children Archives - Serendipity Mommy

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.

A Portrait Painting to Cherish your Child’s Memories

November 5, 2018 by Mandy

Handling a child can be a strenuous process but a rewarding one too.

There are times when they get on our nerves but there are also times when they put a wide smile on our face.

Thus a child can be an immense portal of happiness for everybody around and childhood is the time of some unforgettable memories.

We all wish that we could live these childhood days but one does inevitably grow old so it cannot be helped.

You can still turn photo to painting of your children’s most beautiful memory and cherish them every single day of your life.

Even though it is said that people become more smart and wise as they grow old but an adult can learn a lot from the mentality and outlook of a child can certainly teach us a lot.

Their ability to derive pleasure from little mundane things, their belief and their ability to learn from their failures are a few examples.

A baby may not be a baby forever but you can get a baby portrait done to remember those golden chaotic days.

A portrait painting of your baby can thus be the perfect memoir for you.

It could be a painted portrait of any moment, be it the first time your child walked or the smile on his face when he got his first cycle.

The best thing is that with a child in your house there are seldom any moments which are not filled with frantic movements and large smiles.

PortraitFlip is one of my choices and recommendations where you can get your portrait painting from.

You have a wide variety of mediums to choose from such as oil portrait, charcoal portrait, acrylic portrait and more.

You can also avail of a custom portrait whose dimensions as in the length and breadth can be customized according to your wish.

They need not be confined to your regular ones such as the small, medium and regular sizes.

What else can one ask for!

A custom made baby portrait is also a great way to attract the eyes and capture the heart of any human being.

It is an awesome way to make your house a storehouse of positive energy and great vibes.

Capturing any moment has become comparatively easier than it was in the olden days thanks to the blessing of modern technology.

Art can be a great way to transform and transcend a picture or moment into something better.

A portrait painting or baby portrait is not only visually appealing but also has a great aspect of intrinsic beauty attached to it.

It is the perfect way to recreate some beautiful childhood memories.

Childhood is the time when you can live carefree without much thinking about what you will do tomorrow.

There is no extra pressure or burden of any sort.

Turn picture to paint and watch as you immortalize those beloved memories which you hold so very close to your heart.

Time flies by and things change rapidly, one day they are holding your hand trembling with fear as you take them to school on the first day and another day they are starting a family of their own.

I would urge everybody to relive their childhood along with their children once again.

The smiles, the cries, the pain as well as the happiness, it is all one crazy roller coaster ride but in the end it is totally worth it.

Get a baby portrait and enjoy your baby’s childhood while you can for the words once said the stone once thrown and the time once gone can never come back.

Super Cute Ideas for Your Toddler’s Bedroom

October 31, 2018 by Mandy

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.