Family

For many families, their family unit just isn’t complete without a pet. But for many parents, bringing in a pet like a dog is almost like having another child. So when your kids start pestering you for a dog, it can go a long way to have them prepare for this arrival well in advance of actually getting the dog.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three ways to prepare your kids for getting a family dog.

Teach Your Kids How To Safely Interact With Dogs

The most important thing to teach your kids before bringing a dog into your home is how to safely interact with dogs. Without this skill, even the tamest dogs could lash out at your children and bite them or others.

To avoid this, it’s a good idea to teach your kids how to be safe around dogs. According to Louis Anthony Loftus, a contributor to Fatherly.com, one of the most basic rules to teach your kids about interacting with dogs is to treat them the same way that they would treat another child. This includes being soft to them, not picking on them or bugging them, and leaving them alone when they’re sleeping, eating, or playing with their own toys.

With these rules in place, your children will be able to avoid a lot of situations when dogs have been known to be rough or aggressive.

Practice By Dog Sitting

Once your kids know what’s expected of them when they’re around dogs, you should allow them to practice these skills without actually bringing your own family dog home yet.

One great way to do this, according to Katharine Stahl, a contributor to PopSugar.com, is to volunteer to dog sit for a friend or family member that has a dog. This will allow both you and your kids to see what your life would be like if you had a dog of your own. You’ll be able to see what areas your kids need to gain a better understanding of as well as how much responsibility your kids are actually able to take on at this point in time.

Prep Your Home Together

When you’ve decided that your family is ready to get a family dog, the final thing you need to take care of before bringing the dog into your home is prepare your home for the dog’s arrival.

In doing this, Jen Hubley Luckwaldt, a contributor to Parents.com, part of prepping your home consists of removing or hiding anything that could harm your new dog as well as bringing in things like dog bowls, a kennel, dog food, and more.

If you’re considering getting a family dog, use the tips mentioned above to help prepare your kids for this new phase in life.

 

When moving to a new neighborhood, it’s important to keep safety in mind. If you’re able to bring your kids into your safety strategies, it’ll make those strategies even more effective. Your best option for keeping your kids safe, regardless of your kids’ ages, is to make sure your kids know how to keep themselves safe as well. These tips will help you keep your whole family safe.

Set Up a No-Questions-Asked Code

One reason some kids don’t call parents when they find themselves in a potentially dangerous situation is that they don’t want to face their parents’ wrath if that situation includes bad choices. The best way to avoid that and make sure your kids call you if they need help is to set up a no-questions-asked option where your child can call on you for help at any time.

The way this works is you set up a specific thing your child can text you. It may be a specific emoji or letter. When your child texts you that symbol, you call them and let them know you’re going to pick them up for a made-up reason; for example, you found out they hadn’t finished all their homework. If your child wants to let you know what happened, they can, but otherwise, you’re getting them out of a potentially-dangerous situation, which is good parenting all on its own.

Talk to Your Kids About What Constitutes an Inappropriate Situation

This is especially helpful for young kids who might not know how to identify an inappropriate situation in the first place. Educating kids about “bad touch” areas of the body and helping them identify potentially unsafe situations is a good way to make sure your kids don’t stay in a dangerous situation, which can expose them to further dangers.

It can be difficult to have this conversation with your kids, but it’s important. Have these conversations at age-appropriate levels; for example, you may want to help your toddlers understand “bad touch” while giving your teens tools they need to avoid being pressured into underage drinking. Always keep that conversation open, so they can ask you for more information when they need it.

Vet Neighbors Before You Visit Them

Obviously, you want to make sure your kids have friends in the neighborhood. However, it’s not enough to just meet neighbors in person before you let your kids visit. You should have an extra layer of protection in place to really know your neighbors before you let your kids go over on their own, and a public search engine can help.

With a public search engine like PeopleFinders, you can more easily understand a person’s whole backstory before you actually let your kids go over to that person’s house alone. Public search engines can make it easier to get someone’s criminal history, which can include domestic violence and other criminal information. That way, you can feel more comfortable letting your kids visit that home without supervision.

Conclusion

There are plenty of ways to invite your kids into the safety net you’re building for your family in a new neighborhood. If you’re interested in making sure your kids stay safe, it’s important to use all the tools at your disposal, and that includes your kids themselves. When you’re creating a safety plan for a new neighborhood, it’s important to pay attention to how your kids can help.

