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Super Cute Ideas for Your Toddler’s Bedroom

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It probably seems like it happened overnight: your baby suddenly transformed into an energetic toddler who is walking, talking, running, laughing and getting into everything. To celebrate your happy and healthy toddler, you want to do a room makeover, transforming the original nursery into a space that is more fitting for an active young child.

Fortunately, there are a variety of ideas and themes for your toddler’s room that will look adorable while not breaking the bank. Here are a few to consider.

Idea 1: New furniture

Whether you have a young boy who is all about cars or a little girl who adores trains and dolls, every toddler’s bedroom should have an area where they can spend quality and cuddly time with you. For example, a comfy chair and sturdy ottoman is a great place to read books together.

In addition to a cozy place for snuggling, invest in some colorful fabric bins and storage cubes for your kiddo’s toys; by keeping them on the ground, you can make it easy for your little one to learn the art of cleaning up all of those cars, trains and blocks.

Finally, change out the crib for a toddler bed. They use the same sized mattress but can be dressed up with themed bedding that tends to be reasonable in price and is super cute. Take your toddler shopping and see what patterns and colors he or she might like for the bed.

Idea 2: A space-themed room

If you have a toddler who is obsessed with checking out the moon every evening, a space-themed room might be just the ticket. Shop for decals that apply to the walls and can easily be removed later in designs like planets, cute aliens, astronauts and of course, the moon. Purchase stick-on glow-in-the-dark plastic stars and decorate the ceiling with constellations and add some space-themed artwork on the wall. As Parents.com notes, keep some of the accents non-themed like solid-color sheets, pillows and rugs — this way, you can easily update the theme as your toddler gets older and his or her tastes begin to change.

Idea 3: A room ideal for a tea party

Many little girls (and boys!) love nothing more than setting up and serving a fancy tea party. If this sounds like your little one, Babble has some ideas for a tea-party-themed room complete with a table and toddler-sized chairs that are perfect for a spur-of-the-moment serving of tea and cookies. Of course, the table can also be used for coloring, blocks and other activities as well; choose a low-to-the-ground table in a neutral wood shade and make sure the chairs are capable of supporting an adult weight — you don’t want to accidentally break a chair while in the middle of a fancy tea party. For the walls, stick-on decals can create a lovely flower garden accented with birds. You can also paint one wall a vivid shade like a deep pink or bright green to complement the bedding.

It may be hard to believe, but before you know it you will be redecorating the room again with a big boy or girl bed and other accessories. But for now, you are happy to transform your nursery into a cute and welcoming place for your toddler to play, sleep and cuddle with you.

How Poker Can Aid your Child’s Mental Acuity

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Many times poker is typically associated with seedy casinos, smoke-filled rooms, and unsavory gamblers, but push that stereotype aside. Here, we’re discussing poker as a fun family game that can be used to sharpen your child’s cognitive abilities. You don’t have to bet actual money, simply play as you would any other board or card game. An extra bonus—in our digital-obsessed world, poker is a screen-free activity that can be played anywhere with family and friends.

Let’s talk about how poker can bolster your child’s intellectual development.

Strengthen Their Memory

For starters, when you teach children poker, they’ll need to remember the suits, rules, card values and depending on the version—how to bet. If you need a refresher yourself, here’s a comprehensive guide that breaks down the rules for multiple types of poker. For children, understanding the game is a test on to itself.

Once a child comprehends the foundation of poker, the game is cognitively challenging to play, it incorporates strategy, attentiveness, and memory. Multifaceted card games that require counting and concentration keep the brain alert and sharpen skills. For this reason, a similar card game, bridge, is popular with the elderly. Research and studies have proven that mentally-challenging card games can help with brain development later in life, and slow cognitive decline while improving memory. The same principle can be applied to young poker players.

Sharpen Math Skills

Poker requires quick mental calculations with both your hand and when you need to bet. Depending on the age of your children you might want to help them out a bit or let them use paper and pen. Poker is a math-heavy activity, but your child will be so caught up in the competition and fun of the game, they won’t realize their practicing math skills.If you have older children, you can take the math lesson one step further and dive into the probability of outcomes based on cards and hands that have been played.

