Four Ways to Encourage Children To Get Outdoors More

07/07/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

As children get older, there will be more and more distractions for them. Computer games, games consoles, friends, and other activities can all be a distraction from wanting to get outdoors. When children are younger, they will follow your lead and if you’re heading out on a walk, then they will be coming with you too. But as your children get older, and if they don’t already have a love of the outdoors, how can you help them to get outside more and enjoy all that nature has to offer? Here are some ideas to help.

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Eating alfresco

If you want to encourage older children to get outside with you, then it is wise to think about involving food in some way. It could be that you choose to go for a breakfast picnic with them, or perhaps you just decide to eat out in the backyard on a warm summer evening. When they’re outside for the food, it makes it easier to then go for a walk or play in the yard as they are out there already.

Make it more fun

Just saying to the kids that you’re all going on a hike can feel a little dull and boring, especially if their other option is playing a bright and shiny new game online with their friends. So you need to think of ways to make it more fun. For example, if you want to take your children fishing, then make sure you get something like a jika rig to make the process easier for them. If you’re thinking of going camping, then incorporate something like making s’mores, to make the whole thing much more enjoyable for them. If you are focusing more on making your backyard more fun for them, why not think about installing a pool? There are websites such as https://premierpoolsandspas.com/locations/ that can help you with finding a builder for your pool. It’s great exercise and it will certainly get them out from behind that computer as they’ll be outside in the fresh air having fun.

Take the indoors outdoors

If you have children that just want to play with their Lego or read books, then how about bringing that outside? They could read in a hammock outside or bring games and toys to the park or to the backyard to play with. Then they get the best of both worlds, doing what they want to do, all the while being in nature and soaking up some all important vitamin D from the sun.

Create a scavenger hunt

Even if they don’t want to admit it, there aren’t many children that don’t enjoy hunting for something, especially if there is some kind of reward at the end of it all. By creating a scavenger hunt for your children, you could get them into the woods, the local park, or just in their backyard, searching for things in nature, getting them moving, and having lots of fun at the same time.

One of the key things as parents is that we need to lead by example. If you’re reluctant to get outdoors, then it will be no surprise that your children are that way inclined too. Be enthusiastic when you talk about your plans and outdoor activities, talk about the benefits, and make sure that activities are planned in order to get you all outdoors exploiting and enjoying nature.

Going Healthy, Parenting

Helping Your Kid With a Fear of the Doctor

07/07/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

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Seeing doctors and other health professionals is something that we all have to do from time to time. Few of us enjoy our medical appointments, but most us can handle them well enough. However, there are some people, children in particular, who have a real fear of seeing the doctor. If your child is one of them, here are a few things that might help you to help them:

Model good behavior

If your child has a fear of the doctors, one of the best things you can do is accompany them and act as casually as possible try to have fun even. If they see that not only are you not afraid, but you’re also having a good time, it may just be enough to put their mind at ease.

Practice

If your child is due her shots or needs to attend a hearing aid fitting, for example, one thing you can do to get them comfortable with the idea is to practice at home. Role-playing exactly what will happen from the moment you go through the door until the appointment is over will not only be fun for them but it will help to take the fear away. Fear of the unknown is a huge cause of medical phobias, so by letting your kids know just what will happen, you can really help them.

Focus on the positives

When talking about medical appointments with your kids, always try to push the positives. Talk about how great the doctor is and how she can help you all to be healthy and keep those nasty germs at bay, for example. Avoid talking about any of the negative aspects and big up the doctor so that your child starts to see them as more of a superhero than a villain who gives them shots and causes them pain.

Don’t give you much warning

Although practicing before seeing the doctor is a great way to allay their fears, try not to mention the medical appointment too soon in advance as it will give your child the chance to brood over the appointment, building it up in their head until it’s the scariest thing ever. Try to keep letting them know until the day before at most.

Keep close

As a parent, when your child is being examined, keep as close as you possibly can to your child. Be their anchor and let them know that you are right there and there is nothing to fear. This may be easier in some cases than others, but if you can’t hold on to your child, at least stand as close as you possibly can to them.

Get them therapy

Some children develop a real phobia around healthcare professionals, which it can be really difficult, if not impossible, for you as parents to unpick. If that is the case, then speaking with a pediatric therapist is often the best course of action. They have seen it all before and developed effective techniques for getting rid of the fear once and for all.

Good luck!

Life, Parenting

Providing a United Front: Being a Great Co-Parent After Divorce

07/01/2021 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

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Getting a divorce is one of the hardest things we can all go through. When there are children involved, it means we’ve got to put a lot of our emotions to one side for the sake of being good parents. Learning to be an effective co-parent in this situation is a massive learning curve. Even though your relationship hasn’t worked, your parenting can. Let’s show you how you can co-parent effectively after a separation.

Have an Open Dialogue With Your Your Co-Parent

This is one of the fundamentals and is a prominent part of a child custody attorney’s mediation strategy. But it makes sense to keep an open dialogue with your ex-partner. For the sake of the children, keeping each other informed of events and schedules that could affect the children will make the relationship work. It can be difficult, but you have to guarantee that you are keeping each other informed about every change because if you do not, and your child becomes the key source of information. This soon results in crossed wires, which also makes your child feel like they are right in the middle.

Keeping Both Households Consistent

Children need structure, and this means that in both households, you’ve got to keep a similar approach. When you run a tight ship in both homes, this will create routine and security for your kids. No matter wherever your child goes, they know that certain rules will come into play, so they can have a greater sense of well-being. That sense of the unknown is what every child fears, so having the same environment in both places creates that all-important consistency.

Remove Emotions from the Equation

As hard as it is to separate your emotions, you’ve got to recognize this is almost like a business arrangement. As tempting as it is to try and make a big custody grab and have the children full-time, you’ve got to remove your emotions from the equation and be realistic about your commitments. If you work a 60 hour week, are you actually going to be able to be an effective parent full-time? When both of you hit a realistic schedule that caters to everyone, this will make life a lot easier. You should also remember that, even though you and your partner are not together anymore, this doesn’t mean your ex is a bad parent. You’ve got to realize that just because your ex and yourself didn’t work out, it doesn’t mean that you can’t both be better parents. It is still possible for both of you to be great parents, and in fact, you may find that you are better at working together when you are not together.

It is not easy, but you must remember that for the sake of the children, you both have to provide consistency. You and your ex-partner love your children, and this means that your child needs the love of both of you. It is a hard balance to get right, but you should not be an unbalanced parent. This is why it is so important to provide a united front.