 

If you have parents who are getting older, leaving you feeling helpless about how to proceed, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans have to find ways to provide care for their senior parents without any previous experience or know-how.

It can be a lot easier to take on when the whole family gets involved in doing their part. However, if you’re an only child or the only one pitching in, it can be a lot for one person alone. It’s natural to worry about everything from their mental well-being to how they’ll feed themselves. After all, you have a day job and can’t do everything yourself.

Whether your aging parents are to the point of needing assistance around the clock or are just starting to show the signs of lack of independence, here are some of the best tips to help them through.

Get Help

It’s a lot to ask someone to help you take care of an older parent. If there are no other family members around to assist, then you may be hesitant to ask friends. However, taking it all on alone isn’t going to do anyone any favors.

Try to get help wherever you can. Whether you ask a neighbor, family member, or even friends of your parents. You may be afraid that you’re inconveniencing someone, however, you’d be surprised how happy most people are to help.

Create a Long Term Plan

Unfortunately, people do not age in reverse. Things are only going to get more complicated as the months or years go by. It’s helpful to create a long term plan to prepare for things as they progress.

Making a plan in advance means that you won’t find yourself scrambling in a panic if something unexpected happens. If possible, make the plan with your parents so that they have a say in how they wish to be cared for.

Find Support

Caring for aging parents can, in some ways, be even more stressful than caring for small children. Older people who have Alzheimer’s or serious medical problems can be a lot to handle. Caring for people with extremely high needs can start to take its toll on your mental well-being. It’s helpful to find support where you can. Talking to people who are going through the same thing can be helpful. You’ll feel less alone and even likely to find advice where you felt like you had nowhere to turn.

There are support groups available often in local community centers or churches, or if that’s not an option, you can always turn to online forums. People often create support groups online where you may not be physically in front of someone; however, the bond and support can be just as impactful.

 

Congratulations! Either you’ve decided to start trying to get pregnant, or you’ve already gotten pregnant! Chances are you’ve already started reading all of the advice and information out there surrounding pregnancy. After a while, your head can begin to spin from all of the rules and advice out there.

Rather than overwhelming yourself with all of the conflicting information, take a look at some of the most important ways to ensure a happy and healthy pregnancy.

Stay Active

One of the biggest fears surrounding pregnancy and childbirth is losing your body. A lot of women believe that after they have a baby, their bodies will never be the same, and they’ll require plastic surgery if they hope to regain their confidence.

While it’s true that some parts of your body will change as a result of the changes pregnancy puts you through, staying active will help reduce the changes. Most doctors encourage regular exercise without any modifications for the first few months of pregnancy. After this point, you should consult with your doctor about whether they recommend continuing to work out as you are or if you should stop for any health reasons.

Walking is usually a great form of exercise since it’s low-impact and is low risk for inflicting injury.

Take Your Vitamins

One of the first things you should start doing the minute that you decide to get pregnant is to start taking a folic acid supplement. Prenatal vitamins seriously reduce the risk of birth complications and diseases.

In addition to taking vitamins, you can also get your fill of nutrients through foods like raw fruits and vegetables and lean proteins.

Get Plenty Of Sleep

When your baby is born, you’ll be missing the days that you could sleep as long as you want without interruptions. All of that will disappear the instant that your bundle of joy is born.

During your pregnancy, you should get ample sleep so that your body has time to regenerate itself every night. As your belly gets bigger and it’s more challenging to sleep, consider sleeping on your left side to encourage proper blood flow.

Reduce Stress

As your hormones increase, it’s typical for pregnant women to become more susceptible to stress. However, stress affects your baby inside of you. It’s essential to keep your stress levels as low as possible by surrounding yourself with supportive people and situations.

If you have a stressful job or lifestyle, consider learning breathing exercises to help control your stress.

By applying these tips and choosing the right time to get pregnant, you should increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy. In no time, you’ll be holding your baby that you have been so patiently waiting for!

 

When your kids are at your home, you can supervise them to whatever extent you want or need. But as soon as your kids leave the house without you, you have to trust that what you’ve taught them when they were in your home will help to keep them safe while they’re away.

