Category: Family Life

Did you know that the American Psychological Association reports couples counseling as about 75 percent effective? That means three in four couples who enter marriage therapy have a shot at resolving marriage problems.

Have you ever thought about marriage therapy to help with problems you and your spouse experience? Here are some benefits of marriage counseling, and how to find the best couples therapy counselor.

Better Communication Between Spouses

Communication is a key factor in successful relationship management, but many married couples struggle with it. This could be due to differences in communication styles or how you choose to express your emotions to your partner.

In the marriage industry, counselors often encourage couples to use feeling words when talking to one another. Feeling words prevent assumptions and show emotions, rather than stating what you believe to be true.

Learn More About Each Other

Even if you have been married for many years, you may still not know everything about your partner. The best couples therapy will help you to discover more about each other in a safe environment.

Your marriage counselor may give you a list of questions or prompts to ask one another over a period of time. It may start out with simple questions and delve into deeper, more intimate ones as you get more comfortable with each other in the process.

Work Through Past Traumas

Sometimes marriage therapy can allow past traumas to resurface that may have an impact on one or both parties in the relationship. When you get those uncomfortable feelings, it is vital that you work through them, rather than pushing them back down.

Your marriage counselor might recommend talking it through with your partner as a way of coping with your trauma. You can also do activities like exposure therapy. This will help you to get over any persistent triggers that impact how you operate in your relationships.

Set New Goals Together

After you work on solving your current and past problems, your relationship coach will help you to set new goals for your marriage. This way, you can always have something you work toward together as a couple.

Goals can be specific or generalized, depending on what you want out of your relationship. For instance, you could make a goal of simply spending more time together. For a more specific goal, could dedicate two times a week to going out together and getting a babysitter for the kids.

So Many Benefits of Marriage Therapy

You should not have to worry about solving problems with your spouse on your own. With marriage therapy, you can find the best marriage counselor for your needs and work through issues together to build a better life.

Want to learn more about how to manage your family, children, and relationships? Take a look around our site for more tips, tricks, and inspiration on living your best life with the ones you love.

After walking down the aisle and saying “I do,” the two of you are in the honeymoon stage. Yet, what happens when the honeymoon ends? 

Marriage is a lot of work. Even though no one wants to hear it, it’s true. The two of you will need to put time and effort into each other to ensure your marriage is successful. 

So, how do you have a happier marriage? Well,  be sure to keep reading our guide for the top tips for a happier marriage. 

Communicate Freely 

When looking for marriage advice, you’ll often come across healthy communication as the number one tip. It is true!

You and your partner should be willing to discuss your wants and needs, yet it is so much more than that. You should also be able to talk about your hope and dreams as well as some of the negative things in life. 

We all know that things can’t always be sunshine and rainbows, especially in a partnership. Make sure that you’re ready to talk about the bad things in your marriage. 

Invest in Yourself

One of the best marriage tips anyone can give you is to make sure you take the time to invest in yourself. After saying “I do,” you become a couple that does everything together and makes plenty of choices together. Yet, what about the time that you spend on yourself? 

Through one of Karyn Seitz classes, you’ll learn self-confidence, joy, and happiness in life. Both of you need to make sure that you’re spending and investing time in yourself so that you can share the joy in each other.

Be sure that you set aside time, money, and anything else that you might need for the both of you to be able to enjoy life. You’ll find that you can recharge, and when you are together your happiness will be even greater. 

Celebrate the Good Times 

There isn’t one marriage guide that has all the correct answers, yet one thing you should always do is celebrate the good times. Whether it is a large or small event, be sure that you’re taking time to celebrate. 

For example, doing a Happy Marriage Anniversary evening together is a great way to celebrate what you have accomplished. You could also celebrate small accomplishments like completing a project at work. It is a great way to cheer each other on and show that you’re on the same team. 

Learning the Top Tips for a Happier Marriage

As you can see, there are ways to work at achieving a happier marriage. Improving your marriage might not happen overnight, but if the two of you work at it, you will see results in no time. Be sure to put in the time and effort, and you will have the happily ever after you’ve always dreamed of. 

Are you looking for more on family life, saving money, or even ways to earn money? If so, our page is the place to be! Make sure you bookmark our blog so you can keep coming back for more helpful tips and tricks you need to know. 

Almost four million babies are born each year in the United States. That’s countless itty bitty socks, shirts, onesies, sleep sacks, and everything else that goes into a newborn’s wardrobe. 

It can definitely be tempting to buy endless amounts of baby clothes. Who can resist grabbing handfuls of things when you walk into a baby clothing store?

