3 Kids and Us

Four Ways to Support Your Child’s Style Choices

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As your child gets older, it is natural that they will start to experiment with their personal style. This can be a really fun time for a child and is a period of their life that you should certainly be supporting them through.

There are a number of different ways that you can show your support as your child explores their personal style. If you are not sure how to best express this support, then the following four tips are for you!

1. Take Your Child Shopping

Taking your child shopping for clothes is a great way for you to bond over this part of their life.

When you are shopping together, refrain from making suggestions about what they should try on and let them make their own choices. You might find that they ask you for your help or your opinion but try to encourage independence during this process.

2. Talk About the Basics

If you consider yourself to be a stylish and fashionable person, then you can share some of your wisdom with your child.

There are some fashion rules that simply never change, so be sure to talk to your child about the timeless basics. This can be a helpful way to guide their clothing choices while also helping you to bond as a family.

You might find that your child does not want to take your advice or that they do not share the same opinions as you. This can be a great way to get to know more about each other’s preferences and ideas.

3. Look Online

Looking online for style ideas can be a fun activity for the two of you to do together. This does not always have to be for the sole purpose of buying new clothes and can just be a fun way to look at different fashion choices.

Checking out different brands, such as 8Ball Tees, will help your child show you what they really like.

If there are certain celebrities that your child looks up to, then you might find that these people influence the fashion choices that they make. Looking at these celebrities online together can be a simple way to understand more about these style choices.

4. Surprise Your Child

Surprising your child with a gift that matches their unique style is a great way to show your love and support.

When you pay attention to what your child is telling you about their style and fashion sense, then you will be able to make more informed decisions about the garments you should gift to them.

It will be a wonderful feeling if you buy an item of clothing for your child that they are excited to receive and want to wear often. On the other hand, if you buy a garment for your child and they are not excited about it, then do not be deterred. Ask your child what it is they do not like about it and take this feedback on board for next time.

You can return the unwanted item to the store together and allow your child to exchange it for a piece of clothing that they will enjoy wearing.

How to Help Your Child Avoid Bad Health Habits

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Bad habits don’t form overnight. Rather, they develop slowly over long periods of time. As such, it can be difficult to notice if you –– or someone in your family –– starts to fall into a bad health habit. Parents in particular are right to be concerned about their kids forming poor dietary and exercise patterns early in life. To prevent that from occurring, today we’ll explore how moms and dads can spot, stop, and reverse bad habits that could affect the health of their little ones. Check it out here:

Communicate

Communication is vital to every relationship. It should come as no surprise that one of the best ways to monitor the health and happiness of a child is to simply talk to them! While they may not be able to articulate everything that they notice or feel, they can certainly let you know if they think something’s wrong. Similarly, parents should have regular dialogue with teachers, babysitters, and other parents to make sure that their children aren’t building bad habits outside of the house.

Set a Good Example

Kids can tell when their parents aren’t being genuine with them. If you say to your child that a good night of sleep is very important, but you yourself often stay up late and fail to get quality rest, that message will be unlikely to carry much weight. This is why setting a good example for your kids is fundamental. Going on walks, eating healthy meals, visiting healthcare clinics like Northwest Surgery Center if you have a problem, and generally following wellness best practices on your own will help your child develop good habits as well. Children take cues from their parents constantly, so be sure to exemplify the habits you want them to follow.

Consult with a Professional

It’s impossible for even the most vigilant parents to identify every problem that could affect their child right away. Sometimes bad habits can form as a result of physical ailments or emotional distress. As a general rule, parents should schedule regular health checkups for their kids as often as needed. However, if you’re concerned about your child’s behavior for a specific reason, then it’s a good idea to consult with a medical expert.

Be Patient

Breaking a bad habit is tough. Getting a child to curtail a bad habit can be even more challenging. Parents must be patient and persistent though, to ensure the long-term health and happiness of their children. Your patience now will be hugely important for the development of your child –– remember that when things get tough!

How to Encourage Your Kids to Eat Healthily

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A healthy and nutritious diet is essential for everyone, and particularly for children as they grow. However, as many parents know, it can often be a bit of a challenge to encourage them to enjoy eating well and can lead to fussy eating habits as well as plenty of meltdowns at mealtimes. There are some simple ways to introduce healthier foods into your children’s meals, so read on to find out more about them.

Have meals together as a family

Eating together as a family can be a wonderful way of spending quality time together, as well as encouraging better eating habits. While many of our lifestyles have gotten busier and more complex, making time to enjoy at least one meal together every day is a good start to make a healthy diet part of the family lifestyle.

Use family mealtimes to model good eating habits by having a variety of ‘safe’ and more novel foods in the mix, allowing children to try a little of everything for themselves, without pressure to eat anything specifically. Meal times are a great time to relax and have a conversation about what has been happening in everyone’s lives, and this can also reduce stress overeating unfamiliar foods.

Have a mix of healthy snacks and treats available

While eating a high amount of sugary, processed, or high-fat foods is certainly unhealthy for anyone, especially kids, this does not mean that they need to be eradicated or demonized entirely. In fact, this can often be counter-productive by making certain forbidden foods more alluring, especially as children get older and are able to access snacks at school and other places.

Instead, encourage a healthy approach to enjoying treats in moderation by mixing up a few treat items with more healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetable pieces. Children’s gummy vitamins are also a fun way of adding a nutritional boost to their daily diet in a fun and enjoyable form.