To ensure that you’ve taught your children all they need to keep themselves safe in all types of situations in which they’ll find themselves throughout their young lives, here are three of the things that you should teach your kids about staying safe when they’re at someone else’s home so they don’t get hurt on their property or otherwise taken advantage of.

Set Clear Rules About Guns

Because kids are naturally curious, it’s important that you set certain rules about safety that will help to ensure that your kids don’t get too curious about the wrong things and wind up hurting themselves. These types of boundaries are especially important when it comes to things like weapons.

According to AhaParenting.com, one rule you might want to teach or instill in your children is to never be in the same room with a gun. Whether that gun is loaded or not, if your kids know that they’re not allowed to be around guns or people who are holding guns, they’ll be able to avoid a lot of potential for harm or danger to themselves or others.

Good Touch And Bad Touch

One of the scariest threats to your child is physical or sexual abuse. To teach your kids how to avoid and identify this type of behavior, SafeHome.org advises that you teach your kids about good touches and bad touches. While there is some amount of physical contact that’s going to be okay, if anyone tries to touch your kids in their private areas or make secrets about their bodies, you should inform your kids about how to react in these situations.

The best thing to teach them about this is to scream and yell if someone tries to touch them in a way they don’t like. And if something they don’t like does happen, make sure your kids know that they can and should come to you with this information.

Safe Media

Different families have different ideas about what media is appropriate for their kids. So if you have strict guidelines about what you want your kids to watch or play, it’s vital that you teach your kids how to say “no” to something they shouldn’t see or play.

To better protect your kids in this way, Katherine Lee, a contributor to Very Well Family, advises that you speak with the parents of the house your child will be at to help your kids adhere to the rules you’ve set out for them.

If you allow your kids to spend time at their friends’ houses, consider using the tips mentioned above to teach them how to keep themselves safe while there.

Caring for an older loved one isn’t always easy, particularly if they suffer from dementia. There are many things to deal with between their emotions and sometimes difficult behavior. Not only it difficult for you as a caregiver, but it’s also complicated for the person navigating the illness with them. In order to make sure that everyone adjusts as well as they can, it’s important to know the right techniques.

By equipping yourself with the right advice and pointers, you can make things a little easier for everyone. Here are some of the best tips for handling a dementia patient.

Get a Diagnosis

At first, you may not want to believe that your family member is displaying dementia-like symptoms. The idea of sending them to a nursing home breaks your heart, and you may want to explore alternatives to sending them to a care facility. However, it’s important to make sure that you know exactly what you’re dealing with before you make a decision. Getting a diagnosis is critical.

Not every doctor is experienced in knowing the right signs to look for. Therefore, you may want to look into talking to a specialist. That way, you can be sure you’ve got the answers that you need as well as advice on how to move forward.

Keep Communication Simple

When someone has dementia, they can get overwhelmed by details. Try to keep interaction simple and to the point. Keep your sentences simple and ask questions that require a simple yes or no.

Try to maintain eye contact and always speak slowly. They can get confused and flustered easily. Always make an effort to remember that they don’t communicate the same way as you.

Be Patient

It can be challenging to understand what is going on and how to respond to it all. Rather than getting frustrated and hopeless, try to stay patient. You may want to consider a support group with other people going through a similar experience.

In addition to caring for your loved one, you should also take the time to give yourself what you need. Self-care is an essential part of being able to care for someone else. Caring for your own needs means that you’ll have enough to be able to give back to your loved one.

Don’t Forget The Power Of Touch

Most dementia experts will tell you that your loved one can benefit hugely from simple gestures of touch. Anything from holding their hand to stroking their face can be incredibly helpful for them.

They need reassurance during the confusion. It’s incredibly helpful if you provide it for them in the form of physical touch and affection.

 

Having a new baby isn’t only exciting; it’s transformational. Along with the excitement, however, can also come a lot of challenges in terms of finding a balance between work and parenthood.

Initially, you’ll be able to spend all the time you need with your baby during your maternity leave. However, when it’s time to go back to work, you may not feel ready. It’s not always easy to leave your baby behind and go back to work as if nothing ever happened.

Therefore, in order to help you best transition back to work, here are some of the best tips.

