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Archive for the ‘Parenting’ Category

Summer is right around the corner, with many schools wrapping up the year in the next few weeks, many parents are asking themselves what to do with the kids when they get out of school.

The reality is that with today’s hectic lifestyles, it’s getting harder and harder to find the time to plan out fun activities for kids during the summer.  But here are a few tips that may help make the process easier.

Summer Reading

While reading a book probably isn’t the first think your kids think of for ‘summer fun’ – as a parent it’s a good idea to make this a high priority right from the beginning.  A good recommendation is to start with at least 30 minutes a day towards reading and set goals for the end of the summer much like your kids do each quarter with “AR Points” in grade school. By helping re-enforce good reading habits during the summer, you can help make sure that reading is a lifelong habit and not just something kids do during school.

Additionally, it’s easy to find books that follow a certain theme.  So if your kids like action or adventure there are many books at the public library they can find to make them happy.  Also many of the local libraries feature fun activities like story time for the younger kids as well as organized games and puzzle gatherings for the older kids.  And no matter how old your kids are, you could plan an end of summer day reward if they hit their goals with the books they’ve been reading.

Enjoy Living in Louisiana

Louisiana is a vibrant place, with many people choosing to visit to the Bayou state for their vacation plans. Why not share in this excitement and plan to do something that otherwise may be overlooked during the school year when we are too busy to get out and enjoy the sights and sounds.

Here in St. Tammany, the UMC Museum in Abita Springs is an awesome adventure for all the family in which the history of New Orleans regalia and wonder are on display. Thousands of memorabilia items have been collected over the years and are captured in this wonderful and wacky mystery house; this day trip is sure to captivate even the most dubious of visitors.

Across the lake, the Children’s Art Museum in New Orleans will also be hosting a variety of family-packed fun events which change weekly, ensuring you won’t be without ideas or places to go! With an attention to creating an educational and exciting environment for all ages, the Children’s Art Museum should be on everyone’s to do list this summer!

Other Ideas for Local Summer Fun:

• Take a day trip and visit the campus of LSU.
• Arts and crafts are a fun way to spend time together designing new artwork
• Enroll kids in a cooking class or take time at home to teach them how to cook the basics
• Volunteering can be a fun and rewarding experience for kids during summer and there are no shortage of great volunteer opportunities around our area
• The Mandeville Trailhead has a free splash area for the kids as well as easy access to yummy treats at the Shiver Shack
• Fontainebleau State Park has been recently renovated to include a splash park in addition to other fun activities like fishing off the pier, enjoying the sandy beach, playing at the park or overnight camping

Have Fun This Summer!

So now that you know what to do with the kids when they get out of school, we hope that you have a wonderful and safe summer with lots of fun for all the family!

The process of getting your kids ready to head back to school in the fall takes longer than just a day or two to wrap up. As a busy parent, you need to be ready for that first day of school no matter if your child is entering kindergarten or heading off to high school. Throughout the summer, you can do things to help your child prepare for the new school year and it often is easier to do if you plan in advance.

Here are some things that can help you to get your child ready for school

1. Is your child reading? Children of all ages should be reading on a daily basis. The more frequently he or she reads, the more he retains and the better he is able to glean more information from the material. Reading daily is something parents should instill in children from a very young age.
2. Practicing English and math skills can be a challenge especially when flashcards are so boring and dull. The good news is that there are now computer games online to help make it all a lot more enjoyable.
3. Be sure that supplies are in check, too. Find out what your school requires and then pick up items throughout the summer to keep the costs in line. It is a good idea to buy all of what you may need throughout the school year during these low cost sales.
4. Is your child sleeping well? The best way to prepare him or her for school is to get into a regular bedtime routine. Getting enough, quality sleep is critical for maintaining the ability to function properly at school.
5. Set up a place in their bedroom, living room or another location in the home that allows for study. A desk, paper and other supplies gives the child a location to do homework and to create a routine for getting work done efficiently.
6. Pick up clothing and other items the child may need, such as school bags, throughout the summer. Finding great sales can help you to save a substantial amount of money.
7. Be excited about school so that they are excited about going back to school, too.

Going back to school does not have to be a hassle. By planning, it is easier for you to achieve success that first day of school and for the many days that come after it throughout the school year.

The world is starting to change for the better, at least when it comes to women in the workplace. More and more women are following high-powered careers in many different fields. They are going out on their own, buying their own homes, and not relying on husbands as a form of support.

Sixty years ago, this seemed all but impossible and women were often relegated to the roles of mother and caregiver. Today, women are CEOs, lawyers, doctors, politicians, and anything else that they choose to be. The doors have been flung wide open, and it is a great time to be a woman given all the options that are available.

Finding the right balance between family and work

As more women have entered these various careers, one might think that they’ve placed the importance of family life firmly in the backseat. However, that’s not the case. The women today are able to spend time working in a professional environment during the day and still remain an attentive and loving mother and spouse.

The key to remaining happy and keeping a great job and family is balance. Some feel neglectful that they are leaving their children at home and in the hands of sitters and they don’t put their all into their work. Others feel that they need to prove what their worth at their job and then the family doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. These feelings aren’t found only in women. Both men and women can have a hard time finding a balance, but everyone will be able to attain it as long as they are able to focus on work while at the job and on family while at home.