Get kids involved with food preparation

Helping children to feel more engaged and connected with the food on their plate is a great way of encouraging a healthier approach to eating habits, as it can be empowering to see and understand where their food comes from. You can get children involved with their food in several ways, such as encouraging them to pick a new item from the produce section to add to dinner. This can be a fun way to experiment with flavors and textures as well as making healthy foods seem less daunting.

Allowing children to get involved in the kitchen during meal preparation is also a fun way of helping them to learn more about food. Giving simple tasks, such as mixing a salad, chopping vegetables, or sampling a home-made dressing, can help them learn more about what goes into their food, as well as helping them feel more independent. Don’t worry about making messes – this is an inevitable part of having kids in the kitchen!

Everything You Need to Know About Getting Sleep as a New Parent

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Bringing home a baby is one of the greatest joys you will ever experience in life. You’ve just created a beautiful miracle and are ready to raise this baby with your values and happy memories. While you’re glowing in the glory of welcoming the new addition to your family, in the back of your mind you’re worrying about the lack of sleep you’ll have over the next few months.

It isn’t easy raising a baby, especially as a new parent. Luckily, there are great techniques and tips to help you get the sleep you need to take care of your newborn baby.

Sleep While the Baby Sleeps

It’s the oldest tip in the book for new parents, but it’s effective. Whenever the baby falls asleep you have the chance to grab a few good moments of sleep and relaxation. Even if you can’t fall asleep it’s a good idea to lie down and close your eyes for a bit to build up your energy again.

Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment

When you do have the chance to sleep, make sure it’s in a comfortable environment. Clean your bedroom and take out all of the clutter that can distract you and remind you of things you must do later. Your environment should be calm, dark, and sleep inducing.

Also create a comfortable sleep environment for the baby. Make sure he or she has a quiet room with a comfortable temperature to help them fall and stay asleep.

Practice Good Sleep Habits

Just like how we practice good habits in the shower and for our teeth, it’s important to have good habits when it comes to sleep. The three most effective sleep practices include:

  • No caffeine in the afternoon
  • No electronics an hour before bed
  • Create a sleep schedule

It’s important that you don’t rely on caffeine to stay awake. It dehydrates you and too much can increase anxiety.

Instead of scrolling through your phone, answering emails, or watching television, try reading a book or listening to a podcast before you go to sleep.

Lastly, while having a sleep schedule isn’t easy with a newborn, trying to stay consistent when you wake up and go to sleep can help you tremendously as a new parent.

Leave the Chores

You don’t have to be perfect. Every new parent is going to have all of their attention on taking care of their baby. If you leave a sink full of dirty dishes or a load of laundry in the dryer for tomorrow, nobody is going to judge you. Don’t over exert yourself trying to keep a clean house if it means sacrificing sleep.

Ask for Help

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It isn’t easy being a new parent and you deserve to have some help. Whether you ask your partner, friends, family members, or even sign up for baby coaching lessons, getting the help you need is essential when raising a newborn. Getting help means you can focus more on your baby and create the best life possible.

What to Put in Children’s Christmas Shoeboxes

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Every year, we all rally together to create special shoeboxes filled with gifts for those who are less fortunate, so children can have not only the bare essentials but one or two treats too – as Christmas should be.

In a nation of wealth, it can be hard to imagine that some of us, including children, don’t have access to even the basics such as a toothbrush. And for those who are even less fortunate, might not even have access to food.

This is why the Christmas shoeboxes are so important. That being said, it can be tricky to know what to put in them, especially if we are lucky enough to not be in such a position ourselves.

This piece will help give you some ideas of combined essentials and treats that could make a child’s year.

A Stuffed Toy

Going straight in with a treat, because if we are perfectly honest, it is too sad not to. A stuffed animal, bear or plushy of some kind is something everyone needs to cuddle sometimes, which is why this is a great option for the shoebox.

Choose a new toy that will be able to fit in the box – they don’t have to be expensive; they just have to be clean. The stuffed toy is often the ‘wow’ factor of the shoebox, so make it count!

You can choose other toys too, such as a soccer ball (and pump) or dolls/action figures/plastic animals.

Personal Care Items

Personal care items are usually the real basics that we might not even think of! This can include a toothbrush, a small hairbrush or comb, a soft washcloth and a bar of soap (that is packaged). A blanket will also go a long way. A water bottle can be useful and consider some of the more outside-the-box essentials such as adhesive bandages. There are now cartoon and colorful bandages out there for children, which will make them much more willing to use them!

Get Crafty

There are not many children that don’t like to get their hands dirty and get stuck into a craft box, so some craft items are the perfect fit to go in next. Think colored pens, pencils, crayons, coloring books, stamps and colorful ink, notebooks, playdoh, stickers… you get the idea! Let your inner child run wild.

If you are not able to make a shoebox this year, then don’t worry! Consider a holiday donation which will go straight to helping those in need this Christmas.

Personal Touches

This is a special part of the shoebox which might just be the best part for them.

Make a friendship bracelet and let them know you have the other half! Or give them a half of something small you have the other half of. Draw them a picture or write them a poem – whatever you like. And whatever you do, make sure to include a personal note or a Christmas card in the box too, which can include a photo of you and your family, and an address so the child may write to you. This could be the beginning of a beautiful pen-pal friendship.

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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!