Raising a family is a wonderful time in the life of a loving couple. However, at times it can overwhelm you. With work, school, a home to tend to, and after-school activities on the agenda daily, life is anything but boring. Here are a few tips to help make each day less stressful. 

Time Sensitive 

With the hustle and bustle that each day brings, stress is something you can experience often. One way to reduce it is to become time-sensitive. Setting your alarm a few minutes earlier will allow you to wake up on time and start the day off right. It’s no good to rush through breakfast and dart out the door. What follows is a “hurry up” mode to get the children to school on time. This can result in carelessness that can lead to an accident while driving to or from school. Unfortunately, if this reckless behavior continues, you may have a problem with maintaining insurance. Luckily, you can acquire an SR22 insurance quote to remain a licensed driver, but be prepared for the hit it will cause to your budget.

Eliminating the Clutter 

Piles of clutter around the home can overwhelm anyone.  The good news is that you can create a neat and organized environment. Take a weekend and begin the process of decluttering your home. Create a permanent location for things such as your car and house keys, the mail, book bags, and shoes. This way, when it comes time to head out the door, it’s a quick process that’s stress-free. 

Meal Planning 

Your life is busy, and the last thing you need is to waste valuable time trying to figure out what to have for dinner. One way to solve the dinner dilemma is to plan the week’s meals ahead of time. This will benefit you in two ways. First, you’ll have a complete shopping list that eliminates the need for the mid-week run to the store. Secondly, you’ll know what you’re preparing each day. 

Budgeting 

Raising a family comes with many unexpected costs. Establishing a budget and sticking to it will help you stay on track with your monthly bills and allow you to create savings for family trips and repairs. Creating a budget is easy. Simply make a list of all of your monthly expenses and then deduct your net income. What a budget does is make you aware of your expenses and lets you set realistic short and long-term goals. It also helps you work towards becoming debt-free. Along the way, you will also learn other money-saving techniques such as finding coupons from companies like Raise to lower your grocery bill, which is essential in helping you find the best budget.

Family Schedule 

When raising a family, whether you have a large family or a small one, time is of the essence. Making a schedule and keeping it visible for all to see will help you maintain order and peace of mind. The schedule can include upcoming appointments, field trips and after school practices. It should also have a breakdown of the daily routine, which can include time slots for things like homework, dinner, bedtime, and household chores. This will keep the entire family on schedule. 

Family Time 

An element that’s missing from many busy families is the unity that comes from spending time together. Make time for family fun. For example, Friday nights can be family night where you select different activities to do together. One night can be a movie and popcorn, another a campout or a craft party. Quality time spent together equals a strong family bond. 

Down Time 

Every parent needs downtime. When you run 24/7, it’s only a matter of time before you collapse and become depressed. Make it a practice to take a few hours each week and dedicate them just to you. This time doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be something as simple as a long walk in the park or reading a good book. 

Raising a family is something that brings many rewards and a lifetime of fond memories. By getting organized, you’ll reduce stress and enjoy more good times together.

The average parent is said to get around just five or six hours of sleep per night, which is quite a large amount below the recommended seven to nine hours for the average adult. As such, there is no escaping the fact that parenthood comes with its fair share of fatigue.

So, how do you fight the exhaustion, especially when you are required to function optimally both at home and at work? Here are some tips to help you keep going.

Pay attention to your diet

It is true that certain foods can help to fight fatigue as much as other foods can simply make it worse. As a rule of thumb, do your best to steer clear of processed foods and focus more on eating fresher alternatives, especially in terms of fruits and vegetables. Other great foods to include in your daily meal plan are lean meats, complex carbohydrates, whole grains, nuts, oats, and chia seeds.

Consider IV therapy

Sometimes the regular ‘pick me ups’ won’t do the trick. In these instances, you may need a bit of extra help in the form of IV Therapy. This therapy is designed to maximize hydration, all the while aiding you in filling up on the vitamins and minerals necessary to get rid of ‘tired parent syndrome.’ Reset IV in LA is just one of the reputable companies offering this type of therapy. Nurses come straight to your door to administer the therapy whenever you need it. You will be amazed at how quickly you will feel rejuvenated.