This practice can also lead to an experience in money management. A poker player only has so many chips in their pot. Based on observations and calculations children need to show self-control, diligence, understand the slow accumulation of savings, as well as know when to take risks to go all in.

Boosts Confidence in Their Intelligence and Abilities

Once your children understand the game and get some practice under their belts, they’ll slowly begin to trust their competence. After they experience a few wins and losses, they won’t feel too shy to make bets or put themselves out there. As well as understand that while card games require skill, they can also be affected by luck. (A valuable life lesson in general!)

By teaching children the game, how to take turns, and how to be confident in their decisions, you’re not only strengthening their mental capacity but their self-confidence in those abilities. Educational psychologist, Sean Flanagan, explains: “Card and board games can promote oral language skills, problem-solving, vocabulary development, assertiveness, and other reciprocal exchanges.”

Poker Enhances Skill While Encouraging Family Time

Bottom line — as parents, we all want to find challenging and engaging activities that promote learning for our children. It’s often difficult to find traditional pastimes that don’t involve video games or a wifi connection. A family poker tournament can achieve this while offering a chance for everyone to gather around the table and take part in some healthy competition. Not too mention, a chance to beat Mom and Dad. “To be able to compete against parents and sometimes win is symbolically important to kids. [They] can learn to win and lose gracefully, to be happy but not gloat, and to lose and not pout,” says William Doherty, professor of family social science at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul.

So find an old deck of cards and dust off the chips, it’s time to teach your children to play poker!

8 Ways Treating My Alcohol Addiction Made Me a Better Parent

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The main difference which exists between alcohol addiction and being addicted to other drugs is that people make too many excuses for alcoholism. I used to make those excuses to myself and people around me. However, the day that I almost crashed my car with my daughters in the backseat, and got a DUI is when I realized how deep I was in trouble. I started the journey to make amends in my life, and things haven’t been the same since. Here is how quitting has made me a better parent.

1. I am more present

Previously, I rarely used to have time for my kids. I was always out there with my friends drinking and hopping from one entertainment spot to the next. I had left the parenting role to my wife and I would sneak in past midnight totally drunk and then leave for work before they woke up. However, now that I have stopped drinking, a huge chunk of time is available for me to bond with the kids.

2. I listen more

If there was a penny for every argument that I have had with my wife over my drinking problem, it would possibly add up to millions or more. The think about being addicted is that others see it and you just do not get why they keep nagging about it. The fights were horrible for the kids, I know I have a lot of emotional damage to repair, but I am glad to have the chance to model better behavior.

3. I stopped yelling 

There is a strange connection which exists between being addicted to alcohol and general lack of patience. I would yell like crazy to my kids because they made a small scratch or soiled the car and other small inconsequential things. Fortunately, I can now manage my emotions better, and when they are doing something wrong, I patiently explain why they need to stop.

4. I attend more of their functions

My wife must have warmed a thousand spots in the bleachers over the years as my daughters played tennis. I always had excuses to wriggle out of the responsibility. Now that I am sober, I am present for everything from the school play, picnics at the pack and hopefully, the upcoming graduation speech for my daughter. I love the fact that I have been able to reconnect with them and form that father daughter bond which had been lost.

5. I am a better example

They say that a girl learns about how men should treat her from the way her daddy treats her mother. Well, I am not ashamed to say that when I was addicted, I was a terrible example to my daughters with all the yelling and the abandonment. To be honest, I am lucky that she stuck around and I know how blessed I am to have her. I am most glad that I get to show my daughters how a gentleman treats a lady and hopefully, I am now setting a precedent for healthy relationships with men who will come into their lives.

6. I have discovered more hobbies 

Apparently, I am an excellent painter. This is what I learned when I was helping my youngest with her art project a few months ago. Nowadays we paint and visit art galleries during all the free time that we can get. It is an awesome shared talent to bond over.

