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Pre-Vacation Chores Your Kids Can Help With

May 15, 2017 by Mandy

If you’re about to embark on a family vacation, you might feel like you have too much to do before you leave. Don’t worry, that’s normal. You simply need to make a checklist of must-do jobs and then get some help from the family. Here’s a guide on some pre-vacation chores even your kids can help with.

Prepare for Your Absence

Image via Flickr user JeepersMedia

You need to do a few routine tasks before leaving. Make sure your home looks like someone is there as a way to discourage theft. You’ll also want to prepare your HVAC system for your absence.

Set it at a neutral temperature, around 80 degrees in the summer or 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, so you’re not paying to cool or warm more than necessary while you’re away. It’s a good idea to have a professional inspect your HVAC unit to make sure it’s in good working order if you’ll be away for a week or more. This will limit the chance of a breakdown occurring while you’re gone and unexpectedly returning to a sauna in the middle of summer.

Make Laundry a Joint Effort

Clothes are a big part of any vacation. You’ll wear a lot of different items, and you’ll have to pack for various weather conditions. You may need jeans for when the weather gets cold, shorts for sunny days, and maybe even a dressy outfit or two for special events. Plus, a lot of vacationers enjoy swimming or water sports, so you’ll need clean bathing suits, too. Clearly, you need help with your packing!

You don’t want your child to take care of all the laundry, of course. That’s a bad sitcom episode waiting to happen. Still, you can get your kids to help. Ask them to collect all their dirty clothes and put them in the laundry hamper. If they don’t already know how, teach them how to separate colored clothes from white garments.

When you’re ready to begin laundry, check each item before putting it in the machine. That way, you work as the supervisor for when your kids accidentally put some white clothes in the wrong hamper. You’ll have all the clean clothes you need for the trip. Plus, your kids will have a better idea of how laundry works.

Teach Kids to Pack on Their Own

Packing is one of the most grueling parts of vacation preparation. You have to pick enough outfits for several days away from home. Then, you have to add extra clothes for the reasons above. You wind up with three or four extra days of clothing, and it takes a while to pack.

As a parent, you have to repeat these steps for your kid unless they help. Take this opportunity to teach your kids how to pack. Tell them to go to their closet and pick out several of their favorite pieces of clothing. Supervise as they choose various outfits, pointing out what they still need to add. Your kids will learn a life lesson while you’ll spend less time packing.

Vacation packing is rarely fun. Just remember that you have help. Kids are never too young to start learning valuable skills that will help them all the way into adulthood. And you’ll really appreciate the extra help!

Pool Safety for Kids 2017 – Infographic

May 10, 2017 by Mandy

May is National Water Safety Month! Swimming pools may seem like innocent fun, but they can be dangerous for little ones. Parents are often shocked to learn that drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for children under age five. Thankfully drowning is preventable with a water safety plan that includes layers of protection such as adult supervision and pool fencing. As the industry leader in glass pool fencing, Aquaview merges safety with style. Check out their infographic below to learn the facts on child drowning and simple tips to keep your family safe this summer.

Kid Friendly Healthy Home Infographic

April 26, 2017 by Mandy

You probably think that you have a clean, kid-friendly house that will help your children grow into healthy adults. A closer look at your home, however, may reveal chemicals and pollutants that have the opposite effect. They could put your children at serious risk.

Poor indoor air quality is a common health problem found in homes. Unless you leave your windows open throughout the year, gentle breezes never have a chance to remove pollutants from your house. Over time, the air inside your home collects pet dander, dust, smoke, and other harmful materials.

You can dramatically improve your home’s indoor air quality by making sure your HVAC system has a clean filter. A clean filter can capture more of the pollutants that cause asthma and allergic reactions in children. Just look at your air filter about once a month to see if it needs replacing. If it has already collected a lot of debris, then it’s time to throw out the filter and install a new one.

Parents can also find dangerous chemicals in many household cleaners. Ideally, you don’t want to clean your home with products that contain ammonia, chlorine, triclosan, sodium hydroxide, and other toxic chemicals. Instead of using these chemicals, you can learn how to make your own household cleaners from materials that won’t harm your kids.

The following infographic will give you more information about potential dangers in your home and how you can address them to create a safer environment for your children. Read the information carefully to see how you can make your house a healthier place for growing children.

The Best Way to Learn: Sharing Everyday Financial Lessons With your Kids

April 26, 2017 by Mandy

Once a child can walk and talk, they’re generally old enough to learn a few rudimentary money lessons. As the child gets older, their financial lessons will become more and more complicated. Kids learn by example and by listening to their parents, too. In the interest of happy families everywhere, we’re delighted to present the following age-appropriate finance lessons you can teach your kids.

