3 Kids and Us

Rewarding Kids For Their Effort and Commitment

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All children, regardless of their athletic ability, should be encouraged to participate in youth sports. Participating in youth sports has numerous benefits that can help children develop into healthier and happy children that are able to face challenges and overcome difficult situations. No matter how much skill or talent a player has in a particular sport, each child should be recognized for their accomplishments and their achievements. It almost goes hand-in-hand: sports and trophies.

The Participation Controversy

Many parents, athletes, and celebrities in the spotlight are questioning whether or not children in youth sports should be given a participation trophy. Many people may say that children should not receive a trophy for simply participating and rather only awards should go to the best and the brightest. This claim is not supported by research, and, in fact, research has proven the exact opposite. Recent studies have found that participation awards are great for children’s self-esteem and trophies are a great way to remind children that they were part of a team.

Benefits of Recognition Awards for Children

When a child wins an award or a trophy, they will likely place the trophy on a shelf, show it to all of their friends and family, and look at it for years to come. The trophy is a symbol of their accomplishments and their commitment to a team. Whether the trophy is a first place trophy or a participation award, it most likely means the same thing to a child participating in youth sports.

Winning a trophy has a large impact on a child’s self-esteem. While all children may not be athletically inclined, any child who devotes their time and learns the skills necessary to play a sport should be recognized for their effort. No child joins a team, goes to countless hours of practice, and then gives less than their best. When children put forth their best effort they should be recognized for it.

Whether children hope to become the next Phillies all-star or are just looking to be part of a team and try something new, each and every child no matter how much skill they have are going to learn the importance of teamwork. Youth sports is one of the best ways to teach young children the value of working together. Recognizing children for their ability to work together as a team and show each other support is something that all children should be rewarded for. Most adults cannot work as well on a team as many children do. For this, children should be given an award recognizing their ability to work as a team and show each other good sportsmanship.

Recognition awards allow children to see that hard work pays off and then when you put in effort people notice. Everyone wants to be recognized for the work that they do in their job, with their family, or while doing community service. Children are no different than adults and they too want to be recognized for a job well done. If children give each practice and game their best effort, cheer on their team and their opponents, show good sportsmanship and do not quit, they deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments.

Other Types of Recognition Awards

If you strongly believe that children should not just get an award for participating, you can work together with other parents and coaches to create awards special for each player. Some players can get an MVP or most talented award, and others can get most improved or best team player award. Other players can get awards that fit their personality and style, like most effort, always on time, or best hit or throw awards. Customized awards may take more time to create; however, they may mean more to each individual child. If children see customized awards being distributed, they may try even harder next season to get the award they want. If they are competitive and desire the MVP award, they may practice on the offseason to get better so that they have a chance of becoming the most valued player on their team in the future. Since these awards are going to be displayed in their room or throughout their house in a special place for years to come, it is important that the award means something special to each player.

Best Tips to Prepare Kids for a Trip

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While you’re busy preparing for your upcoming trip and making sure everything is packed, checking flights and hotel bookings, and arranging transportation – don’t forget to prepare your kids too. Traveling can be a stressful and even scary experience for kids, especially if you’re stressed out too. Also especially where a road trip is intended, the actual way to survive the burden of traveling is to keep it entertaining all the way. However, this isn’t easy where little kids are included – They get all kinds of irritant feelings in so it is important to prepare them ahead, and of-cause don’t forget to download one of those lovely children songs youtube hosts which your kids can sing along to.

To help you to prepare your kids for a trip, there are a few tips that you should definitely try out:

Start a countdown

Let your kids know that you’re all going to be going on a trip – and start a countdown. For toddlers it may be best to wait until the day itself and start counting down by the hour while explaining to them what will happen after that.

If you have kids that are old enough to understand the trip however, starting the countdown a week in advance can help build up the excitement. That will alleviate any apprehension they may feel about it, and get them pumped instead.

Explain (as best you can) exactly how you’ll go on the trip

It is important that your kids understand exactly what is going on, and you should try to explain it to them as clearly as possible. Take them through it step by step, such as: We’ll get in the car, drive to the airport, take out the luggage, put it through the security check, get on the plane, etc.

