Ways To Put Your Mind At Ease With Regard To Your Kids’ Safety In This Life

Your kids will be on your mind pretty much every single day. From the day you learn that you’re going to be a parent, their well-being becomes more important than anything else. Typically, when you think of protective parents, you think about young families with small children. The truth, however, is that you’ll be worrying about them when you’re in your nineties and they’re fully-grown humans with kids of their own! That kind of feeling never leaves you and you’ll never completely stop worrying about your child until the day you are no longer.

While you’ll never stop worrying, that doesn’t mean you cannot ease the burden a little along the way. You’ll have to get on with life and allow them to grow – you will not be able to do this if you’re an overbearing parent throughout your entire life.

You can put your mind at ease as your kids try new things and enter new stages. The fears and the thought won’t go away completely, but here are some things you can do to make the journey so much easier:

Understand That They’ll Need To Be Independent At Times

You aren’t going to be able to hold their hands and watch over them throughout their entire life. Some parents struggle with this idea. They’ve looked after them for years and aren’t comfortable with the idea of doing anything else. If you hold on for too long, however, then you’re going to cause more harm going forward. Once you understand that they’ll be better off without you when they hit a certain age, things will be easier for your mind.

Keep An Eye On Things Using Appropriate Software

While you won’t be around them all of the time, you can still keep an eye on certain things. You won’t want to be invading their privacy every single day, but it’s wise to know if they’re dealing with people that are a little suspect. If you visit familyorbit.com and view some of the services they have, you’ll learn a little more about what can be done in this regard. As a parent, you won’t want them to be speaking online with people that may cause them harm.

Think Positively About Their Life

This sounds like a basic idea, but it’s a great idea if you want to be content with things. If you develop a positive attitude, you’ll be able to see all of the good in the life that they’re about to embark on. Negative parents will always see issues and view everything they do as a hazard. A positive attitude will also be a magnetic attitude, so you’ll be unconsciously making them more positive in life before they head out on their own – this will only help them going forward.

Know That Projecting Worries Onto Will Do More Harm Than Good

This kind of follows on from the previous point in that it’s not a great way to behave overall. If you talk to them about all the worries you have, then they’ll slowly-but-surely seep into their young minds. Don’t make them hesitant before they even have a chance at life. Plenty of kids become worrisome because of their parents and they eventually turn into worrisome adults.

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Top Considerations For The Incoming Newborn

It’s one of the most exciting moments in anyone's life. The arrival of their own child. The newborn. You spend months preparing and waiting, but there’s always the few which slip through the net. The ones which come back to haunt you a little later on. Everyone is different in how they approach preparing for their baby’s arrival. People have different lives, with different responsibilities, budgets and time available. It’s why you need to look at advice objectively and try to apply it in the best way to your own situation and circumstances. It's better to be prepared. You might have thought about some of these already but the others can help you ace the newborn’s arrival. Good luck!

Prepare The Nursery

Some parents like to know what gender the baby is going to be before the birth, others like to wait. Waiting sometimes means you won’t be able to properly decorate the nursery. At least not how you’d like to. Don’t let this throw you. There’s nothing worse than having to decorate a nursery when you’ve got a newborn to look after. Get it sorted before the baby arrives. Sometimes creating a safe sleep environment for your newborn can be a little overpowering. There’s a lot to think about. Decorate it as you see fit. A crib is necessary of course. Useful fixtures and fittings include a set of draws for the baby clothes as well as a side table level with the cot, enabling you to pop a crib camera on it to keep an eye on the baby. It’s likely that you’ll have the criv in your bedroom for a month or so, but you should still spend time on the baby’s room. Is the heating working there properly? Are you happy that there isn’t any mould on the walls or that there isn’t a draft coming from cracked caulking around the windows. Get all of this out of your head and sorted before the baby arrives and you’ll absolutely thank yourself later on.