Money concepts kids should know by kindergarten

Little kids seem to have a rather magical way of thinking about money. In fact, toddlers will believe that money grows on coconut trees, if that’s what their mother or father tells them. As far as most two-year-olds are concerned, mommy and daddy visit magic cash machines that dispense dollars at the swipe of an ATM card. The sooner your children understand how money really works, the better. So say finance gurus at Parents magazine.

By the time your child is old enough to go to kindergarten, they should understand several key concepts about money. First, kids need to know that things are exchanged for money. When they receive holiday gifts, someone probably paid for those presents. Pre-school kids can also learn that working is a way to earn money. Additionally, kids should understand the difference between wanting and needing an item and that sometimes, people have to wait to buy something that is not exactly necessary.

Money lessons to impart before your kid is in junior high

Sixth and seventh graders should have a basic understanding of savings accounts and compound interest, says US News and World Report. Fifth and sixth graders are generally old enough to have a bank account co-signed by a parent. This is a dandy way for kids to learn how earned monies and monetary gifts from grandmas can be tucked away for a while and withdrawn after amassing interest.

Sixth grade can be the right time to start giving kids an allowance. Some parents base allowance on chores, other moms and dads prefer that kids participate in household duties without expecting payment for the same. Either way, a small allowance helps kids learn to build a budget and save for things they want.

Lessons about credit, loans, and repayment

If you plan to take out a small personal loan in anticipation of a holiday or vacation, allow your high-school age kids to observe the application process. Remind them that it’s crucial to read and understand the fine print in a loan contract before signing. You can use this link to visit a fair loan site with your teenager.

Although minors are not typically allowed to open a credit card account by themselves, parents may add a responsible teen as an authorized card user. Understanding interest rates, service fees, and spending limits will stand your teen in good stead when they’re adults. When teens see how making minimum monthly payments is not the best way to go, they may grow up into adults who use credit wisely.

Juggling It All Without Dropping the Ball: Helpful Gadgets, Tech and Tools for Busy Moms

February 24, 2017 by Mandy

Source

When was the last time you felt like you had enough hours in your day? If you’re like most parents, you’ll appreciate knowing about a few great apps that help busy moms and dads arrange their time.

Media matters

If you remember a certain book or movie fondly, but wonder if it’s is right for your child, download and use the Common Sense Media app. Common Sense Media offers timely and accurate reviews of TV shows, movies, video games and books. With this info, parents and caregivers can easily judge the appropriateness of certain media, says WatchMeGrow magazine.

SonicDad is a wonderful app that boosts parent-child relations. Download and install SonicDad to instantly access all sorts of cool DIY craft projects that use inexpensive materials. Of course, you don’t have to be a dad to use this app. Anyone who spends time entertaining kids will have a great time with this app, says PopSugar.

Organize your time better

Plan your errands and outings better when you have access to an Android weather app from Apalon. If you’ve ever bundled up the kids for an afternoon outing only to find the weather’s not cooperating, you will appreciate the easy and effective way a great weather app can help you skip storms that might wreck your fun. Available at Google Play, this handy weather app offers everything you need to know about rain, snow, hurricanes and other weather patterns.

Save the good stuff in one place

Evernote is a good way to organize kid’s artwork, report cards, homework assignments and other essential documents. Evernote is the ideal organizer for parents, students, teachers and everyone else with a need to corral all of their info in one easy-to-retrieve location. Pocket lets moms and dads save recipes, articles, videos and other family friendly links to one easy to navigate space. With its ability to link across all your devices, Pocket is a great app for babysitters and anyone who wants to spend more time with kids and less time searching for ways to entertain them. As a bonus, Pocket can also be a read-aloud storyteller that provides hours and hours of good times for kids and parents alike.

Traveling with kids in tow? You’ll want to know more about the HotelTonight app. Install it, and finding and checking into lodging in any of 23 countries is easier and more streamlined than ever. Take the stress out of holidays when you can reserve a hotel room in minutes, virtually anywhere in the world you happen to be. If you have a hard time remembering details, prioritize your tasks with the RememberTheMilk app. Arrange important events by the due date or importance and delegate tasks when necessary. Integrate your Gmail, Twitter, Google Calendar and other savvy services with this app that operates across all of your devices.

Parenting is a sensational job, but keeping your kids and plans organized can take a lot of valuable time. Download and install a selection of parent-friendly apps, and you may find that you’ve got extra hours in which to enjoy spending time with your children.

Steph Talbot has 4 kids ranging in age from 8 months to 15 years. Life is crazy, hectic but she wouldn’t change it for the world. Apps are her saviour most days when it comes to getting things done.