4 Attributes You Should Develop If You Want To Become An Excellent Foster Carer

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Not everyone in the world knows how to take care of a child. Only certain individuals understand what it takes to be a good parent or carer. However, it does not mean that you cannot be a good parent. You can develop certain skills and help the unfortunate children who are sent to foster homes.

While parenting is one thing, being a foster carer is a different ball game. You will get the help that is necessary from the foster agencies. They also offer you the necessary training and support.

Tahir Khan says that with Perpetual Fostering, training begins with The Skills to Foster course. This training session helps carers learn about the assessment process, as well as prepare for the fostering journey ahead.

Besides the training that you are going to receive, there are specific characteristics that you should have or develop in order to take care of children. Here is a list of them for your reference.

1. Empathy and Good Listening Skills

It is necessary for you to develop excellent listening skills. You also need to have empathy towards others. It is one of those fundamental traits that you need to build if you want to be a successful carer. Many people do not know how to be empathetic to kids. One way to become better at it is by being inclusive. Try and understand another's point of view as well.

You can become a better listener if you spare some time and listen attentively to children and others. If you are stuck with work, pause it and spend some time with the child to understand their issues. If you do this frequently, you are going to become a better listener who can empathize and understand.

2. Lots Of Patience

It is pretty tough to deal with children when you do not have patience. You should avoid becoming frustrated or irritated at small things. Most children are trying to figure out the world. They tend to make so many mistakes. We all did as kids.

You need to understand this point when they make a mistake. Be loving and forgiving. Children tend to like people who are patient with them. There are better chances for kids to become better when someone exhibits patience and are is not judgemental.

3. Unlock The Witty Side In You

Teaching proper etiquette is essential if you want the kids to become better in their lives. But, it does not mean that you should be rude or be strict always. Most of the kids that come to foster care have gone through a lot in their lives already. You can make them happy by being kind

4. Never Give Up

As a foster parent, you should not give up on things that easily or quickly. It is crucial that you have a strong will wherein you do not quit on anything once you undertake. You should be determined. Develop perseverance so that you can achieve anything in life. You should be one who can face any challenge with ease.

5 Reasons We Hold Back Our Feelings

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All relationships will be devoid of problems if everyone could communicate better with their partners. No matter how smitten or how long you have been in a relationship, it is important for you to communicate fearlessly. Several factors contribute to you failing in communicating your feelings with your significant other. Some of the most common reasons why we hold back our feelings are listed below. Try and overcome these and you will see yourself having a fruitful conversation with your partner.

1. Fear of Failure

If facts are to be believed, every failure should strengthen us. We outlive failure and move on to the next phase of our life. However, fear of failure can get the better of us and stop us from expressing ourselves. When faced with the fear of rejection or denial, tell yourself that the relationship is worth the effort and take the required steps.

2. Vulnerability

When things go wrong in our lives, we feel hopeless and vulnerable. It is perfectly alright to feel that way. However, feeling powerless makes us ineffective in communication. Sheila Moon from www.psychic2tarot.com points out that vulnerability is usually uncomfortable and can be scary because we fear that we will accidentally reveal too much to others and be ridiculed for what we share.

You need to overcome this feeling and learn to be more open-minded. That way you can learn to accept and address your own challenges and misconceptions.

3. Expectation

With time, a relationship grows or matures into something deeper and more meaningful. With such a healthy relationship comes the burden of expectation. We start expecting the unimaginable from our partners and will also force ourselves to do things that are not realistic. By raising the bar of our expectations, we restrict the normal course of a relationship. It is wrong for us to continuously do things that affect the relationship. Give yourself time and it will help the relationship stay stronger.

4. Failure To Accept Change

Many of us fail to embrace and accept change. Most of the time we fail to accept change and hang on to the past. Our reluctance to accept change can force us to hold our lives back. When you are caught in the past, living in the present becomes strenuous. In order to live a happier life, we must never forget that the past is gone the future is yet to come.

5. Unwillingness to Embrace The Truth

Sometimes nothing can be more demoralizing than the truth. Embracing the truth is a scary thought for most of us. If there is a problem in your relationship, accept it. You need to have an open conversation with your partner in order to make amends. Only if you accept and communicate your feelings, the problem can be fixed.

Holding back will never help you in any way. Open up to the possibilities that await you. Give yourself a chance to be truly happy as you deserve it. And be assured that there is nothing wrong in feeling miserable or disappointed. Give yourself some time and this too shall pass.

4 Easy Tools To Simplify Your Life

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Many of us have felt envious of others who tend to have achieved more than us, although there’s no need to feel this way. What is it that has given rise to this situation? There has to be something within our attitude that has to do with this difference in achievements. Or, there could be other reasons related to lifestyle? As a matter of fact, there are. With these simple tools, you can also organize your life and achieve what you’ve always dreamt of. Here are four easy tools that you can use in your day to day life to simplify your life clutter:



1. Expense Manager

There is a huge list of tools that you can use to manage your expenses. An expense manager or, commonly referred to as an expense tracker sometimes, is a software-based application that allows you to keep track of your expenses in and out. Now, you may ask why you need to manage your expenses? You already know the answer to this question. The overflow of your expenses has already left you suffocated under the huge pile of bills. We all understand how difficult it could get sometimes to manage every little penny we spend. With this tool, you can keep track of where you’ve spent each and every penny. You can tag your expenses with titles and comments about what the payment was credited or debited for. When you have a track of your expenses you can easily manage your money and avoid any unnecessary troubles. By the end of the month, you’ll have a clear vision of where you’ve been spending your money.



