admin, Author at 3 Kids and Us

7 Tips for Taking a Road Trip With a Teen Driver

August 15, 2017 by admin

Did your teen just get their driver’s license? Are they more eager than ever to take part in this year’s family road trip?

Getting through the teen driving phase is one of the toughest periods for any parent. It’s inevitable that one day they’ll get behind the wheel, but it always seems to happen too soon. Despite all the stress, studies have shown teens that get their license earlier usually end up being safer drivers.

If your teen wants to be one of the drivers during your family road trip here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Update Your Car Insurance Policy

The car insurance pros at acceptanceinsurance.com suggest that parents check their policies before taking a road trip with teen drivers. The law requires that all drivers must be covered by liability insurance in the vast majority of states, even if they don’t drive a car of their own.

If your teen has a driver’s license and plans to drive the family car, you should add them to your auto insurance policy. Your teen should be listed as an operator of the vehicle, not just a household member.

Plot Your Course Together in Advance

Choosing the destination for a family vacation is one of the first to-dos that have to get done. But often we wait until the car is loaded to pull up a maps app and find the best route.

Knowing where you’re going in advance always helps every driver regardless of age. At least a week or two out, sit down with your teen driver and consider your route options. Consider things beyond distance such as the terrain, highway conditions and traffic. For example, a trip where you’ll be hiking in Vancouver has dramatically different driving conditions compared to visiting the city of Los Angeles.

Discuss all the various factors with your teen driver. It’s also a good time to decide how much driving your teen will do and which legs of the trip will be safest.

Check the Teen Driving Regulations in Each State

Every state lays out their own regulations for teen drivers. After going through the learner’s permit process, you’re probably familiar with your state’s regulations, but what about the states you’ll be driving through?

The states you plan to visit could be more strict or more lenient. Make sure to check with the state DMV for more information to avoid accidentally violating the rules of the road.

Don’t Sleep While They Drive

Teen drivers need supervision, especially if they’re driving through unfamiliar territory. It may be tempting to catch a power nap while your teen is driving, but fight the urge. Stay awake and alert so you can act as their co-pilot and make sure they aren’t doing anything risky like texting while driving.

Keep Your Emotions Under Control

We have a way of feeding off the emotions of others. If you’re stressed and on-edge while your teen is driving it will do nothing but increase their anxiety. Raising your voice or getting into an argument should definitely be avoided since it can make your teen driver emotional.

If you find that your teen’s driving is just too stressful during the family road trip ask them to pull over at the next stop so you can use the restroom. Once you’re done, take back the driver’s seat.

Avoid High-Traffic Areas and Times

Some believe in throwing a person in the deep end to teach them how to swim. That’s not an advisable tactic for teen drivers on a family road trip. It’s best to stick to portions of the route that are less likely to have traffic and times when there are fewer cars on the road.

Avoid Teen Driving in a Rental

Are you planning on renting a vehicle for your family road trip? Then your teen may have to put up with sitting in the back seat. No car rental company will rent a vehicle to a person who’s under 18, and many refuse to turn over the keys to drivers that are 20 years old or younger.

Even though it’s legal for a teen to drive while the parent is in the car, the car rental company may forbid it. Read the fine print carefully to avoid potentially expensive problems.

How to Handle the Most Common Kid Sensitivities

August 15, 2017 by admin

Watching your child grow and develop is one of the most wondrous things a person can experience. Children are extremely resilient during the early developmental phases, yet vulnerable at the same time. Parents have to watch out for a number of sensitivities that don’t cause older kids trouble but commonly affect youngsters.

Below is an overview of some of those sensitivities and what you can do to relieve them.

Skin Sensitivities

Compared to our sun-beaten skin, babies and children have very sensitive epidermis. They can experience a number of skin sensitivities, even if they don’t have an allergy.

Some of the most common skin sensitivities include:

Eczema – Eczema is extremely common among children. Estimates show that around 10% of kids worldwide have it. The condition, which can develop in infancy, can cause the skin to be dry, itchy and easily irritated to the point a rash forms.

Contact Dermatitis – A number of irritants can affect a young child’s sensitive skin. Even tight clothing that rubs against the skin can cause problems. When they do come across irritants it can cause contact dermatitis. Some of the most common causes of contact dermatitis include dye chemicals, nickel, mouthwash and toothpaste ingredients, poison ivy and cosmetics.

Heat Rash – Little kids seem to run hot, which can show up in the form of a heat rash.

Dryness and Chapping – A child’s skin may look smooth and soft, but it can easily dry out. And it’s not just from the wind and cold. When kids wash their hand a lot or frequently lick their lips it can dry out the skin.

Hives – Most cases of hives can be chalked up to virus sensitivity. Even a small stomach bug can cause red, bumpy hives in young children.

The clothing you buy can make a difference. If a child suffers from contact dermatitis or dry skin, clothing items like seamless socks for kids, pants without tight waistbands and clothing without tags are often recommended.

Moisturizers that contain soothing ingredients like oatmeal are also recommended for a number of skin sensitivities. Of course, keeping your kid’s skin hydrated will help prevent dryness and chapping.

