Why Parenting Mistakes Can Be a Good Thing

One of the biggest fears that parents today have is making a mistake. No parent wants to feel like they’ve failed their child and we certainly don’t want to realize that we’ve not been paying enough attention to our children. We want to get feedback from our kids (and others) that we’re being a good parent, that we’re doing our best and that we’re succeeding at our responsibilities.

However, it’s not always that simple.

We all make mistakes in life and that counts for our children too. Even if you feel like you’re personally not making any big mistakes, there’s a good chance that you might be doing something that your child doesn’t look or has a problem with. In cases like this, tougher parenting might seem like a good idea, but it can get to a point where you’re suffocating your child.

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Parenting mistakes prevent running from the truth

Many proud and overconfident parents run from the truth all the time. They’ll tell themselves that it’s not their parenting at fault, but their child or other factors. Things like this can happen from time to time. For example, your child might have been exposed to alcohol much earlier than you think, or they could be a lot more rebellious than you think behind your back.

In situations like this, running from the problem will only make it worse and the denial will only hurt your relationship with your child. Instead, you need to focus on accepting the truth that your parenting might have caused the issue. Once you’ve accepted it, you can then look for a service such as a young adult addiction treatment program that will help you recover from your mistakes and also get the help that your child needs to recover.

If you were to ignore the problems your child has, then it can lead to neglect and a false sense of security that will come back to hurt your family in the future.

Parenting mistakes are humbling

If any good comes from a parenting mistake, it’s probably the fact that it’s humbling. If you’re a really proud parent that feels like they’re on top of the world, then making a parenting mistake or two will help you realize that you’ve got a long way to go.

No parent faces zero mistakes during their child’s formative years, and any parent that claims to have done no wrong is clearly delusional. Every parent makes a mistake at some point that helps them understand that their child should be capable of making decisions on their own. We’ll run into situations where our children give us a figurative slap on the face when we realize that we’ve been doing something wrong this whole time.

Good parenting involves learning from your mistakes, and for that to happen you need to encounter a humbling situation. So if you feel down or less important as a parent because of something with your children–cheer up. It’s a humbling experience that teaches you that there are better (or different) ways to do things.

Looking To Change Your Career Right Now?

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Just about everyone finds themselves in a position from time to time where they feel like they really need to make a change in their career. Maybe their current career is leaving them frustrated and unfulfilled, maybe their boss is making their life business, or maybe they simply want to be able to make more time to the other important things in their lives. Whatever the reason might be, if you're looking to change careers, one of the biggest barriers can be that of time. It often feels like changing careers is something that takes a lot of time to do. However, that's not always the case, with that in mind, here are some career options that may well be able to switch to right now.

Web development

If you're the type of person with the right combination of technical know-how and creative flair then a career in web development might well be perfect for you. Every business needs a website, that's undeniable, and most businesses simply don't have the time, skills, or resources to take that on themselves. Not only that but web development is something that you can often do from home which makes it a fantastic option if you're looking for a career that allows you to the kind of flexibility that you need to build around your family and personal responsibilities. 

Driving

If you're sick and tired of the classic 9-5, spending all day stuck in an office, then a career as a driver might well be perfect for you. There are plenty of options available from taxi driving to logistics. Many truck driving companies even offer things like CDL driver training so that you can really hit the ground running without a huge amount of prior experience. It's the kind of career that offers flexibility, plenty of benefits, and allows you to avoid staying in one place for long enough for you to get bored.

Freelance writing

If you're pretty good at stringing a sentence or two together then why not think about a career as a freelance writer. As with web development, businesses need things like copy and blog posts to entice their customers. If you're able to offer that kind of service then you can not only work from home and to a schedule that works for you but you also have the chance to do something that offers you a level of creative expression and fulfilment that you simply don't get with a lot of other potential careers. If you're looking to stretch those creative muscles, this might well be the career path for you.

Of course, just because these kinds of careers don't require piles of qualifications or years of schooling doesn't mean that they're going to be easy or that finding the right one isn't going to be a challenge. The truth is that all jobs have their own set of challenges that you will have to face and if you're not willing to put the work in, you're never going to be able to get the most out of them.

