Category: family

Stress-Free Traveling


Road trips can test the patience of any family, but stress-free traveling is possible. Whether you’re traveling with just your partner or the entire family, a long drive can put nerves on edge. Many road trips have been ruined by fighting and stress over changed travel plans. So put your best foot forward when planning a trip. Let everybody get a pick of one thing that’s important to them. Leave plenty of time for traveling. Expect changes and delays – mishaps are bound to happen. And finally, stock your car with as many emergency supplies as you can. That way you’ll be prepared for any eventuality! Hopefully, you and your loved ones can enjoy a fun and stress-free vacation.

Stress-Free Traveling: Surviving a Road Trip

Everybody Gets a Pick

Stress-free traveling is possible if you let everybody have a little say in the plans. If just one person is planning the whole trip, others might feel left out or disappointed. Before you plan your itinerary, let everybody in the family figure out something they would like to do. For example, a restaurant, a tourist stop along the way, or an activity. Make sure that each person gets to choose one important thing and try to have a good attitude about each person’s pick. This will let everybody feel like they’ve had a say in the plans.

Leave Plenty of Time

Another way to help with stress-free traveling is to leave plenty of time. Leave time for travel, time for getting ready, and extra time for unexpected stops. Running late is an easy way to get everybody incredibly stressed out. Tensions run high and it can lead to family arguments. Therefore, padding in plenty of extra time can keep things running smoothly.

Expect Changes

You should always expect some mishaps when traveling. No trip is going to be perfect! Try to be flexible and roll with the changes. There might be car troubles, bad weather, or unexpected hiccups along the way. There’s not much you can to do change it, so there isn’t much point in letting it ruin your trip. Stress-free traveling is easier if you go into a trip fully expecting some mishaps.

Prepare For Everything

Finally, stress-free traveling is a little easier to manage if you prepare for as many things as you can. If you are road tripping, make sure to have plenty of snacks and water on hand. Everybody gets grumpy when they’re hungry. Therefore, having plenty of snacks can prevent tempers from boiling over. If you have young children, pack a special new toy or activity they only get to do in the car. You can’t prepare for everything, but stocking your car with as many essentials as you can helps things go more smoothly.

Stress-free traveling is possible, even on a road trip with your entire family. It just takes a little preparation and some determination by the whole group. One bad attitude can spoil the day for everybody, so try to set expectations early. Let each member of the family pick something special that they want to do on the trip. Pad in plenty of time for delays and traffic, as running behind on schedule can lead to arguments. Anticipate that there will be mishaps and try to be flexible with changes. And finally, pack your car and prepare for as many changes as you can anticipate. Hopefully, your trip will go very smoothly. But sometimes the mishaps and sudden changes of plans can wind up being the most fun and memorable parts of vacation!

Improving Communication in a Marriage

Communication in a marriage is the absolute most important thing for a happy and long-lasting relationship. Communication isn’t just about talking to each other, though. It’s also about learning how to connect in other ways. One of the best ways to improve communication is to become a better listener. It’s also important to take time to talk when there are no distractions. Often, miscommunication happens because of simple logistics, so having a central place for information can be very helpful. And finally, learning your specific love language and your partners can be very helpful. Hopefully, you can learn to improve your communication and make your marriage stronger.

Improving Communication in a Marriage: The Secret Sauce for Success

Become a Better Listener

One of the best ways of improving communication in a marriage is to get better at listening. Listening doesn’t just mean being quiet while your partner talks. It also means thinking about what they’re saying. And showing that you understand. Nod, maintain eye contact and ask thoughtful questions to show you care. In return, your partner will likely listen more closely when you talk as well.

Be Distraction Free Sometimes

Improving communication in a marriage means being distraction-free sometimes. Life is busy. Between our phones and busy jobs, it can be hard to find time to talk without distractions. However, it is very important in a marriage. Try to set aside time each day where you put away your phones. Perhaps, try at mealtimes. If you have young children, take some time after they go to bed to connect about your day.

Have One Central Place for Information

A lot of times, miscommunication happens simply because people aren’t on the same page. Simple logistics can cause issues in a marriage just as easily as major problems. Improving communication in a marriage might just mean having one place to go for important information. For example, try a calendar app that your whole family can share. Having a central location for important information can help you stay on the same page with family events.

Learn Your Love Languages

Finally, one of the best ways of improving communication in a marriage is to learn each of your love languages. Each person has specific ways that they communicate with those they love. These can be through acts of service, words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, and gift-giving. Learning which love language your partner speaks can help you connect more easily.

