Benefits Of Fostering A Child

08/27/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

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Fostering can bring many benefits into the lives of both the children who are placed and the adults who look after them. There are thousands of children being fostered today in this country. These are children and young adults who would otherwise potentially be alone in the world or be in toxic relationships and homes with their natural parents. There are many benefits to the foster care parents in having these children living with them, not least of which is the feeling of bettering their lives, and giving them a chance they would not have had in other circumstances.

What Are The Benefits Of Fostering For The Children?

But what of the children themselves? What are the benefits to them of fostering? The first benefit is stability. Children who are put into foster care may well never have had a stable home relationship, and this can damage them in a number of ways. It can give them anxiety disorders about strangers, since they might have a fear that everyone will treat them badly. It could lead to problems forming relationships. It may even mean that, as adults, these children are unable to believe in themselves enough to hold down a good job and build their careers. By offering these children who desperately need foster care the chance of a different life, foster parents are giving them the stability that they are looking for. They can build their confidence and in turn, use that confidence to lead successful lives.

Another benefit is education. A technique often used with foster children is ‘guided education’. This is learning with the child in mind, using their skills and likes to create a well-rounded teaching experience that will give them the knowledge and qualifications they need. Foster children can be behind their peer group when it comes to education. They may have missed a lot of schooling due to their home life, or it could be that they haven’t been motivated to learn before, due to feeling worthless or unloved. With guided education, they are given the tools they need to help themselves.

You can also help these children to live normal lives and to get access to all of the things they should. Whether this means taking them to dental tests or hearing tests, ensuring that they eat a nutritious diet, and enabling them to go to school; you can help them to lead a normal existence, which they otherwise would not be able to. This is something that a lot of people tend to take for granted today because it is something that is so normal to them and their children. However, for a lot of kids, these basic necessities are not a reality and it is something that they are missing out on. Wouldn’t it be good to be able to give a child all of these things?

How Else Can Fostering Help?

A foster child won’t just have their new foster parents and possibly siblings to take care of them; they will have a social worker to look out for them too. All this extra attention and focus while in foster care will build their self-esteem and will ensure that no matter what their problems and how they want to deal with them, there will be someone they can go to for help. Even though a child may only live with their foster family for a few months, in the majority of cases the children and the foster parents keep in touch. This means that the love, affection, and stability that the children have had will continue for many years to come.

Finally, although some wisdom states that it is best for a child to remain with their parents (or parent) in as many cases as possible, this is not always true. A foster family is an established way of allowing rifts to heal and bonds to reform, so as to enable families to build themselves up again. This may be because of abusive relationships or in circumstances where the parent simply cannot nurture their child in the way they should – due to drugs or alcohol, for example. Fostering can be the very best thing that can happen to unfortunate children and young people.

So there you have it: an insight into the many benefits that are associated with fostering a child. If this is something you are considering, then we wish you all of the luck in the world on your new venture in life. Being a foster parent is truly incredible.

Going Healthy, Health, Life

The (Un) Healthy Habits You Need To Say Goodbye To

08/27/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

We all want to be healthy. At the moment, given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, remaining in good health seems more important than ever. However, it can be a challenge. Most of us try to do what we think is right to keep ourselves happy and healthy and recognize that the odd bad habit – perhaps a few glasses of wine or a pizza on the weekend – is fine if done on moderation.

However, some of the things that we do that we think are healthy and do on a daily basis can actually do more harm than good. Here, we look at some of the healthy-but-not-really-healthy habits that you need to consider saying goodbye to.

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Choosing salad over a meal

It sounds like the healthiest option, right? A nice healthy salad – low in calories, full of vitamins and minerals. It is a great choice, is it not?

Well, not all of the time. If you have a plain salad, then yes, it is healthy, but how many people have a plain salad? Not many. Most salads come with all sorts of delicious toppings, extras, sauces, and dressings, and that is where the problem lies. These extras all contain added salt and fat and can often be more calorific than having the burger that you were craving.

Not only that but if a salad does not fill you up, you can often find yourself reaching for the cookie jar or other unhealthy snacks later on.

Listening to music before bed

It has been proven many times that listening to music can reduce your stress levels and help you to relax. Because of this, many people listen to it before they go to bed. It makes sense, does it not? If it helps you to relax, it will help you drop off into a nice, deep sleep.

But what if you are listening to your chosen music through earphones? It might be time to find a new way of zoning out before you go to sleep, as regularly blasting out the tunes into your ears can very easily cause damage to your delicate eardrums and canals.

The thing with hearing damage is that it happens gradually over time, so few people notice a problem until it is too late to reverse or repair the damage. Of course, regular hearing tests can help, but the best way of preventing hearing loss, which usually requires a hearing aid, is to protect your ears. No blasting music, no matter how relaxing it might be, no putting things like earbuds into your ears to clean them and wearing ear defenders if you are exposed to loud noise at work.

Drinking smoothies and fruit juices

Smoothies and fruit juices, on the face of it, are super healthy. They are jam packed with fruit and seem like an easy way to get some of your portions of five fruit and vegetables a day. They taste pretty delicious at the same time and are healthier than grabbing a takeout breakfast or a can of soda.

