family Archives - 3 Kids and Us

Managing the Family Budget

December 15, 2020 by admin

All parents need to organize the family’s finances, and sticking to a budget can be tricky. There are always some unforeseen expenses, whether it’s that the kids need something for school or you need emergency home repairs. While you can’t avoid these bumps in the road, sticking to the budget the best you can for the rest of the time is what will help you feel a little less concerned about your finances. Below are a few tips if you’re trying to figure out your family’s budget and how you can save even more.

Save for Christmas

As the holidays are just around the corner, it seems like they’re worth a mention, especially as this can be one of the most expensive times of the year for people. Getting involved in the festivities is part of the fun around Christmas, but if you are trying to stick to a budget seeing the funds deplete from your bank account is only stressful. To make things a bit easier and to allow you to enjoy the jolly season, open a separate saving account for Christmas or whichever holiday you celebrate, and put in a little bit each month from the start of the year. You could also do this for your family’s summer vacations too.

Meal Plan

Life is very busy, especially if you’re trying to balance a career with raising a family. Sometimes it feels as though you don’t get a moment to yourself, which is why a lot of people might end up going to the grocery store and picking up random things for dinner while they’re in a rush, or ordering take out. To avoid wasting food and to help you stick to your budget, take the time to plan your family meals before you go grocery shopping and only buy the items on your list. This will also help you to keep your family eating balanced meals throughout the week.

Use Coupons

If you’re trying to make some cutbacks on your spending but aren’t sure where you can, think about finding some coupons or taking advantage of discounts at the stores you like. They’re easy to find online and could end up saving you a lot of money; some even offer cashback promotions, which is even better. You can even make more money if you use this RobinHood gift card and invest.

Sell Old Stuff

Do you have things lying around in the house that are in good condition but you never use? Things like kids’ toys that are no longer played with clothes, electronic devices, etc. If you want to make some extra cash to help with your family saving plan, consider selling some of your unwanted possessions online. It’ll also help you declutter your home, so it’s a win/win situation.

Life can get expensive very quickly, and when you have a family to support, this only adds to the financial pressures. However, using some of these simple tips could help you manage the family budget a little easier and hopefully help you save up for the big things in life.

5 Signs of Toxic Stress in Your Children

September 29, 2020 by admin

Did you know that Americans are some of the most stressed people in the world?

When most people think about stress, they imagine adults worrying about finances, relationships, their career, and so much more. However, it’s important to remember that children can be just as negatively affected by stress as adults.

Are you worried about having stressed children? Keep reading to learn 5 signs of toxic stress in children so you’ll be able to recognize when your child is struggling.

Increased Agitation

One of the most common signs of stress in children is increased agitation and other negative emotions. Like adults, stressed kids have a higher chance of overreacting to situations and having a hard time communicating their feelings in a healthy way. In order to avoid these painful outbursts, it’s important to find resources like this post that can teach you about stress management for children.

Having Trouble Sleeping

Lying awake in bed worrying when you’re exhausted is one of the worst feelings. While adults can manage to power through the day after a restless evening, children can suffer a lot more because they need lots of sleep to continue growing healthily.

One simple way you can address your child’s insomnia is to read children’s books about stress together. Not only will reading to them help them feel comforted and sleepy, but the contents in these books can help them learn how to address their stress.

Hyperactivity

Have you ever gotten the jitters when you feel stressed? Most adults are able to put on a mask that hides their stress from the rest of the world. Kids aren’t as experienced at this, which means their stress can also come out as hyperactivity.

If you notice that your kid is a lot more active than usual, this could be a sign that they’re trying to find a way to burn through their nervous energy.

Changed Eating Patterns

Stress in children can also change the way they eat. Stress can cause your child to eat much more or less than normal and even affect how long it takes them to finish their meals. Proper nutrition is essential for their wellbeing, so it’s crucial for parents to pay attention to what and how much they eat.

Withdrawal From Loved Ones

Another major symptom of toxic stress is withdrawing from loved ones. It’s normal for children to seek out some alone time every now and then to decompress, but it should be concerning if they start isolating themselves on a regular basis. Respecting your child’s boundaries is great, but you should always be patient and try to get them to open up about their feelings so you can help them feel better.

Now You Know More About Toxic Stress in Children

If you notice any of these 5 signs of toxic stress in children, it’s important to take all of the steps necessary to improve their mental health.

Do you want to know how you can help your family thrive? Make sure you browse our blog to find more helpful tips and guides.

Cool Indoor Activities That Your Kids Will Love

September 9, 2020 by admin

This year has forced so many of us to find ways in which we can entertain ourselves indoors. especially those who who have kids. Even the most creative of parents will have reached the end of their tether in terms of coming up with ideas which they can do in order to keep the kids entertained. One of the keys to helping the kids is understanding that they will be back to school soon and that educational indoor activities will help them to have fun whilst also preparing them for getting back to school. With this in mind, here are some ideas which you can try with your kids.

Gardening

Teaching your kids about garnering is more than just recruiting them to help keep your herb garden alive. This activity will help them in terms of understanding the important role that plants play in our lives and of course the source of food. Start with a simple pot plant and take it from seed to sprout with your kids taking responsibility.

Learning Board Games

Games ave changed over the years and whilst the computer games which we have now are often based around strategy, speed and skill traditional board games will teach your kids about much more. Board games like Monopoly or Yahtzee and Chess can really help your kids to learn something whilst they are playing and having fun.

The Night Sky

Most kids love the idea of becoming an astronaut one day and you can harness this energy and use it to teach your kids about the night sky and what it means. This will help them to begin to form an idea of what all of this is about and you can use some great apps which break down the stars and the constellations so that your kids can learn what to look for in the sky.

