Kid Things

Protecting your kids is your top priority as a parent. However, there needs to be some kind of balance between allowing your kids to learn on their own and be independent while also ensuring that they stay away from harm and danger.

This harm and danger can present itself to your children at any time and in any location, including when they’re playing outside or even in your own backyard. So to help ensure that you’re making fewer trips to the emergency room due to an injury, here are three tips for keeping your kids safe when playing outside.

Protect Them From Water Hazards

While water features make any outdoor area seem more natural and beautiful, they also can be hazardous if your children get into them without adult supervision. Because of this, it’s important that you always watch your children when they’re outside in any area where water is present. Keep in mind that this doesn’t just mean pools. Little children can drown in just a few inches of water, so even puddles or areas where water collects can be dangerous.

For your older children, Dr. Karen Gill, a contributor to Healthline.com, advises that you teach them how to swim as well as making rules about never swimming alone or without someone else there to supervise. While these rules might seem overprotective to your older children, they could just save their life in a potentially dangerous situation.

Prepare For The Environment

Another way that kids can get injured or hurt when outside is if they aren’t prepared for the environment in which they’ll be playing.

According to Lisa Freedman, a contributor to Parents.com, this means that your kids should always dress appropriately for being outdoors in whatever weather that day may bring. This includes wearing a coat and gloves in the winter and wearing light clothing and sunscreen in the summer. You should also be aware of any insects in the area that your kids need to protect themselves against.

Set Playground Rules

Whether your kids are at school or playing at the park, they will likely spend a decent amount of time on playground toys. And while manufacturers try to eliminate risks, if your kids don’t follow certain playground rules, they could wind up getting very hurt.

Dr. Kate M. Cronan, a contributor to KidsHealth.org, recommends that you set playground rules that your children are to follow if they will be allowed on these toys. Your rules should include things like not roughhousing, using slides correctly, avoiding toys when they are wet, and more.

If you want to ensure that your children are as safe as possible when playing outside, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you accomplish this.

Although keeping your house clean with kids is no doubt far from easy, it’s not impossible. If you have kids, it’s easy to find yourself in a pile of toys, clothes, and general clutter in no time. It can be overwhelming if you let it go too far!

However, by knowing the right tricks and tips, you can keep things under control despite your mess roommates. Take a look at some of the best ways to keep your house clean with kids around.

Keep Eating and Drinking In Designated Areas Only

Kids aren’t the cleanest eaters. All it takes is a few noodles and sauce for your floor to turn into some kind of Picasso painting. If you have finished floors, the last thing you want to worry about is damaging them from spilled kool-aid.

Therefore, only allow your kids to eat and drink in certain parts of the house where they can’t do much damage. Stick to a place that has appropriate flooring that’s easy to clean.

Stay away from carpeted areas or furniture that will be forever ruined with a few jelly handprints. You’ll not only reduce your own stress but also your kids’. Sometimes kids just need to be kids. Provide them with a space in the house where they can do that!

Do Your Cleaning While The Kids Sleep

Cleaning with your kids running around is a quick way to go nuts. It won’t take very long until you feel like you’re in the film Groundhog Day. You’ll swear you just cleaned something up, yet the mess reappears again.

Instead, wake up early and clean before your kids are around, or wait until they’re in bed for the evening. Take advantage of the time they’re not around to clean everything that has been piling up.

Teach Your Kids To Clean

Even though this may seem like a no-brainer, you’d be surprised how many parents don’t even consider this as a solution. Teach your kids to clean up after themselves so that you have less work to do.

Not only will it make your life easier, but it will teach them to take responsibility for their own messes.

While they may not necessarily be able to pick up a vacuum cleaner or wash a load of laundry, they can still learn to put things away after they take them out.

Buy Less

One of the biggest reasons why people’s homes are so much messier when they have kids is because they have more things. Try to stop buying your kids so much stuff if there’s no reason to. Not only will you have fewer messes, but your kids will appreciate what they have more.

 

If there’s one thing both kids and adults expect from a party, it’s a fun time. Be it a birthday or a seasonal holiday party, people expect food, drinks, and fun. But planning a party takes a bit of effort, and unless you want your kid’s party coming off as mundane and uneventful, you’ll have to be creative.

Unfortunately, parents have a million things going on, and while you want to give your kids the best, there are important factors to consider like time, effort and (of course) money. Luckily, throwing an awesome birthday party that’ll make your kid the coolest in class without breaking the bank, or your back, is what this article is about. So check out some of these great party ideas.

A dance party

Turn on some music and you’d be amazed by your kid’s dancing skills. And guess what? Parents like dancing too, even though this may involve simply swaying their bodies from side to side in a rhythmless fashion. All you need is a dance hall — your living room should work — and a sound system.