Try to act out each step so that your kids understand what is going to happen, and then remind them of the steps periodically until you depart.

Teach them about the place you’re visiting

One of the best ways to get kids excited is to let them know a bit more about the place you’re visiting and what makes it special. Nowadays there are lots of kid-friendly travel videos that can help, or you could choose a video that is similarly-themed.

If you do find a good video that your kids enjoy you may want to use Online Video Converter to convert it, put it on your smartphone and take it with you. It will make it easy to convert MTS to MP4 online or to any other format you need.

 

Get kids involved

Kids tend to feel more comfortable about things that they’re involved in – so make it a point to involve them in some way. The exact way in which you do so can vary based on their age.

For school-aged kids you should even involve them in the planning of the trip and float ideas of the places that you’re going to visit past them. For younger kids you can get them involved in the packing, and ask them to pass you things or find stuff for you.

While you’re actually traveling you can look into ways to keep your kids calm. If you’ve taken the tips listed above to heart, odds are they’ll be excited and looking forward to getting to their destination – which should make your job a whole lot easier.

Child Friendly Holidays With a Difference

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Where are you taking your family this Easter? Have you missed the boat and you’re worried about it being too late to book? Don’t worry as although we are swiftly approaching the Easter holidays there are still some great value last minute deals which you can find to give the kids and exciting break. This Easter why not try a break with a difference, something beyond the normal city break or sunshine holiday? To give you some ideas of what kind of trip you could take the family on this Easter holiday, here are some inspirational holidays for you to consider.

Canal Boat

Throughout the north west of England and in Wales there are hundreds of miles of canals cutting through the land and for an altogether different type of holiday you and the family can rent a canal boat and float through your Easter holidays. Canal boats come in all sizes so regardless of how big or small your family is there will be something to suit. The boats are very easy to manage and the only technical skill which you’ll need is to manage the locks when you meet them. Along the way you can stop off for pub lunches and park visits before heading back to the barge for some rest. Kids will love this type of holiday and for the best family experience we’d recommend the Llangollen canals in Wales which features an huge aqueduct which will amaze you all.

Costa Rica

Central America often gets a bad rap when it comes to traveling there but Costa Rica is a country which reminds us just why this part of the world is so beautiful. The country is very big on eco-tourism and they embrace the wild and natural landscape. Why will kids love Costa Rica? Easy, because there are hundreds of activities which they can get involved in from hiking to bike riding, ATV tours to kayaking, caving to snorkeling and just about everything else in-between. Whether you head to the coast of Costa Rica for some action on water and sand or prefer to get further inland for some fun in the rainforest, all of the family will enjoy a trip to Costa Rica.

Tokyo

If you want a city break with a difference then look no further than the Japanese capital of Tokyo. The prices may be a little hefty but there are some Easter breaks which you can still find. Tokyo is a city like no other with its neon lights, its forward thinking nature and of course its delicious food. Kids will love the games and gadgets which are littered throughout the city, parents can relax in beautiful botanical gardens and the entire family will fall in love with the local cuisine and the quirky nature of this city.

Thinking outside the box with your holiday plans is the best way to ensure that you and the family have a trip which will be truly memorable, where will your next destination be?

Types Of Household Staff And Why You Need Them

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With our busy lives and constant need to be in ten different places at once, it can be daunting to try and find time and space for everything – and everyone – in your busy day. Between work, child care, cooking and social activities you can run yourself ragged trying to keep up with everything that needs doing while ensuring you have quality time with friends and family. You can use a domestic staff agency to find someone to fill the jobs you have in your life to help you create more time and space for what matters most. Sound good? Here are some of the types of staff you can use:

Nanny – Part, Full, Live In or Live Out

Nannies are a great way to make sure your children are properly cared for when you’re run off your feet with work, events, social functions and more. While many people would love the ability to take on anything and everything, including raising the children with ample time in the day, the fact is that it’s just not possible for many. Nannies can be full time, part time, live in or live out, coming to the house at predetermined times such as early mornings to ensure the children have lunches packed and are off to school on time. They can provide care for children from dressing, feeding, bathing, and even educating them. Some families prefer nannies from another country who can tutor their child in languages. Whatever your need, nannies are a fantastic addition to any household.