Take Things Slow

If you’re feeling less than ready to get back to work, then you’re not alone. It’s perfectly normal to feel separation anxiety from your baby at first. Give yourself some time to get back into your old routine.

You won’t feel immediately ready to bounce back. It will take several weeks and perhaps even months to catch up to where you left off. You may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that piles up on your desk. Try to take things day by day and prioritize as best as you can. Tackle the most important thing first and work your way down.

Find Childcare That You Trust

Going back to work will be much easier if you find someone to care for your child that you trust. When you go to work, you’ll be much less distracted and worried if you leave your child in good hands.

If you’re unsure about the person you’re leaving your child with, then you won’t be able to get any work done. Whether you choose a daycare or go with a nanny, make sure that you have confidence in your choice! Your ability to get back to work depends on it!

Schedule Pumping

If you’re breastfeeding, then you’ll need to schedule pumping. Going too long without pumping could make for leaky shirts and possibly even mastitis.

Not only does pumping keep your milk supply up, but you’ll be able to store your breastmilk for your baby for later. If you’re worried about asking for breaks to pump, don’t worry. Federal laws are put in place that require employers to provide a space for nursing employers to pump without having to worry about intruders.

Practice Self-Care

Being the parent of a newborn is a hard job. When you couple it with having to wear multiple hats at work, it can quickly start to overwhelm you. It’s vital that you take time to be the best person you can be by practicing self-care. By taking time to let yourself rest and recuperate between being an employee and a parent, you’ll be able to handle the responsibility of it all much better.

 

With the year coming to a close, the weather is gradually getting worse which means that it is becoming much easier to say inside instead of venturing out. While it can be nice and cosy to wrap up warm and stay inside, it is important that you are still going out so that you can escape the house, exercise and socialise.

A Difficult Time for Seniors

Winter can be a difficult season to navigate for older people and grandparents, especially if you are unsteady on your feet or not particularly mobile. The combination of darkness and uneasy conditions when it has been raining heavily or snowing can make going out a daunting task, but equally it is not healthy for your mind or body to stay cooped inside all winter.

Friends & Family

Having friends and family around during this time of the year is important because they can provide support when you go out whether you are meeting the family for lunch or simply taking a walk to the shops. Do not shy away from asking for help as people will always want to help especially if you have shown concerns about going out by yourself.

Identify What Your Concerns Are

It is also helpful if you think about what your concerns are when you leave the home. This might be walking in the dark, being surrounded by lots of people, slipping on the ice, getting down the stairs etc. Once you know what your concerns are, you can then work with your family to find the best solutions.

Having the Right Accessories

You will also find that there are a wide range of accessories that can be used by older people to navigate the difficult winter conditions. You might find that a cane can give you greater stability or perhaps a mobility scooter if you do not want to walk in the winter. You can also find specialist footwear from places like Mobility Solutions which can give you greater stability and give you the confidence to venture out even in the middle of winter.

Make Plans

One of the best incentive to get out of the house during winter is to make plans. This will allow you the time to build up confidence and determine the best way to get out whether you are meeting family, going food shopping, meeting friends for lunch or getting your Christmas shopping done.

Winter can be a difficult season when you get older but it is important that you are able to get out of the house and hopefully this post will help you to do this and enjoy this special time of the year.

If you’re traveling with kids, you have to plan more than relaxing days on the beach. If you live in San Diego, you need fun activities to keep your child entertained when they’re not in school. Looking for ideas to keep kids busy and maybe give them a little bit of educational value? Here are 10 activities that your whole family can enjoy.

