Children Archives - Page 3 of 28

Helping Your Kids Through The Divorce Process

March 27, 2019 by anthony

Getting divorced is an awful experience and if there are kids involved then it becomes infinitely more difficult. A solicitor that specialises in family law will have seen this happen on numerous occasions and there is very rarely a time when things go ‘well’. What is most important during the divorce however is not the feelings of the parents, at least not primarily, but rather the wellbeing of the children. Unlike the adults, the children of divorce had no part to play in the separation of their parents, but they still feel the pain like everyone else. If you are going through a divorce at the moment and you do have children, here are some tips on helping them to come through it as unscathed as possible.

Fault

Children very often blame themselves for the breakdown of their parent’s marriage and whilst that may seem crazy to us adults, children can genuinely believe this. With this in mind then parents must do all that they can to remind their children that this was not their fault. In some cases this may mean having ‘grown up’ conversations with your children, to give them the key reasons as to why you have chosen to separate with your partner. You must strike a balance here between speaking to them as an adult, and omitting the unnecessary details.

United Front

Whether you loathe your soon-to-be ex-partner or not, you must put on a united front for your children. Unfortunately the person from whom you are getting divorced is still the parent of your children and as such you mustn’t do anything to alter or affect their relationship. This means no bad-mouthing in front of the kids and making sure that any arguments or tense discussions are had in private.

Normality

As difficult as it can be to do, giving your children as much normality as possible is the best course of action here. This means endeavoring to keep them in the family home, continuing with their weekly events and giving them an equal share of time with both parents. When children have stability in this way they can deal with things better than if their life is suddenly flipped upside down, a sad consequence of many divorces. Keep things as normal as possible and they will be better equipped to deal with the change.

Open Minded

As we touched on earlier, you and your children will be having some discussion of a much deeper nature than you may have done before. The key is to give your children just enough information about what is going on and most importantly to create an environment for them where they can speak about anything at all with you. If your kids know that they aren’t being shut out then they will mature a lot during this process.

Remember that the kids are not to be used as pawns or to be weaponized by the parents, if this happens then your children won’t come through this process without at least some guilt and resentment.

The To-do List You Must Check For Your Kid’s Birthday

February 11, 2019 by Mandy

The day our kid is born is the happiest day of our lives and celebrating that day with love and vigour is every parent’s priority. However, it is not an easy task to accomplish as a lot of preparation goes into making a birthday party a success. If you miss any little detail, it may play spoilsport on the fun of the festivities. Hence planning the event is always a great idea. You can start with making a to-do list of everything you have to do and then arrange the tasks in a logical and optimum order as per priority, whether it is getting birthday cakes for kids or finalising the decoration.

To save you some time and energy, here is a ready-made to-do list to get you started with the birthday preparations. You can add or skips things from this to-do list as per your own ideas you have for the party.

Location

You can begin by selecting a venue for the birthday party. So, you will have to decide whether you want to party at a restaurant or diner or you prefer a private celebration at your home.

Decoration

Once you have finalised the venue, you can opt for an appropriate decoration. If you are celebrating at a restaurant, you can contact the people there to book tables in advance, brief them about the kind of decoration you need. If you are organising the party at home, you can base the decoration and the entire event on a theme that will excite the kids. Doing so will not only keep the kids interested but will also add a youthful and fun vibe to the proceedings.

Getting the birthday cake ready

The birthday cake takes the centre stage in an event like a birthday party, hence getting it perfect is very important. As its the kid’s birthday you are planning for, so a custom cake based on themes popular amongst the kids such as cartoons, superheroes, games, dolls etc. will be an apt choice. You can either bake the cake at home or order it online and get it delivered wherever you want. The latter will surely save you from the hassle.

Finalising the gift

You kid is every bit special and means the world to you hence the gift you choose should be equally special and meaningful. Gifts which encourage them to be more observant, creative and improve their analytical and cognitive skills should be preferred. A binocular, a walkie talkie, a zigsaw puzzle, monopoly, books, etc. are some of the gifts you can consider. You can also consider gifting him a family trip to his or her favourite destination as it will help you bond with your little bundle of joy.

Preparing the guest list

Preparing the guest list is very important as it gives you an idea about the number of attendees and their age group. As it is your kid’s birthday, so other kids will also be a part of the guest list apart from their parents and your own friends and family. You will have to make arrangements keeping the guest list in mind.

Food menu

Last but not least, you have to finalise the food menu for the guests. It should include things which the kids love as they are going to be a significant portion of the guest list. If you are not too confident of your own culinary skills, you can contact a good caterer and get it sorted. Make sure you do that well in advance to avoid any last minute hiccups.