However, a newborn baby doesn’t need a large number of outfits right when they’re born. You’ll have enough on your plate at that time without having to coordinate a ton of outfits. There’s plenty of time for adorable outfit coordination as the baby gets older. 

We’re going to talk about what baby outfits a newborn needs so you can dress your baby in confidence in those first few weeks of their life. 

What Baby Clothes a Newborn Should Wear During the Day

A great start for newborn baby clothes is a wrap shirt or onesies. Onesies are one of the most common clothing types for babies. These bodysuits are a great base layer for infants. 

What’s great about them is that they stay in place and don’t expose your baby’s tummy and back. The snaps on the bottom make it so you don’t have to completely undress them when you change their diapers. This makes diaper changing a lot easier for you and your baby won’t get chilly. 

Another option is a wrap-style or kimono shirt. The shirt snaps on the front so it doesn’t have to go over their head. This is a wonderful option for the first few days of their life since it’s gentle on their sensitive umbilical cord area. 

Now that we have the top figured out, let’s talk about bottoms. Footies are pants that have feet built-in. This eliminates the need for booties or baby socks. 

With footies, buy sizes that are a little bit larger but still fit your baby comfortable. This way you’ll get more use out of the pants even as the baby grows. You can also cut off the foot portion of the footies and turn them into pants. 

When the baby is in a car seat, add a light blanket over them. If the weather is mild, all they’ll need is a onesie with a pair of shorts or pants. The bottoms help add protection from the car seat buckle pinching their chubby legs. 

Don’t Forget About Layers

Whatever season you’re in will play a part in how many layers your baby wears and how thick each layer is. If it’s summer, all you need is a lightweight onesie. A longsleeved option is great as it ensures your baby feels cozy and protects their arms as well. 

During the winter, think about how many layers you wear but add one additional layer. If other people in your home are comfortable inside just wearing a shirt, add a t-shirt on top of the baby’s onesie. If everyone is wearing a sweater, add a sweater for the baby on top of their two layers. 

However, a lot of people tend to put too many layers on a baby. If they start to get too hot, you’ll notice a sweaty back, flushed cheeks, or fussiness. Whenever figuring out baby clothes, take your comfort level into consideration when determining how many layers the baby needs. 

What Accessories Do They Need?

Whether you’re looking for baby boy clothes or baby girl clothes, the accessories are some of the most fun parts of creating their outfit. You can keep them in a soft skull cap no matter the season. Newborn babies lose a large amount of heat through their heads. 

You’ll also want to get some thin mittens. This will help prevent them from scratching themselves. 

If your baby isn’t wearing footies, you’ll want them in some baby socks. They have poor circulation when they’re newborns. This causes their feet to be colder. 

For the months where it’s extra cold, you can add some leg warmers. Slip them on over the baby’s pants if you’re outside in colder weather. They’ll also help keep their socks up. 

When you’re nursing, carrying the baby to the car, or outside, cover the baby with a blanket. That’ll help them feel protected and cozy. 

A lightweight blanket during the summer is a great option. For colder months, use a thicker blanket. 

Wrap the baby from their toes to their next. Secure the blanket so it doesn’t flap in their face. 

How to Dress the Baby for Nighttime 

Less clothing and accessories are the way to go for sleeping. Babies can get out of their hats and mittens in bed, posing certain health risks. All your baby needs to wear is a onesie underneath a swaddling blanket. 

You can also look into a long-sleeved onesie that has built-in mittens. This is great if your baby tends to scratch themselves. If they don’t like to be swaddled, explore a sleep sack. 

You also don’t need to stress about purchasing clothes that are made from organic fibers. Natural fibers such as bamboo or cotton are very breathable. This helps your baby regulate its temperature. 

Wash any new clothes you buy before you put your baby in them. Some dyes and harsh chemicals can seep into the fabric while they’re being manufactured. 

Save outfits that are brightly dyed with large designs for older babies since you won’t know if your newborn has sensitive skin. Soft clothing that’s plain is perfect for your newborn. 

Keep Your Newborn Baby Happy and Well-Clothed

You’ll have a lot going on in the first few weeks of your baby’s life. Keeping the baby clothes simple and straightforward will reduce some of your stress. They should be comfortable at all times. 

For more parenting tips, check out one of our other articles. 

Globally, more than 55 million people live with dementia. If you’re currently helping a parent or family member with dementia, you know that it’s not always easy to provide them with the care they need.

That’s where memory care facilities can help. These facilities are designed for people experiencing memory difficulties. They can help them face life’s challenges with dignity.

Let’s take a brief look at some of the facilities memory care provides. 