The Deep Clean

You don’t just want to clean the nursery of course. You need to do the same for the whole house. A proper, top to bottom deep clean. Especially at the moment with elements of covid still flying around. Make sure you use a good quality antibacterial cleaner everywhere you know the baby will be. It’s hard to get the timing right but you need to do it as close to the birth date as possible. This doesn’t just include the house of course. The same applies to your car and anywhere else you know the baby is going to go. Make sure you wash all of the clothes you’ve bought before letting the baby wear them. Same with all of the accessories like blankets and plush toys. If everything has been sterilised and is clean it’ll give you much better peace of mind.

Think About A Side Hustle

One thing a newborn means is more money. Money spent on bottles, clothes, toys, the list goes on. It’s nice to have a little bit of extra money coming in. Whether you’re taking paternity or maternity leave, if you get things set up before the baby you can let it roll in your free time afterwards. A side hustle is anything you do aside from your main job to bring in some money. Some will launch a business on the side, while others will offer up a skill they have. These include things like tutoring, translation, transcription or any other large amount of marketable skills. You don’t have to set up from scratch either. You can use a third party site to help you make your mark. Think about a freelance site like fiverr or upwork, or a website like etsy to sell your small creations. Monetising a hobby is always a good idea if you’re a creative person. Just think how the extra money can help out. Especially if you’re taking a bit longer off work. The flexibility of your side hustle may allow you to make some cash on your own terms.

Know Your Leave Entitlement

You might already have sorted this out, but some leave it to the last moment and let it catch them unawares. It usually happens to those who have not long started a new job because if you haven’t been there long you might not get as much entitlement, or at least paid entitlement. Grab a hold of your contract or better yet speak to someone from HR. If the business is small, speak directly to the owner instead. The key is in knowing. It allows you to properly budget and plan for the baby.

Stock Up

Getting out and about will get a little harder when you’ve got a baby. Especially if you’re on your own. So stock up as much as you can. Go to your nearest wholesaler and stock up on vests, bibs, diapers and everything else you can think of that will help you to stock up. Think about baby food and formula too. Being able to stock up will leave you with a great amount of peace of mind. You’ll know you have what you need to properly look after the baby. You can always buy items online, so you don’t have to leave the house. However, there is always room for deliveries to go missing or to turn up a day or so later. Actually having the physical items there is far more practical.

Childcare

If you have another child you might need to look into childcare options. They won’t be able to come into the hospital with you and your partner will be busy too. Speak to friends and relatives and see if they can help. The problem here is them needing to be alert at a moment's notice. This means they need to be fairly local so you can drop them off or they can get picked up. It depends on how young or old they are but ensuring there’s someone available, just in case, will make things just that little bit easier for you when it’s time.

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Does My Child Need Glasses?

Is your child having problems with their eyesight? It’s possible that they may need glasses. 

Below is a guide on how to tell if your kid needs to wear glasses.

Why do some kids need glasses?

 
Most people that need glasses are usually either far-sighted or short-sighted. Far-sightedness (hyperopia) involves not being able to clearly see objects that are close, while short-sightedness (myopia) involves not being able to clearly see objects that are far away.

 
Eyesight problems in kids are almost always genetic. Conditions such as astigmatism (irregularly shaped eyes) are the most common causes - problems with vision may occur as young as 4 or 5 or may not occur until teenage years.

 
Either way, there’s usually nothing you can do to prevent such a condition. It’s not because your child has been watching too much TV or playing too many video games.

Signs your child may need glasses

Some children will tell you if they’re having trouble seeing things. Others may not mention it at all - if it is very gradual or something they’ve had since birth, they may not even notice.

There are a few ways in which you can tell that a child may need glasses. These include:

• Squinting a lot - especially when looking at things close up or far away. 
• Sitting close to the TV in order to see it more clearly. 
• Holding a book close to their face. 
• Tilting their head or covering one eye in order to see more clearly (this is sometimes a symptom of amblyopia). 
• Complaining about eye pain or headaches. 
• Experiencing difficulties with learning.

Other vision problems to be wary of

Not all vision problems can be fixed with glasses. If there are other symptoms such as itchiness, burning pain or redness, it could be worth seeing a doctor.

