Category: Family Life

In case you’re not up to date on all of the COVID-19 news, over 70% of American schools have closed potentially for the rest of the school year.

Instead of having an extended summer break, many educators are rising up to the challenge of creating learning resources that can be accessed online.

Do you have children who are ready to start distance learning? Keep reading for 5 tips that will help them adjust to doing their lessons at home.

1. Research All Academic Support Resources That Are Available

Many schools are coming up with an online curriculum, but some parents are left with no lessons or inadequate lessons. If you want to be proactive, taking the time to research all of your options for online classes and tutoring can help your child stay engaged and up to speed. For example, these math help services are great for children who need to sharpen their math skills.

2. Be Lenient and Present During the Adjustment Period

Lots of adults are having a hard time dealing with this new routine dictated by lockdowns and social distancing. It’s easy to imagine how overwhelming these big changes can be for children. With so much uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, it’s important to take this time to be gentle on everyone in your family, including yourself.

If your child feels timid about their new online lessons, sitting with them until they get into the flow of things can give them more confidence.

3. Try to Keep Your Child on a Schedule

It may be tempting to stay in pajamas and watch Netflix all day, but it’s best for everyone’s mental health and productivity to create a routine and stick with it. This could involve waking up at a set time, changing into a new outfit, and having an academic schedule that feels similar to a normal school day.

4. Communicate Openly to See What Works and What Doesn’t

Does your child like working in an office space or out at the dining room table where they can interact with others? Are they struggling with certain subjects or are their online classes not challenging them enough? Asking your child to communicate openly with you is the best way to ensure they stay happy and engaged throughout this new period of life.

5. Keep Your Child Connected With Their Friends

Now that friends and other loved ones have to be kept at a distance to slow down the spread of the coronavirus, one of the hardest challenges your child will face is isolation. At school, kids have plenty of time to play and talk with their peers every day. Although playdates have to be put on hold, you can still help your child feel connected by arranging Skype chats and online game time with their friends.

Distance Learning Can Be Just as Productive as Going to School

If you follow these 5 tips on how to help your child transition to distance learning, they can keep up with all of their studies.

Do you want access to other resources that can help you be the best parent ever? Explore our site to find more helpful tips and guides on a wide range of parenting topics.

Everyone knows a few mothers that could qualify for sainthood. They do so much for you from scheduling, working, shopping, educating, and the list continues. 

If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift for a stay-at-home mom who does everything for you, then look no further. 

You can be the one who delivers the best gifts for every event or celebration with these ideas.

FitBit

A lot of stay-at-home moms don’t have time for the gym, but they usually don’t need it.

From running errands to chasing kids, moms are always on the go. Wouldn’t it be great if they knew exactly how much exercise they were getting?

A FitBit watch can track their steps and exercise throughout the day. It conveniently sits unnoticed and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. 

It doesn’t have to be a big present to make a big impact. 

Brand New Handbag

Just because she stays at home doesn’t mean she dislikes looking nice when she goes out.

A new handbag that she’s always wanted will help her feel pretty and confident for date nights or going out with friends.

Don’t stress about the price or the brand. If you pick a bag that is simple with neutral colors, it will quickly become her go-to bag.

Beeswax Bags

Stay-at-home moms go through tons of bags. After you use a plastic bag, you always toss it away. 

The constant use and disposal of plastic damages the environment and costs a lot of money. 

If you order reusable beeswax bags from beebagz.com, you can be saving them money and helping moms go green.

Stay-At-Home Mom Coupons

If you’re short on cash or ideas, try creative coupons for the stay-at-home mom.

Offer a free night out by offering babysitting services. You could cook dinner for her at the least offer to do the dishes.

Whatever you offer in your coupons, try and make the presentation nice. Make the coupons look like movie or concert tickets. Put time and effort into the presentation so they know you care.

Wine Subscription

You can be a real-life superhero by purchasing a wine subscription for your favorite stay-at-home mom in your life. 

A subscription will provide multiple bottles of wine every month with different flavor profiles.

Free wine will make you their favorite person and allow them to unwind at the end of a busy week.

