6 Essential Life Lessons to Teach Your Child

The world is full of all sorts of learning lessons. If you as a parent don’t provide your kids with plenty of valuable and positive lessons, they will turn to other sources and learn materialism, discrimination and other things you don’t want to see in your child. Instilling a correct moral compass in your kids while they are young will ensure they mature into responsible, compassionate and caring adults. So, what are the most important life lessons your kid needs to learn? 

To be healthy

Every parent wants their kids to be healthy and happy. Well, this all starts with a healthy diet and plenty of hydration and activity. You can drive them to make good food choices—this will promote their well-being and ensure a disease-free life. Start by preparing nutritious meals from an early age and encourage plenty of physical activity. This will allow your kids to develop healthy habits. 

To say no

Your kid needs to know how to say “no” when needed. Often kids rush into decisions due to pressure, so they need to learn that it’s okay to decline certain offers and take no for an answer from other people. This will teach them respect and how to respect other people’s boundaries. 

To love learning

Even if your child is a late bloomer and is not super happy in school, they still need to learn how to love learning. This is one of the best things you can teach them because it will be useful not only during their education but later in life as well. Plenty of reading, educational games and conversation will encourage them to see learning as something fun instead of a chore. If they try hard enough, they will be able to master all sorts of things from sports to foreign languages. There are even amazing classes that teach phonics for kids that will encourage your kid to become a fluent reader and accurate speller. And the environment is friendly and fun, so they are bound to take many good memories at home. 

To have good manners

This needs to be done as early as possible. Good manners will help your kid develop into a loving person with a high social IQ and many friends. Use common phrases like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when talking to your child or other people in their presence. Since kids learn a lot by observing parents, conduct yourself rightfully around your child. 

How to be respectful

Respect is a base for the development of many other positive traits. Respect for others, respect for elders, respect for authority and oneself are all crucial if you want your child to grow up into a good person. It helps build the feelings of empathy and self-worth, but it also teaches kids how to live peacefully with other people and accept their differences no matter their race, religion or caste. If there is basic respect present, other positive qualities will follow cleanliness, self-control, kindness, obedience, eco-friendliness

How to be a good loser

You might hope your kid will never experience defeat, but that’s highly unlikely. Life is hard and full of difficult situations that can be hard to handle. So, teaching your kid to be a good sport and lose gracefully can be an important lesson. All failures are learning opportunities if you learn to take them the right way. Enrolling your kids into sports can offer plenty of opportunities to win and lose so that your kid can learn to deal with disappointments in life.  

The list goes on—there are honesty, responsibility, gratitude, forgiveness, time and money management, and many other important lessons. But, if you start with these six essential ones, your kid will be more open to other life lessons and valuable experiences. 

All photos are from Unsplash, free.

About the author

Mia Taylor is  33 year old blogger who writes about beauty, fashion, and travel. She had always been passionate about fashion and over time she had developed a style of her own.  Mia loves to mix and match and get inspire girls with her advice about outfit and accessories. She loves telling a story about her travels, providing beauty tips with readers.

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9 Ways Your Baby Shows Love

Even if your little one can’t speak yet, they can still do plenty to let you know they care about you, mom! Here are 5 ways they express their care for you.

 

1. Voice recognition

 

Do you say something and baby seems interested in your words? Don’t let that surprise you as the baby fell in love with you in the womb and is still mesmerized by your tone.

 

2. Big eyes

 

They’re staring at you and while it might make you feel pressure to be your best, know it’s because they’re trying to take in everything about their parent. It’s a good thing!

Eye contact means they care and are inquisitive about their environment, which includes you, of course. When you put them to bed, watch them as they watch you and use eye contact as a bonding experience.

 

3. Using your gestures

 

Is your little sweetie mimicking you? They say copying is the sincerest form of flattery so take it as a compliment! 

When the newborn is affectionate back at you as you nuzzle in and kiss them, that’s a sure-fire sign they care about you. Just as much as you do about them.

 

4. Looking to you for safety

 

If they’re scared, do they hide behind your leg? Does your boy or girl come up to you looking uneasy and confide in you about a bully or another issue?

They’re looking to you for protection because they trust you. And that’s love if I ever said it!

Start the protective behavior from the time they’re young by choosing a safe double stroller front and back for your little ones.

