How to Raise Frugal Kids

It’s up to you to instill positive values in your kids. It seems as though we are entering an age of permanent austerity. Because of this, our kids should be prepared for what lies ahead of them. The TV shows they watch and magazines they read aren’t going to do this for them. Remember though, you are not teaching your kids to be greedy or cheap. You want your kids to be frugal – this means smart with your money, confident in trying to save money and resourceful. 

1. Needs and Wants
The earlier you let your children know about needs and wants, the sooner they will be in a position to know what to ask for, and less likely to be disappointed if it’s simply impossible for you to afford a new video game. You should politely explain to your kids why they cannot have a certain item for free. Perhaps they can pay for half, or save up for it themselves. Regardless, you have to make sure that you let them understand your entire financial situation and the importance of spending money wisely.

2. Shop Smart
When shopping, especially buying things for the children, you will come across different things that may seem nice or thoughtful. To stay on the safe side, you should have a list of all the things that you should buy. It is advisable that you carry the exact amount of cash you require with you when going shopping. This will make it impossible for you to buy things that you don’t require. Even some things that you think you may need may not actually be necessary. If you’re smart, you’ll learn how to find deals so that you have enough left-over cash to get something else.

3. Reuse and Recycle
You should teach your children to share their clothes. If the older one’s clothes have been outgrown, you should make clear to them why they should give their clothes to their younger siblings. You can also exchange clothes with your neighbor or friend. Also, if you come across any kind of clothes that are quite affordable but too big for your child, you should buy it now and then put it aside until the child grows into it.

4. Responsibility
It is important to communicate to your children why they have to be responsible for their actions. This will put them in a good position to budget the finances that they have. If they do any kinds of chores, you can reward them by giving them a small amount of cash. This will teach them that they have to work and put in a lot of effort to get cash. After giving them money, help them in making decisions on how to use it and how best to save the remaining cash. By guiding them, the children will grow up knowing how to be responsible with their finances.

Kelsey Mass loves to write, save money and visit healthinsurancequotes.org.

Creating a Safer Community

Home sweet home. It’s great returning to the warmth and comfort of your home after a stressful day at work. Even better is living in a clean neighborhood full of friendly neighbors. A nice neighborhood gives you peace of mind, assuaging any fears when you go to bed each night. For kids, a safe neighborhood makes for a good environment to play and thrive.

While not every neighborhood is completely safe, there are some steps you can take to ensure the community’s safety.

Traffic Signs

While it might seem like an insignificant step, putting up proper traffic road signs is an effective, affordable way to keep pedestrians and drivers in the know at all times.

Regulatory signs keep drivers in check. The most important of these are speed limit signs. Speeding in residential areas is careless and could lead to property damage, injury, and potentially death. Tow away zones also inform drivers not to park in certain areas, while simultaneously ensuring open, vacant streets.

Warning signs are also important, especially if your neighborhood has lots of kids. Warning signs should keep drivers informed of any pedestrians or children at play. If there’s a predominant biking community in your neighborhood, warning signs will make sure drivers practice proper vigilance and traffic rules regarding bikes.

Cleanliness

Keeping your community clean is beneficial in several ways. First, picking up trash makes for a much safer environment for children and pedestrians. Trash can attract disease-carrying pests or lead to bacterial molds. Moreover, studies show that criminals are less likely to commit crimes in neighborhoods that look cared for. Criminals see a clean neighborhood that is clearly cared-for and assume it is being diligently watched. Having a regular trash pick-up program will make for a healthy community and a cleaner environment in general.

Changing the way your neighborhood looks is a big part of keeping it safe. Remove or paint over graffiti. Organize a group to clean up the neighborhood regularly.

There are numerous things you can do on your own as well. Make sure your front yard and lawn are well cared for. Cut your grass and rake up any leaves. Trim your tree, keeping the branches up high. Trim hedges and bushes back from sidewalks to make for safer walking after dark. Even planting flowers and trees around your neighborhood will make it look that much cleaner. Team up with the rest of your community to create a safe, thriving living environment.  

Pool Fences And Gates For Children Safety

having a pool in your home can be a fantastic luxury, especially on hot summer days when the prospect of a crowded beach or public swimming area is less than appealing. Those pool owners with young children, however, need to be adequately informed about the potential dangers that a pool can pose.