Whether you purchase a year-long subscription or just a few months, this gift will transcend generations and lifestyles.

New Slippers

Show your appreciation by giving new slippers for that special woman.

They will enjoy having comfortable footwear for the house that can be worn chasing kids in the morning or relaxing at night.

New slippers don’t have to match or look good; they just have to fit and feel great.

Getting the Perfect Gift

You want to make sure the gift you give the woman who does everything is perfect.

The gift may never live up to what a stay-at-home mom deserves, but it will be appreciated.

For more amazing articles about the great women in our lives, keep scrolling the page.

The U.S. won’t win any awards for work-life balance any time soon. Even the most well-meaning parents find themselves daydreaming about work while spending ‘quality’ time with their kids.

Combat your workaholic nature by spending more time active with family projects. Check out these reasons why every new mother should start a baby journal for their child. 

You Don’t Have Time

Working moms will never find enough time to be the perfect mom and the perfect employee. There are moments you’ll miss when trying to find the right balance between work and parenting.

Keep a baby journal with you in the office to mark important occasions you can’t experience first hand. Spending time updating the baby journal can’t replace actual time with your child, but it does allow you to stay involved with your child’s memories while you’re away from home.

Keeping a baby journal doesn’t have to be a solo sport. 

Use the daily reports from your child’s caregivers, texts or email messages as references when creating a journal. If you have a nanny, ask them to take pictures to mark occasions as they happen. 

You Can’t Remember Anything

The way pregnancy affects memory can be cruel. In an effort to empower women, myths arose that challenged the idea that your memory is any different while pregnant and after.

This is an unfortunate myth because it can leave you thinking your mind still has the same infinite powers after childbirth as it did before childbirth. Forgetting the date your child got his first tooth isn’t a sign of a lower IQ, but that the brain is overloaded with new stimuli.

Studies show that sleep loss, breastfeeding, and new responsibilities can all scramble the brain making it impossible for some moms to keep up with every detail of parenting. A baby journal keeps up with the important memories for you.

In a few years, when you are pitching green beans as a delicious dinner option, you can reveal photos of your child’s first mashed veggie encounter to support your claim.

You Want a Legacy

Baby journals are the bible of your child’s childhood.  Don’t rely on memory to keep these sacred records alive. 

You are bound to have sections of the journal that don’t seem to fit your lifestyle or situation. Feel free to either skip these pages or opt for custom booklet printing after designing your own baby journal. 

Printing a custom journal is great for starting your family legacy. You can create sections specific to your family’s culture and traditions.

This turns your baby journal into a keepsake that becomes a vital part of history. It can be handed down over generations to preserve family stories. 

You Need Stress Relief

Meditation isn’t for everyone. The idea of sitting still to release stress might only bring up the urge to check your email or replay a conversation in your head you had with a client at work.

Give your brain a break from the stresses of work-life by putting together your baby journal each week. Scrapbooking is about layering moments in your life to tell a complete story.

Use your creativity to style each page according to the theme. Clip art, stickers or markers push the artistic boundaries for your baby journal.

Objects like hospital wristbands are great to include in your baby journal but too many bulky items or decorations will make it difficult for the book to close when you’re done.

Books that won’t close become a storage issue and are more likely to have items fall out. If you have a family heirloom you want to be associated with your child’s birth, take a photo of the heirloom and add it to the book instead of the original, irreplaceable item. 

You Want a Healthy Baby

The doctor’s office is one place where answers about your baby need to be accurate. Your doctor can’t track your baby’s progress without your help.

Make sure there is a section in your baby journal for notes on your baby’s daily activities. In the event your baby breaks out in a rash or starts losing sleep, knowing the baby’s recent foods or activity changes will help you find the problem faster. 

You also won’t feel foolish making up answers to questions about bowel movement frequency when you actually have no idea the last time you changed a poopy diaper. 

The doctor can also help ease any of your developmental worries if you have a baby journal on hand. Developmental milestones will differ from child to child but there’s a general range your child should fall within.

The baby journal shows the doctor important details that can help them determine whether or not your child is on track. Tracking developmental milestones can also give you hope for the future.

