Category Archives: Parenting

Life, Parenting

How To Connect With Your Children

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At one time or another, every single parent fears that they aren’t connecting with their kids. When work, chores, and other daily toils overwhelm your schedule, you might start to worry that you don’t spend enough time with them or that you don’t even know them as well as you should. This anxiety can be almost paralyzing. That being said, this issue needn’t last forever – It can be resolved, even with a busy lifestyle. Here are six ways for you to connect with your children.

1. Ask About Their Life

The most basic way to bond with your children is to talk to them. Make sure you tell them about your day and always ask about theirs. You should also try to remember everything that they say. After all, if they bring up the conversation again, and you can’t recall important facts, it can seem like you don’t care. Ensure you give them your undivided attention by turning your phone silent.

2. Give Them A Hug

Not everyone is raised as a hugger. If you were brought up in a family that didn’t exhibit touching behaviour, then you might not feel comfortable being close to others, even your own children. However, that doesn’t change the fact that humans need touch, especially to increase their trust in people. Because of this, you should try giving your little ones a snuggle now and then.

3. Learn About Their Interests

Your child may not be a good “talker”, in which case, it can help to engage in activities with one another. For this to happen though, you need to learn a little bit more about their interests. If they’re a fan of baseball, for example, you could watch a few games, or, if they like LEGO, you can check out LEGO Ways. This shows that you’re invested in spending quality time with them.

4. Find A Common Passion

Whatever it is that your child enjoys doing, you should try not to judge them for it. As long as they’re not hurting anyone, there’s no reason for you to be concerned or stop them from doing it. However, that doesn’t mean that you need to force yourself to like it too. If you can’t find common ground with their hobbies, then work together to find something that you both want to do.

5. Act Like Their Parent

There’s no feeling greater than knowing that you’re your child’s friend. Unfortunately, it can be easy to take this too far. As close as you and your little one may be, you must remember that you’re their parent first. Your primary goal is to ensure that your kids grow up safely, happily, and healthily. If you sacrifice this to seem cool or fun, you can push your child even further away.

6. Never Use Their Guilt

Although you should make it clear that you want to spend time with your child, you shouldn’t guilt them into doing so. This is a cheap trick and is one that will only cause resentment in the long run. Kids can be challenging, and as such, may hold out for a while before they show any interest in wanting to connect with you. But, even so, you should keep trying until they do.

The bond you have with your kids will always be there, but, with these tips, you should find to a little easier to connect with them.

Going Healthy, Going Strong, Health, Life, Parenting

Dads – How to Fit Exercise into a Busy Day

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It can be really hard to juggle fatherhood and a full-time job not to mention your hobbies, socializing and seeing other family members. But it is also really important to stay on top of your health and well-being, so we’ve made a list of some great tips on how to squeeze exercise into your daily routine.

The Gym

A good hour-long session at the gym may seem like a distant memory to you by now and with such a hectic schedule you’re probably more likely to be wondering how to get a six pack in 3 minutes. However, it is important to free up time for yourself to focus on your own goals as well as those of your family. Come up with a plan with your partner that includes scheduled times where you are both free to partake in your own hobbies and interests. Getting back to the gym even once a week will do wonders for your self-esteem and will give you a new lease of life that you can make the most of with your children.

Walk, Don’t Drive

As a father, you will probably find yourself spending a lot of time in the car taking your children here, there, and everywhere. Try to replace some of the shorter car journeys with walking instead. Not only will this be great for your health, it will also give you some bonding time with your children where you can fully focus on their conversations.

Commute

Like most of us, your morning commute is probably too long to be able to get there on foot instead. However, try parking a little further away from work and walking the last stretch. You’ll be amazed at what a positive impact such a subtle change to your routine can have.

The Early Bird Catches the Worm

You probably won’t want to hear this, but a lot of parents eventually have to face the fact that getting up a little earlier can solve a number of time-related problems. By going to bed earlier you can set your alarm for a time that allows you to go for a quick morning run.

Socializing

Try to combine socializing with exercise by seeing if your friends would like to join you for a gym session, an exercise class or simply join you for a stroll rather than meeting up at a bar or coffee shop as you’d usually do. This way, you get to do both whilst saving some time.

Becoming a father doesn’t have to signal the end of a healthy lifestyle. It is important to make time to dedicate to your health and fitness and this will only have positive effects on your abilities as a father. You’ll have more energy to run around with your kids and it will teach them the importance of fitness too. For more tips on how to handle fatherhood, take a look at going-dad.com.

Life, Parenting

Which pet is best for your kids?

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Have your kids started to demand a pet? It’s that dreaded moment for some parents where you must choose between what they want and what you want because we all know you’ll be the ones looking after it!

If you’re happy to go ahead, the next important thing to decide is what kind of pet would best suit your family. And don’t forget to do your research to learn about your pet. For example, guinea pigs have sensitive ears and are very social. Here we look at the three most common domestic pets and the pros and cons of owning each one.

Getting a Fish – the easiest pet to look after:

Fish are obviously the easiest pet when it comes to maintenance. They don’t require any exercise other than happily swimming around in their tank. However, this does make them one of the least interesting pets so if you have boisterous children who are full of energy, then a fish may not be the best pet for them.

There are plenty of types of fish to choose from, so the initial buying process can be fun. You can visit aquariums with your kids, and they can choose from loads of different colors and shapes of fish. But be careful, different kinds of fish require different environments. So, if you’re not up for maintaining a professional level fish tank with the perfect climate, go for fish who are quite happy in a simple fish bowl.

Feeding fish is also easy and fish food is usually very affordable. They don’t need much food either and the depending on the kind of fish you choose, the cost of initial equipment is low. So, you don’t have to worry about the financial impact of having fish as pets.

Getting a cat – you are there to serve them:

Cats also do not require a lot of maintenance; they largely look after themselves. They will take themselves outside for exercise and will come home for food and sleep when they feel like it. But like fish, this does tend to result in having a pet which isn’t particularly engaging to have around.

However, depending on the breed that you go for you can get some very playful cats, especially if you get them from kitten age. Cats have a reputation for being quite reserved and keeping themselves to themselves, but if you choose the right breed, they can be a warm, fun addition to the family.

Cats can be really interesting creatures for example, did you know that cats noses are ridged and completely unique to every cat, like a human fingerprint? Be careful if you have young children though, as cats can often lash out after too much heavy petting.

Getting a Dog – they will never leave you alone:

Dogs are the ultimate pet when it comes to bringing some fun into your family. Depending on the breed, they are often full of character and are known for their loyalty. They love to exercise, so make sure your family does too. Dogs are great for helping you to get rid of all that energy your children have.

Just like fish and cats, the temperament of dogs can depend heavily on their breed, so make sure you do your research before buying one. When it comes to feeding dogs, it can have an impact on your finances as dogs, particularly large ones, can eat a lot!

The popular phrase ‘Dogs are for life, not just for Christmas’ shows just how much work dogs can be. Not everyone is up for the commitment needed when you get a dog, so make sure your expectations are realistic before making your decision.

You’ll soon find yourself with some real parent points if you decide to get your kids a pet. If you’re worried that your kids might not have what it takes to dedicate themselves to looking after a pet full time, maybe consider an easy-to-look-after fish. If your kids are full of energy and could handle a spirited dog, go for it. And if you fancy something in between, which could have a more active role in the family without needing too much in return, then you should take a look at the different kinds of cats available.