7. The guilt is disappearing 

No one should lie to you that alcohol is effective in numbing emotions. There is always that lingering guilt because you know that you aren’t present as you should be but you also do not know how to get out of the mess. The guilt often leads to lashing out which isn’t pretty. I am glad that slowly my guilt is disappearing.

8. I am more stable financially

You have no idea how much alcoholism has compromised your finances until you quit. There is the time that it takes away from you and the opportunities you do not pursue because you are stuck in something else. When I quit, I did a refresher course and got that promotion and now my family can have what they need far more easily than before,

The benefits of quitting are countless as a parent. As you struggle to clean up, remember the reward will be really worth the struggle.

4 Skills That You Should Think About Teaching Your Kids

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Having and raising kids can be an extremely joyful experience. It’s an opportunity to raise little humans who could grow to become positive influences in their community and environment. However, the road to raising kids is often full of many twists and turns. There are a vast variety of decisions you often have to make, and one of them is what life skills you want to teach your kids. You may be reading this because you’re thinking about where you should start. The good news is that you’re going to find four skills that you should think about teaching your kids in the below article.

Speaking a New Language

One of the first skills every parent should consider teaching their kids is how to speak another language. This skill can be beneficial in so many ways as it could make them more valuable assets in the future. It is likely an easier task if your native language isn’t English as it’s something you can teach them on your own. However, if you do happen to be bilingual, it’s imperative that you try and have one adult speak the second language at home so that they hear it a lot more frequently. Some general tips for teaching your kids another language include creating a casual learning environment, teaching them a word at a time, and having reasonable expectations. Also, your child knowing another language can help improve their problem-solving skills, improve their concentration and give them a competitive edge in the job market when they do eventually get there.

Playing an Instrument

In addition to teaching your child to speak a new language, you could also think about getting them to learn an instrument or two. In case you need a little convincing regarding why you should teach your kids this skill, science shows that learning to play an instrument generally can improve their academic results by helping them develop neurophysiological distinction. It is a great way to keep them occupied, give them a creative hobby to find joy in and also increase their skillset. There are so many instruments that they can choose from, so you can make it their decision which one they want to try. Some of them include the keyboard, piano, violin, the drums, or ukulele, the guitar or bass guitar. If you’re worried about the cost of buying instruments, consider looking for Guitar Center promo codes 2018 if they’ll be learning the guitar. Likewise, you can look for second-hand instruments or ones on sale for any other instrument they may end up playing. Regarding lessons, see if you can find them at discounted rates or look for a student that can teach them as they may have lower rates.

Cooking

At some point in their teenage or adult life, your child is going to have to cook for themselves unless they want to live off takeaway meals! In light of this, cooking is another skill that you should teach them at some point. Not only is it a basic survival skill for when ordering a takeaway isn’t an option, but you may also find that it’s something they thoroughly enjoy, especially if they grow to become a food lover. Their age will typically determine the kinds of dishes that you can teach them to cook but perhaps start with things like kitchen safety, sandwiches, pasta, and other basic foods. Some tips for cooking with your kids include not using your sharpest knives, encouraging messiness, and not waiting for the perfect time.

Sewing

Another skill to think about teaching your kids is how to sew. You never knew when they might have a loose button or one of their favorite tops may have a tear in it, so they should know how to put it back together. The good thing is that they don’t have to become a pro sewer and you can take time out to teach them the basics. All they should know is how to work a needle and thread in desperate times!

There are many things that you will teach your kids over the course of their life and life skills will be one of them. Seeing as most parents want to prepare their kids for the real world and give them a competitive edge, this is one of many ways to do it. However, the reality is that it won’t always be easy and you may often have to play the role of cheerleader and encourager. It is likely that in years to come when they find it easier to navigate their way around the world that they’ll be grateful for the skills you’ve equipped them with.