Conjunctivitis is the most common eye condition that children suffer from. It often results in itchiness, redness, discharge and pain. It is rarely ever a serious condition - antibiotic eye drops may be prescribed which could help clear it up.

Other causes of vision loss could range from type 1 diabetes to an infection. It’s best to always see a doctor to get an official diagnosis.

Getting an eye test

The best way to diagnose whether your child needs glasses is to get an eye test.

An eye test will tell you whether or not your child has reduced vision - and, if so, which prescription lenses they need. This test should ideally be carried out by a professional optician. You’ll usually have to book it in advance as there may already be tests lined up.

Free eye tests are periodically carried out by some schools. You will likely be told if your child gets a test and needs corrective vision.

If your child’s school doesn’t provide a free eye test or you don’t want to wait, there may still be other ways to get free or discounted eye tests. Some opticians in some states may not charge anything for kids or there may be organizations that can help. There are also free eye tests that you can download online, but these are generally not as reliable.

Even if you can’t get a free eye test, such tests are generally quite cheap. It could be worth shopping around to compare prices.

Where to buy glasses

If a test reveals that your child needs glasses, you can choose to order glasses there and then at that optician - or you can try shopping around for frames elsewhere.

Some opticians may offer discounts for kids or may offer a free pair of glasses to kids. If you yourself need glasses, you may even find that some opticians offer family discounts. By doing your research into different opticians, you can identify the best deals so that you can save money on a pair.

Online stores can have a great selection and can sometimes have cheaper prices than physical stores. Glasses are usually easy to order on these sites and you may be able to pay for extras such as special lens coatings. The disadvantage of these stores is that you can’t try on frames - which some kids may enjoy doing.

You should let your kids choose a frame they want. More funky and unusual frames can be more expensive (particularly from designer brands). Your child may be happy with a basic frame, however some kids may not be happy with these designs, in which case you may have to both find a compromise.

Extras such as special lens coatings will cost more. These include scratch-resistant coatings and anti-reflective coatings. Most opticians are able to provide these lens coatings.

My child doesn’t want to wear glasses!

Not all kids want to wear glasses. Some kids may find them uncomfortable or annoying, while older kids may not want to wear them in fear of looking ‘nerdy’.

You will need to find a way of overcoming this aversion to glasses. If your child refuses to wear glasses, it could have a negative impact on their education and day-to-day life. The strain of having to squint all the time could also make their vision deteriorate further and they may suffer from frequent headaches and fatigue. All in all, you need to encourage them to wear their glasses.

Some ways of doing this could include: 

• Letting your child pick the frame they want 
• Building their confidence 
• Informing staff at school that they need to wear their glasses 
• Drawing their attention to celebrities and cool pop culture figures that wear glasses 
• Look into alternatives such as contact lenses (usually only an option for children older than 11)
• Discussing why they don’t want to wear them and finding a solution together

Encouraging your child to look after their glasses

Some kids like to play rough. Other kids can be forgetful. This can lead to glasses getting damaged or lost - which can lead to expensive replacements.

It’s important to teach your kids to be responsible with their glasses so that you’re not having to spend unnecessary money on repairs or replacements. A few ways to teach your kids to be responsible with their specs could include: 

• Teaching kids to take glasses off when doing physical activities 
• Teaching kids to put glasses in their case when not wearing them 
• Teaching kids to store glasses in a safe place such as a bag or pocket rather than leaving them on any surface 
• Warning kids not to make DIY repairs such as using glue 
• Teaching kids to clean glasses with a cloth

Buying a spare pair is often recommended when buying glasses for kids. This ensures that if your child loses their glasses, they have another pair to fall back on.

Monitoring your child’s vision

Prescriptions can change over time - your child’s vision may gradually get worse. Vision can sometimes get better but this is much rarer.

Taking your child for an eye test every year or every couple years can allow you to check for any changes in vision. This can allow your child’s prescription to be updated if necessary. An optician will usually remind you as to when an eye test is due. You can get an eye test earlier if you think your child’s vision has got worse within a year.