Routine and Structure

People with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia usually benefit from having strong routines and structure to their day. The staff is trained to provide gentle reminders to help them through the day. 

This structured environment can greatly reduce stress for dementia sufferers. It also ensures that they get proper nutrition and personal care.

When people are disorientated, their sense of time often becomes lost. This can lead to missing meals and forgetting to take care of themselves. The memory caregivers at memory care facilities are trained to help them to follow these routines for their own well-being.

Safety and Security

During the middle stage of Alzheimer’s disease, it’s common for sufferers to wander. At this time, they need lots of supervision to ensure that they don’t get into danger.

Memory care facilities also have alarmed doors and other protective measures. They keep residents with dementia safe if they get the urge to wander.

They also usually have enclosed outdoor spaces. This provides a safe place for them to get some fresh air and sunshine.

Specially Designed Activities

Most assisted living and care facilities provide activities. These help residents to keep as mentally active and socially connected as possible. This is also true of memory care facilities, although the activities may be slightly different.

Memory care facilities include people at different stages of the disease. According to the stage they are at, they participate in different activities. The goal is to improve or retain cognitive function for as long as possible.

Singing, music, art, and knitting are just some of the activities memory care facilities use to engage people with dementia.

Medical Care

As the disease progresses, your loved one will need more and more support to stay as healthy as possible.

Medication management and personal care are just two of the facilities that memory care facilities provide. Search for memory care near me, and look at what services they offer. The best facilities can provide nursing support and work closely with doctors to care for your loved one’s needs.

Getting the Best Memory Care For Your Loved One

Thinking about moving your loved one into a memory care facility is very stressful. However, as their condition progresses, it will provide an environment in which they will be safe and well looked after. Activities will also help them keep their minds stimulated for as long as possible.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, we’ve got plenty more for you on related topics. Check out our Family Life section for more hints and tips about caring for those closest to you.

Death is inevitable. It’s a journey that everyone prepares for, with the hopes of dying in dignity. In the US, statistics project the number of deaths to likely reach 3.6 million in 2037.

Eventually, the death rate may peak at 2055 as each year will experience an uptick.

Fortunately, some people see their death coming, especially during the full-blown stages of a terminal illness. For these people, end of life care gives them the emotional support to rest peacefully.

While no one can have all the answers about the end of life, it’s crucial to be ready when you need professional care for the transition. Here are the five things you need to know about the end of life arrangements.

1. The Best Time for End of Life Care

Typically, end of life care begins when the patient needs it, especially if they’ll likely die within a year. However, the end of life stages timeline varies and can even go beyond years. In very unfortunate situations, it can be hours or a few days.

You would also want to take your loved one to a care facility when they develop advanced incurable illnesses such as motor neuron disease or cancer.

2. Making End of Life Arrangements

After checking into the care facility, the next step will involve making plans for advance care. These arrangements may include giving a lawyer power of attorney to make health and personal decisions on behalf of the patient.

At this point, the patient can also state their death wishes through a will. The caregivers will document these wishes and share them with the family when the right time comes.

3. Getting a Legal Designate

Caregivers require patients to choose a legal designate, especially if they are frail and can’t make sound decisions. That’s why many people refer to legal designates as substitute decision-makers. A secondary decision-maker will also help implement the patient’s written wishes.

Also, the patient’s family needs someone who can update them with the real-time status of their loved ones. In that case, the legal designate does the communication on behalf of the patient.

4. Spiritual Nourishment

Making end of life arrangements is not about medical wishes alone. Emotional and spiritual wellbeing is still important at the end of life stage timeline and beyond death. Remember, addressing every need prepares the patient to die peacefully.

Spiritual nourishment prepares the patient to discuss their legacy wishes and post-death arrangements. Sone of the post-death activities the patient may want to discuss include type of burial and funeral home fees.

Many people prefer in-ground burial. However, cremation can be a good option if the patient wants to divide the ashes among family members. Moreover, the average cremation cost is relatively affordable.

5. Emotional Care

The emotional needs of a dying patient can be pretty demanding. Professional caregivers know the emotional support to offer in varying circumstances.

At the care facility, the patient gets company in whatever they do. It can be reading, watching movies, or simply holding each other.

Moreover, they allow patients to talk about their feelings and sadness. For instance, many people find it hard to discuss burial ceremonies and funeral fees when they imagine leaving their family behind. End of life care offers the emotional support to face these inevitable fears.

Transition To The Afterlife Is Easy When You Prepare For It

Take time and explore the different end of life care plans that may match your emotional and financial needs. What’s important, go for the option that guarantees dignity and privacy.

Read more articles on this site to learn about making end of life arrangements and planning funeral home service fees.