Young children, being as curious and sometimes mischievous as they tend to be, should never be left unattended near a pool. Even extremely shallow pools can contain enough water to drown a small child.  You might not even consider it as drowning hazard but small children can drown in just about anything that has water in; coolers, bath tubs, even the toilette. The truly frightening part about this hazard is just how quickly that can happen. It only takes a second for a child to slip into the water and for tragedy to strike.

Luckily, there are simple ways to avoid these dangers and give yourself some peace of mind. Just look into purchasing pool fences and gates. These are devices that can go around the entirety of your pool, ensuring that your child or any other toddler cannot fall into the pool.

These pool fences and gates have several distinct advantages. Beyond the offer of safety, they are easy to set up, so in a matter of hours, anyone can have a properly baby-proofed pool. They are also mobile, so if you want to remove them at any given time, it’s a quick and easy process.

Because of their portability and ease of use, they have a place in any home where children are present. Even if you don’t have the child every day (perhaps you babysit your grandchildren on the weekends, or you only occasionally have family over with young children), these pool fences and gates can provide the safety you need.

Don’t forget that use of these gates and fences all year round is recommended. A drained pool, after all, can be just as dangerous as one full of water. Just think what kind of devastating results a fall into the concrete bottom of a pool could have for a small child.

Pick one up for yourself, but also make sure to inform all friends and family with small children about their usefulness. They would even make a practical and much appreciated gift. Whatever the circumstances, just make sure that you never allow your pool to become a threat in your own home. Take some simple measures and ensure it remains the source of fun and joy you want it to be.

Please note, a pool fence is no substitute for adult supervision. Read our pool safety guidelines for more.

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Give Your Kid Candy To Stop Tantrums

Kids are very intelligent and experimental creatures, they love to push their parents to the limit to know what they can get, and they always try new and different ways to get what they want.

Most kids experience tantrums by the age of two and they get really mad that they can even hurt them self during a tantrum. Tantrums are also very frustrating for parents who never want to see their child crying but you cannot give them everything as well for health and safety reasons.

Tantrums are very embarrassing if you were outside with your child and it causes big disturbance for people. Most parents try to avoid the scene by giving their kid what they wanted or even give them some candy.

Now, I think that what goes in your kids' mind after that is: “All I have to do is crying and I get a lollipop, yay". And the problem won't stop. On the contrary, it will get harder and harder cause he knows that you will surrender and give him what he wants.

Candy can never be the solution of tantrums, what is it then?

Total ignorance is, act as if nothing is happening around. Sooner or later they will stop crying the moment they figure out that there is no use of it.

If you can't handle the tension, go clean a room, watch TV, or wash some dishes and if you were outside, ignore it by looking at a product or anything that gets your thinking out of it. I actually know a mom who has a card with her saying "Sorry for disturbance, a tantrum in process". It is a very funny and smart way to ease the tension and make people smile and ignore the noise,

After the whole tantrum is gone, talk to your child in a compassionate but firm voice that this way won't work at all and tell him or her reason why you refused to do or get what caused the problem. Go down to his height level and maintain eye contact to make sure that he gets the message.

If tantrums last for more than half an hour or last for a whole day, you probably need to talk to the doctor about that.

Also remember that you can't do this with a child under two years old cause you cannot spoil them at this age. They need your love to know that the world is a good place and grow up to be confident and happy people.

At the end, you will still face tantrums now and then and sometimes you will have to do what you have to do to stop it, but try to ignore them as much as possible and never reward bad behavior with getting things or buying candy.

Translate Your Teen Messages

What if your teen speaks a different language? How on earth will you be able to make sure of his safety? Most kids now are talking CODES and parents don't have a clue what they are talking about. Studies showed that most kids between 12 and 17 years old are sending more than 50 messages every day and that one third of them sends over 100 messages.

With the increasing use of internet and texting with the young age and in order to make sure that your kid is safe, sneaking won't work and asking them every moment about what they are saying or writing won't work either. What will really work is learning and understanding your teen's new language.

I will help you in this article decode teens’ new acronyms; here are some of the codes used:

GNOC: Get Naked On Camera!!

NOF: Naked On Front of camera!

CD9: Parents are around!

MOS: Mother Over Shoulder!!!