 

5. Smiles and more smiles

 

Smiling is a genuine show of affection. As your baby raises your mouth into a smile, know that they’re doing so because they’re happy.

It’s a sweet gesture that you’ll likely never get enough of as they get older. And it’s what’ll get you through those long nights when you’re up and down comforting them as they cry.

 

6. They’re there for you too

 

Let’s face it, days are long and you’re sometimes (okay, a lot) sleep-deprived with an infant. So you might shed some tears of exhaustion now and then in front of the family.

If your little bundle of joy reaches out for a hug or grabs your hand while you’re tearing up, well that’s absolutely a sign they care about you (okay, a lot). As they get older, they might offer to clean up their playroom too if you’re having a bad day.

 

7. When you come home…

 

Your baby is super excited. From the laughing to the smiles, there’s a lot of good things that come with your return home after work or an errand when they’re baby-sat by loved ones.

As they get older, they’ll likely come for a hug or jump up and down excitedly when you come through the door. Oh yes, these moments of a happy baby are the best things in life, really!

 

8. Saying I love you

 

When your baby starts to talk, watch for these three amazing words: I love you

Once they say them to you, life will forever be altered, in a good way. And when they’re growing and start to fight with you, don’t consider that a sign that they don’t care but indeed a sign of quite the opposite – they care enough about the family to have real, deep emotions about it.

 

9. Arms up

 

Finally, when your sweet baby holds his or her arms up to get picked up, that’s a sure sign that you’re someone they want to be close to. They desire your embrace, which cannot even be put into words.

Expressing themselves in this way warms the heart. It’s a sign that a bond is growing, as are the other 8 signs that your baby loves you.

5 Style Hacks for Busy Working Moms

From waking up in the morning trying to get everyone ready in a matter of minutes, including yourself, to getting back home and picking up piles of toys and clothes off the floor, while preparing lunch for the family, the life of a working mom can be hectic and oftentimes completely out of control. With such a busy schedule, it’s no surprise you end up in a style rut every once in a while. Thankfully, the answer to that is quite simple – just make your everyday fashion routine practical and time-efficient with these incredible style hacks:

1. Minimize your wardrobe

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is thinking you need a lot of clothes in order to be stylish. The key to a functional wardrobe is the right combination of quality, versatile and timeless pieces. All of your clothes should be in classic cuts and styles, and in one solid color, preferably soft or neutral-toned. These items will be the building blocks of your wardrobe that you can easily mix and match into endless fashionable outfits. If you want to keep things a bit more interesting, you can always add a few statement pieces to your closet that will showcase your personal style to the world. If you like following fall fashion trends, for example, you can incorporate bright red, mustard and rust tones into your wardrobe.

2. Upgrade individual items

Instead of changing out your entire wardrobe in order to look more polished, try upgrading only one part of your outfit. For example, you can swap out your yoga pans for chinos or a comfortable pair of straight leg jeans, and you can even decide to wear a roomy A-line dress or skirt instead of that old pair of cut-out shorts. A classic yet stylish button-down shirt is one of the easiest ways to upgrade any outfit. Simply by rolling the sleeves up and tucking the shirt into your bottoms, either opting for a full or a French tuck, you can look casual enough for running errands around town or taking your kids to the park, while still being put-together and appearing as if you put a lot of time and effort into the outfit.

3. Don’t forget to accessorize

The right accessories can truly make or break any outfit, and they’re the ideal way to elevate any plain or casual look. Simply wearing a silk scarf or a wide-brimmed hat with your everyday outfits can add some dimension and interest to your look, and make you seem more polished and put-together. However, one of the best ways to accessorize is by wearing elegant jewelry pieces that perfectly showcase your personal style. For example, you can opt for beautiful Moon Magic jewelry that is made with gorgeous moonstones in light, pastel colors, which perfectly complement every fashionable outfit.

4. Invest in the right footwear

When it comes to fashion, shoes are truly the perfect place to splurge. Not only will high-quality, well taken care of footwear elevate any outfit you put on, but the right shoes can also seamlessly take you from the office to the playground, keeping you looking stylish and put-together. As a working mom, one of the best footwear options you can go for is sleek and comfortable flats in neutral colors, such as black, brown or nude. Whether it’s work attire or a casual everyday look, beautiful flat shoes can complement every outfit and truly impress with their elegant style.