Sun Sensitivity

In addition to irritants, allergens and the environment, the sun can also affect children more so than adults. They haven’t had time to build up a tough exterior to ward off burns, but that isn’t the only problem created by the sun.

Photosensitivity can also be an issue. The term photosensitivity is a blanket term for a number of sun allergies. Doctors aren’t sure why some people develop photosensitivity, although some types of sun allergies can be inherited. The most common types of sun allergies include:

Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE)
Actinic prurigo (hereditary PMLE)
Solar urticarial (occurs most often in young women and girls)
Photoallergic eruption (occurs due to chemical reaction after a topical cream or fragrance is applied to the skin)

The symptoms of sun allergies are similar, usually resulting in a red, itchy rash. If solar urticarial is the problem your child may develop hives.

The easiest way to prevent sun allergies is to limit exposure. But that doesn’t mean you have to keep your kid inside 24/7. Make sure they wear loose, lightweight clothing that covers the skin and avoid times when the sun is strongest. It’s also important to slather on broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 20 or higher.

Food Sensitivities

Getting kids to try new foods can be a challenge, but you may also have to contend with a sensitive digestive tract. A number of foods can cause adverse reactions in kids. The good news is many children outgrow food allergies as they get older.

Some of the most common food allergies among children include:

Nuts
Peanuts
Eggs
Milk
Wheat
Soy
Seafood
Strawberries

Many of the food allergies above can cause skin reactions. If you don’t want to find out about a food allergy the hard way, there are several skin tests that your pediatrician or an allergist can perform to discover sensitivities.

Anytime you buy prepared meals or go out to eat it’s near impossible to know what all is in the food you and your children consume. If you’re concerned about food allergies and sensitivity, the best thing you can do is prepare food at home as much as possible. You can even make homemade baby food as soon as you begin to wean your child.

Persistent problems that don’t improve with over-the-counter treatments deserve more attention. If your baby, toddler or child has a strong reaction to irritants, allergens, the sun or food schedule an appointment with your pediatrician as soon as you can.

Top Reasons Baby May Not Be Sleeping Through the Night

August 10, 2017 by admin

Has getting your baby to sleep or having your baby sleep through the night become an issue? Though it can take a while for an infant to sleep a full 6-8 hours at night, there are other underlying factors that could be contributing to their inability to fall asleep or stay asleep very long. The truth is, your baby’s issues with sleep may have a lot of similarities to your own. Poor sleeping conditions can impede on someone’s ability to get good rest, no matter what age they are.

Too Much Light

Have you ever tried to take a nap during the day? While you may have been able to fall asleep at some point, getting there was likely a lot more challenging than it would be if it were nighttime, or you were in a dark room. When putting your baby to sleep, check to see how many lights are on at the time. Too many lights can keep the baby up longer than you’d like. If you want the baby to take a nap or get a good night’s rest, turn off all the lights and even consider solutions like darkening curtains to block natural light from getting in the room.

A Bad Mattress

When your mattress is in bad shape, your body feels the impact shortly thereafter. Tossing and turning, back aches, neck pains, and more can result from the wrong type of mattress or an old one. The same can be said for your baby’s crib mattress. If you have a used mattress or one that is cheap or poor quality, you may need to invest in a new baby mattress. As you shop, look for quality materials, good support, and great reviews.

Room Temperature

When you’re too hot or too cold, getting to sleep is a struggle. You toss and turn half the night trying to get to a comfortable temperature. If your baby’s room temperature is cold or really hot you will need to make some adjustments so they can get to sleep at night. You can try things like moving the baby crib from the window, installing a ceiling fan to keep it cool, or investing in a heater to increase the temperature in the baby’s room.

Noise

As you get older, you kind of learn how to fall asleep in any environment. It’s a lot easier to go to sleep in a quiet space than it is one that’s noisy. When it’s time for baby to go to sleep, try taking them into their room and ensuring that their surroundings are quiet. If you have younger children, try to get them to wind down when you’re putting the baby to sleep so that they’re not disturbed. When you put the baby in the crib, turn off the television and even close the door so that they are not awakened by sounds from the house.

Sleepwear

When dressing your infant for bedtime, often, less is more. Just as you would probably have a hard time going to sleep in something with a lot of lace, snaps, or buttons, the same is true for your baby. You also don’t want to overdress them because this can increase their body temperature, making it difficult for them to get to sleep. Dress your baby in light, minimal clothing to get a good night’s rest.

Routine

Your infant needs a sleep routine to get to sleep each night. There needs to be a clear indication of when you’re winding down, when their last feeding is, and when it’s time to go to sleep. Poor routines that might include playing with the baby, making lots of noise, or being out and about can confuse the baby and throw off their sleep pattern. Try to get some consistency by feeding, bathing, and winding down at the same time each day.

Clearly, the same things that keep you from getting the sleep you deserve also keep your baby from getting a good night’s rest. Unfortunately, since your baby can’t voice these things for you, it will be up to you to figure out which of these factors is playing a role in your baby’s inability to get to sleep and stay asleep each night. With time and a few changes, your baby should eventually give you a good window of opportunity to get some much needed rest yourself.