Give yourself a break

It is truly impossible to do it ‘all’ when you have kids, especially when they are still infants or toddlers. Some days you just won’t get to that pile of laundry or the dishes in the sink. Other days you simply won’t perform at your optimum at work. Then there will be days where you will lose your temper faster than usual. Have a cup of coffee, or may be a pineapple crush strain, that might help to boost your energy. If that’s not helping, give yourself a break. You are doing your best, and nobody expects perfection from you or anyone, for that matter – parent or not. So you definitely shouldn’t expect it of yourself.

Ask for help when you need it

That old saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ rings true with most parents. Therefore, if you have a great support system of grandparents and friends who love your kids like their own, use it! Even if it only means heading out to the store on your own or heading to bed to sneak in a half an hour nap. It could be just enough to help you keep going that little bit longer before bedtime! If you get injured visit mainorwirth.com for help.

Visit the doctor

Parenting can take a lot out of you. If you are constantly feeling exhausted or you are suffering from migraines or any other health concerns, visit the doctor for a check-up. You never know when something bigger than just a lack of sleep is at play. Take care of your health so that you can take care of your children.

Finally, make time for yourself and for your partner. ‘Me-time’ is at the heart of feeling refreshed and rejuvenated regardless of whether or not you are able to get a full night’s sleep.

Every child is full of potential to learn. To help them reach their potential, however, you need to first understand that every child learns differently, and to round out their education they need a variety of teaching tools at their disposal. A child that is good with tactile learning will have a hard time at school but could be a genius at project work, and it is up to you to recognize these talents and help your kid develop them. That is why every parent should incorporate these four strategies to help them round out their child’s education and help their son or daughter shine: (more…)

Kids are wonderful things to have around. They make our days brighter with their laugh, cause us to go all mushy with their little gifts (even though it may be just a regular flower), and they make us proud of their achievements.

But give the little guy $10, and it’ll be gone as fast as they can say “Pikachu, I choose you!” They’re not as good at budgeting as mommy and daddy are, and they won’t bat an eyelash if they see the stash of candy on the supermarket counter.

Still, with a little bit of care and patience, there are ways for you to help your kid raise money for the things they want. Granted, you may have to watch them like a hawk; and you may also hear some whines every now and then. But this will teach them how to handle their money and actually become responsible people.

Getting Money on Short Notice

Let‘s say that your kid has their eye set on a fancy toy. You could afford to pay for it – but where would the fun be in that? It’s better to make your kid learn how to work for it rather than offering it to them on a silver platter. Here are a few tips:

1. Being environmentally friendly can actually earn them a lot of money. All they have to do is save their recyclables and take them to the closest recycling plant. They can get good money per pound.
2. Hold a garage sale. Your kid’s bound to have a ton of clothing or toys that they no longer use, so this will help them raise some quick cash.
3. Make and sell crafts. Anything from gift baskets to candy, jewelry and scarves can do. Handmade gifts are always a success, regardless of where you sell them.
4. Do chores for the elderly. There will always be that old lady across the street that can’t mow her own lawn or can’t reach by herself to clean the attic. As long as you are comfortable with the neighbors in question, it will earn them some extra cash.
5. Offer pet care. We all love owning pets – but we can’t always afford to walk them or wash them or play with them at all times. Most people would rather pay a responsible kid to do the job rather than sending them to a pet care facility.

Whenever you see an occasion, teach them how to snatch it. Jobs like cleaning, tutoring – even caring for a plant will help them earn money.

Final Savings Tips

So your kids have the plan – but unless they learn how to save, they won’t be able to bring that plan to fruition. You might want to start with a piggy bank or a savings jar, and tell them that the goal is to fill it up with coins and dollars.

Ultimately, you may open a savings account that would hold all their money. You can also benefit from a discount card fundraiser by Xtraman Fundraising, since it will save them a lot of hard-earned money.