admin, Author at 3 Kids and Us

Self-Care Activities Parents Should Prioritize

January 24, 2022 by admin

When you’re a parent with just one or multiple kids, you can start experiencing the feeling of burnout quite often. Keeping up with those little humans is stressful, tiring, and takes away a lot of the time you used to spend on yourself.

As a parent, it isn’t only important for you to be there for your kids, but it’s also essential to take time for your own needs. You can’t be a great parent if you don’t take care of yourself as well.

How does a parent find time for themselves? Below are some realistic self-care activities for a parent’s busy lifestyle that will help you feel re-energized and better connected with yourself.

Get Social with Other Adults

Spending all of your time around children can be exhausting. Many parents crave adult interaction, especially when they stay home all day with their kids.

One form of self-care is to prioritize these adult-only meetings. Every other week, make it a point to get together with adult friends without the kids or join a book club. Anything that gets you out of the house and kid-free will do wonders for your mental health.

Do Something You Enjoy

Before you had children, what kinds of activities made you happy? Make time to do something that you truly enjoy when you’re starting to feel overwhelmed.

Maybe you enjoy doing home crafts, going for a run, or making a certain meal or dessert. Try to do one thing that makes you happy when you can. Don’t say you don’t have time; you have to make the time.

Pamper Yourself

When we picture self-care, most of us think about going for a facial or getting nails done. This is an excellent form of self-care and can be a small escape from your everyday life. Schedule your appointment at a medical spa such as the one at the Institute of Natural Health and choose from a variety of self-care services.

Remember, when you look good, you feel good. This is the perfect opportunity to relax a bit while improving or maintaining your appearance.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

It’s easy to get caught up in the monotony of our everyday lives and daily routines. Sometimes we forget just how great we have it. To remind yourself of everything you appreciate about your life, try keeping a gratitude journal. Some people choose to write in it every morning, while others only write when they need the reminder. No matter when you use it, it’s a great way to stay grounded and realize just how wonderful your life truly is.

Get Out in Nature

Spending some time in nature can be a total reset for your mood and outlook for the days ahead. Breathe in some fresh air while your kids play at the park or go for a walk with lots of greenery around. Avoid using your phone during this time so you can really appreciate the beauty of nature and experience the calming effect it offers.

Investments To Consider When You Have One Million Dollars

January 24, 2022 by admin

A million dollars is a considerable amount of money, and if you are looking to invest this amount, there are various options available to you. You will need to consider all the options carefully and ensure you select the one you are most comfortable with and offers the least risk. When investing your money, you need to be aware that you can lose some or all of it, depending on the risk of the investment you take.

Below are some options that you may want to consider using your million dollars to invest in that offer decent returns and get your money working for you.

Investing In Property

You can decide to put your million dollars into property, and you can buy a house with your money and keep it as an investment. If you wanted, you could rent the property out to receive a monthly income from it, which can also help safeguard your investment. The property will require maintenance, and you can use the rent money you get to pay for the house’s upkeep. Keeping the house in excellent condition will help it retain and hopefully increase its value. You can see excellent returns on your investment.

Investing In Gold

Since the global pandemic, the price of gold has reached record highs, and it is an attractive investment for many people. A million dollars will get you around 12kg of gold, which is a sizeable investment. However, you will also need to consider where you will store your gold, and most options have some cost involved. When you buy from a reputable Brisbane gold bullion dealer, you can often keep your purchase with the gold dealer at a monthly cost. You can also store your investment in a safety deposit box which also has costs involved. If you decide to store your investment in your home, you will need a secure safe and suitable insurance policy to safeguard your investment. To find gold bullion dealer near, head over to Google and do a quick search.

Investing In Stocks & Shares

You can consider investing your million dollars in the stock market, but you will need to know what you are doing to keep it safe, or use the services of a reputable broker. Depending on the stocks you invest in, the stock market can be highly volatile, and there is a high chance you can lose your money in part or all of it. As such, you will want to invest in various stocks instead of putting all your eggs in one basket.

Investing In Cryptocurrency

You can also consider investing your million dollars in cryptocurrency, but this can be a highly volatile market. The price of the various cryptocurrencies is prone to big swings up and down. If you decide to invest in cryptocurrency, you may want to consider adding various ones to your investment portfolio, which is a much safer option.

If you are looking to safeguard your investment, it is often best to diversify it and spread it in different options. Having all your eggs in one basket can be devastating when your investment collapses, and you can lose everything.

5 Ways You Can Help Your Child Thrive at Childcare

January 11, 2022 by admin

When your child starts attending a childcare centre, they are taking an exciting next step in their learning journey, and you can help them along the way.

As a parent, there are many things you can do to help your child succeed in a childcare environment, making the most of learning opportunities and engaging meaningfully with curriculum programs. You can support your child to learn, play, discover, and grow.

Here are 5 ways you can help your child thrive at childcare!

1. Be prepared

Good preparation is the key to a successful childcare journey!

Being prepared for childcare can help you to avoid common challenges, staying calm and collected at drop-off time. The night before your child attend childcare, make sure you’ve organised everything they need (lunch, clothes, a backpack). This will save you a last-minute rush in the morning!

Before your child starts at childcare, prepare them for changes in routine and the new challenges they might face at their centre. Focus on the positives as much as possible, and slowly introduce your child to centre routines.

2. Stay consistent

Staying consistent with childcare routines and expectations can make life much easier for your child.

Find out what routines and schedules are in place at your child’s early learning centre, and consider implementing some of these at home. You might adjust nap times or meal times to align more closely with centre timetables.

Maintaining consistency between home and childcare can help your child to feel secure in their environments. They’ll know what to expect each day, and they’ll be able to face new challenges with confidence.

