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Going Healthy, Going Strong, Health, Life

Dealing With Cancer In The Family

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Unfortunately, it’s something that every family is going to have to deal with at some point or another. With cancer these days striking 50% of us, this is clearly just a fact of life that we all have to learn how to live with. But when it hits your own family, it’s something that you are going to need to understand as best as you can – and this can be hard when you are in the midst of it. Here are some ideas on what you might want to think about when it comes to dealing with cancer in the family.

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Supporting One Another

One of the main things you will need to do in this situation is to ensure that the family is supporting one another. This is vital for the sake of everyone involved, especially the individual who actually has cancer. Supporting one another can look like many different things. It might be that you are going to simply be by their sides, or that you are spending more time together and trying to laugh together. If it is a particularly difficult time and they are undergoing procedures such as chemotherapy, then you can also look into purchasing some of these gifts for chemo patients. These are not only practical, but can also help the person to feel comforted and help them to take their mind off of things. However you do it, supporting one another in this way is vital for everyone to keep on moving as best as they can.

Looking Into Options

In terms of treatment, you are probably going to want to keep your options wide open as best as you can, to ensure that the individual with cancer is as likely as possible to recover swiftly and fully. Chances are, you will first be trying the standard medical care and seeing how that goes. And you might also be considering holistic cancer treatment centers if that is something you want to try as a complementary approach or an alternative. At all times, the important thing is that the individual themselves has the final say and they are happy with whatever approach is taken.

Managing Emotions

There are always going to be a lot of emotions when something like this is happening, and they will need to be managed and dealt with properly if they are going to be in a better place. That again is something that you can do together as a family, and you should find that you are much more likely to get through it together if you are working through the emotions as one. So all in all, this is the kind of thing that you should focus on from the start as best as you can.

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Looking Ahead
Whether or not you know what the prognosis is likely to be, it’s important that everyone is doing their best to look ahead, with as much positivity as possible. That can’t be forced, of course, but it is something that you should be able to focus on in some way if you are keen on trying to make it through, and if you do it together you are going to find it so much easier. Looking ahead will enable you to still have hope in your hearts, which really matters in all this.

Parenting, Tips

5 Pieces of Advice for Single Parents

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Parenting is hard even at the best of times. But it’s doubly difficult when you have to do it all by yourself. But the good news is, you’re not alone. In fact, 27% of children under the age of 18 in the US are living with a single parent. And the vast majority of them are doing a great job under tough circumstances.

But it’s understandable that you might be feeling a little overwhelmed or stressed about the whole thing. It’s a massive job to raise a child. You are the guiding light in their life, helping them to learn about the world, forge connections with others, and set themselves up for a successful future. You also need to create a sense of stability in their lives despite their unconventional family circumstances. And all of this while navigating your own professional and personal commitments. Without a spouse to help you out, it can sometimes feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day.

To help you with your parenting journey, here are five great pieces of advice for single parents.

Ask for help

Even though you may be the only parent in your child’s life, there are other people around you who can help share some of the burden. There is no shame in asking for help, and there’s a good chance your loved ones will be more than happy to chip in. Perhaps your parents or siblings will help you out with the childcare from time to time. Or if you have close friends you trust, you could ask them to alleviate the burden occasionally. Having a close support network around you is crucial, and it will make your life significantly easier. If you don’t have anyone you could ask, there are other options. Groups such as Embrace Grace exist to provide a sense of community and support for struggling mothers. Learn how to help single mothers here.

Do your research

It’s OK if you don’t know what you are doing. All parents have to go through the difficult teething stages and you are no different. It’s part of what makes life scary and beautiful. You will pick it up as you go on, no doubt making a few mistakes along the way but ultimately ending up stronger and wiser for it. Fortunately, there are loads of great resources online packed full of useful information, advice and help. Read blogs and watch YouTube channels from single parents who have done it all before, and read parenting guides to get inspiration.

Connect with other single parents

There are loads of other people in the same boat as you. It is worth seeking them out so you can be part of a community who share advice and help each other out. Search online for single parent forums and social media groups. Alternatively you could find them locally, whether through your kid’s school, extracurricular activities or even an app like Meetup. With your new network, you will be able to swap parenting advice and assist each other with babysitting and other errands.

Create a routine

Children need to grow up in a stable environment. If their life is irregular and chaotic, it could affect their mental health and development so do what you can to keep things grounded. This might seem easier said than done when you are a stressed out single parent, but there are ways to achieve it. Create a routine for you and your child so they know what to expect each day and can feel a semblance of control over their life. Even if they have multiple caretakers and travel between two different homes,establishing a schedule will ensure things run much more smoothly.

Look after yourself

Although your child is no doubt your number one priority, you need to take time for yourself too. The responsibilities of solo parenting can take their toll on your mental and physical health, and you don’t want to risk succumbing to stress and anxiety. If you let things get out of control you will end up burning out and won’t be able to look after your child as effectively. Make sure you find the time to engage in some self care, in which you prioritize your own wellbeing. You could spend some time on Rampant when you’re alone, or get outside in nature and take long walks, runs or bike rides to get some exercise and destress. Ensure you are eating healthily and finding some time to engage in hobbies that make you happy.

No one said parenting is easy, but if you follow these five tips you’ll get through it with as little stress as possible.

Going Healthy, Health, Life, Parenting

Caring for Elderly Parents

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As your parents begin to age, most people choose to be there for them as they were when they were a baby. Aging is just a natural part of the process of life and all that can be upsetting to see your parents become infirm, it’s likely that they will need some kind of care or help and support as they get older. 

It could be hard to know what’s best for your parents, so researching what the best senior care advisor business is so that you can get the best advice could be a shrewd idea. However, you must also think about the ways that you can care for your aging parents that don’t intrude on their independence. Retirement communities are one of the most popular ways of doing this, as it can make things much easier for all of the parties involved. In fact, at senior living communities like Waltham Crossings, you can choose either assisted or independent living to accommodate everyone’s needs.

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  • Keep in touch. Firstly, keep regular contact with your parents as much as possible. This could be anything from dropping in to have lunch or popping over to help with the groceries. No matter how you keep in contact the main thing is that you do so. If you don’t live close to your parents, make sure that you’re calling them a couple of times a week – even just tell them how your day has been. You need to let them know that you are there for them no matter what.
  • Articulate your concerns. When you have communicated with your parents, you should be able to feel reassured that they are happy and healthy where they are. If you talk to your parents and you feel concerned about any conditions or any situations they may be dealing with, then the best thing that you can do is respect the cat team. If they are in a senior living facility, for example, you could speak to the medical team there and ensure that you have power-of-attorney over your parents health. Articulating your concerns in a way that is calm and comfortable is important because your parents don’t want to feel like you’re taking away their independence.
  • Lean on others. Whether it’s siblings or friends, you need as much support as you can get when you are taking care of elderly parents. Aging parents are not the easiest to deal with, and that’s not a bad thing to say out loud! Leaning on others so that you have support just as much as they do it’s so important if you want to be able to care for them comfortably. A big part of effective care for aging parents includes encouraging them to get as much support as possible, so make sure that you are doing this every time you speak to them.

Caring for elderly parents takes some time to get right, so don’t beat yourself up over it if you don’t get it right all the time. Speak to people who know more than you do and you will find it easier for