Category Archives: Parenting

Managing to Stay Healthy Whilst being a Parent

04/22/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Your body is amazing, but to keep it amazing we need to make sure we keep it healthy and give it a check over every now and again. This can especially difficult if you happen to be a parent. From making sure the children get to school on time. Making sure their homework is completed, to bath time and feeding them, and all the other things that come by default when you are a parent. It can seem impossible to have some me time, but it doesn’t have to be! This article helps show you how and what you can do to keep yourself healthy and give yourself that much needed me time, a survival kit for new dads, and mothers out there!

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Maintain a Healthy Diet

A key element to health is your diet. Being a parent, it can be difficult to make sure you eat healthily whilst also trying to regulate what the children are eating! Some people opt for highly regimented diets, which may not work around your family life. This is not the only way you can diet, maybe you just want to remove the snacks from your life. The food on the go. Studies have shown that regimented times of eating, having the three main meals of the day at the same time every day really helps with weight loss. Combine that with removing the on the move food and snacks in between, and replacing them with nuts, fruit, and salad, will make you into a health and diet ninja!

Try to use Natural Products

This is a must. Many products out on the market are actually quite harsh and harmful to your skin. Some products use alcohol and other chemicals as a base ingredient, and in time these chemicals will actually dry and age your skin, so they are not the best. Products that have a natural base of ingredients are far better for your skin, and due to the rise in popularity and the demand high for natural products they no longer need to break your bank!

Adapt an exercise plan for you

When looking at exercise routines to follow, either through an app or TV or at the gym through classes, everyone has their ‘top routine’ or ‘best routine’ that is bound to work every time. Well, this is not the case for everyone. A highly regimented exercise routine may not suit a working or single mother or a mother in the first place who needs to care for the children. It may not take into account personal conditions or situations which do not affect the person recommending the routine. Why not try a gym?

Don’t forget to Nourish the Entire Body

This point links with the above, never forget the rest of your body! Many people have their focus set on face creams, eye primers, face masks and more, and never really think twice about products that could help the skin on the rest of their body. The face is just a small part of the skin that covers your body, and there are many amazing products out there for the body as well as the face! As well as body butter that is amazing, you can buy affordable body oils which are also great for adding moisture to the skin. Also, natural body soaps are great for the bath or shower, so when you are washing the day away, at the same time giving your skin much-needed refreshment and leaving you feeling happier and more relaxed!

Using Your Senses as you Exercise

This is another great tip to get the most of the workout you do already, but adding another element of mindfulness into the mix. An example of how you could use this method in your normal routine is your morning run in the park. Are you playing music through your headphones? Are you just focused on the end goal of when you finish or where the next bench is? That is perfectly normal, as we all have those same thoughts. But, image that same run, but you really turn into the noises around you. The morning birds tweeting in the trees. The wind blowing through the hanging branches of the trees around you, and the noise of the rhythmic thud and gravel noise when your feet touch the ground every couple seconds. Although it sounds really basic and simple, firstly, it is! But at the same time, you will find again like the breathing techniques, you will slow down and really take in your environment, and get so much more satisfaction from your workout.

So, those are some quick tips on keeping healthy whilst being a parent! Do what is best for you, and keep doing a great job!

Life, Parenting

Beyond Square One? What Do Both Parents Need To Fix To Help Their Relationship?

02/28/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

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It’s not enough to be a great dad; it’s about the relationship you have with the other parent. And when you are doing your best to be the best parent you possibly can, if there are disagreements in parenting styles or you are on different pages this is when relationship issues can come to the fore. And when people try to fix their relationship for the sake of the kids it comes from a good place but ultimately it doesn’t address the root cause. When parents are struggling with their relationship what do they really need to address to fix it properly?

Identifying The Deep-Rooted Issues

When there is conflict in a relationship it may not be what you think it is. The deep-rooted issue may be something that you both have avoided confronting for some time. Sometimes the issue is straightforward but you both don’t see it. Sometimes it requires an external source to point this out. Sometimes we can have crutches in life such as alcohol or drugs to keep us from addressing the real issues. But there are facilities like a couples inpatient drug rehab near you to help. It’s also worth addressing if you both need to engage in counseling. Sometimes it’s not straightforward but the problem can be under the surface. This means we’ll have to take some time to dig.

Learning To Forgive

Learning to let something go is difficult for many of us. But when it’s the parent of your child, sometimes you can feel that they’ve done something that you just can’t forgive. But this means you’ve got to learn to separate the negativity from your life. Looking into the past and bringing it up every time you have a disagreement will never help you both to move on. Forgiveness isn’t just about the other person but it’s about identifying the real issues within yourself and putting it to one side so you can focus on the relationship.

Don’t Involve The Children

When parents start to disagree or harbor resentment we can very easily bring the children into the picture. We see it all the time with parents going through divorce, they use their children as pawns in the game. And if you think that it’s okay to involve the children in your you’re the bates you’ve got to take a long look in the mirror. Everything you are doing should be for the benefit of the children. And we’ve got to think that if they ever feel in the middle they could feel responsible for everything. If there is a child in the middle of it you have to make sure that you both let them know you care for them. It’s not their fault but they may very well think that it is.

Learning to fix the relationship together is vital but you also have to remember that it’s not a quick fix. There can be a lot of soul-searching involved and getting to the root cause of your problems. If you’re not willing to address these problems you will end up back at square one.

Life, Parenting, Tips

Tips On Being The Best Dad You Can Be

02/26/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

In a world that constantly pulls you one way then the other, trying to stay focused and do the right thing by those closest to you can be a battle. However, wanting to do the right thing is the first major step in being the best Dad. The good news is, that to do the best thing, you do not always have to put yourself last. So, if you are in the habit of doing this for the greater good, you can relax a little. Sometimes what is best for you is best for the whole family. And as a Father, if you are happier, as stress-free as you can be, and more confident, you are able to make better decisions that benefit everyone. Here are some tips on how to be the best Dad.

Dad, parenting, fatherhood, kids, father son, daddy's girld — Image from Pixabay

Be a good listener

Being a good Father means wanting to know and understand your children. So, that means you are going to have to talk to your children in turn, privately. In your talks, make sure they know that you are there for them and that they can confide in you. If you are worried about one of your children, this is a great time to coax out the details. If you promise not to get upset, then you have to follow this through, even if you are upset. Ask your child about their hopes, dreams, and aspirations, get them thinking about this, as it will serve them well going forward. Not only will you learn a little about them, but you will have connected too. This is a way to strengthen bonds.

Be a good role model

Children do look up to their parents to understand how to operate in the world. You should embrace this job as a role model. Think about how you would like your child to be as an adult and try and be that person. You will want there to be a loving relationship between your partner and you, where you communicate frequently. Have a no-screen policy at dinner, and sit around the table, eating healthy meals, and encourage conversation. Go out and exercise, play games with the children, and ensure they are staying fit and healthy too. There are so many ways to be a good role model. It is up to you to choose how.

Look after yourself

When you have children, a lot of attention needs to be bestowed on them, but that does not mean your life ends. You still have to enjoy yourself, as part of being a role model you should encourage healthy self-indulgence every now and again. So make sure you get those new jeans you need, for example, or even a used rolex miami. You should embrace a little Dad time to recharge your batteries and be the best Dad you can be. Constantly putting yourself on the back burner is not going to serve anyone well. You need to be well-rested and in a good mental place to make good decisions for your family.