Category Archives: Lifestyle

4 Cheap and Cheerful Activities The Kids Will Love

10/06/2019 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

There’s nothing better than having a couple of days off to spend some quality time with the kids. These are the moments you will cherish.

But finding something everyone will enjoy that won’t cost a fortune can be tough. You can’t visit theme parks and movie theatres every time the kids are off school.

So if you’re looking for some fun family activities the kids will love but which won’t break the bank, check out the ideas below.

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Playgrounds, Skateparks and State Parks

Most communities have at least one free playground for children of all ages to enjoy. Fresh air, exercise, and hours of fun for the kids, it’s definitely worth getting acquainted with all the best playground spots in your area.

More and more skateparks are popping up too. You have to make the initial investment in a skateboard, BMX or scooter. But if you’ve got adventurous little ones with a need for speed, you could set them up with a fun, active hobby for life.
If you live near a state park, make the most of it. Not everyone is so lucky! Hiking, camping, swimming and cycling will keep the whole family entertained, without costing you a penny.

In a coastal area like Venice, you could try fishing for something a bit more hands-on – fishing guide venice.

Movie Marathon

If the weather forecast isn’t so hot, why not enjoy a movie marathon? Get some popcorn in, make a pillow fort, and let Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings do the hard work.

Or better yet, crafty kids might enjoy making their own film. You don’t need a fancy camera to make a YouTube movie and stretch the kids’ creative muscles. You can write a little script, dig out some old clothes for costumes, and use your mobile phone for footage. Then use some free video editing software for the polish.

Not so great with tech? Write and perform a play instead. Acting and storytelling are great for a child’s creative development and might lead them to a career-worthy passion.

Volunteer Work

Volunteer work is chicken soup for the soul. It’s also free, a great way to introduce your kids to the community, and to get everyone out of the house.

Whether it’s visiting a lonely older person, getting outdoors for some litter-picking, taking a rescue dog for a walk, or helping out in community gardens or allotments, helping others in a great way to spend time with the family and brighten everyone’s day.

Baking and Lemonade

Cookies, cakes, pies and lemonade – whatever your family’s favourite treat, kids love getting stuck in and making their own food.
Baking can also be a great way to recontextualise that pesky math homework into something more practical. For some easy recipes kids can help with, click here.

And if you think you have a little business person in the making, you can’t beat a good old-fashioned lemonade stand to teach them the ropes.

And there we have it! Use these ideas to get the ball rolling and find the perfect day out for your kids, without breaking the bank.

Life, Lifestyle, Parenting

What Do Your Kids Think About You?

09/27/2019 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

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Having kids can be a magnificent thing. The opportunity to bring new life into the world is one which a lot of people want to grasp, with the idea of being a parent being at the top of their list of goals. Of course, though, getting through a pregnancy is only the first stage in this process, and things can get more complicated as the little one gets older. As they get smarter, they will be able to develop an opinion and idea of who you are. As a good role model, you will want them to see the best side of you for this, and this post is here to help you out with it.

Knowledge & Intelligence

Kids will naturally look up to their parents, and will assume that they are borderline geniuses until they reach their teenage years. You will find their school work easy, will have knowledge of loads of subjects they haven’t heard of, and will have a lot of ways to demonstrate this. Of course, though, intelligence is a double-edged sword, as no one likes to be made to feel stupid, and this applies to your children, too. When you’re playing a board game, for example, it makes sense to give your kids an edge with something like Unscramble. While this will mean that you have a disadvantage, it will show your children that they can use tools to enhance their natural intelligence.

Empathy & Compassion

It’s not uncommon for parents to tell their children off when they are angry at them, and this can get worse and worse once a child reaches their teenage years. Along with this, throughout their life, your child will see you interact with loads of different people, and the empathy and compassion you show on this journey will have a big impact on your child. Acting compassionately isn’t always easy, with a lot of people finding their emotions leading the way when they get into arguments or conflicts. Being mindful is a big part of this, and can make it far easier to keep yourself cool and collected.

Strength

Physical strength is becoming less and less important in the modern world, with people using their wits and minds to do battle, rather than their bodies. Parents need to be strong, but it isn’t big muscles which they need; it’s a big heart. When someone passes away, a natural disaster occurs, or anything else happens which could make you upset, it’s worth being strong for your children. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t show your emotions, as your children need to see this side of you, too. Instead, you simply have to avoid letting them wrap you up, keeping your head strong and giving your little ones the support they need.

Living in a family can be a challenge when you haven’t had any kids before. There are a lot of little things you need to think about, and everyone will want to take the same approach. Of course, though, as time goes on, you will learn how to handle these areas, and this will give you an edge in your parenting journey.

Health, Life, Lifestyle

Proper Budgeting To Deal With Your Family’s Health

09/04/2019 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Your family means everything to you. They’re the people you love most in the world, and you’d do anything for them, to help guide them along in life, and keep them safe as you grow as a unit.

But sometimes, our proper family budgets can fall by the wayside. It’s hard to budget the same way week by week – the more you spend to put food on the table, and to put toys in the toy chest, the less you have to put away each paycheck. And that might be where you’re going wrong; money is one of the best ways to guarantee your family’s future health, after all.

And families can have a lot of health problems. As you’re growing, and going through such a huge developmental period in such a short time, all kinds of things can happen to you mentally and physically! And so, now’s the time to rethink your family budget, to deal with any potential mishaps.

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Think About the Commonly Occurring Appointments

Your children (and you!) have a lot of doctor’s appointments to attend, on an annual basis. And when it comes down to it, any treatment that one of these appointments might lead to, and even the cost of keeping up with regular appointments themselves, can cost a lot. Year by year, Americans spend millions and billions on healthcare, and when you’ve got a large family, you’re going to be spending the most.

Which is why it’s important to try and put away at least 20% of your paycheck, every time you receive one, into an account for later. The more money you have on the retainer, to pay for your children’s treatment, or even just to get a second opinion when you think something serious is wrong, the better you’ll keep to your necessary check-ups. Even if you can only head out once a year, saving up now will make sure you can keep to the bi-annual schedule.

Invest in an Insurance Policy

Health insurance is one of the best policies you can take out for your family – if you can put all of the members of your household underneath a money-saving umbrella, in case of accident or emergency (or some much needed dental work!), you won’t constantly be burning a hole in your bank account. Hospital bills can get very expensive, after all, and you don’t ever want to be stuck with a medical treatment you can’t pay for, especially when there are kids involved.

Do your research. Look into what kind of insurance policies are the most family-friendly; you might even want to start with the Health Reform Team, if you’re not quite sure what to tap into Google to begin with. And remember, it’s usually a lot better (and cheaper!) to buy a single policy your whole family can fit under, rather than trying to take out single policies for everyone you know and love.

Is your budget family health-friendly? It might be time to change.