5. Keep your closet organized

Even though the life of a working mom is often filled with stresses and tight schedules, try your hardest to set a couple of hours aside during the weekends to clean and organize your closet, as only doing this once will make it incredibly simple to maintain later. The most popular way of organizing a wardrobe is in two parts: by the type of item (top or bottom) and then by the color of the piece. Of course, an organization is quite a personal thing, so feel free to develop your own system that will work best for you. The goal is to keep your closet neat and organized, in order to spend less time trying to figure out what to wear every day.

With just a little bit of thought and preparation, getting dressed in the morning can be a piece of cake, no matter how busy you actually are. After all, any woman can look beautiful and feel confident in her personal style with these incredible fashion hacks.

Tips for Parenting Active Boys

Are you raising kids who are a bundle of energy? You will struggle to keep up with them before they get out of that playful stage. Although every child is different, the following tips will help you to keep up with active and playful boys:

Exercise

You should incorporate some exercise into your daily routine. Whether you opt for active games or exercise activities, just make sure that you add plenty of activity to your day. With plenty of exercise, your kids will burn energy and release stress.

Moreover, it is important to form healthy habits earlier in life. Buy a first aid kit for treating cuts and scrapes that result from rough play. However, if your little one gets badly hurt, you should take him to hospitals such as Seaview Ortho foot and ankle for a checkup. Our health is important at any age. Growing kids need the support of proper footwear just as much as adults do so they can maintain correct body alignment and stay comfortable in their active lives. Kids’ shoe inserts can help flat shoes be comfortable and supportive, which is especially important for children who are active.

Come up with a Routine

Spontaneity is fun but you need to teach your kids how to stick to a routine. If you are dealing with a hyperactive child, he will thrive on routines. If it is bedtime, you should have a bedtime routine that your kids can follow. Without a bedtime routine, you will have a hard time getting your kids to sleep.

When coming up with a bedtime routine, you should make it clear that they are not allowed to act crazy. Tell your little ones to calm down and prepare for sleep.

Assign Age-appropriate Chores

You should show your little one that you trust him with little responsibilities such as watering a plant. Odds are that your little boy will take joy in the chore instead of sulking as a teenager would. Toddlers love to contribute to the house chores because it makes them feel like a part of the household.

When the chore is complete, your child will have burnt energy and you will have one less thing to do around the house. Moreover, natural consequences such as the death of a plant usually teach great lessons. The key is to ensure that you give your son age-appropriate chores and supervise him.

Sports

Enroll your child in an active sport that keeps him running around. A good sporting activity allows your child to burn energy whilst encouraging cognitive and physical development. Sports also teach your child teamwork and discipline, making him a well-rounded individual. If your child ends up getting hurt on the field, you should visit professionals such as Portland sports injury doctors.  

Offer Choices

Whenever possible, you should try to give your child choices. Make sure that the choices you offer are suitable for his needs and appropriate. If you are raising an independent child, offering him choices will make him feel independent. However, choices are not always an option – when such situations arise, you should make it clear that there is no other choice.

Get Dirty Outdoors

Not every child likes to get muddy and dirty. However, you should let yours know that it is an option when playing outside. Life is too short to worry about staining clothes; you should let your child be a child. Digging in the soil is a great way for your little one to burn excess energy.

Of course, you should encourage your son to ask permission before going outside to play in the dirt. This way, you will be able to supervise his activities and ensure that he does not do anything dangerous.

Conclusion

Raising an active boy can be overwhelming, especially if you cannot keep up. You should enroll him in a sport, encourage exercise, offer choices, come up with a routine, assign age-appropriate chores, and allow him to get dirt outdoors. 

5 Best Vacation Activities for the Whole Family 

Going on a vacation with your family is one of the best things in the world! It’s a chance for you all to take a break from your busy schedules and enjoy your free time. However, wherever you go and whatever you like to do, you’re going to find a number of different activities that could turn your holiday from ordinary to amazing. It’s all about finding the right activities and making sure every member of your family enjoys them. Therefore, here are five family-oriented activities you should explore next time you’re on vacation.