4 Tips for the Perfect Proposal

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Getting married is a big deal. Often, planning the perfect proposal for your beloved – one that they will find it impossible to say no to – can be an even bigger deal due to the pressures and fear of getting it just right. However, proposals don’t have to be stressful, and they should be fun and magical, in whatever way works for you and your partner.

Here are four tips to make sure your proposal is perfect, no matter how you choose to do it. 

1.    Have an Item to Give

There is a lot more popularity these days with the idea of choosing the perfect ring together. If you’ve decided that you would rather your partner have a hand in choosing the dream engagement ring, there is nothing wrong with that – but you should make sure you have something to offer when you propose. 

It doesn’t have to be something miraculous or expensive – it could be a small stand-in ring or a trinket of another kind, such as another piece of jewelry. It’s just nice to have something to cement the occasion until you can go official ring shopping together. 

2.    Do Your Ring Research

If you have decided to propose with a ring which you have chosen, you should take your time to see the options out there. Be sure to ask for professional advice from jewelers if you are completely unsure, know your maximum budget beforehand, and do your research into what kind of jewelry your partner likes. Don’t be afraid to have a nosy around their current jewelry collection but be sure to understand that an engagement ring should be different from any other piece they may already have. 

Consider their tastes: a person who prefers simplistic jewelry, or hardly wears any at all, may not like a large and flashy engagement ring. 

If your partner would be keen on something entirely different and unique, why not try gold nugget rings with Nuggets By Grant?

3.    Audience or No Audience?

A lot of people would love the idea of being proposed to in front of a crowd, whether it’s a group of strangers, family, or friends. For some people, however, this may be their worst nightmare. Consider how your partner prefers to share romantic and intimate moments with you – would they be more comfortable and happier with a completely private proposal? You don’t want the only memory they have of the proposal to be a sickening embarrassment at having all that attention on them.

Not only that, but sometimes it’s better to celebrate privately and keep the moment between the two of you before you have to reveal everything to family and friends and share the excitement. 

4.    Show Your Love with Sentiment, Not Expense

Spending a fortune on a location, champagne, rose petals, gifts, etc. of course sounds very romantic – and may well be the case for a lot of people – but when it comes to the perfect proposal, it’s more about expressing your own, personal sentiment of love. It doesn’t matter where you do it or how much you spend if what you say and how you ask is heartfelt and romantic.

The Advantages Of Investing In Rental Properties

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It is no secret that the current economic climate is not a desirable one. The political uncertainty has had an impact on the majority of people in the country. 

Making money through purchasing a property for the purpose of renting out

Companies are frequently advising their clients on the monetary rewards they can seek from investing in a rental property at the moment. There are companies like Altrua Financial that will enable you to find the best mortgage for you. They can also advise you on the different options out there at the moment.

Thus, for individuals seeking an investment opportunity at present, then they should certainly consider the prospects of renting a property out. Rental opportunities on the rise as house prices fall! This is unlikely to come as a surprise to many individuals. Ever since the political uncertainty hit the US, figures like this have become something of a norm throughout certain parts of the country. 

The decline in house prices is something that has been well-documented all over the country. Of course, this is only going to be applicable to certain states. There are some areas whereby house prices are flourishing. However, the key to success in this area is to make sure you look for areas whereby house prices are falling yet there is a flourishing rental market. This will make certain that you are able to locate the best money-making opportunities in the rental area.

After all, more and more people prefer to rent somewhere rather than pumping the majority of their capital into the purchase of a property. They see it is something which is a lot safer at present when keeping in the mind the state of the economy. Therefore people seeking investment opportunities are frequently being advised to seek real estate with the purpose of renting it out. 

How to make sure you make the most of this money-making opportunity 

Of course, in order to make this opportunity a successful one, you need to consider all of your options carefully and you need to look for a property with care. Consider your target market too, i.e. the sort of people that you want to rent a property too. This could be anything from families to young professionals and students. This is important because it determines the manner in which you go about marketing your property and, indeed, the various platforms you use in order to do so. You can also learn a lot from joining forums and reading about what other landlords have to say. You will find lots of useful advice. 

Finally, it is also worth considering that renting a property out is something which can be done in order to ride the storm until the housing market picks up. This means that individuals can hold out for a better price. All in all, the option of renting is certainly an advisable investment strategy at present.