How To Help Your Child if They Are Overweight

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Childhood obesity is a growing public health problem and one that can affect the long-term health of a person, as well as their confidence while they are still at school. From a physical perspective, it can be fairly easy for a child to lose weight, however, the lifestyle changes and willpower involved can be things that kids often struggle with more than adults. If your child is clinically overweight, then it is a good idea to start encouraging them toward a healthier lifestyle wherever you can, but this can require some sensitivity to how hard the process can feel.

Here are some of the ways you can help your child to lose weight safely, and improve their general habits so that they won’t encounter weight problems again in the future:

Teach Them About Calories

With a growing child, you shouldn’t put them on any kind of strict diet of the type you might consider following yourself. Nutrition is extremely important to their health, and so you need to make sure they have a balanced diet, rather than one geared completely toward weight loss. However, unless they have an underlying medical condition that has caused them to gain weight, it is likely that their diet is to blame. If you yourself, and other members of your household, are also overweight, then this is something you should address by making changes to what you all eat at home, otherwise, it can look hypocritical to a child that they are expected to work hard to lose weight when others don’t have to.

Learn about the science around weight management. For example, how many calories are needed to maintain a healthy weight or lose weight for someone their age, and how to get these calories from foods that will also provide a wide range of nutrients. Help them to understand that the foods they like all have a place in their diet, but those with higher calories need to be enjoyed as treats, rather than regular things. Talk to them and find things together that they like, but which are lower in calories, and make a plan for a diet that they approve of.

Help Them Get More Active

A lot of overweight children dislike exercising, for the simple reason that when you have more weight to carry than is optimal, running around really hurts! Additionally, when they exercise with friends who don’t have the same weight issues, they probably feel a little left out or humiliated because they can’t do the same things the other kids are doing because of their lack of fitness or the extra weight they are carrying. This means you may have a tough job simply telling them to ‘go out and get some exercise’ – they may feel happier with themselves when they are doing other kinds of activities where their weight doesn’t feel like it is penalizing them, like reading or art.

You, therefore, need to help them reach a level of fitness where doing sports and playing physical games with their friends feels good, rather than embarrassing or painful. Go out for walks using a pedometer or fitness watch if you like the idea of ‘gamifying’ their activity, or go on some bike rides. Choose low impact activities that won’t feel hard for them, and do them together, making it nice family time. Walk somewhere together every day and watch how all of this builds up towards them having better fitness, especially when combined with diet and weight loss. You will soon see that they will be ready to start doing higher impact activities.

Dancing and swimming can be activities where kids can have fun while also getting fitter and losing weight. Dancing at home, for example, learning dance moves from video games like Just Dance or from YouTube videos, gives them something fun and physical to do without comparing themselves to other kids. Swimming is good because it takes pressure off of their joints and keeps them cool while they are exercising, so they don’t feel the same discomfort as less fit people usually do when they try and do things like running.

Help Them Find A Sport They Enjoy

Once your child is at a better level of fitness where they feel like they have the confidence to start playing more actively with their friends, it can be a great opportunity to get them into a sport. This can be seen as a kind of reward for all of the hard work of sticking to their diet and keeping up their more moderate exercise, too. Has your child always been drawn to a particular sport, thinking it looks cool when they see people doing it on TV? Whether it is martial arts, ballet, skateboarding, tennis or football, it can be really exciting for a child to find that they are getting fit enough to really enjoy doing an activity they have admired other people doing.

Take some time to try different sports and classes and let them enjoy experimenting until they are ready to choose something they want to keep up. It is best to do it this way so that they feel that they have some options. You don’t want to end up having to buy gear for loads of different sports or clubs that your child loses interest in quickly. Once they have chosen what they want to do, buy them stuff for their new hobby that they will love, such as the best indoor soccer shoes (https://www.shoeguide.org) or a beautiful new outfit to wear for gymnastics. Having things like this will make them excited about their chosen activity and keep them motivated to continue exercising and losing weight.

Depending on how overweight your child is, this process can take anything from a few weeks to months. However, be sure to remind them that even if it seems like a long way off, the time will pass anyway, and so by putting the work in, they can have better health and confidence and a healthier future at the end of it.

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