• San Diego Whale Watching Tours
  You can see whales in any season in San Diego. Humpback whales start to arrive in March. Gray whales are most popular from December to April. Blue whales stay all summer long. In addition to whales, you’ll probably see a wide variety of marine wildlife, from seals, sea lions and dolphins.
• USS Midway Museum
  Many of the docents who serve at the museum actually served on the ship itself, giving your family a real look at the life of a sailor. Access the self-guided tour as you walk around the ship to appreciate the sacrifices of the servicemen who lived on board.
• Cabrillo National Monument
  This statue commemorates Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European who came to America’s West Coast. It’s a top tourist destination for its historical significance, but also for the tide pools where children can explore sea life in its natural habitat.
• Balboa Park
  You could spend weeks exploring all the park has to offer and not see everything. It would take days just to go through the 17 museums in the park, but there are also gardens, art venues and trails to enjoy.
• San Diego Markets
  The Little Italy markets bring farmers to the city. You can shop for fresh, local foods and then go home to cook your bounty. Kids will enjoy choosing what they eat and learning about new items.
• The San Diego Zoo
  The #1 Zoo on Trip Advisor is the San Diego Zoo, so it’s a must-stop for locals and visitors. With over 4000 creatures and 700,000 exotic plants, every trip is sure to be a unique experience.
• Birch Aquarium at Scripps
  Who doesn’t love marine life? This aquarium is one of the most popular things to do in San Diego. Make sure to check out the special experiences, such as feeding the sharks or sea turtles.
• New Children’s Museum
  This museum offers interactive exhibits for children to keep them entertained and engaged for the entire day. Check their calendar for special adult-only events where you can come be a child for an evening of fun and adventure.
• Old Town San Diego Trolley Tour
  Explore more than 100 points of interest as you ride on a trolley through San Diego and Coronado. You can get off at any time to stroll through an area or stay on for the entire trip.
• San Diego Harbor Tour
  Getting a look at marine life in the wild can really open a child’s eyes. A harbor tour lets you get up close to sea life while looking at the city from a new perspective.

Give Your Children Special Experiences

Use your time with your family to make memories and provide learning opportunities when you explore the world.

To read more on topics like this, check out the family category

Every provider of writing services, at one point or the other, used to be a student. However, these writing professionals aren’t like others because their work depends on the cognitive activity a lot. Coming up with unique and engaging content all the time isn’t easy. If you’re a student who wants to become a freelance writer while you’re schooling or after you graduate, there are some eating habits that will help you excel. You’ll not just be preparing yourself to be a better writer, you’ll also become a successful student with the right tips.

Top Eating Habits That Can Contribute To Your Success As A Student

1. Don’t Skip Breakfast

As a student, you may be tempted to make a habit of skipping breakfast or brunch because you are always in a hurry to get to class. You may also decide to skip breakfast as part of a fad diet when you want to lose weight. However, to be a well-fed student, you should never skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most essential meal of the day. No matter how busy your schedule gets, make sure you always eat something before you leave the house. When you eat before attending lectures, you’ll be preparing your body and mind for all the tasks you have for the day. Rather than thinking of food during a lecture, you’ll pay full attention to what the lecturer has to say.

2. Add Fish To Your Diet

If you’re not a person who loves to eat fish, you should consider learning how to slowly add fish to your diet. Fish is packed with protein and other nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids that stimulate healthy brain development. You don’t need to eat too much fish because of its high mercury content. One serving of oily fish daily is enough for a start. Also, when you’re buying fish, go for options that don’t have too much exposure to mercury.

3. Eat Calcium-rich Food

As a student, it is important that you get your daily calcium intake. Calcium plays a lot of roles in the body and they keep you healthy when you grow older. You can add cheese, yogurt, leafy green vegetable and milk to your diet to get calcium. The calcium store in your body should be full when you’re young because you may have difficulty processing it when you grow older.

4. Don’t Joke With Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits aren’t just delicious, they are also filled with nutrients just like vegetables. If you like to snack during the day, consider snacking on healthy with fruits rather than junk. Instead of eating a candy bar, you can eat an apple. There are so many fruits to choose from and you can change the option every day or even eat different ones in one day. As for vegetables, you should make sure every serving of your daily meal has at least one high volume vegetable. Fruits and vegetables are good for every part of the body including your brain.

5. Limit Of Eliminate Processed Sugar

This may seem like a hard one but it’s one of the most important on this list. Sugar may give you temporary energy but it does more harm than good over time. Processed sugar should never be the stable of your diet or your main source of energy. Your energy should come from healthy carbohydrates including fruits and vegetables. Processed sugar can be eaten once in a while on special occasions but not every day.

6. Drink A Lot Of Water

Aim for at least two liters of water daily. You can carry a water bottle around to make sure you remember to drink water even when you’re engaging in your daily activities. The body can survive without food for an extended period as long as water is being consumed. This tells you the important role water plays. The last thing you want is to become dehydrated when school is in section.

If you want to be a Thesis Geek, you must learn to eat like one. Eating healthy should always be a priority.