Science Experiments

Every action and reaction in life is based around science and there are so many incredibly fun experiments which you can do at home with them. Even something as basic as creating a volcano using coke and Mentos will fascinate them and you can find some great tutorials on YouTube which will break down what you need by way of resources in order to perform multiple science experiments. Science is always an area that kids love because they love to wonder so much.

Try out these activities with your kids to get their brains engaged once more.

Why Is Home Health So Important for Families With Kids?

September 2, 2020 by admin

Home health is one element of general health that unfortunately tends to go by the wayside for a lot of people. It’s important that you remember to consider your home’s health with the same seriousness that you would the health of any family member. After all, your home’s health can have a serious impact on your family’s health. For families with kids, it’s even more important. Here’s how this home health checklist can be even more influential when you have kids.

Home Health Checklist Created By: JES

Structural Health

You need to pay close attention to your home’s structural health in general; after all, poor structural health could lead to extremely serious concerns, including complete structural failure. However, even minor structural health concerns can be more serious when you have children in the home.

Structural health often centers around your home’s foundation. A strong home foundation is definitely ideal, but there are many potential reasons for foundation concerns. These can range from issues with the soil around your home to problems regarding the initial pouring of a concrete foundation. Regardless of the problems, it’s important to fix them because structural problems can end up causing irreversible damage without a fix.

Basement Health

Do you have a basement? If you do, you might think that the most important thing for maintaining safety in your home’s basement is ensuring your kids stay out of it. True, having a child who falls down the basement stairs could be a serious problem. However, the biggest problem could actually be issues with basement waterproofing.

Basements tend to have a reputation for issues with waterproofing. This typically occurs because the basement is below the ground’s surface and has surrounding soil that can be very wet. If water enters through the basement walls and you’re unable to get rid of it, you can have a musty smell, mold, mildew, and other problems. These can seriously impact the health of young children.

Crawl Space Health

Even homes that don’t have a basement often have a crawl space. Crawl spaces are a great way for inspectors to get in and look at things like your home’s pipes and structural supports without having to dig into the home itself. However, the problem is that crawl spaces can run into the same problems as basements, oftentimes even with waterproofing problems as well.

One big problem with crawl spaces is that many people don’t think about how much of an impact crawl spaces have on the rest of the home. Sure, you probably know that your basement and your home share air with each other, but did you know that your home gets up to 50% of its air through your crawl space? If your crawl space’s air is unhealthy, your home’s air will be unhealthy, which can cause health concerns for your whole family.

Home Concrete Health

The last element of home health to pay attention to is concrete health. Almost everyone has some form of concrete around their home. You may have concrete on your driveway, in your home’s basement, on your patio, and many more areas. If this concrete isn’t healthy, you could end up with very serious overarching problems.

Trips and falls are extremely common with concrete issues. This may be because of cracked concrete, uneven concrete, or even just concrete that doesn’t have the right grip. These can be even more prominent with children, because children can trip over even very small uneven spaces between concrete slabs.

Conclusion

All home health hazards are important for any home, but this is especially true for many homes with children. If you have children, it’s important that you keep your home as safe and secure as possible for everyone’s sake. That may mean talking to a home health expert, such as a foundation repair expert, to learn more about your home health options. Remember, your entire family lives in your home. That should be reason enough to maintain its health, even if you need to call in outside help.

How to Cope With Being a Member of the Sandwich Generation

July 24, 2019 by admin

The sandwich generation is nothing to do with tasty savory snacks. In fact it’s a term that describes the people who are at an age where they have caring responsibilities for their children on the one hand, and their parents on the other, so they’re sandwiched between the two generations.

This scenario is becoming more and more common, especially as couples have their children later in life. Many people in their forties and fifties have children who are still at home, often very young children, while their parents are heading into their eighties and nineties, and needing help themselves.

Being a caregiver for your kids is hard work, stressful, and time-consuming, and being a caregiver for one or both of your parents likewise; so if you have both to cope with it can become somewhat overwhelming. If you’re trying to juggle working as well as your caring responsibilities, your life can become a non-stop whirl of activity and stress from the moment you wake in the morning to when you drop into bed exhausted at the end of the day.

The problem is, what choice do you have? You can’t stop caring for your kids, but most people who have loving parents that cared for them and supported them when they were growing up feel they have a duty to return that care when their folks become infirm or need assistance.

First of all, remember that you must put yourself first, and that to do so is in no way a selfish act. If you push yourself so hard that you become too exhausted or unwell to care for your kids and your parents, they’ll have to manage without you altogether, at least for a little while. Making sure you get sufficient rest and relaxation, and the opportunity to lead a healthy lifestyle that supports your own health is the best way to stay fit and well and maintain your caring roles.

There’s also plenty of support out there for you as a caregiver. For example there are some very helpful resources published online at sites like www.inhomecare.com that have valuable advice and information for about in-home care and people who are caring for their elderly parents. There’s an abundance of online resources, but you’ll find support and information that can help at doctor’s surgeries, libraries, and other community facilities as well.

You might find there are groups your parents could attend that would enrich their lives, childcare resources for the holidays, and volunteer organizations who can lend a hand when you need it. You should also make sure you’re accessing any local or national support you’re entitled to, for example, caregiver’s respite schemes. There are caregivers organizations who can help you with all these, as well as giving you some much needed personal support.

Sometimes all you need is a little extra help, so it’s worth looking at the options for in-home care for your parents, or childcare for your children. An hour a day where your kids can play at an afterschool club, or a caregiver can come in and cook your parents a meal could be invaluable in helping you to manage.