Improving communication in a marriage is one of the easiest ways to make it stronger. Communication is the basis of any relationship and is so important. Learning to listen better is a great way to start. Show your partner that you are interested in what they have to say. It’s also important to have some time to talk when you can focus without distractions. So put away your phones for a few minutes each day. This can let you truly connect. It can also help to have one place to go to for important family information. For example, a shared calendar app. And finally, learn your partner’s love language. By communicating with them in their love language, you can show how much you care. Hopefully, you can learn to communicate better and make your marriage even stronger.

Why Do People Cheat?

The age-old question “why do people cheat?” is one that spurned partners everywhere have asked themselves. The answer is often complex and involves a variety of different factors. However, there are a few reasons that come up more frequently than others as a response to why somebody might cheat. One of the most common reasons is boredom and simply falling out of love. Another reason that might cause a partner to cheat is that they are looking to boost their self-confidence. Sometimes cheating isn’t planned and happens with the help of outside factors. And finally, sometimes people cheat because they are feeling neglected by their partners. Whatever the reasons are, cheating can cause a lot of pain in a relationship and can end up costing you your marriage.

Why Do People Cheat? Getting to the Bottom of Infidelity

Boredom

One of the most common reasons why people cheat is because they simply fall out of love with their partners. Marriage can last a lifetime. It takes work and commitment to keep things interesting and to make a marriage last. Sometimes people cheat because the relationship is boring or because they feel like their partner just isn’t making an effort any longer.

To Boost Self-Confidence

Another reason that people cheat is to boost their self-confidence. Knowing that another person besides their partner also finds them attractive might be enough of an ego boost to make some partners pursue an affair. After being in a marriage for a long time, some people just want to prove to themselves that they’re still sexy to other people besides their spouse.

Outside Factors

Sometimes, outside factors are an excuse for why people cheat. For example, things like drinking, being away from their partner for a long time or having another person hit on them. However, cheating is still a decision that a person has to make themselves. So while these things could be an influence, they certainly aren’t the only cause.

Neglect

Finally, sometimes people cheat because they are feeling neglected in their relationship. This goes hand in hand with people wanting to boost their self-confidence. If a partner doesn’t feel like they are getting any effort from their spouse, they might be more likely to cheat. This is more common with women than with men.

While there is never a good reason for infidelity, unfortunately, some people still cheat. It can cause serious damage to a marriage. It can hurt your partner’s mental health, create a lack of trust, or end the relationship altogether. So people are often left wondering why people cheat. Often there are many reasons, but one of the most common is simply boredom. People just fall out of love with their partners. Some people feel neglected in their relationships and they cheat because it will make them feel better or boost their self-confidence. And finally, sometimes outside factors like drinking can play a role. Whatever the reasons, cheating can cause a lot of pain. If you have been cheated on, it’s important to get the support you need to decide how you want to handle it.

Signs of Dementia in Aging Parents

It can be difficult to distinguish signs of dementia in aging parents from other illnesses like Alzheimer’s or just simple aging. However, dementia can affect all aspects of their lives and make their day-to-day living much harder. So it’s important to try to figure out what’s truly going on if you are noticing some concerning things. You might be seeing communication problems. You might also just notice day-to-day problems like lost keys or things like that. Some dementia problems can change a person’s personality or even cause physical changes. If you are noticing these things, it’s important to get them the care they need. But it’s also important to talk to them about their wishes for their end-of-life care, as well as getting their affairs in order. It’s important to have these difficult conversations while they are still able to communicate effectively.

Signs of Dementia in Aging Parents: What to Look for and What to Do

Communication Problems

Some of the early signs of dementia in aging parents are problems with communication. And this can show up in several different ways. You might notice that they have a hard time finding words when they talk. They might also confuse times and places. They might forget people’s names as well, even close family members or friends. And finally, you might notice that they seem to struggle with understanding things.

Day to Day Problems

Some of the other signs of dementia in aging parents show up in their day-to-day lives. They might just be seeming to have a harder time navigating the world than they used to. It might be as simple as forgetting their keys often, or forgetting where they parked. But it could also be larger issues like not remembering how to read, how to find their way home, or showing poor judgment.