Housekeeper

Hiring a professional housekeeper is the perfect way to ensure your home is always spotless and primed for entertaining guests, be they family, friends, colleagues or others. A good housekeeper will ensure all rooms of the home are immaculate so you never have to lift a finger and you can just come home at the end of the day and relax. So what are you waiting for? Hiring a housekeeper to do the heavy lifting is the miracle you’ve been waiting for.

House Manager

A house manager acts on behalf of you – the owner – in your absence, often being the last port of call when it comes to certain decision. If you employ a number of staff to run your household, you may need a house manager to help keep everything straight. They will ensure all jobs are done to a high professional standard and will make sure that appointments for professionals such as plumbers or builders are kept and seen to so you don’t have to worry about taking time out of your busy day. They make the perfect addition to a busy house – especially if you have multiple properties and a variety of staff.

So if you’re looking for the perfect way to ensure you can take some time off and just be able to put your feet up at the end of a long day, look no further than hiring different types of household staff. There are so many ways they can help you manage your time, so there’s never been a better reason to hire people to make your life as seamless as possible.

Top 10 Baby shower gift ideas

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Having a baby is one of the most significant events in a person’s life. If you’ve been recently invited to a baby shower you’ll know just how much the parents want to celebrate, and you might be feeling a little pressured to get the perfect gift. Here are a couple of ideas that will please both parent and child.

  1. Parent-child t-shirts

Many guests at the baby shower will show up with cute baby clothes, so take things one step further by purchasing matching t-shirts for the parents as well as the baby. Some t-shirt manufacturers even print funny slogans on the t-shirts that will have passersby cracking up when the family goes out.

  1. Baby booties

A baby can never have enough shoes, and there are so many amusing  baby bootie designs out there that it isn’t hard to find something that the parents will love. From booties shaped like little cars to those modelled after cartoon characters, you’ll be able to find something that’s both adorable and functional.

  1. Photo printed on canvas

A parent knows all too well that childhood is fleeting, and documenting their child’s growth is a huge concern. Choose a beautiful photo of the baby and have it printed on canvas for the parents to display at home. This service is available at many online vendors such as Canvas Printers Online. Not only will it be a lovely addition to the home, it will also function as a record of their baby’s first few months of life.

  1. Hanging mobile

Babies spend an awful lot of time in their cribs and can get restless with nothing to capture their attention. A hanging mobile instantly brightens up the room and also gives the little one something to look at.

  1. Diaper bag

The mother of the child will thank you for your gift of a stylish and commodious diaper bag. People without kids cannot imagine the hassle of having to lug diapers, milk bottles and towels everywhere. Get a bag which is functional and yet looks good enough to go with most outfits.

  1. Bibs

Mealtimes can be a mess when you’ve got a baby with you, and a bib can help to catch the dribbles as the little one tries to get the hang of eating without having any accidents.

  1. Changing mat

As if going out with a baby in tow isn’t stressful enough, when a diaper change is suddenly needed, it can be hard to find a clean surface and avoid soiling public property. A portable changing mat will enable mum and dad to effect painless diaper changes virtually anywhere.

  1. Pacifier

When the baby starts wailing and nobody knows what’s wrong, sometimes the only thing that can calm him or her down is a pacifier. Just pop the pacifier into the child’s mouth and like magic, all is right with the world.

  1. Baby book

The baby might not be able to read right now, but leafing through a favourite picture book is something many kids like to do. Give the child his first book and years later he might thank you for introducing him to the joys of reading.

  1. Baby supplies

Baby supplies can place quite a financial burden on parents. From diapers to milk powder to baby food, there’s a lot that parents have to shell out for. Help them to stock up on baby supplies and they’ll be more grateful than you would expect. It’s a practical gift that can turn out to be a lifesaver.

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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!