Can you believe it? They are making their own way of escaping and they wouldn't hide anything unless it was suspicious. I don't mean by this article to be very involved in their live, on the contrary, I really like it when parents give their kids some privacy and a good area for their secrets. However, some of these codes are really serious and could make lots of troubles. Imagine if your daughter or son is NOF and some crazy hacker got the pics or videos and spread it on the internet. I can't even think of it, it is very important issue.

Plus it is spying when you look in your daughter’s diaries or open your kid's closet because these are his private stuff, but it's totally not spying if they are the ones who started exposing themselves on the internet. This age is very sensitive and they won’t let you be friends with them and a parent is got to do what they got to do to insure the best interest for their kid.

Finally, I recommend that parents trust their kids and give them allowable privacy area and to be smart in the same time. Read and keep updated about new trends in teens lives trying to figure out how the heck they are thinking. We live in a world full of crazy and psycho people that we have to get together as a society and stand up in their faces.

At the end, please share acronyms and tips if you think this might help other parent protect their child.

How Did I Get My Child To Sleep By Himself?

Long seven months had passed since I gave birth to my lovely first son Ahmed. He needed constant care which I was happy to provide for him, it is a blessing to care for such a tiny beautiful human being. I just had this one problem that was very stressful, Ahmed was very depending on me when it came to sleep. At first, he was sleeping on breast and then whenever I put him to bed, he wakes up instantly crying for me to hold him again.

After that rocking became his favorite way to go to sleep but then it started to be tougher for him to go to sleep and he became heavier and more resisting.

All this wasn't very important to me; i was willing to take it for him. The main problem was that after all this effort; he couldn't sleep alone when I put him to bed.

If you were having the same issue, all you need to do is to follow "Controlled management method" which is the best and most successful for stubborn kids like my child.

How controlled management method work?

First of all you must have consistent and fixed sleep routine for your kid. I usually give him a breast feed, change his diaper, and hold him for a minute to soothe him, switch off bright light, and put him to bed, sing, and play soft music.

You shouldn't follow the same routine; create your own according to you and your kid as I did.

The first night follow your routine and go out of the room wher he can't see you, wait for a minute and go check on him and spend another minute then go out again. Wait two minutes and come back for a minute, then wait for three minute and stay one minute, and so on until he gets to sleep.

Time intervals can be 2, 4, 8, .... Or 5, 10, 15,... Or whatever suits you. If your child was getting more upset when you come back, maybe you should wait outside until he sleeps. The first few nights will be very hard but think of his best interest and how relieved he will be when he learns to sleep on his own without needing to scream for you every time he wakes.

The program shall take between 3 to 14 days maximum and you will achieve the goal. Mine took about 3 days and he sometimes he protests now but it's way better than before.

Important thing to put in consideration if you decided to follow this approach, make sure that you're taking very good care of your baby during the day and that he is happy. Also, if the baby was sick during the program, stop it immediately and continue after he is well again. And if he is really upset or cries for very long time, maybe you should pick him up and try some other time. Finally do the same thing during day naps as well.

I love my son very much and I'm kinda spoiling him, the worst moment of my life when he cries, but this was going out of my hands and it started to affect my energy. I guess that some tough love wouldn't hurt.

Top Sneaky Ways To Keep Moisture In Your Body In Winter

Weather is already changing and it getting really chilly. This doesn't mean you should buy new boots only, but it also means to start applying extra things to protect your skin from drying. Today I'll share top sneaky steps celebrities do to protect their skin from dryness during winter.

Get away From Alcohol
This doesn't mean drinks which you should get away from due to all bad effects it have on body, mind, and skin. What you should really avoid is having skin products like toners and cleaners with alcohol in it, check your current cosmetics' label and if they have any alcohol types (other than lanolin, stearyl, and acetyl which are totally okay), then you should keep them to spring. you need to do that because alcohol is very hard ingredient that can remove humidity and moisture from your skin and we don't that to happen.
Take a warm shower
I know that it's the best thing in winter when you can have hot shower and enjoy the warmth, but actually is very harmful especially when you have a dry skin.
So if you can bear, try to lower down the heat few degrees only and have a warm shower instead for hot shower. Don't forget to apply some moisturizing lotion as well when you're in.
Invest in a Humidifier
Winter makes the air hard on your skin so, buy a humidifier in your house to get back moist to it. If you can't do so or it is difficult for you to plug such advice at home, then you can consider having plants in the room. Plants work as a natural humidifier as they get almost 90% of water you pour into them in the shape of moisture and Oxygen. Spider plants and bamboo are really great natural humidifier.
Depending on your skin type, choose cosmetics that work for it and apply simple at home masks that works for your skin type.
Personally, I love to prepare masks that contains yogurt, it is very moisturizing and can work for all skin types. My favourite yogurt mask is very simple, just beat some yogurt and apply it to your face for 15 minutes or until it’s dry, and then wash it off. I just can say that this is the best.
Another very good mask is corn flower mask, to prepare it, add about two table spoons of corn flour with some water or milk and mix them into a paste and spread on your face for 15 minutes.
These are the best sneaky tips to keep moisture