Looking forward

Of course, even with more women in professional roles, it doesn’t mean that it is easy for them to advance and to get where they want to be. There are still a number of barriers that women are breaking down just so they can be treated as equals with their male counterparts. Fortunately, things are changing, although they might not be changing fast enough for some.

A piece of advice that many professional women have given others who are just starting out in a new career is this: don’t try to act like a man while on the job, and don’t try to act like a woman either. Act like a professional at all times when it comes to your work, and those around you will take notice.

More and more moms are heading off to work today, and that means that they might be having some trouble spending as much time with the children as they want. They can even find that keeping up with the normal household routine can be very difficult. The following tips can help moms keep a good grasp on the house, their children, and their relationship with their spouse.

Routines are Important

Having routines can help to minimize the amount of frustration that you feel, and it is easier than you might think to implement. A morning routine is very important. You can get up an hour or so before you children to have some time to yourself. You can have a cup of coffee, read, and watch the news. It gives you and your spouse time to get ready for work without fighting over space in the bathroom, and it gives you both ample time to get breakfast ready. Let the children know the morning schedules for bathroom time.

Having a routine for bedtime is important too. Put the children down to bed about an hour or so before you and your spouse go to sleep. This will give you some time with one another to relax, watch television, read, or just enjoy one another’s company.

Feeding the Masses

Getting a healthy dinner together each night can be difficult, even if both you and your spouse are working on it. A great idea is to prepare meals ahead of time and make enough for leftovers. On the weekend, you might want to prepare food for several diners during the week. Make enough so that you have leftovers. You can use the leftovers for lunches as well, which can free up more time in the morning since you won’t have to prepare anything. The less time you have to spend in the kitchen during the week, the more freedom you will have.

Spending Quality Time

The weekends should also be used for extra quality time. While you are probably prodding the children to finish their homework through the week and might not get as much time with them as you would like, the weekends are perfect for family time. You can head out to the park, go hiking, visit a museum, catch a movie, tell stories, and do countless other cheap and free activities with the kids. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but the time that you spend with them is priceless.

A large number of people today are finding themselves spending far too much time at work. Even when they aren’t at the office, they are spending time talking with clients on the phone at home or emailing them from their work laptop. The line between work and your regular life is fuzzy, and before you know it, you don’t have any time for yourself.

The best reason to try – your health & happiness

This can be unhealthy for your physical being as well as your emotional being. You will find that you are often more tired, and even that you might be angry with the world for no discernable reason. You will also be losing time with your family and your friends, and this can lead to missed events that are important in their lives. You won’t get the opportunity to go back and do a retake, and this can weigh heavily on a person’s mind over the years.

How to get started

If you believe that your work and outside life are out of balance, track the amount of time that you spend on your work each week. Once you see just how much time you are spending, look for ways to cut back. Don’t take client calls outside of business hours; don’t get on the work email when you should be watching your daughter’s dance recital.

You must also learn to say no every once in a while. You need to have time for yourself and time with your family, and sometimes the extra work just isn’t worth it. Do the important things for your job and perform high quality work, but remember that you don’t have to be the one to take every special assignment.

Setting boundaries

One of the most difficult things to do is leave work at the workplace. Technology has made it so easy to stay connected with all aspects of so many jobs that there simply isn’t any getting away from it. You need to take a stand and create a boundary. When you are at home and with your kids, you are there for them. You don’t want to run and check your email every five minutes. You can simply turn off the cell phone and laptop.

Make sure that you are managing your time wisely. If you can find ways of using your time better, you can find that you get more done for work and still have extra time to spend at home with your spouse and kids. You also need to remember to take some time for yourself!

With springtime just around the corner, everyone is glad that the cold weather is almost behind us. Of course, with the springtime comes spring cleaning. It might not be something that everyone loves, but it is always a good idea and it is often a necessity. The proceeding tips for you and your family will help you get through your cleaning with the least trouble and frustration possible.

Step #1: Do a little planning first

The most important part of spring cleaning actually begins before you ever pick up a broom or a sponge. The first thing that you have to do is come up with a plan of attack for the overall process. The best way to do this is to separate your home into different sectors and clean just one at a time. If everyone in the family is getting involved in the cleaning process, you can assign a sector, or room, to each person depending on their age of course.

Step #2:  Figure out what to do with stuff you don’t want or need anymore

Have a designated space for items that you don’t want any longer and items that don’t work. Recycle the items that are broken. You can give the rest to charity, which can be a tax write off next year, or you can hold a rummage sale. It’s a good idea to wait until the rest of the cleaning is done before you have your sale though. You can put those items in the garage or into storage until you are ready for the sale and then simply clean that area last.

Step #3:  Now it’s time to clean!

Once you have all of the unwanted items out of the way, you will have more room to work. You can then dust, wash the windows, vacuum, and do a deep and thorough cleaning. Don’t worry about the floors yet. Take care of the rest of the cleaning and then you will be able to move your furniture out of the room to clean the carpets or the hardwood floors.

Don’t forget the kids

If your kids are old enough to help, we suggest you get them involved. They will be able to help sort through their old items and clean their own rooms. Make it a fun time for them and they will be willing to help without as much coercion on your part!