Get Ready for Back to School with an HP Wifi Printer and Free Calendar Printables
With an HP All-in-One Printer with wifi , of course. Wifi printers are the bomb! You can even print from your smart phone. Enjoy!
Are you feeling disrespected in your relationships? Most of us feel disrespected at times, even when no one really means to show us disrespect. Parenting is hard, but being the mom is harder. Society puts pressure on moms to always do the right thing, to put on a happy face, and never to let the family see that you’re human too. How do you know when you’re just feeling emotional versus when the disrespect is out of control? Feeling disrespected by family stifles good vibes, what can you do?
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You're damned if you do and damned if you don't quote. |
Kids will be kids. But when teenagers behave like teenagers, family relationships can get difficult. When do you choose your battle, when do you ignore the emotional roller coaster, and when do you jump on the parenting train to try to fix it? Is it just a phase or are they modeling the behavior of another family member? If your partner is disrespectful, chances are your kids will be too. Not sure if your partner has crossed the line? ReGain has a very eye-opening article that can help you decide.
Get my Debut Novel: Allegedly Mystic
If your kids are suffering from the effects of your relationship, they may act out or become depressed. Children, especially teens, get frustrated by their lack of control over their life situations. Sometimes they feel like the situation is hopeless- no matter how hard you try to work with them. I’ve been down this road more than once. It doesn’t get any easier with practice. All you can do is learn from your mistakes and be prepared to be the bad guy no matter what you say. The old adage, “You’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t,” starts to feel like the title of your life.
When I split with my partner of fifteen years, we all suffered with depression and the fear of the unknown. As a parent, watching your children suffer is painful. No matter how much you want to help, your help may not be the answer. Public school counselors can often help zero in on issues like adhd, autism, depression, suicidal tendencies, or other emotional issues. If you’re a homeschooler, finding an affordable counselor isn’t as easy. There are many online resources. This article might help a teen who is fighting to hold back tears when they’re feeling frustrated or angry: Why do I cry when I’m Mad?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, this article from GoodTherapy shares a list of teen help hotlines and other free mental health resources. Your pediatrician can also do a depression evaluation survey, and based on the results, refer you to a family counselor. Many family therapists operate on a sliding scale.
After the upheaval in our family, the kids and I moved to our happy place. A little cottage on a quiet lake, where we could swim, kayak, and birdwatch to our heart’s content. The first few weeks we kept our minds busy by remodeling the house, but after a while reality set in, and we decided to try family counseling. No one really enjoyed it, we had to make some sacrifices to find an affordable therapist which ended up being an hour from home. By the time we got off the waiting list, much of the family dynamic had changed and the diagnosis was changed from severe depression to adhd. The counselor had to have a diagnosis for our insurance to continue to pay, but it didn’t really seem to fit our circumstances.
With other members of the family with adhd, we had some prior experience dealing with the ups and downs, and this really wasn’t the same thing. It was nice to have a neutral party listen to our problems, but it wasn’t really worth the trouble. It caused more stress on an already stressed relationship, because the kids didn’t want to go and the family dynamic continued to play out. I know that sounds counterintuitive. I know that I’m the parent and I shouldn’t let the kids overrule me, but believe me, this wasn’t good for any of us. At the time, an online therapy option would’ve been ideal.
Finally, the best solution for our family came through the advice of our pediatrician, the kids needed their own life. They needed more activities that they enjoyed. Sure, we did homeschool groups, 4-H, and summer camps, but it wasn’t enough. My kids were at a place in their lives where they needed more, even if they didn’t want more. They also needed less. Less time with mom, less time with each other. We all needed some space to help distance ourselves from the previous situation.
