Category Archives: Lifestyle

Preparing Your Kids For Moving Home

10/14/2019 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

moving, kids, growing up, parenting, home — Pexels

Moving home is a time of both excitement and stress. When you’ve got kids, it’s vital to prepare them properly for such a big change. While some children will handle a move well, not all children are the same, so it’s best to tread carefully. If you’re soon to be moving home with your kids, let’s consider how you can best prepare them.

Explain carefully

You will need to explain the move as carefully as you can to your kids. The way that you go about your explanation will largely depend on how old your children are. With toddlers and younger kids, the move will be harder to understand. The best thing that you can do is to use your kids soft-toys, doll’s house or trucks to act the process out. When you start packing your kids toys away, they may be anxious. Try to make it clear that the toys will be waiting for them at the new home. If your kids are older, you’ll want to explain in more detail, including the reasons for the move and ask them if they have any questions. Understand that your children may experience sadness or anger at this time. Plan lots of fun activities for your kids to distract them if they feel upset.

Use stories

Often, children’s storybooks are an excellent way to explain changes and processes. The characters in stories can help your children to feel that they are not alone in this experience. There are plenty of books out there which deal with the subject of moving home. If your kids like ‘Winnie The Pooh’ why not try the book ‘Tigger’s Moving Day.’ You could also try ‘My Very Exciting Sorta Scary Big Move.’ The book is written by Lori Attanasio Woodring and features a range of moving themed activities. You can find these books on Amazon along with plenty of other moving themed books for kids.

Keep what you can

If you want to prepare your kids for moving home, it’s a good idea to keep as much of their bedroom furniture and belongings as possible. When you get to your new place, your kids are likely to feel more at ease if they have the same furniture, bed sheets and colour schemes. Being in an unfamiliar place can be a little scary for children. Keeping their old belongings can help them to feel a sense of security. If your children are younger, it’s best to pack up the house yourself without their involvement.

With older children, you may want to get them to help with the packing. Involving them in this way can allow your kids to get excited about a new adventure. You’ll want a great removal company with many years of experience. This way, the process will run smoothly and create no added stress for your kids. It’s worth looking at this website here for a highly professional and experienced moving company.

Spend time in the new area
It’s a great idea to let your kids spend some time in the new area so that the moving process feels a little less strange. Take them to the local parks, allow them to visit their new school (if appropriate). If your new neighbors have children, it can be a great idea to arrange a play-date to help your kids to make friends.

Life, Lifestyle, Parenting

4 Cheap and Cheerful Activities The Kids Will Love

10/06/2019 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

There’s nothing better than having a couple of days off to spend some quality time with the kids. These are the moments you will cherish.

But finding something everyone will enjoy that won’t cost a fortune can be tough. You can’t visit theme parks and movie theatres every time the kids are off school.

So if you’re looking for some fun family activities the kids will love but which won’t break the bank, check out the ideas below.

activities, kids, family, parenting, fun, play — Image Source: Pixabay CC0 Licence

Playgrounds, Skateparks and State Parks

Most communities have at least one free playground for children of all ages to enjoy. Fresh air, exercise, and hours of fun for the kids, it’s definitely worth getting acquainted with all the best playground spots in your area.

More and more skateparks are popping up too. You have to make the initial investment in a skateboard, BMX or scooter. But if you’ve got adventurous little ones with a need for speed, you could set them up with a fun, active hobby for life.
If you live near a state park, make the most of it. Not everyone is so lucky! Hiking, camping, swimming and cycling will keep the whole family entertained, without costing you a penny.

In a coastal area like Venice, you could try fishing for something a bit more hands-on – fishing guide venice.

Movie Marathon

If the weather forecast isn’t so hot, why not enjoy a movie marathon? Get some popcorn in, make a pillow fort, and let Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings do the hard work.

Or better yet, crafty kids might enjoy making their own film. You don’t need a fancy camera to make a YouTube movie and stretch the kids’ creative muscles. You can write a little script, dig out some old clothes for costumes, and use your mobile phone for footage. Then use some free video editing software for the polish.

Not so great with tech? Write and perform a play instead. Acting and storytelling are great for a child’s creative development and might lead them to a career-worthy passion.

Volunteer Work

Volunteer work is chicken soup for the soul. It’s also free, a great way to introduce your kids to the community, and to get everyone out of the house.

Whether it’s visiting a lonely older person, getting outdoors for some litter-picking, taking a rescue dog for a walk, or helping out in community gardens or allotments, helping others in a great way to spend time with the family and brighten everyone’s day.

Baking and Lemonade

Cookies, cakes, pies and lemonade – whatever your family’s favourite treat, kids love getting stuck in and making their own food.
Baking can also be a great way to recontextualise that pesky math homework into something more practical. For some easy recipes kids can help with, click here.

And if you think you have a little business person in the making, you can’t beat a good old-fashioned lemonade stand to teach them the ropes.

And there we have it! Use these ideas to get the ball rolling and find the perfect day out for your kids, without breaking the bank.

Life, Lifestyle, Parenting

What Do Your Kids Think About You?

09/27/2019 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

kids, family, parenting — (Image Source)

Having kids can be a magnificent thing. The opportunity to bring new life into the world is one which a lot of people want to grasp, with the idea of being a parent being at the top of their list of goals. Of course, though, getting through a pregnancy is only the first stage in this process, and things can get more complicated as the little one gets older. As they get smarter, they will be able to develop an opinion and idea of who you are. As a good role model, you will want them to see the best side of you for this, and this post is here to help you out with it.

Knowledge & Intelligence

Kids will naturally look up to their parents, and will assume that they are borderline geniuses until they reach their teenage years. You will find their school work easy, will have knowledge of loads of subjects they haven’t heard of, and will have a lot of ways to demonstrate this. Of course, though, intelligence is a double-edged sword, as no one likes to be made to feel stupid, and this applies to your children, too. When you’re playing a board game, for example, it makes sense to give your kids an edge with something like Unscramble. While this will mean that you have a disadvantage, it will show your children that they can use tools to enhance their natural intelligence.

Empathy & Compassion

It’s not uncommon for parents to tell their children off when they are angry at them, and this can get worse and worse once a child reaches their teenage years. Along with this, throughout their life, your child will see you interact with loads of different people, and the empathy and compassion you show on this journey will have a big impact on your child. Acting compassionately isn’t always easy, with a lot of people finding their emotions leading the way when they get into arguments or conflicts. Being mindful is a big part of this, and can make it far easier to keep yourself cool and collected.

Strength

Physical strength is becoming less and less important in the modern world, with people using their wits and minds to do battle, rather than their bodies. Parents need to be strong, but it isn’t big muscles which they need; it’s a big heart. When someone passes away, a natural disaster occurs, or anything else happens which could make you upset, it’s worth being strong for your children. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t show your emotions, as your children need to see this side of you, too. Instead, you simply have to avoid letting them wrap you up, keeping your head strong and giving your little ones the support they need.

Living in a family can be a challenge when you haven’t had any kids before. There are a lot of little things you need to think about, and everyone will want to take the same approach. Of course, though, as time goes on, you will learn how to handle these areas, and this will give you an edge in your parenting journey.