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The Hardy Boys 🔎 Family Mystery Series Premieres in Canada on YTV March 5 🚲 | #TheHardyBoys

First published in 1927, The Hardy Boys series has sold over 70 million copies and continues to grow as new generations of kids join Frank and Joe’s adventures. Mystery, family secrets, and the pursuit of the truth collide in the new YTV Original series, The Hardy Boys premiering Friday, March 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The story follows two brothers, Frank and Joe Hardy as they arrive in the small town of Bridgeport and set out to uncover the truth behind a recent tragedy. 

Filmed in Toronto and Southern Ontario, the much-anticipated Canadian premiere of The Hardy Boys on YTV follows the series’ highly praised U.S. debut in December 2020 on Hulu. Canadians can also stream The Hardy Boys live and on demand on STACKTV with Amazon Prime Video Channels.

The series unfolds after a family tragedy strikes, when Frank Hardy, 16, and his brother Joe, 12, are forced to move from the big city to their parent’s hometown of Bridgeport for the summer. Frank and Joe’s quiet summer quickly comes to a halt when they discover their dad, detective Fenton Hardy has taken on a secret investigation, leading the boys to take it upon themselves to start an investigation of their own, and suddenly everyone in town is a suspect.

After seeing a bicycle, we had an urge to go out and speed up across our town to see how it looks right now after massive lockdowns. The sun is shining and warmer weather, hopefully, just around the corner.  And while the summer has not arrived yet, Canadian winter offers long run sometimes, let's stock up on some popcorn, puzzles, hot chocolate and watch how kids lead the investigation and venture around Bridgetown in search of the clues.

The Hardy Boys airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on YTV beginning tomorrow! Every town has its secrets!

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The Croods: A New Age 🌄Family-Friendly Animated Movie Now Available on Blu-ray/DVD 🌴 | #CroodsNewAge

Seven years ago, when the first movie The Croods was out, we were in Paris . We could see posters of the movie everywhere. While the images of the animated family were funny and cute, Teddy liked the most Gran character, because for a three-years old kid she was his height in the ad and her innocent smile was hilarious.  The Croods have survived fanged beasts, natural disasters, and even young love, but life does not stop. Kids grow, parents age and the whole family face new rocking adventures in new The Croods: A New Age movie. It is a colorful story, brimming with heart and amusing moments. This time they are looking for a new place to settle. The overprotective caveman dad Grug cannot accept the fact that his daughter is grown up and she wants to start her own family with a boy she falls in love with. Eep and Guy are so happy together that they do not pay attention to what is happening around them.  

During Croods new home search, they discover a walled-in paradise created by the sophisticated Betterman family - Hope, Phil and their daughter Dawn. Their place is well organized with lots of technical advancements and food supply. From lifts, washrooms, mirrors, wearing flip flops and composting, their strict rule to ban eating bananas seems ridiculous!


It turned out that Guy knows the Bettermans well and familiar with their lifestyle. You notice how easily people can change if they are offered better conditions. The Bettermans have their own plan for Guy and their daughter.  As two families try to coexist, the differences between the two families escalate into a full-blown feud, but when a new threat forces both families to embark on an epic adventure, they must all learn to work together or they’ll all go extinct! 

The movie has lots of funny and heartwarming moments to enjoy watching. Grug who cannot let her daughter go, jealous Eep or witty grandmother. Parents have to realize that grown up children should be able to leave home to start their own family. Probably, Grug should pay more attention to other children who need his love and protection.

The Croods: A New Age is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray™ and DVD  from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Along with great story and animation, the release also includes two exclusive animated shorts, a gag reel, deleted scenes and activities the whole family can enjoy together. This fun and entertaining adventure is the must-own family movie!


For more Croods-themed activities you can download a free Guide filled with crafts, puzzles, food recipes and fun games. Teddy liked the movie a lot, so it was fun for him to bake Bronana Bread and make a Shark Milk. They were easy to make and turned out pretty good, so check them out.

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New Mom? What To Do When You Can't Stop Worrying About Your Baby

Babies can worry you to no end, but when the worry becomes too much for you, it’s time to do something for your own mental health!