Camping

If your kids are outgoing, outdoorsy and adventurous, this is the right activity for you and them. Although camping is one of the most enjoyable things you can do in nature, it actually isn’t as easy to do it while you’re at home, so going on holiday might be the perfect opportunity to go camping. This activity will make your kids understand why nature is so important and amazing, and they’ll surely start appreciating it more than ever after spending some time in the forest.

Of course, before you go camping, you need to get prepared. Learning a few basic things could go a long way, so spend some time doing that first. Find the right spot, improve your safety, make some cool food, and find a few games you could play while camping. This is something your kids will remember for the rest of their lives, so it’s definitely an idea to consider.

Rafting

This might not be the perfect activity if your kids are still young and can’t swim, but if they’re older and aren’t afraid of spending time in a tiny raft, this is the thing for your family. Rafting is another amazing way for your kids to be in the open and learn more about nature around them. Moreover, this activity is particularly interesting if your kids have never done anything as adventurous – this will turn into the most exciting day of your holiday, and your kids are going to love you for giving them a chance to go rafting.

However, you need to be extra careful when rafting with your loved ones. Make sure you follow instructions and don’t do anything even remotely dangerous. It goes without saying that you should make sure your kids are comfortable with this idea before you start planning it.

Scuba diving

If you notice that rafting is something your kids have enjoyed, you could take things to a new level and explore the idea of scuba diving with them. This will help them perfect their swimming and diving skills, and introduce them to an underwater world they can’t see anywhere else. After all, all of these things are vital for their general knowledge and understanding of the world, so it’s an activity that’s great on so many levels.

Again, you should check this idea with your kids and teach them a few things about scuba diving first. Also, make sure you all have some professional scuba diving equipment that’s going to turn this activity into an experience to remember. You could even consider getting this gear for your entire family and stop renting it every time you all want to dive together. This activity will bring you closer together and your kids will learn how to rely on you more than before, and that’s something all kids need to feel.

Road tripping

This is another way to help your kids learn more about the world they live in, but also a bit about the unknown regions in that world. Taking them on a road trip while you’re on a vacation is like a mini-holiday inside your regular holiday, so it’s much more fun than you could imagine. All you need is a car you can rent wherever you are, or Amarillo bus ride, a list of places you’d like the see, and some free time.

One of the ideas to explore is taking your kids on a history tour where they can visit all those important sites and places they learn about in school. This won’t be just an amazing learning experience for them, but an opportunity to see things they’ve probably never seen before. Ultimately, this might pique their interest in these things and show them how exciting historical items and places can be.

Volunteering

To be honest, this is an idea your kids are probably not going to love as much as they might love all the other suggestions. Volunteering is something not all people do when they’re at home, and it’s something even a few of them do when they’re on vacation, so why should you do it? Well, there’s one simple reason – because it’s the right thing to do.

It doesn’t matter where you’re vacationing, how much time you have and what sort of volunteering you opt for – as long as you’re doing something good for the people in need, you’ll be helping them quite a lot. Again, this is an activity you have to plan ahead, especially when you’re going on a vacation with your children, but it’s still an idea you can put into practice quite easily. Not only will you be doing something amazing for someone else, but you’ll also teach your kids a few things about being a compassionate and caring person, and that’s a life lesson you can’t put a price on.

Spending your family vacation on the beach is always a great thing to do, but being active and adventurous is even better. So, find an activity your entire family will love and turn your next vacation into the best vacation ever!

Peter is a parenting and health writer for Joyful Source magazine. Follow Peter on Twitter for more tips.

Breastfeeding or Pumping: Is There a Preferred Path?

If you are expecting a baby or have just given birth, you may be thinking about feeding choices.

If you are expecting a baby or have just given birth, you may be thinking about feeding choices. You favor breast milk for your baby, but are undecided about breastfeeding or pumping your milk.

 

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Making the decision before you give birth

You have decided that you want your baby to benefit from the nutrients and from the immunizing antibodies of mother’s milk, but you’re not sure what is the best medium for delivering the milk.

Think about the following three options:

Only breastfeed: This is an easy decision to make if you are not tied down to a work schedule away from home, or if you benefit from a long maternity leave.
Only pump: Your many obligations are eased by the convenience of the ready supply of frozen breast milk stored in your freezer.
Combine breastfeeding with pumping: This arrangement suits many moms. Enjoy the intimacy of nursing your little one, but supplement his feeding with your own expressed milk.