Are You Ready For The Twenties?

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The twenties are here again! 

We are just a few days into the year 2020, a new year, a new decade, and a fresh start. This year marks a new decade of opportunity for you to move forward, for you to define your own success and achieve whatever it is you want to. 

It is entirely up to you what you want to do with this new decade; it is a blank page. Whether you plan on maxing out your 401k this year, want to start a family this decade, go back to school, get a new job or lose weight, you can do it; you just need to prepare yourself before you can get started. If you were on the path you wanted to be last year, and you want to continue that, then go for it. Or if you’re looking for something new and you want a change, then now is the time to look back over the last year and reflect on what did and did not happen.

There are a few things you can do to help you determine what you really think about last year, start by describing your 2019 in three words, think about what genre a book would be if someone was to write about your life in 2019. Would it be a comedy, a romance, a drama? What would you do differently, and why? Write a list of your accomplishments from the past year, big or small, because before you turn your sights to what’s next, it’s essential to appreciate what you’ve done already so that you appreciate what you do as you go through 2020. 

Look at where you are now and how you got to where you are now. Which decisions proved brilliant – and which ones would you change if you could? Create a list of the biggest lessons you have learned over the last year and the ones you will take with you into the new year. If you can’t remember off the top of your head, look at your planner or social media pages to refresh your memory. Don't waste your time on any lessons that will tempt you to hold yourself back or be detrimental to whatever it is you want to achieve. 

Once you have looked back, then it’s time to look forward to what the new year might bring. What do you want to see in 2020? What do you want to discover? What do you want to explore? And what do you hope your everyday life will be like?

Finish as Many Small Tasks as You Can

You can start with the small, but equally important things and book any outstanding appointments you’ve been procrastinating on. Get your car serviced, go to the doctors or visit the dentist. Don’t let these kinds of things hang over you! The more small tasks you can tick off your to-do list, the better prepared you’ll be to get going on your goals for the new year. Don't worry if you haven't done this yet, it is only the first few days of January, so it’s not too late. You can use this month as a prep month for the rest of the year. Taking care of the small tasks will ensure that you start the year off, focusing on the bigger things rather than playing catch up. 

Ditch High Expectations 

Forget expectations that are too high; you will only set yourself up to fail; it is far better to be realistic. Remember that really great things will take time, and while this can feel discouraging along the way, if you set small attainable goals that you can accomplish, then you will feel good about it and can work toward the bigger goal.

Explore What is Most Meaningful to You

You are more likely to achieve something that you are passionate about. It's important to focus on things that really do matter to you, things that you can see, and appreciate the benefits of things that will bring you closer to your ultimate goal and what you want for the future.

Make A Game Plan

Once you've done your reflecting, then it's time to turn it into action by properly setting goals. As mentioned, create a bigger goal for the entire year, but make sure you add smaller goals that will help you to reach your main goal. Once you know what you want, then you need to create an outline of how you will achieve each of these small goals and a timeline of when you want to accomplish them. Again, be realistic so that you don't get discouraged and make sure you plan ways to ensure that you stay on track. 

It's important to revisit your goals and your action plan at least four times a year because it's not unusual for peoples' goals to change throughout the year, and there are a number of different reasons why this might be. You might decide to change your job, you may get an unexpected promotion, or perhaps you'll lose your job. If your circumstances change, then your goals will understandably change too, and rightly so.  

Create A Plan For When You Feel Discouraged

Being realistic, there are going to be times when you want to give up, you don't see any progress, things aren't going your way, and you don't see the point anymore. These thoughts will hold you back from succeeding. It's inevitable that you will make excuses and put things, so when you're preparing for the new year, you need to prepare for these setbacks too, know that they will happen, and don't be disappointed with yourself when they do. 

Take Time to Recharge

There will always be times when you need to relax and rejuvenate so that you avoid burning out and can continue to be happy and productive. Remember to plan time to recharge and engage in activities that are meaningful to you. Self-care can be anything from rest, participating in healthy activities such as yoga and meditation, or just doing what you love and spending time with people you love. Taking care of yourself is essential to your success, but it is often placed low on the priority list.

Set yourself up for success in 2020 by being purposeful with your goals, and believe in your ability to accomplish them!