3. Communicate with educators

Your child’s educators will be an important part of their learning journey, so it’s important that you communicate with them regularly.

Each day at centre drop-off and pick-up times, speak to your child’s educators about their interests and learning needs. Ask how your child is doing at childcare and if there are any concerns you should be aware of.

Communicating with educators can help you develop a clearer sense of your child’s strengths and weaknesses, providing you with the knowledge you need to help your child succeed.

4. Make quality time

When you child begins attending a childcare centre, they may have less time at home with you, so it’s important that you continue to spend quality time with them outside of centre hours.

Take time to talk to your child, asking them questions about their friends, their educators, and the things that they are learning. Spend time with your child, and listen to them when they communicate with you.

Quality time is an important part of ensuring that your child continues to feel secure both at home and at childcare. This will make it much easier for your child to learn and thrive.

5. Build on learning

Learning doesn’t have to stop at childcare. You can help your child build on their skills and knowledge at home!

Find out what skills your child is working on at childcare. Are they learning about the environment? Are they practising sports, music, or communication skills? Whenever possible, introduce these concepts to games and activities at home too.

By building on your child’s learning at home, you can help them learn concepts more quickly, and you can provide them with the support they need to develop new skills and achieve their full potential.

Still searching for the right childcare centre for your child? Visit MyXplor to find childcare centres near you! For example, a parents based in Rowville might visit the MyXplor Rowville Childcare listing to find local centres.

What Is the Ideal Temperature for Your Baby’s Room?

December 20, 2021 by admin

Bringing a new baby home comes with many new challenges and considerations. From baby-proofing the stairs to covering electrical outlets, new parents have a long list of changes to make their home ideal for a baby.

One overlooked factor, however, is the temperature of the baby’s room. The heat in your home could contribute to poor health in your newborn; if the room is too warm, the baby could overheat in their sleep. Newborn overheating has tentative links to SIDS, the condition in which babies unexpectedly die in their sleep.

Read on to learn more about how to find the ideal temperature to keep your baby comfortable.

How to Determine the Best Baby Room Temperature

The best way to gauge the ideal conditions for your baby’s room is to use yourself as a tester. Adults typically sleep best in cooler rooms where they can be under blankets without getting so warm they sweat in their sleep.

However, blankets and other wraps may increase the risks of SIDS due to accidental strangulation when babies become tangled in the sheets.

Remember not to overdress your baby for sleep. To keep your baby comfortable, create an environment where your baby can feel warm wearing only a onesie or simple pajamas.

How to Maintain Your Baby’s Room Temperature

The thermostat in your home controls the temperature for the entire house, but many factors can affect the temperatures in individual rooms. Problems with ductwork and poor insulation can cause certain rooms to feel cooler or warmer than the rest of the house.

Getting an indoor thermometer can help you accurately determine the temperature inside your baby’s room. If the temperature is too high, opening windows or using fans can help make the room more comfortable. If the baby’s room is too cold, using a space heater can help warm up the space in the wintertime.

In an emergency situation where the power goes out, especially in the winter, it is vital to ensure the temperature of your baby’s room.

How to Tell if Your Baby Is Comfortable

After the effort put into maintaining the ideal temperature, it can be tough to tell whether your baby is comfortable or not.

If your baby is breathing heavily and sweating, even if the temperature feels comfortable to you, it may mean your baby is too warm. You can touch the back of your baby’s head to see if they feel overly warm or cold and adjust the room temperature if needed.

If you’re taking your baby in an RV, a camper, or a boat, you can always use an Xtreme Heater to warm the cabin. Then watch for these signs to ensure your baby is happy.

If you keep these aspects of temperature control in mind, you can ensure that your baby stays comfortable and sleeps soundly through the night.

5 ingredients that should not be in your baby’s organic formula

November 12, 2021 by admin

When choosing baby formula for your baby, the first thing you should pay attention to is the product’s composition, especially ingredients to avoid in it. Many parents prefer organic formula as a source of clean ingredients in a baby’s diet.

What ingredients should not be in the organic formula?

1. Sugar in baby formula

Sugar is a hazardous product for babies and toddlers. It was found that sugar causes children to be deficient in B vitamins, which are extremely important for babies’ digestion and their growing bodies.

2. Soy

There are debates about the benefits and harms of soy in baby formula. But one thing is clear: baby food should not contain genetically modified soy!

Natural soy can be used in a baby’s diet only as a therapeutic measure and prescribed by the pediatrician.

3. Palm Oil

Unfortunately, palm oil is prevalent in baby food production, mainly because it contains palmitic acid found in mother’s milk. At the same time, the palmitic acid molecule of breast milk is structurally different from that of palm oil. This acid in palm oil binds with calcium, making it insoluble soap in the baby’s stomach, which is quite dangerous, leading to colic and constipation.

4. Gluten

Many moms, of course, know that baby food should never contain gluten. What is wrong with this plant protein, which is found in most grains? This substance is basically poorly broken down in the body of some children, which can provoke the development of Celiac disease.

5. Phytin

Phytin is a very unnecessary substance for babies – substances that interfere with the absorption of calcium, salts, and vitamin D. The problem is that phytin contains phosphorus. This substance binds calcium salts, not allowing them to be absorbed.

Holle is a world-famous Swiss manufacturer of organic and Demeter certified baby food. Holle Bio formula does not contain genetically modified ingredients, sugar, flavorings, colorings, or preservatives. This formula is divided into stages depending on the baby’s age and nutritional needs.

Holle stage Pre is suitable for babies from birth;

Holle formula stage 1 – from 0 to 6 months;

Holle stage 2 – from 6 to 12 months;

Holle formula stage 3 – from 12 months of age.