Advantages of breastfeeding

One of the unique advantages of solely breastfeeding your baby is that you are always there to soothe her with close skin-to-skin contact. The bonding that takes place between you and your little one lasts forever!

Note that many of the advantages of breastfeeding apply to pumping as well, as in both cases, your infant benefits from the abundance of nutrients in breast milk.

What to do when life happens

As we all know, we can plan and plan, and then life throws us a curveball. You plan the birth. You picture breastfeeding your newborn in the delivery room, and continuing to cherish him at home.

Then things happen, and you adapt.

One example of an unpredictable event is a premature birth. Thankfully, most of these tiny little ones grow up to lead perfectly normal lives. However, the period that they spend in the Neonatal ICU can be a trying for his parents. Depending on the size and development of the baby, his sucking reflexes may be weak, and interaction with him may be limited.

How do you deliver the abundance of nutrients that will boost his growth and development? How do you emulate the supply and demand magic that stimulates your milk supply?

The answer is straightforward: Use a breast pump. Neonatal wards are typically equipped with strong, hospital-grade breast pumps that are easy to use.

The advantages of pumping your breast milk

There are times when pumping is required in an emergency, such as the birth of a preemie. However, the use of a breast pump can also be appropriate for non-urgent life circumstances.

Major career decisions

When your maternity leave from work is over, employment while your baby is still nursing is made possible by expressing your milk. Your baby will keep gaining weight from the best possible nutrients for her development. Similarly, if you are working towards a degree or career diploma, you can pump the milk to be given to your baby in your absence. Pumping maintains your milk supply, allowing you to still enjoy the intimacy of breastfeeding your baby at home.

 

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Time-outs

While breastfeeding your baby, you may find that you need a break from time to time. A date with your husband, coffee with a friend, or an outing with your other children, can be a real boost to your energy levels. Leave prepared bottles of your own pumped milk at home with the minder, and then relax

Dad’s Participation

Many fathers are quite gung-ho on playing a prominent role in the care of their babies. When you pump your milk, you are providing the opportunity for your baby’s father to bond with your child.

Breastfeeding difficulties

If your baby gets a little lethargic while nursing, for example, if he is placed “under the lights” when jaundiced, this can impact your milk supply. To build up your supply, you can express your milk with a pump, between feeds.

Sore nipples can be a drawback for new nursing mothers. Positioning the baby properly at the breast can resolve this, but while you recover, pumping your milk will maintain your supply.

Using a breast pump a few tips

Not all breast pumps are made the same. The experience of expressing with a manual breast pump or with an electronic breast pump, for example, can be quite different. The following ideas may help you find the most suitable pumping solution for you and your baby.

A quality breast pump can make the difference between an easy experience and a frustrating one.
A double breast pump halves the time it takes to express milk from both breasts. It is commonly held that a double breast pump is an excellent means for encouraging the growth of your supply, by stimulating the Prolactin hormone.
Do contact your friends or a lactation consultant. They can be sources of invaluable advice.
If you are concerned about the cost of a high-quality pump, a breast pump rental from a medical equipment company is a feasible option.
The U.S Department of Labor stipulates that mothers of babies under one year old, must be allowed time to express their milk during working hours.

To breastfeed or to pump

Breastfeeding directly, or pumping your milk, is not a black-and-white decision. The two methods share common benefits and work best together as a team. During a crisis, pumping may be the only solution for you. At other times, you can happily breastfeed without any need to pump. However, when circumstances call for periods away from your baby, a combination of breastfeeding and pumping is an excellent solution.

Ways to Enhance Your Beauty as a Busy Mom

Moms that work and all moms, in general, don’t get enough credit for what they are doing, which is work all the time, and most of that isn’t paid it’s for the family. During the busiest and most stressful weeks, it looks like that moms work more than 98 hours a week. So it is super important to spend some time pampering yourself to feel as beautiful as you can.

