3 Kids and Us

How to Ease Your Child’s Fear of the Doctor

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Whether your child is headed to their first check up or about to undergo a minor surgery, it is likely that the thought of visiting the doctor might make them feel a bit scared. While being afraid of or anxious about going to the doctor is normal for children of various ages, as a parent, it can be heartbreaking to watch your child experience such difficult emotions. Going to the doctor’s office is an important part of keeping your child healthy, so it is important that you work with them to ease their anxiety. Here are a few tips for helping your child get over their fear of the doctor. 

Set a Good Example

Often, children are nervous about going to the doctor because it is something that is relatively unfamiliar to them. One of the biggest ways you can help your child to feel less anxious ahead of a doctor’s appointment is by setting a good example. Whether you’re going to the doctor for your own annual checkup or about to undergo a minimally invasive surgical procedure at Northwest Surgery Center, having a positive attitude and speaking about the doctor in an assuring way can help your child feel more comfortable going to their own appointment. 

Offer Distractions

Children often allow their anxiety about the doctor to build for hours or even days, making their imagined experience of what their visit will be like much worse than it actually ends up being. To calm your child’s fears and keep their anxious thoughts at bay, try offering them a distraction. Whether it’s talking to them about a different subject on the car ride to the doctor or allowing them to watch their favorite show or YouTube video on your phone or tablet during their appointment, keeping their minds busy can work wonders for calming them down and keeping them from feeling quite as anxious. 

Provide Incentives

Sometimes, it can be difficult to ease your child’s fears about the doctor altogether. When this is the case, your next best option might be to reward them for good behavior at a medical appointment in spite of their fears. Offering to take your child to their favorite restaurant, buying them a new toy, or giving them another incentive to make it through their appointment might be just what they need to face their fears. 

5 Kid-Friendly Backyard Renovation Tips

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When you have kids, having a functional and well-equipped backyard is important. Giving your children a space to play and explore is crucial, and having a kid-friendly backyard is the perfect way to motivate them to get outside. Whether you’re looking for a new home with the perfect backyard or looking to renovate your own yard with the help of Classic Home Concepts, here are a few kid-friendly backyard ideas that both you and your little ones are sure to love. 

Build a Playground 

A classic backyard staple is a large playground or swingset. The right playset can give your child space to play and explore, as any child is sure to love spending hours climbing, swinging, and sliding. When investing in a playground, be sure to choose a set that is right for your children. Experts advise seeking out a playset that can be used by children of all ages and will continue to be functional as your children grow up. 

Include Sand or Water Play

Nothing is more fun than spending a day at the beach playing in the sand, but unfortunately, doing so is not realistic everyday for many people! IInstalling a sand box or a water table in your backyard is the perfect way to replicate this at home, and to encourage younger children to explore new sensations and learn as they play. This is a great option for nearly any sized backyard, as sandboxes and water tables are available in a variety of sizes and styles that can be easily incorporated into any space. 

Provide Plenty of Shade 

Installing large umbrellas or a canopy in your yard can serve as an effective way to protect your children from the sun’s harmful UV rays, while also serving as decoration in your yard. Choose an umbrella pattern or canopy style that matches the rest of your outdoor decor and keep yourself shaded in style. 

Include a Space for Crafts

If your child loves arts and crafts, giving them a space to work outside allows them to express their creativity and pursue the arts and crafts they love, while helping to keep their messes from entering your tidy household. This is a win-win for both of you! 

Install a Pool 

Whether you have a large outdoor space that is big enough for the installation of an inground pool or are working with a limited amount of yard space and want to give your children a small space to cool off on a hot summer day, backyard pools of all sizes are the perfect addition to your home. 

3 Ways to Wear a Winter Vest For Kids

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When choosing kids’ winter clothing, it’s important to know how to layer. A winter vest can make all the difference in warmth and comfort, but how should you layer your child’s winter vest? Here are three great ways to wear your child’s winter vest this winter season that will keep them warm and comfortable all day long.

Wear it with sweaters

A vest is one of the most practical clothing items that your kids can have in their closets. They are perfect for layering and great at making an outfit more interesting. The best thing about them is that they can be worn on their own or as a layer under a jacket. When it comes to kids, vests are perfect for keeping them warm without being too bulky and too restricting. Here are some ways your child can wear a winter vest this season: 

  • Wear it with sweaters: A sweater is always a good idea, but when you put it over a pair of leggings, tights, jeans, or sweatpants, it looks fantastic. In these instances, try to find long-sleeve tops and cardigans rather than short-sleeve ones because those are easier to layer over the top. 
  • Layered with other things: You can pair your child’s vest with different clothes like skirts and dresses! All you need is a tank top underneath, so there aren’t any embarrassing gaps between the shirt and skirt hemline. 
  • With other outerwear: Finally, don’t forget that vests also work well with coats!