Personality Changes

Finally, you might notice some personality changes as part of the signs of dementia in aging parents. They might have mood swings or even a total change in their personality. Sometimes they develop a lot of fear around typical day-to-day things. For example, if they often get lost, simply leaving the home can be stressful. And finally, they might have some trouble walking and begin to be more unsteady on their feet.

What to Do

If you notice any of these signs of dementia in aging parents, it’s time to take some action. You need to take them to a medical professional. It’s also important to begin discussions about where they will live and when to give up driving. And finally, you might want to begin discussions of their will and estate. It’s important to have these conversations before things progress too much because they need to be of sound mind. Getting their legal affairs in order, as well as learning how they want their end of care life to look can ease your stress. At least you will know how they want to be taken care of and can focus on giving them support and comfort.

There are a lot of different signs of dementia in aging parents that you need to be on the lookout for. Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and aging can all look very similar. Therefore, it’s helpful to keep a log of any odd behaviors and to follow up with a doctor. You might notice issues with their communication and ability to remember things. You might also notice problems with their day-to-day life, like getting lost. And finally, you might notice that they have personality changes or even physical symptoms. If you are seeing these signs, it’s time to start having some tough but important legal conversations about how they want to be taken care of as their health declines. You also need to know how they’d like to set up their estate. Getting these discussions out of the way can give you the freedom to simply focus on their care.

COVID-Safe Activities for Young Children

With the Delta variant on the rise, you might be searching for COVID-safe activities for young children. It can be hard to know what is safe and what is a risk, especially with young children in tow. There is still so much unknown about the virus, especially when it comes to young kids. If you are trying to limit your potential exposure, outdoor activities or places where you can socially distance are key. For example, try picking up some food and taking it to a pretty outdoor spot. You can also try the airport overlook and watch planes take off. There are plenty of ways to have outdoor fun, even in the heat. And finally, if you can consider taking a trip or trying out camping with your children. Depending on their ages, there are still plenty of ways to entertain your children without risking exposure.

COVID-Safe Activities for Young Children: Stay Safe and Sane

Picnic

One of the easiest COVID-safe activities for young children is a picnic outside. Try picking up food from a favorite restaurant or ordering curbside takeout. Or you can just try making a special lunch. Then find a pretty place and set out a picnic blanket and sit together and eat. If the weather is nasty you can always do an indoor picnic. Just set up a blanket on the floor and put on a movie. Kids love it when parents switch up the routine, especially if food or movies are involved.

Airport Overlook

Airport overlooks and watching construction sites are other COVID-safe activities for young children. If your kids are interested in trucks or planes, these are great go-to activities. Most airports have a specific overlook where cars can park and watch planes take off and land. You can bring along a picnic, or even just stay in your car and watch. If your children enjoy construction trucks, try to find a site where you can park a safe distance away and watch the trucks working.

Outdoor Fun

There are plenty of COVID-safe activities for young children outdoors. Set up an obstacle course in your backyard with hula hoops or easy activities for them to complete. Or try out a water table with toddlers. If the weather is hot, set up your sprinklers and let the kids run through them, or let them play in a baby pool.

Camping

Finally, if it’s financially possible and feasible time-wise, traveling is one of the most fun COVID-safe activities for young children. You could rent an Air B&B someplace new and try some hikes or outdoor exploring. Many children really love camping as well. Roast s’mores and let them play in creeks and mud. Getting out of your house and just having a change of scenery can improve everybody’s mood. Even if you don’t go very far!

Covid-safe activities for young children are important with the virus still running rampant. If you are looking for ways to stay socially distanced, you can try some of these fun activities with your kids. Try a picnic outside or even in a new room of your house. Check out the airport overlook or a construction site if your kids enjoy watching trucks and planes. You can find plenty of outdoor activities and even water activities if the weather is hot. And finally, change the scenery and get out of town or take a camping trip to mix things up. Keeping kids entertained while staying COVID-safe can be difficult but in the end, it’ll be worth it if it makes you feel safer.

Preparing for Summer with Joint Custody

If you are preparing for summer with joint custody of your kids, you might need to re-examine your schedule. The school year and summer present different obstacles for splitting custody. If you work full time, arranging childcare can be difficult. In addition, if you or your ex have vacations planned, you may need to be flexible with your schedules. If you’re planning on sending them to summer camp, you’ll need to both be on the same page. Similarly, if you’re planning to hire a babysitter or nanny for the summer you’ll want to make sure that you both are comfortable. Finally, although summer doesn’t have a ton of holidays to work around, you should have a plan for the 4th of July and others. Hopefully, if you both are open-minded, you can come up with a summer schedule that works for everybody!

