.

• Match your sleep schedule with that of the baby
• Ask for help from other family members or hire help
• Pump milk and store it for those times when you are sleeping and someone else can feed the baby
• Catch up on sleep a few times every week by sleeping in a different room from that of your husband and child

As long as you are exercising, eating right, and sleeping decently, you will lose your baby fat in months. In fact, by the time most other new moms will only start to get out of their postnatal slump and think about starting a healthier lifestyle, chances are, you will already be looking fitter and better than you looked before you got pregnant.

On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.

Tips on Caring for Your Disabled Child

As a parent, it is natural to want the best for your child. It is also understandable that you would spend a large portion of your time worrying about your little one and carefully considering their needs. This level of attention is taken to a whole new level when it comes to caring for a disabled child. There is just so much to think about, so it is vital that you are up to the challenge. However, even if you are really struggling to handle your responsibilities, it is still possible for you to make a change. Below are four tips that will help you to become the best parent you can be.  

Take control of your finances

The first tip is to take control of your finances. Caring for a disabled child is an expensive undertaking, so it is vital that you have the necessary funds to fall back on. Why not set up a separate savings account that is dedicated to the support of your youngster? This will help you to divide up your money and to keep an eye on exactly how much you have. Another important step is to look into any support or compensation you could be owed. For instance, if your child has cerebral palsy as the result of a complicated birth, you should hold the hospital at fault accountable. This could be a life-changing way for you to access the funds you need. 

Evaluate your home environment

Once you have taken control of your finances, you will need to evaluate your home environment. If your child is going to enjoy a high quality of life, you will need to create a space that supports their needs, aids their progress, and encourages them to use their mind. In order to achieve this, you should fill your home with plenty of bright colors, interesting patterns, and interactive spaces. If your child uses a wheelchair, you will also need to think about how easy it is for them to access certain parts of your home. Ideally, they should be able to go wherever they want, as this will prevent your little one from feeling left out.

Don’t get stuck in a rut

You can also prevent your disabled child from feeling left out by organizing lots of fun activities for them to enjoy. This could involve anything from an afternoon craft session to a picnic in the garden. Whatever you decide, the most important thing is that you don’t get stuck in a rut. Although there are plenty of benefits to establishing a routine, too much structure will become boring after a while. It will also negatively impact the relationship you share with your child, as you will become more of a caregiver and less of a parent. 

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Make time for yourself

Finally, you should go out of your way to make time for yourself. This may involve you calling on a loved one for help or hiring an experienced nanny who has what it takes to support a disabled child. If you decide to push forward with this plan, just remember to let go of your guilt. There is no shame in taking a moment for yourself every now and then. In fact, making your own needs a priority will actually leave you with more strength and positivity when you return to looking after your little one.