Wear it with shirts

Two of the most popular ways that kids wear their vests are over shirts or as an accessory. The first way requires a t-shirt, while the second one can be worn with any shirt in your child’s closet. If you want the vest to be the focal point of the outfit, have them wear it on top of their clothes. This look is perfect for cold weather and will keep them warm and cozy. If you want your child’s vest to act as an accent piece, have them wear it under their clothing, so it peeks out from under their coat and sweater. This will give off a fashionable layered effect without making them too hot!

Add fun accessories

A winter vest is perfect for adding an extra layer of warmth when it’s cold outside. Whether your kids are playing on the playground or running errands, our three favorite ways to wear a winter vest are sure to keep them cozy and comfortable all winter long:

  • Layer their vest under an overcoat. This is great for going out in the morning when it’s still chilly but then heading back inside later in the day.
  • Add something fun, like mittens or gloves (depending on your child’s age). These can be worn with the coat unzipped for easy access.
  • Make a winter scarf into a poncho by tying one end around the neck and then draping it over the head. The scarf will stay put thanks to its tight knot at the neck and arms that cover from shoulder to wrist.

Vests are a great way for kids to stay warm during the winter. They can be worn with sweatshirts, long sleeve shirts, jackets, or even as an outer layer for girls’ dresses from presleycouture.com. You can even find vests in fun colors, prints, and patterns. And best of all, they are easy to take on and off!

 

4 Kid-Friendly Backyard Ideas

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These days, one of the most common complaints that parents have is that they have a hard time getting their children to play outside, as most kids prefer spending time playing indoors or doing a different activity like watching TV. It can be difficult to ensure that your outdoor living space is one that your kids will enjoy spending time in, especially if your yard hasn’t undergone any recent renovations from Hiner Outdoor Living and is lacking in fun elements that your children can enjoy. If you’re looking to give your yard an upgrade, here are 5 kid-friendly things that you can add to your backyard today!

1. Sandbox 

Sandboxes are a classic addition to any kid-friendly backyard. Playing with natural elements such as sand can be a great sensory experience for young children, and can encourage creativity in children as they try to build things from the sand! Sandboxes are relatively easy to build or install, and blend easily into any yard. 

2. Outdoor Art Station 

An outdoor easel or craft table is a great way to keep children of all ages entertained outside. As an added bonus for parents, children doing art projects such as painting outdoors can reduce the risk of a mess inside the house! Ensure that your children have outdoor-friendly pieces of equipment and supplies such as an easel, washable paint, chalk, and more, and your children are sure to enjoy spending hours outside expressing their creativity.  

3. Swings 

One of the outside activities that kids enjoy the most is swinging. Swing sets can be purchased or built relatively easily, and can come with custom additions such as slides, treehouses, and more. Don’t want to invest in an expensive swingset? Attaching a singular swing onto a tree will work as well. 

4. Nature Observation Tools

Many kids love to go outside and explore the elements around them, such as plans or insects. Encourage your child’s natural curiosity with a nature observation kit that includes a magnifying glass, a pencil and paper to record notes about their findings, and, most importantly, a box where they can capture bugs to observe closer. Just make sure to set rules about where these items can be left if you would prefer to avoid a bug being accidentally brought into your home. 

Filed Under: DIY

3 Reasons to Buy a Motorcycle

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Whether you’re looking for a new hobby this fall, searching for a new community of friends, or searching for some new unique ways to save a little extra money on gas, there are countless reasons to consider getting a motorcycle. 

Taking a motorcycle to work can switch up your daily commute, adding some excitement to your daily routine, and making a major, positive difference in your physical and mental health.

If you’re on the fence about buying a bike and might need more convincing, here are 3 of the top reasons you should buy a motorcycle.

More Fuel Efficiency 

One thing that many drivers don’t realize is that motorcycles are far more fuel-efficient than typical cars since they are smaller than most other vehicles and do not require their engine to work as hard. This means that the average motorcycle is more fuel efficient than even the top hybrid vehicles on the market, and a great option for individuals looking for unique ways to save a little money on the cost of gas.

Add Excitement To Your Commute

If you’re getting bored with your daily commute to and from work, switching up your ride might help. Not only is riding a motorcycle to work more fun than driving your regular car, but doing so can help to improve your mood on an otherwise boring commute that you might find yourself dreading, so you’ll always arrive at work in a great mood! Plus, riding your bike home at night can be a great way to decompress and put you in a better mood after a long day at the office.

Build A Community

The motorcycle community is massive, and always eager for new bikers to join! If you’re looking for an easy way to make friends in your area or want to join a community of like-minded individuals with whom you can bond over a shared interest, owning a motorcycle is a great place to start. Once you buy your first bike from Get Lowered Cycles, it’s easy for riders with all levels of experience to find events like group riding sessions that allow you to make friends with fellow bikers. 

Owning a motorcycle is a great way to add some excitement to your daily life and switch up your routine while saving money on transportation and joining a new community of friends. 

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!