Eat Healthy Snacks

During those hard busy days having snacks is important because if you don’t, you will get hungry. When hunger hits you, if you don’t have some healthy food near you, of course, you will eat whatever you can find near you. To avoid those moments, prepare some healthy snacks for the upcoming week. Having a healthy snack will give you more energy and keep you from gaining unwanted pounds, and most important of them all, it will make you feel more beautiful and good about yourself. These Lactation Bites are delicious bite-sized snacks that include wholesome ingredients and beneficial herbs to give lasting energy. They’re also full of antioxidants and galactagogues which help Moms produce more breastmilk.

Sleep As Much As You Can

As we all know, sleep is essential. Most moms get only 5 to 6 hours of sleep per night. But that is not enough rest for a woman that works all day every day. Not getting enough sleep will affect how much you eat, how you look and how you feel. Moms need beauty sleep too. It is very important that you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. With a good night’s sleep, not only will your body be thankful, but your skin and face will have a magical glow.

Always Wear SPF

Most moms don’t have the time to go out on a ton of different moisturizers every morning. But wearing SPF will protect your skin from sun damage and skin cancer. So before you start skipping on putting SPF, look for BB or CC creams that have SPF in them, with that you are putting foundation and SPF at the same time. With this step in the morning, you will not only protect your skin, but you will also enhance your beauty.

Moisturize Your Hands

Moms are always cleaning, washing dishes, doing laundry, and because of that, your hands will suffer. Because of that, you need to be moisturizing them all the time. Put little tubes of hand creams into places that are easily reached, like your purse, car, desk drawer, or cabinet. Keeping up with moisturizing your hands will make your hands feel and look amazing. And we all know that ladies feel most beautiful if their hands are smooth and nice looking.

Save Time by Getting Eyelash Extensions

This is one of the best time-saving beauty tips for moms. Getting eyelash extensions, you are saving time every morning because you don’t have to spend time putting mascara on and putting fake eyelashes. Lash extensions are out in your current natural eyelashes. Many women who get lash extensions don’t wear any eye makeup at all, because they are such beauty on their own. They won’t leak and smudge as mascara will, and you will have fuller and more curled lashes. All you need to do is get high quality mink lash extensions, and you will feel the most beautiful even right after you get out of bed.

These are some easy, quick, and practical beauty tips and products in mind as you go about your hectic mom’s life. As a mom, you need to take a few minutes every day to take care of and pamper yourself, and that will do miracles for both your inner and outer self.

Guest Blogger Bio

Maggie Holmes is a passionate blogger keen on writing about beauty and fashion. Her exclusive hobby is to surf the net to find amazing articles that can inspire her with some fresh ideas for article writing. She loathes being a common person who wastes her time. 

You can follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MaggieH04666334

Ways to Earn an Online Degree As a Busy Mom

Ever since you became a parent, your dreams of earning a degree might have taken a back seat. Between parenting and managing the house, it might seem like you barely have enough time for anything else, least of all yourself. But thanks to the internet, busy people—most especially busy moms—can earn that much-coveted degree without having to physically go to school.

But how would you do it with your hectic schedule, you ask? Let’s take a look.

1. Seek the Babysitter’s Help

You’ll need a few hours to yourself while attending your online classes, which means you will most likely not be able to attend to your kids in that span of time. Call your babysitter and ask for help. There’s no shame in relieving yourself of your babysitting responsibilities once in a while, especially if it’s to learn something new. As they say, reliable child care actually helps mothers improve their career.

2. Plan Ahead

If your online classes are scheduled, this means you would have time to plan your activities for the day. So if you have to take your son to basketball practice at 5 p.m. and your classes are at 5 p.m., then take him earlier. If you have to attend a meeting between parents and teachers at your daughter’s school next week, make sure to tell the school to schedule your one-on-one with the homeroom teacher at a time you don’t need to log in to study.

To keep track of all the things you have to do, and to avoid any overlap, make sure to bring a journal and jot those items down.

If, on the other hand, your online classes are not scheduled, then you wouldn’t have any problems. You’d be able to log in to your classes at a time that is most convenient.

3. Take Courses that are Flexible

There are online courses that are “friendly” to the busy people because they are more flexible. Consider avoiding a course that might require too much writing assignments and puts a lot of emphasis on deadlines. Courses like journalism might not be the best because you’ll be tasked to write a lot and trained to respect the dates of submissions, precisely because this is exactly what you’ll be doing once you become a media professional. In communication research, on the other hand, students are trained to conduct different types of research, which includes a lot of fieldwork and a lot of writing. These courses are obviously very time-consuming and will require your full attention. As a very busy mother, you may not be able to give that in the first place.