We all know that the first year of a baby’s life can be one of the most worrying as a parent - these little beings depend entirely on us, and they have a lot to learn from us, and we want to be the best parent we can be for them! We want to get things right, and make as few mistakes as possible, and when we get into a mindset like that, we can become very, very anxious about the behaviors our babies sometimes show.

And when we’re in increasingly worrying times, and being a new parent at the same time, worrying over the way your baby behaves is the last thing you need on your plate! So, in the interest of helping you to calm yourself and focus on the good things in your parenting life right now, here is a little bit of advice you might be able to put to good use. You love your baby more than anything else in the world, and they really need you! So let’s make sure you’re not making yourself sick in trying to be there for them.

Remember That Every Baby is Different

It’s true! Every single baby is different, and is going to develop at a different pace and have a different natural temperament to them. Sure, we use milestones to track growth and progress in multiple areas, but there’s nothing to say you need to worry about your baby if they don’t follow these. Babies are just as unique as fully grown adults, and it’s a lot harder for them to adjust to the world around them simply because it’s all so new!

When one baby sleeps soundly and smiles at the sound of your voice, another baby will cry their lungs out, even when you’re holding them and trying to soothe them. Sometimes it’s a medical issue, but a lot of time it’s due to their natural, developing personalities. One baby is going to be a very active and curious little fellow, and another baby is going to be more of a shy and serious little guy - it’s nothing to worry about, it’s just how they are!

It’s also important to note that babies have natural differing sleeping patterns to one another. If your baby doesn’t sleep through the night, but your neighbor’s does, it can be simply due to how they approach sleeping time. Thankfully, sleeping patterns vary as babies get older, so if your baby doesn’t like to block sleep right now, they might one day!

In getting to know your baby, and how they react to the world around them, you’ll be able to soothe any worries that are flying around your head. Your baby is yours, and they depend on you, so encourage their natural personality out a little more.

Find Out What’s Normal

There are a lot of ‘weird’ baby behaviors that are actually quite normal - we just don’t hear about them a lot because we like to think of having a new baby as a precious and perfect time! However, while you’re enjoying being a new parent, and your baby definitely is precious, they can be complicated to work out as well.

But with the access to doctors, as well as being able to log onto the internet whenever you want to, it’s easier than ever to find out why your baby is doing something, and whether or not you need to worry about it. And while you’re keeping in mind that every baby is different and develops at their own little pace, you’re still feeling a little weird about a certain thing your baby does on a regular basis.

Maybe they cry more than you think they should? Babies are known to cry, and cry a lot, as it’s the only way they can communicate with the world around them. Whether they’re hungry, tired, cold, over or understimulated, or simply want you around, they’re going to cry! If you’ve noticed that your baby tends to stop crying whenever you respond, it’s a good sign that your baby knows and trusts you, and you’ve really got nothing to worry about.

Maybe your baby seems to be behind every other baby you know? Stick to your guns here; your baby has their own temperament, and will hit milestones in their own, good time. Of course, if you’ve spoken to a doctor and they’ve told you that your baby’s seemingly slow progress is nothing to worry about, everything is well and good!

However, you may be able to encourage your baby a little more here; for example, you can help your baby crawl, if they’re reaching the 9 month mark and are good at rocking or bouncing themselves but haven’t quite made the transition yet. Seeing as they recognise you as their parent, you can help to give them a bit more confidence and/or the right technique to follow here.

Talk to Other New Moms

If you’ve got some new mom friends around you, be sure to get on the phone to them when you’re worried about your baby, or when you can’t seem to stop worrying about your baby. When you’ve got other parents to rely on, who you both know and trust, you’re going to be in a much healthier place for soothing the worry you’re feeling about your little one. After all, you’re all in the same boat, and you can share and share alike when it comes to both tips and tricks, and worries and potential issues. It’ll certainly show you that you’re not in this situation alone!