And because it’s a dance party, snacks or finger food and soda should suffice. You can jazz it up by getting neon bangles and accessories. Note that this may be more for the older kids, since managing a bunch of toddlers in the dark could prove cumbersome.

An aqua-explosion party

Okay, you don’t have to call it an “aqua explosion”, but the theme behind it is a great one: create a watery adventure for both your kids and their friends. Now, you may be thinking, “Is a party like this going to send me into bankruptcy?”

The good news is: it won’t, if you know the right people. You can rent affordable water slides like a Blue Crush water slide. It is completely safe with trained specialists ready to install and operate it. You don’t have to do anything except make sure your kid is having fun.

You can also pull of a water party if you own a pool, whether it’s inflatable or permanent. You can throw a luau-themed party complete with tropical drinks, coconuts, barbeque, tiki torches (if you have them) and cute luau outfits.

A movie-themed party

From Star Wars to The Avengers to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, kids have their favorite cartoon and movie characters, and organizing their birthday party around these characters will get them fired-up. You may have to spend a bit on character-themed decorations but it’s nothing that breaks the bank.

A magic show/party

Some kids may not like clowns, but nearly all kids love magic. You can plan a magic-themed party or add a magic show to your regular party, and you don’t have to perform over-the-top magic acts.

If hiring a magician is within your budget, you can certainly do that. But if it isn’t, you can learn a few card and hat tricks and even ask the kids for magic tricks they know — you’d be surprised what some can do. Food can include regular snacks and candy, and the party can be indoors or outdoors.

An outdoorsy party

If you live near the great outdoors and have a lot of space, or your child loves adventure, you could throw an outdoor-themed party with a treasure hunt. You could serve food that kids would generally eat outdoors like burgers, chips, etc. And because the party is being hosted outdoors, you can save by using minimal decorations, like paper lanterns, streamers, and the like.

With an outdoor setting, you have a lot of options. Your party can be a treasure hunt. It can be barbeque-themed or a picnic. The possibilities are endless. With just a little imagination, you can turn your home into an adventure wonderland for your child. At the end of it all, you may be tired, but the smile on your child’s face will be worth it.

 

Studies continue to show that the pressures faced by adolescents aren’t showing any signs of letting up anytime soon. In fact, it seems that the proliferation of smartphones and increased use of social media websites like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook may in fact be contributing to an increase in cases of depression in teens. These facts are sobering and may explain why some teens turn to substance abuse as a way to escape or solve their problems. If your family is dealing with a teenager who needs help fighting their struggles with illegal substances, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Get the right information

Staying informed is one of the best things you can do for your family in any time of struggle. Hotlines such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration exist and are available to take your call at any hour of the day, any day of the year. These kinds of organizations offer resources to individuals and families who are dealing with substance abuse and its effects, and can offer you some perspective as well as strategies to implement in your home. You may also want to learn more about the sorts of issues that may be contributing to your teen’s substance abuse, as addressing some of these can help you and your teen get to the root of their problem.

If your child has been charged with a crime as a result of their drug or alcohol abuse, it may be a good idea to get legal counsel from an experienced Denver criminal attorney. A criminal record, especially for a juvenile, can be quite damaging. Knowing your teen’s rights and how to best mitigate any punishments or jail time requires the right information and is not something you and your family should try to face alone. Having someone like Richard Huttner on your family’s side can ensure you have the best chance possible to protect your child’s rights.

Talk to your teen

While it can be a challenge to broach the subject, it’s vital that you keep communication open and transparent with your child as they struggle with substance abuse. Speaking to teens about your concerns is crucial, too, and it may be worth gathering a few close friends, family members, and some of your teen’s mentors to have an intervention. An intervention isn’t something you should initiate without first gathering more information about treatment options and the side effects of long term abuse. Sharing personal anecdotes as well as hard facts can be a way to keep these kinds of interactions compassionate, yet firm, as the sort of perspective a teen needs to be motivated to seek recovery.

Find a treatment solution that works

Not everyone can recover from drug or alcohol abuse on their own, even if they truly want to quit. In some situations, your teen may have a drug or alcohol dependence disorder, which can make the stages of withdrawal even more harrowing to face without doctors or licensed medical professionals on call. In some situations, it may make sense for your teen to enroll in a community of other teens to seek individual or group treatment for their addiction. Residential homes for troubled youth offer a specialized solution away from home to allow your teen to explore strategies to combat their substance abuse in a safe and nurturing environment. With other activities offered as an outlet to drug abuse, your teen can begin to build a life full of fulfilling hobbies and interests without having to rely on illegal substances.

Finding a rehabilitation program that fits your teen’s interests and needs is important. Since it can lead to a higher success rate if your teen has some buy-in to the process, make sure to speak with them about the options available to them to get treatment. While frightening to face, substance abuse can be beaten by teens and their families, as long as the subject is approached from a space of care and compassion.