All You Need To Prepare For Giving Birth

Congratulations!! If you were interested enough to read this article, then most probably your due date is close, or you might want to be so happy with the baby that you want to know everything all together. Both ways, any mom to be must consider what to take in her way to give birth for the little one who is going to lighten your life. First thing you need to know is that the hospital will be ready with most things your baby needs. So, don't feel that you have to get lots of things.

Actually I did this mistake and prepared a big bag that was no use for me. Here are the things I actually needed:

- Clean towel and comb

- Comfy slippers

- Under wears like the ones used during pregnancy " don't rush for bikini" and take more than one in case of excess bleeding

- Robe and something comfortable to wear after giving birth.

- 2 of clothes the baby needs in case one of them was small or not good enough for him or her.

- Hat, socks, and blanket Cause the baby is still familiar with your womb warmth.

- Car seat but I actually was holding him and I didn't take one.

That's it pretty much. You don't have to get diapers, pads, shampoo, or anything else. The hospital will take care of it.

It is also important to get a camera to picture your angel's first look and to get the first photo with your baby.

You will be very tired. So, you should have someone to be with you like your partner or mom and to be with them even when you go home to help you for the first couple days.

Also when my due date was very close, I went to the salon to have my hair done, get a new cut and to have a facial mask. This really helped me to feel kind of beautiful and ready for the new life I’m going to have and it helped me a lot cause I have thick and frizzy hair that could have become really ugly if it was not done already.

You are entering a new phase of life that could be very hard and stressful at the beginning but I assure you that you will feel overwhelmed with happiness as soon as you get used to it. I am currently not sleeping more than 5 hours but I totally love it

Eat With Your Child And Lose Weight

Busy moms have this guilt of not dedicating every single moment of life to their children, we have this feeling that we're always not giving them the care they need. So, we tend to ignore ourselves in order to make use of all time we have together.

Logically this will make you lose weight, however, what really happens that you start gaining extra pounds. What really happens is that your body is starving so, whenever you eat anything, it will automatically store fat instead of burning it to help you do the regular routine you have. This fat will be stored in belly, bottom, arms, and thighs.

Now if you really want to lose weight, STOP starving yourself, stop skipping breakfast, stop eating junk, and stop not taking care of yourself. I know this seems difficult especially for moms who have toddlers less than one year but they have easy recipes.

For moms who have toddlers over one year old the best thing is to cook for both of you, the baby needs fresh, healthy food and you should take advantage from that.

Here are some recipes that you can both be enjoying together:

- Post pregnancy shake that mainly consists of banana and raspberry which have great effect on losing belly fat.

- It is also important to have snakes every 4 hours for you and the baby like:

Yogurt lollipops

Crispy apple chips "all you have to do is cutting apples into very thin slices, sprinkle some cinnamon over it and put into oven till golden and crispy.

You can also bake some sweet potato until tender, let it cool, remove the skin, cut into cubes, and then sprinkle some ground cinnamon over the top of it.

- Everyday I make a very healthy breakfast for both my 7 months old child and I consisted of an egg, processed cheese triangle, and a small portion of basic oats recipe that I prepare by just adding some boiled water to oats and leave it for only 5 minutes. You can add sugar or not but I find it great the way it is. Oats are very healthy and I was surprised that he loved it over cereals.

Also remember to eat and give your child lots of greens and fruits to make him healthy and make you lose that extra weight.

