advice

It takes a village to raise a family; advice and tips to make the most of yours.

The State of Bereavement
Well, it finally happened. I finally found something that I still cannot believe. No, I did not win a Powerball lottery. I did not marry a starlet. No, I did not discover gold or create a new invention. What I found was quite the opposite. I found the new low point of my life. It is the lowest point of my life and it is called bereavement.
By Maurice Bernier7 years ago in Families
Tips for Dealing with the Challenges of Raising a Young Child
Last week, I was out with my sister and my lovely nephew for a sunny outdoor lunch and catch up in a park café. All was going really well—we’d been to the park and he had a big play on pretty much everything in the playground—then we decided it was time for lunch. Queue the start of what looked like a potential meltdown as my lovely nephew decided he didn’t want to listen, it wasn’t time for lunch, that he wanted to stay and play, and eventually when he accepted it was time for lunch, he was too tired to walk and refused to move.
By Nathalie Martin7 years ago in Families
Playing with the Wild Things
Do you ever want to run away? Find that little boy or girl that once slew dragons, flew to the moon, and ran alongside the wild things in the forests of our imaginations. Some days the weight of the world is too much, and I long for the freedom of childhood when life was still, new, and amazing. Every day something would profoundly change you, it was wonderful. When we looked at one another, different yet the same, and we managed to keep our own faiths, beliefs, morals and opinions to ourselves. We would look upon new faces and new cultures with amazement and excited genuine curiosity.
By MoriaCavandish7 years ago in Families
Mother's Day Is Looming
I'm not against mothers day as a whole, it's just like any other holiday, commercialised to make us (some of us) spend money. The idea of saying thank you to your mother for everything they've done is a great holiday.
By Linzi Agnew7 years ago in Families
Rebuilding Unity
What is a family? A simple definition would be, a group of people, that consists of parents and children living in the same house. But in reality, everyone knows family does not mean just that. A family is more than just a group of people, it is a group of people who love and care for one another. There are billions of families that live on this earth, but not every family is the same. The reason could be because of religion, culture, or family morals. But one trait that all families experience are the ups and downs. In addition, families are not as close to each other as they use to be or would like to be. As children grow up, parents may start to feel disconnected, unlike when they were little. As parents, they may also feel that they do not know anything about their child or what goes on in their lives at school, work, or with friends. On the other hand, children may feel as if their parents do not care about them because they are not close to each other. In fact, the children may feel neglected. What could be the reason for these feelings? Could it be because there is no trust or no love? That could be the answer; however, these feelings reflect poor relationships and lack of communication. The real problem is there is no bond between the parents and children; there is no unity. There are many causes for this problem. It could be because everyone has a different schedule and they come home at different times. Perhaps parents are too busy with work or are too tired to do anything. The lack of communication and too little time spent together could also be a few other reasons, as well as the growth of technology. Many families bypass these issues because they do not realize it until it is too late. Having no bonds in families can be a big problem because it contributes to broken relationships and separation between spouses. Many families lack unity; however, this can change if they spend more time together, communicate very frequently, and limit their time with technology.
By V7 years ago in Families
Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifting Ideas for All Tastes
The saying "it’s the thought that counts" is often used negatively in response to someone receiving an inadequate gift, implying that the effort that’s gone into giving something is more valuable than the gift itself. But I believe there’s no reason why the thought that goes into giving shouldn’t be as wonderful as the gift itself. That’s why I’ve done a little exploration and come up with some alternative gifting ideas for different "types of mum" that demonstrate the thoughtfulness that’s gone into choosing them—I hope you find it useful!
By Nathalie Martin7 years ago in Families
Oh No, I'm Leaking Again...
"Okay sweetie, give him your breast and he'll just start sucking." As beautiful of an experience breastfeeding truly is as a whole, no one ever told me that it would hurt like a—well, you know.
By Ynez Adsuara7 years ago in Families
Back to School Style for Kids
Nothing matches up to the worry a parent can feel for their child. It’s a big time commitment, for one thing. Research from 2018 shows that parents spend an average of 37 hours a week fretting about their kids. The big worries are about safety and happiness, but several other worries are related to school, as parents fear that their children won’t fit in at school or will have problems making new friends.
By Marshall Stevenson7 years ago in Families
10 Family Bonding Night Ideas That Rule
Nothing quite emphasizes a family's importance like actually hanging out with those you care about. If there's one thing that makes families stronger, it's taking time out of your busy week to bond with one another. That's why so many family experts suggest having family bonding nights at least once a month.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart7 years ago in Families
First Birthdays
The morning of my daughter's birthday: 💕 1. Get photos done before the party. We all want our little ones to have the best birthday, especially when it's the big ONE. Needless to say, you will wants photos to look back on and share with your loved ones. In the morning get your little one all dressed up and have your mini photo shoot, before all the excitement, before the cake, and most importantly before little one is too tired to say "Cheeeeese!"
By Taisha Stephenson7 years ago in Families
Making a Family Emergency Plan
For Tina and her family, floods were not really a big deal … nor unusual. They haven’t experienced any flooding since the mid-1990s, and that time, the waters inside their one-story modest house were only knee-deep. So when they knew a big storm was hitting the area that particular Saturday in 2008, they didn’t think much of it. Not even when they heard other towns were already submerged in water. Even if worse came to worst, they thought it would be somewhat similar to what they have already experienced. But just after lunch, the waters came rushing in, without much of a warning. The waters forced their way into Tina’s house, and within just a few minutes, the house was filled with dark, murky waters, from the floor up to the ceiling.
By Jim Hughes7 years ago in Families
Giving Your Kids a Bright Future in the Midst of Adversity
Whether your family is facing food or housing insecurity, dealing with underemployment, rising healthcare costs, or even the pervasive yet impactful effects of social media burnout, chances are you are facing some form of adversity or stress. These stressors can have detrimental physical, mental, and emotional impact on adults, let alone teenaged children and adolescents.
By Paisley Hansen7 years ago in Families