However – they are not quite as healthy as you think. In fact, they can be pretty unhealthy. Firstly, if you are replacing a proper meal with a liquid, you are not going to be getting the nutrients that you need. Secondly, the fruit is packed with sugar. It is natural sugar, and nowhere near as bad for you as refined sugar, but it is still there. This can cause a spike in insulin levels, which causes a spike in blood sugar levels, which can lead to unhealthy cravings.

If you are relying on smoothies to help you lose weight, you may find that your weight loss plateaus very quickly or that you end up putting on weight.

Drinking a cup of tea at bedtime

All the advice and guidance for getting a good night’s sleep tells you to have a warm drink before bed. Many of us put the kettle on and make a cup of tea. It’s hot, it’s comforting and feels like the right drink to help us unwind before we go to sleep.

The problem with this is that tea contains caffeine, and we all know that is not the best thing to have before you go to bed. Caffeine is a stimulant, which will do the opposite to help you have a quality sleep!

There are plenty of habits that on the surface appear to be healthy, but in reality are damaging to your efforts. Take heed of these – you don’t have to cut them out completely, just be aware!

Life, Lifestyle

Upgrading Your Home: How To Choose The Perfect Property

08/20/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Whether you’ve just started a new job, you’ve received a significant pay rise or you’ve come into some money another way, such as through inheritance or via a lottery win, you might be thinking about investing your funds into a new home for you and your family to enjoy. You might even consider buying a second home where you can vacation, and there are many beautiful new homes in Delaware you can look into. If you’ve been wanting to upgrade and upsize to a new home for a while, this could be the perfect opportunity to do so.

Buying a larger home for your family can be a fantastic step to take – as long as it’s affordable that is – but there are a number of factors it’s vital that you consider when it comes to finding a new home. You need to be smart about the process – after all, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to buying a new home. From getting your budget right to buying at the right time, there’s a lot that you need to think about and a lot of key questions that you really should ask yourself. For example, if you live in Alabama, would alabama custom home builders be the best option if you’re looking for a totally customised home? Alternatively, would an older pre-loved home be closer to your idea of home sweet home?

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In need of a little advice when it comes to upsizing your home and buying somewhere new? Don’t worry, the guide below is packed full of lots of useful tips, ideas and pieces of advice!

Do you need a bigger property?

First and foremost, an important question to ask yourself is whether you actually need a larger property. Just because you’re in a position to buy a larger home, that doesn’t mean that you have to upgrade, it simply means that you are in a position to upgrade. It’s important to consider whether you actually need to upgrade your home – because it’s not a good move to upsize your home simply for the sake of doing so.

With extra space comes extra cost, which is why it’s important to think carefully about sizing up your home and moving somewhere larger. Don’t simply move to a larger property because you have the funds to be able to do so, actually think carefully about the move before you make it. If you are moving because you actually need more space for your growing family, then that’s different. Whether you’re wondering how to buy a condo with two plus bedrooms or how to buy a three-bedroom house, as long as it’s affordable, there’s no reason not to look further into it and find out more about the buying process.

Is a larger home affordable in the long term?

The next thing that you need to think about is whether or not a larger home is affordable in the long-term. It’s all well and good having the funds to be able to afford to buy the property, but you also need to think about whether it’s affordable in the long-term. The fact is that buying a property is just a small part of the cost associated with moving house, there’s also the monthly mortgage payments to make, not to mention the bills costs that are associated with how much a larger home will cost to run.

It’s a good idea to sit down and work out a basic income and expenditure chart before you opt to buy, so that you can ensure that buying a larger home is affordable in the long-term and won’t have an impact on the quality of your life. The last thing that you want is to have to think about changing the way in which you live your life. That’s why it’s important to make sure that you are able to afford to live your life in a way that you are comfortable with. If you have all of the funds that you need to be able to afford to buy a more expensive home, then go for it. You just need to be sure that it’s affordable.

Is now the right time to invest in somewhere new?

The next question that you need to ask yourself is whether now is the right time to invest in somewhere new. You need to think about the market – is it in a good position? You need to think about your financial stability – are you in a financially stable position? It’s important to think carefully about this, because the last thing that you want is to buy a new home and find that actually, you’re not as financially stable as you thought. However, if your finances are in great shape and your new mortgage would be affordable, then the chances are that it is the right time to invest.

Find your dream home

Once you know that you’re in a position to buy a new home, the next step is to think about finding your dream home. If you are going to move to somewhere new, you might as well take the time to View listings from Finlay Brewer, or estate agents working in the location you are looking to buy in, and find the ideal property – somewhere that is an ideal fit for you and your family. Take the time to think carefully about your current needs as well as the ongoing needs of your family, such as more space as your children get older for instance.

Perhaps you have already found your dream home? Or maybe you already have an idea of where you would like to live? Or, perhaps you’ve not even thought about it yet? Whatever position you’re in, make sure to take the time to do plenty of research into the best areas to move to – look at factors like public transport, foot traffic past your home, schools, and other key amenities. You need to make sure that you select a property in the perfect location.
There you have it, everything that you need to know about finding the perfect property upgrade. It’s important to think carefully about how you choose to upgrade your home and where you choose to move to, to ensure that you’re making the right choice for you. Hopefully, this guide – and the tips and pieces of advice above – will help you to do that and to make an informed decision about your next home.