So, in thinking about which course to take, also consider what kind of career path it can give you. How about getting a marketing degree, where you will be taught how to effectively reach people? While your professor might also be the kind who likes to give deadlines, a course in marketing would be a lot less stressful and time-consuming compared to others.

You might also want to consider learning how to help manage branding and public image. With this course, you can be a social media manager, an event manager or a public relations officer, among other things. These jobs do not require you to render as much time in the office as other jobs would—something that works to your advantage as a busy mom.

  • Social Media Manager: You’re essentially tasked to boost a company’s online presence and client engagement by producing good social media content and analyzing usage data, among other things. These do not require you to be in the office at all times since all you need is a laptop and an Internet connection. As a social media manager, you can actually also work from home and tend to your duties as a mom!
  • Event Manager: You’re in charge of running and organizing promotional events for a specific company. After attending the event, then, you can always go home and tend to other things. No need to report to the office afterward, unless of course there’s some paperwork you need to do. 
  • Public Relations Officer: A public relations officer, on the other hand, concerns herself with managing reputation through events and by writing press releases, among other things. These things can also be done outside the confines of the office.

In these situations, it pays to be practical but without sacrificing what you really want to be in the future.

Final Thoughts

Motherhood should never be a hindrance to achieving your dreams. If anything, motherhood should even inspire you to achieve them because you have a cheering squad behind you all the way—wonderful kids who look up to you in everything that you do.

Go and take that big step. When everything seems to go haywire, just remember that mothers are superwomen when it comes to raising their kids. Surely, earning an online degree is a walk in the park compared to that.

How to Find the Best SAT Prep Material to Help Your Kid Ace the Test

Soon, your child might be taking one of the most important tests of their lives. As a parent, you naturally want to help them ace the SAT (or at least get a passing grade) so they can enter into a good college. You might spend the entire day thinking about what you can do to help but have ended up being unproductive.

Take a deep breath! In this post, we share with you the ways you can find the best SAT material to help your child ace the test.

1. Check the Internet

The Internet is a gold mine of online programs for SAT takers, but always remember that your child does not have all the time in the world to go through all of them. It’s best to be picky and to choose an SAT program like PrepScholar SAT courses, which will pinpoint your child’s strengths, and the weaknesses they have to work on. Choose a program that motivates your child, not one that coddles them. Inspire them and not make them lazy. In short, sign them up for that one program that already covers everything and has been proven to be effective.

2. Spend Time in a Bookstore or Go to a Public Library

If there’s anywhere you have to be to score good SAT material, it’s the bookstore or the public library. This is where you are bound to find prep books that will assess what your child already knows and doesn’t.

These tests are important because they will give your child an idea of what the SAT makers actually want them to learn. Your child can also get a feel of how taking the SAT would be, allowing them to precondition their mind before actually going to “war.” Remember that the SAT is not only about your child knowing their world history or Math; it’s also about them knowing how to cope with the mental stress of having to answer difficult questions for hours on end.

Check out the reference books section, and spend some time going through the books you think your child will easily understand. You can go to other specialized sections and browse through those, too.

Here is a list of subjects you should cover with the books you purchase and borrow:

  • Literature
  • US History
  • World History
  • Mathematics
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Foreign Language: Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Spanish, Italian, German or Modern Hebrew

This is not to say that you have to limit yourself to these subjects alone. The more subjects you can cover, the better.

3. Talk to Other Parents

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for tips from other parents who have already gone through the grueling process of helping their child prepare for the SAT. If we go by the saying that experience is the best teacher, these types of parents, then, are the best teachers for you. Go ahead and call your friend whose daughter passed the SAT with flying colors, and ask for titles of books she got to help her prepare. Or maybe host a lunch meeting for the “experienced” and “not-so-experienced” parents so you can get each other’s recommendations for other SAT material. You may have to invest a little time and even money to organize this last one, but once you have that list for your child, you’ll feel like everything was worth it.