With all these items checked off your to-do list, you can surely breath easy and be confident of having a rocking birthday party for your adorable kid.

Are You Teaching your Kids the Wrong Things About Money?

January 22, 2019 by Mandy

Life would be a lot easier if the teachers in your child’s school taught them about budgeting, taxes and even forms of credit, instead of focusing on the lessons they never needed to learn. Unfortunately, financial classes still aren’t a part of the curriculum, and that means that parents and guardians are the ones left to make sure that their children know how to manage their cash.

The sometimes-shocking truth is that even if you think that you’re not teaching your children anything about money, you’re probably having an impact that you haven’t noticed. Every time you ignore a bill or pay with something you can’t afford using a credit card, your kids are learning from your behavior. Are you teaching them the right lessons?

Bad Lesson 1: Someone Else Will Bail Them Out

Do you give your children a weekly allowance? If so, there’s probably been a few times when they’ve spent all of their money immediately, then regretted it as soon as their friend has invited to them to the movies or asked them to do something that costs money. While it’s tempting to give your kids everything they want, it’s also not great to teach them that if they make a mistake with their money, someone else will come along and give them more. Instead, let them mull over the decisions that they’ve made and learn from their mistakes – no matter how tough it is.

Bad Lesson 2: Bills Can be Put on Hold

If every time you receive a bill in the post, you throw it somewhere else, or let it sit around until the last minute, your kids are going to have a hard time understanding why you can’t just blow off paying for your car insurance one month and buy them a toy instead. Make an effort to show your children that you’re committed to paying crucial expenses on time every month. You can even sit them down with you while you go through the budget so that they can see just how many crucial costs you have to deal with. That way, they’re more likely to understand when you tell them that you don’t have any money left for treats.

Bad Lesson 3: Someone Else Can Pay

Ideally, if you and your spouse live together, you’ll split the living expenses between you, so that you both have some cash left over to spend on yourself. However, if you end up spending all of your cash straight away and start asking your spouse to buy you the things that you want instead, your kids will learn that they just need to get someone else to pay for what they want too. By being responsible with your own money, you teach your children that they’re in charge of their own financial security. This will lead to greater independence in the future.

Bad Lesson 4: Plastic Works when Cash Isn’t Available

Do you frequently turn to your credit card when you don’t have enough money left over? If so, this is teaching your children that they can still get whatever they want whenever they want it, as long as they have a card handy. Your children don’t understand that you’re going to need to pay more money for the convenience of using your credit card later. If your children are too young to understand how things like banking and credit cards work, then it’s best to avoid using credit cards in front of them. If they are old enough to understand, try showing them how your credit card bills add up at the end of the month, and why it’s not a good idea to rely on them for all of your expenses.

Bad Lesson 5: You Don’t Need to Talk about Money

If you’re always reluctant to talk about cash in front of your children, then how can they understand how important it is? While it’s difficult to discuss something as complicated as cash with younger children, it’s a good idea to keep them in the loop as much as you can. The more open you are about money, your expenses, and how much cash you have to spend each month, the easier it will be for them to understand why you need to shop around for the best prices, and why it’s so important to save for the future.

Bad Lesson 6: Impulse Purchases are Fine

Finally, while treating your kids to a last-minute candy bar can seem like a good idea at times, it also teaches them that spending doesn’t have to be planned. Instead, show your children why you can afford to get them that treat. Perhaps you saved a little extra on an item that was on special. That way, your children will see how everything adds up.

Obstacles Signify Whether Something Is Worth Fighting For: 5 Toughest Challenges You May Face When Expecting a Baby

December 14, 2018 by Mandy

Regardless of the struggles that she goes through, every woman will tell you that having her child was the best experience of her life. The same woman will also tell you that there were some challenges to face when expecting a baby, especially when it was time for delivery. Here are 5 of the toughest challenges you face when expecting a baby.

Water Breaking

There are plenty of misconceptions about water breaking that you will need to understand better. Here are the most common misconceptions:

Unlike every movie with a pregnancy, your water might not break all at once and splatter all over the floor. It is apt to be more like a slow, uncontrollable urination.
Your water might not break. Your doctor might have to break the amniotic sac at the time of delivery.
Just because your water breaks does not mean that you have to immediately rush to the hospital for instant delivery; another Hollywood misconception.

Contractions

Many women describe delivery like pushing a watermelon through something the size of a lemon. For some delivery is extremely challenging, but most agree that contractions are the very worst of the pain. It might be an exaggeration to say that contractions are like menstrual cramps times one hundred, but it gives you a pretty good picture of what to expect.