It might be time to start the official countdown to your child eating solid food or sleeping through the night. With a baby journal, you unleash the doctor’s superpower of making predictions about the baby’s behavior in the next few months.  

You Have the World’s Cutest Baby

Proud moms sometimes have no other reason to keep a baby journal except the knowledge they have the world’s cutest baby. Show off your baby when friends and relatives come to visit. 

Bring along your baby journal to holiday dinners to keep your aging grandparents in the loop on new teeth, favorite foods, and toys. Baby journals help extended family members get to know your child while sharing the intense cuteness you get to experience every day. 

Time to Start a Baby Journal

Baby journaling isn’t a part-time sport. Keep a baby journal that offers lots of flexibility in the way you store information and memories. 

These details help keep your child healthy and give your family memories to cherish for decades to come. For more information and lifestyle tips, check our blog for updates. 

So you’ve made the decision to begin the transition from your home to an assisted living facility. Or maybe you’re the child or relative of someone who’s in need of some extra care and you’re looking into it with them.

No matter the circumstance, this is a large shift in both the prospective resident and their family’s lives, and can, therefore, be a stressful and even frightening experience. But with a moving to assisted living checklist, you can make the move a little bit easier on everyone involved.

We’ve compiled an in-depth checklist, as well as a few tips for moving into this new home and beginning this new (and exciting!) chapter of life. Keep reading to learn more!

Questions to Ask During Your Tour

As you’re deciding between senior living communities, there is a multitude of questions you should be asking your appointed staff member. Pay close attention to every detail; it’s easy to overlook problems if you aren’t careful. Remember, this is going to be you or your loved one’s new home; it should be exactly what you’re looking for! 

Environment

1. What kind of feeling does the community give you? Do you enjoy its appearance?
2. Is the staff warm and welcoming?
3. Do the residents appear happy? Are they socializing?
4. Are there any restrictions on visiting residents?

Layout

1. Is the community accommodating to wheelchairs and walkers?
2. Are there handrails where you may need them?
3. Is there plenty of natural light in the common areas? (Natural light is vital to both mental and physical health!)
4. How clean is the community? Are the common areas a comfortable temperature?

Services and Amenities

1. Is there a clearly defined list of services available?
2. How often is there a nurse on staff?
3. Is 24-hour assistance available?
4. Does the community include a hairdresser and other day-to-day activities or transportation to them?

Apartment Features

1. What types and sizes of apartments are available?
2. Is smoking allowed in apartments? In common areas?
3. Do apartments include cable and internet? Do these amenities come at an additional cost?
4. Do residents have lockable doors?

Social Activities

1. Does the community offer organized activities on a regular basis?
2. Is there a volunteer presence in the community?
3. Are residents’ pets allowed?
4. Does the community foster inclusion and friendship with activities?

Medication and Costs

1. Is there any self-administration of medication allowed?
2. How is medication regulated?
3. Is there a sliding scale with cost in terms of levels of personal care?
4. Are there any programs available to help cover costs?

How and What to Pack

Did you know that the average home contains 300,000 items? Needless to say, you won’t be able to bring all of your belongings with you when moving into an assisted living community. You’ll likely be downsizing, and even if you aren’t, you can use this as an opportunity to start fresh!

Here’s what you should pack.

Personal Items

Take the most care packing items from this category, as it includes things like medications, grooming items, and toiletries. Make a checklist of all of your medications and toiletry items that you use on a daily basis and triple check it to ensure you’ve remembered everything. These items can be packed on moving day, but everything else should be prepared in advance!

Bedding and Linens

Be sure to pack a full bedding set; bring one you already own or make it fun by picking out all new sheets and comforter! If you go new, it’s a good idea to bring a favorite blanket or pillow to make your space feel more comforting in the beginning.

In addition to bedding, pack a variety of towels, including a few for the kitchen if your apartment comes with its own cooking area.

Laundry Necessities

Along with your clothing, you’ll need a laundry basket and enough clothes hangers to put away all of your items. If your new closet isn’t quite big enough to fit your belongings, consider bringing a small dresser or another container so you have everything you need. 