You can also talk to moms who have 3 or 4 year olds, as they’ll have a lot more knowledge that might be very useful to you right now. They’ve been through the difficult early years, and they have the ‘scars’ to prove it, and they definitely used to worry about the same things you’re worrying about right now! They can show you that these worries are unfounded, or not serious, and that negative, recurring thoughts do, in fact, pass. One day you’ll be in their position, and you might end up feeling a bit silly about how much you worried right now, so it’s good to have this perspective on your side early on.

However, if you don’t have any friends who are new or young moms, be sure to join a mommy group online - you can find them both across social media and specialised websites, you’ve just got to know where to find them! Don’t be afraid to reach out like this; even just posting a general query on the group’s page can bring all kinds of helpful responses back to you, and help you to feel included and valid at a very stressful time in your life.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

Asking for help is something a lot of new parents think they’re not allowed to do. After all, if you were willing to bring a new life into this world, you have to be willing to look after them no matter what, right? Come good or bad, you’re the one in charge, and you need to have your head screwed on - surely that’s how it works? Well, not exactly!

It’s often said that it takes a village to raise a child, and when it comes to being a parent for the first time (even when you were prepared to be one and also really wanted to be one!), you’ll really come to understand this saying. Which is why it’s key to remember: you’re allowed to ask for help when you’re worried about your baby, or when you’re worried about how worried you are during this time.

Worry can very soon turn into anxiety, which can soon develop into an anxiety disorder. And when you’re living with a condition like this, you definitely need to reach out to other people. From doctors and therapists to friends and family, get in touch with people and tell them what you’re feeling and thinking. Make sure they’re aware of what’s going on in your head, and in your life, and let yourself depend on them a little more.

The Takeaway Here:

If you’re a new mom, and you’re a bit of a worry-wart, make sure you know if your worries are unfounded or not. You’ve got a lot of options on your plate here, and you’ve always got a chance to do a bit of research to inform yourself a bit more - fear of the unknown can be the scariest thing!

You and your baby deserve to have a good first year together. Don’t let your worries get in the way, and make sure you’re reaching out and seeking help when things get really tough. Being a new mom doesn’t mean you need to be a superhero!

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PatPat Clothing Quality and Affordable ❤️ Outfit For Family | PatPat Matching 💖💖

Kids grow fast, it seems like only yesterday I was playing games in the park with my little baby. And now he is at school learning new subjects and thinking how to fight global warming and save the planet. I know that our life will never be the same again and we cannot go back in time. How can we make sure that we have enough precious family time and enjoy being together?

In the past few months of quarantine, I have spent more time with my family than I have in years. I realized that there is no place to go, and less things to do. While we cannot travel far away or visit a fancy restaurant and even a cozy café behind the corner, we can celebrate holidays together, take tons of pictures, play games and enjoy cooking. 

With Valentine's Day next month why not to organize something special, for example, a nice dinner with a lovely set up, dress up in cute clothes, prepare handmade gifts for loved ones. We liked the idea of having matching outfits for Valentine's Day and, gladly, PatPat Clothing helped us with that. 

PatPat.com is the place to find stylish, quality kids and family clothes at an affordable price, and they’re sharing the love with special matching shirts, dresses, and onesies that are perfect for upcoming Valentine’s Day.


I liked PatPat Clothing for a few reasons. First, their outfit is affordable, you do not need to spend a fortune on stylish clothes for a family. During this uncertain time we do not know what to expect in the future. We are becoming cautious with our spending and PatPat products are the perfect fit for our budget. Though kids tend to outgrow their clothes quite fast, PatPat Clothing doesn't let you outgrow your budget and offers a wide selection for any occasion! 

Second, their quality and design. I like our matching outfit with the right sizes and fun decor. The clothes are made of cotton and did not have nasty chemical odor when first arrived. Third, the shipping was fast. It was very surprising during pandemic, but it is true! 

Take advantage of PatPat seasonal discounts and free shipping rates to Canada  for purchases over CAN$44.35! 


You will fall in love with adorable PatPat clothes, take a look at their selection of matching outfits for family. Enjoy the benefits and convenience of online shopping in the comfort of your home. Happy Valentine's Day!

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