Below is a list of questions you can ask fellow parents:

  • What SAT materials did you get your child? Where can I get them?
  • Did you enroll your child in an SAT prep course? If so, where?
  • How did you help your child study? Did you implement a strict study plan, or simply allowed them to go at their own pace?

Conclusion

The SAT is arguably one of the most important tests your child will take. It will, after all, determine which colleges they can go to. But the process of preparing does not have to be as cumbersome for your child. As a parent, you can do your part by making it as easy for them as possible. Get the best materials and courses so they don’t have to spend precious time they could to studying instead. Also, make their environment as conducive to learning as possible. If they want a change of scenery while studying, you can help them design the perfect outdoor reading nook.

Those are only some of the many ways you can help as a parent. If you do your part and your child does theirs, there’s no reason they won’t ace that test.

Tips for Helping Children Develop Better Study Habits

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The “back to school” mood is a special one for parents and kids alike. In the first week or so, your little ones will excitedly share their impressions from the summer break, while parents still have some time to adjust to their new schedule, probably packed to the brim with extracurriculars, play dates, birthday parties, and let’s not forget the holidays. 

As soon as that youthful frenzy fades in the face of new homework assignments and upcoming tests, your kids will once again have to deal with distractions, study sessions, and limited access to their favorite TV shows. To give your kids the positive nudge they need to study more efficiently, give learning a fun twist, and to eliminate distractions, here are a few tips to get you started as soon as all that buzz dwindles!

Develop a routine

Much like with all else in their lives, kids work best and develop with ease when there’s a reliable, stable routine they can follow. Kids need structure so that they can develop good habits, and if you help them mold the right kind of routine around their studies, then homework and studying will not be any trouble for their curious minds. Although using a planner or a digital tool may be appropriate for older kids with established habits, perhaps a more creative approach would work best with youngsters.

Set up a little to-do board above or next to the study desk in your kids’ bedroom. They can use it to pin tasks, homework reminders, study groups, and new lessons they have yet to master, color-coded, and add any notes they please. You could even use planner stickers to make it more fun for them.

Create a study nook

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The little board is neither the beginning nor the end of your project for the kid’s study nook, on the contrary! In order to inspire hours of uninterrupted learning, the kids need to immerse themselves in an environment specially designed for that task only. In addition to equipping their room with a desk of appropriate height and storage space, you should look for an ergonomic chair that will give your little ones ample support.

Help your kids organize their materials, books and notebooks, their drawing material, and other items they need. Encourage them to keep their desk tidy and to use the desk for their school tasks only, so that they can keep distractions to a minimum.

Encourage creative outlets

Every child has different proclivities, and they all have their own processes to master new skills and absorb all of this knowledge shared with them at school. Some kids like to write it all down in neat notes, others love brainstorming, while some enjoy a more visual approach. Both for their art projects and for underlining the most relevant bits of information, using paint markers can be helpful to give their study sessions a creative edge.

They can assign colors to different subjects, such as orange for history and blue for math, or they can use them to practice drawing and coloring. Add to that, help them master the art of mind mapping so that they can remember information with greater ease.

Inspire your kids to collaborate

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Some kids do enjoy studying on their own, but that is certainly not always the case. Plus, enabling your kids to study in pairs with their school friends can provide them with new perspectives and ways to better review the subject matter from each lesson, especially if they come up with unique ways to revise lessons together.

Teamwork is a life skill that every child should slowly develop, so even organizing study groups before tests can be a good way for them to revise and go over the lessons more than they would on their own. Plus, the prospect of some fun time with friends after the study session is a great source of motivation to inspire them to be truly efficient and dedicated to the task at hand. 

Work on eliminating distractions

One of the biggest sources of study trouble for most kids is the time they spend using various digital devices. As soon as their social media apps notify them of a message, they’ll quickly abandon what they were doing to check their phones. This kind of disruptive behavior will only make it harder for them to develop self-discipline and focus.

So, from the very beginning, implement certain rules such as limited time of phone and tablet use, and keep those devices away or turned off during study sessions. Of course, you should lead by example, so make sure that you use digital devices in moderation as well!

 

Our kids live in a very noisy world oversaturated with distractions, so your approach to their schooling will make all the difference in how they form their own attitudes towards learning. Use these tips to teach them good study habits from day one, and they’ll later use them in life and work as well.