Your Favorite Decor

Now, you need to be careful when packing decor, as it’s one of the easiest categories in which to overpack. But you need enough to decorate your space! Have your new apartment or home in your mind and try to visualize what it includes and where it will go when deciding what to bring.

Electronics and Entertainment

Whether you’re a movie buff or a crossword champion, it’s important to bring whatever entertainment items you enjoy most to your new home. Your community should offer plenty of activities and fun things to do, but you’ll inevitably have some downtime now and then. If you have your computer or a shelf of your favorite books, you’ll feel right at home.

Keep an Open Mind

Last but certainly not least, try to keep an open mind during this process. Uprooting your life is tough, and doing so to move into an assisted living community can feel even tougher.

But there are so many positive aspects of this change! Think of all the people you’ll meet, friends you’ll make, and experiences you’ll have. By making a few friends and involving yourself in the activities available, you’ll feel right at home in no time.

Use This Moving to Assisted Living Checklist to Ease the Transition

Change isn’t easy for anyone, and when it comes to major life decisions, such as moving into an assisted living facility, it’s completely normal to feel nervous. By using this moving to assisted living checklist, you can feel confident in the knowledge that you’ve prepared well for the transition.

If you’re moving into an assisted living community, don’t be afraid to lean on friends and family for support. And if you’re the loved one of someone making this move, be sure to offer your shoulder for them to lean on. Even though this can be an exciting new chapter, it can be scary too!

Looking for more helpful advice on everything family? Check out our blog!

Wondering how to get your kids to exercise more?

Are you worried that your children aren’t as active as they should be?

While there is a lot to think about when raising children, exercise for kids is one thing that shouldn’t be overlooked. To grow up healthy and strong, it’s important that your kids get adequate exercise and remain active on a consistent basis, rather than staying inside all of the time.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Below we’ll tell you about 5 super fun ways you can get your kids to exercise more.

1. Get the Right Gear

One of the best ways to get your kids to play outside and to exercise more is to make sure that they have the right toys and gear to do it.

Buying a trampoline, bicycles for your kids to ride, or owning other fun outdoor equipment can make a huge impact on how much exercise your kids get. Backyard playsets can also be great for kids and can encourage them to stay active.

2. Consider Active Gaming

These days, many kids prefer to stay inside playing video games instead of going outside and doing fun activities. If you’re desperate to get your kids to exercise more often then you might not want to reinvent the wheel or ask for too much too soon.

Getting a motion-controlled gaming system such as the Wii that requires players to stand, move, and wave their arms to play can be a great gateway to a more active lifestyle. The Kinect for the Xbox or the Playstation Move can also be good options.

3. Encourage Team Sports

Encouraging your children to join their school’s basketball team, baseball team, or another sports team can be a great idea and will benefit your kids in several ways. These sports will get them moving on a regular basis and will also be a great social activity that can help them make new friends.

However, if none of the sports at your child’s school appeals to them there are other options. Karate, ballet, gymnastics, swimming, and even yoga classes can also be good possibilities.

4. Take an Active Vacation

Another great way to get your kids to be more active is to take them on a fun vacation.

When going on a trip to the beach, for example, you can give your kids a chance to swim in the ocean, try their hand at snorkeling, play mini-golf or fly a kite. A hiking or kayaking trip to the mountains can also be a lot of fun.

Going on a vacation to a fun destination can open up new opportunities for outdoor activities and this can make being active a lot more exciting for kids.

5. Become a Great Role Model

One final thing you can do to get your kids exercising more is to become a role model. If your kids see that you’re living an active lifestyle, they’ll naturally want to join in and learn about the activities you’re doing. Many kids want to be like their parents and will take on the same habits and interests.

By living an active lifestyle, regularly exercising, and trying new activities often your kids will want to do the same.

Understanding the Importance of Exercise For Kids

If you’re trying to make sure your children grow up happy and healthy, you need to take exercise for kids into consideration. Be sure that you’re using the tips above to get your kids into the outdoors and to help them become more active.

Looking for more family tips and guides? Explore our blog now to find more interesting articles and useful advice.