Developing a Strong Relationship with Your Teen

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Teenagers are a challenge. They can drive you crazy, eat up all of your disposable income and bring all kinds of dramas into your home, but there’s no denying your love for them. Your child’s teenage years are when they start becoming adults, shaping who they’re going to be in the future. It’s a time you’ll want to be around for which can be difficult when your teenager is trying to push the boundaries.

On The Verge of 40

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Sunday is my birthday and I will be 39.  It's such a lackluster sort of birthday - you aren't quite yet the BIG 40, but you are literally at the threshold of moving into your forties.  

Setting Your Kids Up For Success

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You want your children to be happy and healthy above all else. You also want them to grow up strong and secure in themselves and to be able to achieve whatever it is they want out of life. After all, as a parent, it’s your job to give your child everything they need in their first years of life! (And of course, for the next couple of decades too…)

Lack of Time is Lack of Priorities

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Time Management

At the end of the day, it’s all about time management. When it comes to time management, we don’t want to admit we don't have it all together. It’s one of the hardest issues to face and can be a challenge. However, the good news is it’s very doable.

6 Tips For Achieving The Life Of Your Dreams

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How To Plan The Best Children's Party

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No matter what their gender or age might be, the most enjoyable part of a birthday for little ones (besides getting some fun presents!) is their party. Setting a date a few months in advance will give you time to plan the whole thing accordingly, and allow them go nuts with excitement as the big day approaches. Whether you’re DIY-ing at home or going all out, in this article you will find some of the best tips, tricks and ideas to help you make sure your child has the best day ever.

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Involve Them In The Planning

It's likely your little one will already have some ideas in their head of what they want at their birthday party. Some of these may be slightly outlandish and not particularly achievable, as unicorns are hard to come by, but you will definitely be able to decipher some great things to include on their special day. Get them to write down a few locations or themes and then you can decide which of those you think would be the most fun but also the most logical too. Giving them the opportunity to help will get them even more excited in the build-up to their party, and also make them feel more involved and special to be part of the planning. It also stretches out the experience from being just a few hours of joy to months of anticipation.

Who To Invite

Dependent on the type of party you’re planning, you have to establish a guest list. Make sure their best friend(s) are free on the day you’ve chosen for the event and establish the size of the group that can attend. If it’s a small get together such as a sleepover, keep the number below 5 and make sure it’s odd so as not to leave anyone behind - pairs always work better. If it’s a larger event like a disco, think about including all of their classmates or sports team members. This way you will be able to involve everyone they know and make it a lovely environment for stronger friendships to be built. If you’re doing the whole school class option, ask their teacher if your little one could distribute some invitations before a lesson begins; often if everyone will be receiving an invite they won’t say no. This can help to build their confidence too, and add to the excitement of it all.

The Budget

Possibly the most important influence to any decisions you can make to do with the party is your overall budget. If you don't have a lot to spend, consider some DIY options and get your child to help too. Spending some time with them to craft decorations or bake a big celebration cake will be a lovely experience, and will make the day even more satisfying for them when they know they contributed towards its creation. It’s also a lot cheaper to create these items yourself rather than outsourcing them, so it’s a win-win situation. If you’re looking for a day trip that won’t break the bank, get some discount Disneyland tickets for a magical cost-conscious adventure. There are many ways to save money whilst still planning the most memorable birthday, so do a little research on alternatives before spending more than required.

Party Favors

It’s a sort of tradition to hand out party favors to all of the guests when they leave so they have something to take home with them. The contents of their ‘party bag’ should depend upon the theme of the day. For a day of arts and crafts include some paintbrushes and pencils, for a wild day at an outdoor adventure park add some cool wild animal figurines or get an entertainer in to do brilliant themed face painting. Always include a piece of the birthday cake, as this is a party favor staple! There are many things that can be personalized and included, and it's possible to make most or even all of the party bags contents yourself.

Games Galore

Keeping your little one(s) occupied is difficult at the best of times, so when you have an entire group of children their age running circles around your feet, you have to invest in some games and entertainment. Again this really does depend on the location of the party, but there are a few go-to’s that you might want to consider. Treasure hunts are a tried and tested winner as all children will want to get involved, especially if they’re looking for sweets and candy. Taking the age group into consideration, you may want to think about hiring a clown or a professional children's entertainer. Unfortunately clowns have lost their touch over the years due to various horror films, but fortunately, a magician or a superhero would be a much better and accessible replacement.

Presents

One of the main reason children look forward to their birthdays is the hope of being drowned in presents. If you’ve splashed out on a big day, you might have to scrimp when it comes to buying them a gift. However continuing with the DIY method, you can create some smaller items on your own that relate to the theme of the party. It’s important that they can see the party as a present in its own right too. It’s likely they will get a few gifts if they host a larger event, so keep an eye on them to make sure they don't forget their thank you’s in the excitement of it all!

It’s hard to get every little detail to be perfect, but it really doesn’t matter! Focus on the experience as a whole, and make sure your child feels special on their big day. With this information, you should be able to plan and execute something spectacular for them to remember for years to come. Don’t forget to involve the special boy or girl in the planning of their party, and try to relax and enjoy yourself too!

An Age-Old Problem: Helping Our Children Understand Their Grandparents’ Failing Health

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While there is a lot of focus on children and their mental health these days, it can be a very difficult situation when we've got to have a heart to heart conversation with our children about their grandparents. Whether their grandparents aren’t doing very well or they have to go into care because they're too old, these issues can eat away at us until we decide to sit down with our children and have that conversation. But when it comes to this sort of thing, how can we help our children understand what's going on, but also help them to cope?

Prepare For The Conversation

You could chew away at every word permutation in your mind, but the best thing to do is to sit down and just plan how you intend on saying it. It's important that you don't sugarcoat the language so much that it becomes almost unreal what you're saying. It at the same time, the reality of the situation needs to present itself, and it's something that your children need to know. Ultimately, it can be a very difficult thing if you have difficulties in trying to speak to your children in the first place. On www.HuffPost.com, there are some handy hints for being a parent that your child actually wants to talk to. This is something that could tip the balance firmly in your favor. Ultimately, you need to break the news, but if you're someone that they don't really take seriously, or they just ignore, it can prove to be more of a shock when you do deliver bad news.

Be Open And Receptive

They may have a million questions or they may have none. Whatever their response, it's important to be open and honest, but also be receptive to any questions they have, no matter how grizzly the details they want. This can be a very difficult thing for us to go through as parents, but it's important that our children understand exactly what's going on. If they have only half the information, they're going to walk away feeling more confused. What's happening to the grandparents? Are they been taken away? Are they not coming back ever again? It's these sorts of things that need answering in the most straightforward manner. This requires openness and honesty.

Offering Them Ways To Help

Your children will want to see them, or they may want to help. Ultimately, if it's something like your parents going into a home, if your child is old enough to have some of the responsibility, you can give them things to help with so they can contribute. Something as simple as visiting www.PegasusSeniorLiving.com  can be a great way for you to give your child the time they need to adjust. This can mean that they may be able to process the news easier. If they feel they are far away from the situation, and you're not letting them get involved, this could very easily compound their anxiety.

It's never easy, and it's an age-old problem, but by discussing with your children these difficult situations, it's going to have a more positive outcome than you realize, no matter how long you have been putting it off.