2. Fashion blogs

You wish to look as fresh as possible. Your clothing and dressing sense can make a lot of difference. You don’t have to be a fashion fanatic to be fashionable. Simply follow fashion magazines and blogs for the latest updates in the field of fashion and clothing. You can follow the tips on this article about women’s fashion, to know more about how to turn your life into a fashion icon for the rest to follow. At this point, it is noteworthy that following trends is not sufficient. You need to declutter your mess. You need to simplify your life. A healthy and fit body will always look graceful, no matter how it is dressed. The next tool is all about how to maintain your body.



3. Diet And Health Organizer

Regardless of age, we all need to maintain our health. In order to stay healthy and fit, a good diet and working out accordingly can prove to be very helpful. But we all hate those long queues and waiting time at the dietician’s clinic. There are now easier ways to maintain the diet. There are hundreds of tools available online for this. These tools are full of all kinds of tips and tricks to help you stay fit. These tools can plan your diet as per your physique and your working schedule. They can also guide you with a few exercising tips that you can practice daily to achieve the desired fitness over a relatively smaller period of time.



4. Make Your Own Schedule

The most important of all is to schedule your routine. You need to plan out your day’s work and adhere to it. Once again, you can use the tool of your own preference to help with it. Planning can help you sort your clutter and clear unnecessary activities that may take a toll on your resources (healthwise, financially, physically, and mentally). It is best to make your schedule on your own. Include what’s necessary. Prioritize your tasks. Set your tasks in chronological order. Planning your schedule on a calendar can, although, be the best resort, but you can use tools as well. Some of the tools are featured with reminders. That is, these tools can remind you of what’s coming up and what is your schedule for the day.



Life is beautiful in its simplest form. Why do you have to complicate your life when there are easier ways to live life? Removing the unnecessary mess and sorting your goals on the basis of priority, can ease your life. Use these tools to get rid of the unnecessary mess that you’ve shelled yourself with. Break the shell and you’ll find the beauty in the simplicity. You’ll notice how these simple habits can actually bring a drastic change to your life problems. Note that, no one has ever gained anything from overthinking and complicating there lives unnecessarily.

IHOP National Pancake Day Free Short Stack March 12, 2019

IHOP Free Pancake Day is March 12, 2019 this year, and we are going to partake! Here's a post from when we did Free Pancake Day in 2016.

March 12, 2018 was a very sad day in my household (a miscarriage and my husband being hit by a car on his bicycle). This year we choose to be thankful for what we do have (5 healthy kids and a husband who is alive and well) and HAPPILY EAT PANCAKES!

"On IHOP Free Pancake Day, visit any IHOP restaurant and get a FREE short stack of our Original Buttermilk Pancakes. Then donate to help children battling critical illnesses. Each stack served on IHOP Free Pancake Day helps us flip it forward for kids in need. Doing good never tasted so good."

Click here for more details on IHOP Free Pancake Day 2019 and to see stories of kids you'll be helping out, and also check out their menu to plan your entire meal! We love to order bacon and OJ with our short stacks (coffee for Mommy!).

Driveway You Crazy

When it comes to neglected aspects of our homes, many of us consider spaces like our bathrooms or garages. Some of us even consider our front gardens or our home exteriors. But, few of us think about our driveways. That’s scandalous when you consider that this is a significant area for neglect in the majority of households.

While most of us stipulate the need for on-site parking when we’re buying a property, we don’t spare much thought for it once we’ve moved. It should come as no surprise, then, that many of us find that our driveways soon...well, drive us crazy.

It may be that the space doesn’t suit your needs, or perhaps it’s the eyesore of your exteriors. Whatever the problem, you should tackle this as soon as it comes to your attention. Your driveway is, after all, as much a part of your house as anything. Given that it’s out front, you could say that it has a significant impact on passing impression.

Pixabay Image

Don’t let your driveway drag your house down, then. Instead, consider the following improvements.

Make more room

One car is rarely enough for a growing family. The chances are that you own at least two vehicles, not even considering when guests come around. Before you know, your driveway can become a vehicle-style Tetris. As well as making your life difficult, this is sure to create an eyesore. And, it has an easy enough solution. Expanding our driveways is often easier than we think. It may be that getting rid of that unnecessary garage is your best bet. Or, perhaps you want to extend your driveway into your front lawn a little. Aside from making your life a lot easier, moves like these can actually add value to your home. So, what are you waiting for?

Improve that surface

Many of us also neglect to maintain our driveways the way we would other areas of our homes. This both looks bad and does damage to our tires over time. If you keep landing with flats, for example, it’s a sure sign that your driveway needs a little improvement. With luck, this could mean merely grouting bricks or deweeding the surface. In extreme cases, a complete concrete resurfacing could be the best thing for it. As well as providing a sleek finish, this could save you money on car repairs in the long-run. It may seem like a hassle, then, but it’s a hassle worth taking.

Make things pretty

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Elsewhere in the house, we focus on making everything look the part. For the most part, though, we leave our driveways blank and bland. It’s no wonder we often find them uninspiring. Of course, you can’t do much on your driveway itself without posing potential driving hazards. But, nothing is stopping you putting flower displays around those edges. Even opting for brick designs on your driveway itself could improve that aesthetic. Either option would make sure your driveway gave a first impression you could finally feel proud of.