Tag Archives: parenting

A Guide to Bonding With Your Kids

Every family is different, but there are some universal truths. One of those truths is that kids need attention from their parents to feel loved and secure. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for busy parents who work outside the home or have a demanding career inside the house to find time for themselves, let alone their children. That’s why this article has six tips on how you can bond with your child without having to leave them alone.

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Travel Together 

One of the best ways to bond with your kids is to travel together. Seeing new places and exploring different cultures can create memories that will last a lifetime. Not only will you get to spend quality time with your children, but you’ll also teach them about the world around them.

There are many different types of trips you can take with your family. You can go on a camping trip in the wilderness, visit ancient ruins in Europe, or explore the beaches of Hawaii. No matter where you go or what you do, you’ll be creating memories that your children will never forget. So get out there and start exploring the world with your kids. They’ll love it, and so will you.

Learn From Each Other

One way to bond with your kids is by learning from each other. Whether you are a mom or dad, you have a lot to offer your children. They can learn from your experiences, and you can learn from theirs. This is a great way to create a closer relationship with your kids and help them grow up feeling loved and supported.

Take the time to listen to what they say and be open to their perspectives. Let them know that you value their input and want to hear more about their lives. By doing this, you will show them that you care about them and want to build a strong relationship with them.

It might seem silly or unimportant, but teaching your child topics like financial investments or working with companies like Nursing Home Law Center, may help them in the long run.

Catch Up on Each Other’s Lives

One of the most important ways to bond with your kids is by asking them about their lives. That can be hard if you are not used to doing this, but it will help you get closer and learn more about each other. 

Make sure to ask open-ended questions that will get your kids talking. Some good examples include, “What was the best part of your day?” and “What are you looking forward to tomorrow?” You may be surprised by some of the answers that you receive. 

Try Out New Activities

One way to bond with your kids is by trying out new activities together. This can be something as simple as going for a walk in the park, playing a game of tag, or making a pizza together. 

You can create memories and shared experiences that will last a lifetime by doing something different. Plus, it’s a great way to get some exercise too.

Cook Together

Make cooking fun by having your kids help you. By letting them participate in the meal, they will be more interested and feel like a more significant part of it all. It is also a great way to bond with your children while preparing meals together. 

Let them help out as much as possible when prepping for dinner or making breakfast so that you can have some quality time with them before everyone heads off to their busy day.

Help Them Study

One of the best ways to bond with your kids and help them study is sitting down with them and working on their homework together. This activity can be an excellent way for you to help them stay on track, and it can also be a fun bonding experience. If your child gets stuck on a problem, don’t be afraid to offer some advice, but make sure you let them try to work it out themselves first. 

That’s an important lesson in itself. And if they end up getting the problem wrong, don’t criticize or scold them – help them figure out where they went wrong so that they can learn from their mistake. Homework time can also be an excellent opportunity to ask your kids about what’s going on in their lives and find out what they’re interested in.

Conclusion

There are many different ways to bond with your kids, and what works for one family might not work for another. But by trying out other methods and being open to new experiences, you can create strong bonds that will last a lifetime. So get out there and have some fun with your little ones.

Advice For New Dads During Pregnancy

There is a saying that goes, a woman becomes a mother when she finds out she’s pregnant, a man becomes a father when the baby is born. While this may go some way to explain why some men find it difficult to accept their new role during their partner’s pregnancy, and then suddenly come to life when the baby has arrived, it’s not entirely true for everyone. 

Also, no one really knows why that is, but it is thought to have its roots in human behavior and evolution.

Supposedly when we were still cavemen, competition for reproduction was rife and so females would copulate with many of the males and it was only at the birth of the child where similarities in features could be found that men knew who was the father of the offspring.

As unreliable as this system might have been, it’s all they had at the time, and as such females were largely left alone or under the care of other females until the birth of the child.

Thankfully, men have abandoned (most) of their neanderthal ways since then and the modern dad to have endless support and resources at his disposal to be the best partner possible before the baby arrives. For some advice on how to do that after the baby arrives, click here.

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BREAKING NEWS

From the moment you find out about your partner’s pregnancy, be the dad you want to be. This means that after the initial freakout (and you have a little bit of leeway here – but you need to snap back quick!), you need to put her at the center of everything, because from here on out – she is.

Some dads make the mistake of becoming a little overbearing, so take the time to ask your partner what she needs from you. This is one of the few areas that men have left to really step up to the mark, and rely on all of our hardwiring and biological instincts. Remember, that’s half of you in there. You can find loads of good thoughts, here.

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE IN FOR 

Your partner is going to undergo some massive changes emotionally and physically, some of these changes are going to impress and amuse you endlessly (her new heightened sense of smell for one), while others are going to challenge your last nerve (mood swings, pregnancy brain, and the ability to fart for the “A” team – do not comment on this – EVER).

The only thing for you to do during this time is to remain patient, calm, and supportive. That’s why you have your friends and your dad. They’ll get it.

COMMUNICATION

Maintaining an easy and open flow of communication during this time is super important, especially if you’re both going to be first-time parents. This includes communication with her healthcare team and understanding any unique healthcare requirements that your partner might have that you’ll need to be a part of. Does she need a pregnancy chiropractor, or is she anemic? Does she experience issues with anxiety or depression and how can you help alleviate some of her discomforts if this is the case?

Fun Activities for You and Your Kids This Festive Season

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With the schools closed and kids at home this festive season, you might wonder what fun activities you could engage your kids in and bond with them in the process. This blog will give you a list of fun and engaging activities you can engage in as a family.

Cooking Together

Although it may not seem like it, your child will be thrilled at the chance to assist you in the kitchen. Getting your children into the kitchen does more than teach them how to cook. It makes them feel helpful, inspires confidence, creates excellent avenues to bond with your kids, and the family gets to enjoy a tasty meal at the end of it all. So the next time you go shopping, grab some mittens and an apron for your kid, the whole family in the kitchen helping each other could be the bonding activity you never knew you needed. 

Movie Night

 When was the last time you watched a movie together as a family? And no, I am not talking about going to the theatres. Starting a family tradition like a Friday movie night could be a fun activity involving the whole family. Go on, choose a movie from the cable channel, prepare some popcorn, turn down the lights, hurdle together on the couch, and enjoy yourselves.

Going Camping

Camping is a great pastime that you can set out to do with your kids. It will remove them from the confines of your home and give them a chance to bond with nature. They will also learn about the plants and animals in their environment and possibly see a star constellation or two if the night is clear enough.

 To spice up the camping experience, consider bringing along a hill climb bike, or some fishing rods and catch some fish if the place you are camping has fishing grounds.

Road Trips

The holiday season may be an ideal time to pack up your bags and hit the road with your kids. Road trips are a terrific opportunity for your family to have fun and embark on adventures. Travelling by car will expose them to unique experiences, people, cultures, and ways of life in different places as you travel to your destination that taking a flight won’t.

Additionally, you will also get to eat new cuisines, see new sites, and discover topics that the classroom will not teach them. Exposing your children to new experiences can help them develop their interests by stimulating their curiosity and motivating them to explore more independently.

These are the memories your kids will treasure and remember for years to come

Visiting a Zoo or an Orphanage

If your children have not been to the zoo or an animal orphanage before, this will be an excellent outdoor activity to bond with them. Not only does it allow your young ones to learn about nature, but it is also a good time for you to teach them about  conservation and the importance of zoos and orphanages towards the conservation

Conclusion

Sharing quality time as a family strengthens and builds relationships, giving everyone a sense of connectedness and safety. Hopefully, the above list has given you a couple of ideas to explore with your kids this festive season.