Contractions are an important part of your body’s final preparations for delivery. The timing of contractions will help you know whether or not you are in false labor or what stage of true labor you are in. To understand more explore these tips on how to time contractions.

Nausea During Labor

It is quite common for women to experience nausea and even vomit during labor. The myriad of hormonal changes that your body is going through during the labor and delivery process is the cause of this and it is something for which you should be prepared. Being able to recover from it and focus on breathing and other instructions is important, so try not to allow this to distract you.

Episiotomy

The cutting of the perineum or episiotomy is a common practice that many doctors use to help provide more space for delivery. Some women do not feel it due to adrenaline or a powerful epidural, but they will probably be very aware of the stitching and itching that will follow, mostly because that part occurs after delivery when you want everyone to leave you alone and let you be with your new baby.

Delivering the Placenta

Another challenge you face after delivery is delivering the placenta. This is not nearly as challenging as delivering your baby, but it is another task that needs to be performed after you think it’s all over. Some women have absolutely no problem pushing it right out, but it can be a challenge for others.

Conclusion

There are plenty of challenges to go through during pregnancy and some of the toughest come around delivery time. As difficult as these challenges are, going through them is what allows you to bring a new life into the world. Do not be worried about these challenges, but be prepared to face them with the expectation of holding your new baby in your arms.

Find the Perfect Dress for Your Girls Special Occasion

November 27, 2018 by Mandy

Every young girl loves dressing up. Most girls adore to go into mom’s closet and try on her skirts, dresses and high-heeled shoes. There are some lovely choices for dresses that are ideal for girls to wear for weddings, graduations, communions and family gatherings. If the young girl in your life has been asked to be a flower girl in an upcoming wedding, you want to be sure that the dress she wears is not only pretty and appropriate for the occasion but that it is comfortable for her to wear all day as well.

Here are some simple tips can help you in many ways when you have to select the prom dress for your children

while buying kids prom dress

Style of the prom dress

This is the crucial factor and you have to select the appropriate style suited for kids. You have to understand that it is not like the regular prom events conducted in colleges and you have to focus on kid’s garments that suit the occasion in the best possible manner. You will often notice that there are more options available for girl’s prom dress in the market. This is a tricky situation as having more options can confuse you about choosing the best style. In recent years, the prom dress for girls are closely resembling adult’s style. Remember that the objective of the event is to make them look cute and not like older girls. Avoid certain styles that given them a matured look and stick to the ones that project their innocence and cuteness.

Comfort factor

All said and done, they are still kids and they may not have the patience to carry on the dress for a long duration. In this regard, you are better off choosing a comfortable design than the very exotic ones that make them feel uncomfortable in short time. Avoid ones that have too many straps as they can be difficult to manage. You have to also take into consideration that they will keep playing and moving around with the prom dress and they need to feel comfortable with all these activities.

Go with the theme

If you notice that the school has a theme set for the occasion, you can go with the flow and select the appropriate dress. Many schools include prize giving activities for various tasks during this event and you can select the appropriate dress for your children that suits the occasion. Children usually like bold colors and you can experiment with them. You need not hesitate to try out those bold colors as it looks good on kids and you should consider them while choosing prom dress for your children. Always try the dress before the event and see if you need to do any alterations to get the best fit. In this way, you will not face any issues on that special day.

Take your child for shopping

It is very important to take your child along with you when you shop for the prom dress. After all it is their special occasion and they have every right to choose the best colors of their choice. If they happen to like a certain color that is not your favorite, you should still give importance to their choice as they will be happy to wear their favorite colors.

Consider these accessories for the event

When it comes to kids prom dresses, accessories play an important role in enhancing the overall outlook of the dress. In this regard, you should include these special accessories along with the dress.

Comfortable and stylish shoes

Girls always love colorful shoes and you choose them instead of other options. The only thing you have to make sure is to avoid the heeled shoes as this can be very uncomfortable for them to move around the whole day at the event. Make sure that the shoes are comfortable and the color matches with the dress in the perfect manner.

Gloves to match the dress

Once you have selected the dress, it becomes easy to match the gloves with them. This can highlight the entire costume and give it a unique appeal. You have to ensure that you choose comfortable materials like satin for the gloves as they will fit perfectly and stay in place for a long time. Avoid choosing light colors as they can get dirty in quick time and children touch all sorts of things at the events.

Matching bags and ornaments

This is the latest trend with girl’s prom dress and you can select a matching bag for the event. This should not be too heavy and you can just go with a fancy design that looks small and appropriate for the size of the garment. In the same way, you can even choose some necklace and other ornaments that go with the dress.