Preparing for Summer with Joint Custody of Your Kids

Planning Vacations

Summertime is when most families take vacations since the children are out of school. If you’re preparing for summer with joint custody, you’ll need to take into account your custody arrangement before planning vacations. If your schedule doesn’t give you enough time for a full vacation, talk to your ex about switching around days. They may also have a vacation they’d like to take and want to have you return the favor later for them. Staying flexible and understanding is the key to working out a plan that works for everybody.

Planning Camps

Summer with joint custody can be difficult for parents who both work full time. Without school in session, it’s hard to entertain children all day at home. Luckily, there are many summer camps available to help break up the time. You and your ex need to be on the same page with what camps you’d like to send your children to. Financially, you need to establish boundaries as well. Hopefully, you can come to an agreement in regards to who is paying for summer camp, which camp the kids are going to, and what the pickup/drop-off schedule will look like.

Summer Help

If you’re facing summer with joint custody, you may be looking into hiring help. A nanny or babysitter can be a huge benefit to working parents when the kids are home from school. Kids respond well to consistency, so talk to your ex about hiring the same nanny. You could even coordinate it so that the nanny is able to drive the kids to and from your respective houses on days when you switch custody. Just make sure that you are on the same page with who is paying for which days so that you don’t leave your summer help in the lurch. Also, make sure that both parties are comfortable with whoever you hire.

Holidays

Finally, you need to consider holidays when planning for summer with joint custody. While summer doesn’t have too many holidays to deal with, you’ll need to figure out the plan for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Some partners choose to switch off years for special holidays, but you can handle them however you’d like. Also, remember that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day take place in May and June. Try to be understanding if your ex wants the kids for their respective day because you’ll probably want them for your holiday too. It’s also a kind gesture to help the kids make something special for the holiday.

Summer with joint custody doesn’t have to be a huge headache if you just prepare in advance and try to be understanding. Being flexible with your partner often results in them being flexible when you want to change things. Especially if you’re wanting to re-arrange days based on vacations. Also, plan for summer camp or a summer nanny if you’re both working full time. Finally, don’t forget to make a plan for the summer holidays like the Fourth of July. Hopefully, with a little planning ahead and some understanding, you can have a great summer!

Homeschooling During Covid-19: The Challenge

Many parents are having to start homeschooling during Covid-19. Teaching kids from home is never easy. However, adding divorce and joint custody on top of that makes education that much more complicated.

Homeschooling During Covid-19: How to Navigate this Change

Joint Custody 

With the school year drawing closer, there is an uncertainty about whether schools will reopen next year. This opens up the possibility for another school year of homeschooling during Covid-19. This may become an issue for co-parents with joint custody. What guidelines should be followed when determining timeshare now that schools have been closed? Court orders address usual school breaks and holidays. However, this becomes less clear when schools are closed for months at a time. 

There may be a difference in the way each parent handles homeschooling. These differences may create issues between exes. It may also impact how the child is learning. Try and establish some form of structure between the schooling setup between the different households. 

Work from Home

On top of that, many parents are having to work from home, in addition to doing homeschooling during Covid-19. Parents who do have to work from home may find it difficult to juggle working and having their kids home all of the time. Plus, parents have to find more time to help kids with their schoolwork. This may cause tensions around the household. If one of the co-parents does not work and the other one does, this will directly affect one of the parents ability to do the homeschooling. 

Develop a Plan

Most parents are not used to having to assume this level of teaching responsibilities. Only a few months ago, no one could have predicted they would be homeschooling during Covid-19. Plus, quarantine throws in a whole other dimension. It is so important that parents give themselves grace during this period. This time period certainly does not come with an instruction manual. This may be a big life change and will take time to get it figured out. 

Everyone’s schedule is different, so every homeschooling plan will be different. It’s important to see what works best for that particular family. It’s okay if there is an adjustment period, but getting a routine in place will make the homeschooling process go smoother.

Virtual Parenting: Keep In Touch

While the coronavirus is making things harder for those who live together, it’s also impacting co-parents as well. Concerns about the virus might mean your usual visitation plan will no longer work. That’s why you’ll want to do some virtual parenting. Doing so will allow you to still keep in touch with your kids…

Virtual Parenting: Keep In Touch

Make use of technology

Doing any kind of virtual parenting is going to require you using technology. Still, there’s a lot of different options out there you can use. It’s important you find which ones will work best for both you and your kids.