Top Tips For the Novice Fisherman

August 10, 2017 by admin

Fishing is great fun, both alone or as part of a group. It can be the perfect way to spend time with family, so long as you can go hours without fighting or potentially even saying much at all. To get the most out of the experience, you will have to have a certain amount of knowledge about what you need to do and when. Depending on where you fish, your style and equipment needs will change. Follow these tips and develop your skills as a fisherman.

Patience

The first thing any fisherman needs is patience. Without it, you will not catch anything. When making a catch, patience is the difference between scaring away your dinner and reeling it in, nice and gentle. If you are a person who lives life in the fast lane, fishing might not be for you.

Research

To ensure you have the right bait and are going at the right time of day and the year, research thoroughly before you go on a trip. The best knowledge you will get is from local fishermen, but there are also community websites that will give you some industry know-how. Ensure you are ready by packing thoroughly – nothing ruins a trip quicker than being ill prepared.

Get the Right Rod

Once you have decided where you want to fish, and want sort of fish you want to catch, you can establish how much rod power you will need. If you are casting far out, your rod will need to be heavy, but if you are staying tight to the shore, an ultra-light rod will do. Rod action is how much your rod can bend; the lesser the bend, the faster reeling a catch in will be. A novice fisher will probably want a rod with a decent amount of bend.

Lake and River Fishing

It is important to know the difference between saltwater and freshwater fishing, especially with regard to the places that fish tend to dwell. At the point that the water becomes shallower, you will likely find fish here as they will be searching for food in the area. At the shoreline is where you will get the most bites as areas with lots of debris provide the perfect place to find nibbles. Remember that depending on what you are fishing, different bait is appropriate. Worms might suffice to catch some fish, but locusts are preferable for bigger fish like bass.

Planning a Good Trip

There are so many lakes and rivers across America, and so many places to engage in deep sea fishing, it can seem that wherever you will go, you will get a good catch. This is not the case, especially for the beginner. If your budget allows for it, consider hiring out an Alaska fishing lodge. Try to book with a reputable company like Alaska Sportfishing Expeditions. With more varieties of fish than is found in the south of the country, and a good mix of fresh and saltwater areas available, you might find it a good place to start learning about your particular preferences.

North America is Your Vacation Playground

August 8, 2017 by admin

So many people take a vacation and decide to head to another country. However, North America really is your vacation playground, offering so many different cultures and experiences for anyone who is ready to embark on a journey. Whether it’s visiting a coast, the opposing coast, or another region you haven’t been to, you are sure to find great vacation packages and a lifetime of fantastic memories. Before you plan your next trip, here are our top suggestions!

Palm Springs, California

A trip to a palm springs resort will certainly be a luxury gift to yourself! You will not only be able to enjoy some of the best weather around, you will also have access to some of the best activities one would want on a vacation. Take a shopping trip to Palm Springs Canyon Drive and enjoy the best scenery, awesome boutiques, and an array of delicious restaurants and cafes to enjoy. Or you can schedule a tee time and experience golf in a new way. Palm Springs is also home to museums, art galleries, and beautiful gardens that will appease the eye and the soul alike.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Palm Springs has a competitor for the best resort and that competitor is Cabo San Lucas! Cabo San Lucas is relatively easy to travel to by driving or by sea, but we highly recommend to do it by sea. An ocean cruise will get you in the spirit of luxury and prepared to relax. The weather is comparative to Palm Springs in that they receive sunshine on average around 300 days per year. There are plenty of beaches to enjoy the sand and the sun while providing plenty in the water activity arena. Cabo San Lucas is also well known for their fantastic food and vibrant night life. No matter what kind of vacation you want, Cabo San Lucas can provide it.

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Taos, New Mexico

If sand and sun are your thing but you are preferring not to be at a beach, then Taos, New Mexico is a perfect desert destination for you. For the adventurous types, there is a wide array of things to do. There are water sports located at various rivers and watering holes to engage you and cool you off in the summer heat. Or you can opt for a sunrise hot air balloon ride. Zip lining, summer chair lifts, train rides, and hunting excursions are waiting for you. For the not-as-adventurous, there are plenty of ways to learn about the indigenous cultures of New Mexico and see some gorgeous works of art. Of course there is delicious food waiting as well. One simply cannot vacation without access to amazing food!

Ronks, Pennsylvania

Ronks, Pennsylvania doesn’t make many vacation lists and it should! It may not have beautiful beaches or a wild nightlife but it has charm and a relaxing quality that offers you time to recharge and reconnect. Ronks is smack dab in the middle of Amish country and there is plenty of fantastic Amish goods to be purchased. The Amish are well known for their furniture craftsmanship and amazing foods. Nothing tastes better in the morning than some fresh bread with a bit of Amish butter slathered on. Take time to check out the railroads, farm tours, small amusement parks, and even scooters for renting to cruise around town with.

Anytime we plan a vacation, we should make a list of what kind of trip we want to have. Maybe it’s slow paced with a lot of nature. Or an adventurous time seeking out all the hottest activities. Or maybe we just want a hotel room somewhere quiet so we can sleep as much as we want. Then take a look around North America, you are bound to find it!