Food is essential for all of us whether young or old, you cannot stop eating to be thinner. All you have to do is starting to choose more healthy options that you will gladly offer to your kid who will be happier seeing you eat the same healthy way you want to provide for him.

after birth, how to

i had my first son 6 months ago and i remember my self after 3 weeks after birth asking when the heck are his parents coming to take him? Or at least give me a manual to figure out the little monestar
Now i wouldn't give him to any body in the world. I just needed someone to stop the cute lies and tell me the truth about it so that i can expect what will come and deal with it.if you are a new, first time, or expecting mom, you need to know this:

• Sleep as much as you can when possible:

never get enough of sleep till you give birth,it's going to be very rare when the kid arrives.
If you gave birth already, don't wait to do something else when your child sleeps. Your rest is more important than chores.Cooking and cleaning will be better done while you're rested

• Ask for help: 

Don't be shy to ask your partner's help. men don't realize your need for a minute of silence, they want youu to ask them for what you need exactly.

• Cook more:

I almost wasn't cooking in the first three months after birth. When i knew this secret, my life changed and it became a good habit.
When you have the time cook more than one meal or cook big amounts. Use one and refregirate the rest. This will help you so much if you were having a bad day, all you will need to do is grab something ready to cook.

• Eat well:

Don't underestimate the importance of food in this process. You need to eat balanced amounts of protine, fruits, vegetables, and every single nutritious food you can think of it.Leave the wish of losing pregnancy fat fast and always know that breast feeding and the effort done for the new baby will burn most of the fat.
I lost every single pound gained during pregnancy after the first six months. Actually i think that having a baby is a golden chance to lose weight.Having a baby is a nightmare for the first month, a huge effort, for the first three or four months, but after that it all turns to be the best event of your life when you see the litttle human being you carried for 9 months laughing and babbeling. His smile will worth the world to you.
I also recommend you to read about after birth and there is tons of information you can find online
And remember that millions of moms have done it before and they ain't better than you. congratulations.

sleepless and lovin it

For weeks, you’ve gone to the bathroom three times every night, slept faithfully on your side instead of your back, and snacked in the wee hours of the morning. Making a baby is hard work, even when you’re trying to sleep. And once your prince or princess is born, the string of sleepless nights is just beginning.
A forty-something friend has been trying unsuccessfully to have a baby for many years. Last week, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. When she talks about that one-week old miracle, she glows. Even though she’s sleep deprived and exhausted from nursing, she is radiant. So what’s the secret to being a totally new mom who is full of joy?

1. Relish the moment. When you’re looking at your tiny baby, whether it’s after a diaper change or as you’re feeding him or her, consider the words to this song "Miracle of the Moment" by five-time Grammy winner Steven Curtis Chapman:
So breathe it in, breathe it out. Listen to your heartbeat. There’s a wonder in the here and now. It’s right there in front of you. And I don’t want you to miss the miracle of the moment.

2. Put your baby’s early days in perspective. Remember what it took to get you to this place and let your heart fill with gratitude for being a mother. When things get tough, think of how quickly these days will pass. Before you know it, you’ll be taking your child to soccer practice or violin lessons in a minivan.

3. Eat right and exercise. Being healthy isn’t just good for your waistline; it’s a great way to lift your spirits. It’s proven that enjoying a variety of good nutritious food will help manage depression and elevate your mood. Try eating super foods like salmon, spinach, peas, chickpeas, chicken and turkey. Do light stretches and walking after baby is born as long as you’re comfortable doing so.

4. Simplify your life. Having a newborn is a full-time job. This isn’t the time to take on a new project. Your house doesn’t have to be perfectly clean. Emails don’t have to be answered on the same day they’re received. Focus on being a new mom. Don’t be afraid to say no to others.

5. Put something for yourself on the calendar. Being a new mom is a job unlike any other. There are no coffee breaks, evenings off, or pretty suits to wear. You are a 24-hour caregiver. To make the most of your new role, plan things that will renew your mind, body and spirit. Don’t just have good intentions about taking care of yourself. You have to put it in the calendar or it won’t happen. Schedule things like: Monday night, 30 minutes of reading all by myself while my husband watches the baby. Have events to look forward to so you don’t drown in the monotony of diapers and feedings.
The first weeks and months with your baby are some of the most special days of your life. Smile often, take lots of pictures, and remember to enjoy the miracle of the moment.