For example, calling and texting are easy and probably something you can do at all times. But, it might also be good to use some kind of video chat of Facetime on top of that. This will let you get in some face-to-face time, even if you can’t be there in person.

Set aside some time

It’s also handy to set aside some dedicated time for virtual parenting. You can send you kids texts through the day, but you or they may also get busy. This will limit how much you can talk, and make your text conversations very brief and somewhat impersonal.

Having some dedicated time can get around this issue. Being able to talk one-on-one is much more personal, and helps to show your kids you care for them. Still, spontaneous calls or texts are also good for showing your kids you’re still thinking of them, even when you’re doing other things.

Keep up with their Lives

Even while doing some virtual parenting, you can still keep up with your kids lives. For instance, you can ask them how classes are going, especially with how many have gone online. You can also ask them about what they’re doing to pass the time while they’re at home.

Also, try to find things to you can both do together even while you’re apart. Maybe you can find some kind of game which you can both play online. Or, you could also look for movies which you can stream and share. While it may not be the same as in person, it’s certainly better than nothing!

Quarantine Living: Making It Easier

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has caused many couples to remain indoors. However, if things were already tense beforehand, or if you were thinking about divorcing, then quarantine living can be pretty hard. As a result, you’ll want to find ways to make things easier…

Quarantine Living: Making It Easier

Keep some structure

One way to make quarantine living more manageable is by making some structure. The change to staying at home has probably thrown your old schedule all out of sorts. If you have kids, then they’re probably going to be at home with you too. Therefore, you may not be sure as to what exactly it is you should be doing.

That’s why it can be handy to create your own schedule and structure. Set a constant alarm, and go through your normal morning routine as usual. Then, set aside time for work, to eat, to exercise, etc. Doing something similar for the kids can help everyone avoid the feeling of going stir-crazy.

Have your own space

Having your own space is also handy for quarantine living. The last thing you want is for everyone to feel like they’re on top of each other. While you may all be stuck at home, you still need to have some privacy. To get that privacy, it’s helpful to set aside some space for yourself.

For instance, it might be useful for you and your partner to have you own separate “work” areas. You kids might also benefit from having their own space to do school work in. Everyone having their own little areas will help create that feeling of personal space.

Work on communication

Quarantine living is a great time for you and your partner to work on you communication skills. Issues with communication are some of the most common reasons as to why couples fight. With how much time you’ll be spending at home, you’re going to want to avoid big explosive fights as best as you can.

A great way to do this is by being able to properly communicate. When issues arise, be sure you and your partner talk to each other about it. Keep things calm, civil, and let the both of you present your sides or thoughts. This will help you come to agreements and avoid those big blowups.

Stepparent Discipline: What To Avoid

Figuring out how to discipline kids is something both co-parents and remarried couples struggle with. Stepparent discipline in particular can be hard to get a hang of. However, there’s a few things you’ll want to avoid doing…

Stepparent Discipline: What To Avoid

Too many changes

One thing to avoid as part of your stepparent discipline is too many changes. Consider how many different things have changed for your stepchild. First there was the divorce, splitting up their family as they knew it. Now, they find themselves with a new family, stepparent, and potentially new stepsiblings and a new home.

The last thing you want to do is present them with even more change. This is an easy way to make them feel resentment towards you. Instead, give them and everyone else some time to settle in. Once everyone is comfortable, then you can worry about other discipline-related matters.

Being too harsh

You also don’t want your stepparent discipline to be too harsh either. Despite what you may think, being too much of a disciplinarian will end up backfiring on you. Rather than making your stepchild respect you, they’ll end up resenting you and have an adversarial relationship towards you. Once this is in place, it can be hard to reverse this.

Instead, try to focus on being friendly towards them and get to know them better. They may be a little distant or cold at first, which is to be expected. However, as long as you show them that you’re there for them, they’ll be more likely to respect you and treat you as such.

Giving out punishment

What happens if your stepchild breaks the rules? It can be tempting to just give out a punishment on your own. After all, you are their parent now, right? The thing is, your stepchild isn’t going to see you this way. To them, you’re basically still a stranger.

Therefore, don’t be the one to hand out discipline to your stepchildren. That will harm your overall relationship with them. Instead, leave that kind of punishment to your spouse, as your stepchild will probably handle it better than if you tried to step in.