The biggest battle we faced was a lack of real relationships. There were no close relationships so that the kids could see healthy family behaviors modeled. We lived over an hour away from any relatives, so extended family time was few and far between. It was definitely time for a major change. After some heartfelt conversations with the pediatrician, relatives, and close friends, we decided our life needed an overhaul. The biggest piece of the puzzle that we all longed for was a sense of belonging. So we packed our bags and moved back to my hometown where we could be closer to family that would provide a support network as we all stepped out into the real world for the first time in years. I took a part-time job as an activity assistant at a retirement home and the kids both enrolled in public school. Talk about change! Change is scary, but sometimes we need a catalyst to set our lives in the right direction. All of these changes have led me to a wonderful opportunity with our local Habitat for Humanity. Look for more updates in coming posts.
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Are you struggling to get your little toddler to take a breather and rest? Nap time can be heaven for both you and your toddler. They get some much-needed rest before carrying on with their day, giving you a chance to get a few things done, or simply take a minute for yourself. You've probably wondered, how to get your baby to sleep for a nap, here are some tips to earn that well deserved quiet time.
While nap time sounds like a dream, getting your toddler down and asleep is much easier said than done. Although some days may not run to plan, there are some great ways to encourage a toddler to take his nap, so you can have a moment to get through your to-do list. Here are some infant nap time parenting tips so you can get some things done around the house.
Active games are a great way to burn off all that extra energy before a nap. It can be as simple as a game of Simon Says or Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. Not only are these games fun and easy, but they also require minimal set-up and clean up.
Simon Says can help kids learn about body awareness and movement, as well as how to pay attention, follow instructions and be a leader. Whereas Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes can help kids with their balance, coordination and learning about their bodies.
Other games like Duck Duck Goose and Ring Around the Rosie lets kids literally run around, but can also help them develop strategic thinking skills and spatial awareness – although you’ll need more than one child (or adult!) to be able to play them.
This goes without saying – exercise is a great way to tire your little ones. Ideally, any exercise you choose to do should burn through their excess energy without giving them a second wind and keeping them wide awake. The key is to stay active and keep babies moving, but not to have too much fun so they won't fight sleep when it comes.
The old stand by activities are great for tiring out your baby for outside play:
Bouncing or kicking a ball.
Riding a bike or scooter.
Playing chase.
Blowing bubbles.
You can even go for a light walk around the block or to their favorite playground. Let them loose on the play equipment and they’ll be ready to nap when they get home.
If the weather isn’t the best, you can still get your toddler moving at home. Encourage them to have a dance along to a music video or get them running and climbing with a make-shift obstacle course.
If you’ve got a few jobs to get done around the house, why not get your toddler involved? This will take a little patience, the job will likely take a little longer, but every little chore will get your toddler closer to sleep.
The easiest way to make this nap time trick work is by giving your kids chores that are appropriate for their age, which also keep them active. Start with simple things like picking up their toys or tidying up their room. You can add a touch of fun to the household chores by having clean-up races, enjoying a toy scavenger hunt to be found in the bottom of the laundry pile, or making a game of loading the dishwasher.
Not only will doing household chores wear your kids out, it also teaches them responsibility about how a household functions. These are valuable life skills your children will carry with them throughout their lives. It’ll also help you get through the household chores on your to-do list, even if they’re not perfectly done!
Even with all their energy burnt off, your little one might not just drop straight off to bed. Sometimes they need a little quiet time to help them settle and wind down.
Relaxing activities that will keep their attention are key to quiet time. These activities can be as easy as giving them an age-appropriate puzzle, a simple coloring activity, or engaging them in quiet building activities, like a Lego set.
When all else fails, a good-old children’s book is a sure-fire way to help them unwind. You can encourage them to curl up on the couch and read to themselves or mimic bedtime and read to them as they fall asleep.
Complement winding down activities by creating a nap time ritual to follow. This should be similar to creating a bedtime ritual. It should be consistent, such as setting aside a specific period of time everyday for the nap, dimming the lights, reading a story to them, and playing some white noise (like rain or wind) to block out outside noises.
This nap time ritual gives your baby's body a cue to fall asleep, rest, and recharge.
Once you start giving these nap time sleep methods a try, you’ll soon be watching your little one drift off to sleep with ease, allowing you some much needed me time.
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