How to choose the right presents for your children

Every year, parents struggle with choosing the right decision for their children. When Christmas is right around the corner, you have to select the proper present to keep the Santa myth alive for your kids. Buying presents for children has never been easy because there are many things to consider, including your budget, toy quality, and age-appropriateness.

Here are some tips that will come in handy when you are shopping for your kids:

Choose age-appropriate toys

Children usually enjoy toys that they can learn how to use easily. You should buy toys that are right for a particular stage of development. Here are some recommendations for the different types of toys that will benefit your kids through certain stages:

  • 0 to 6 months: brightly colored toys and rattles hanging above a crib are the best for this stage of development. If they can rotate as soft lullaby music plays, the toys will entertain your child and put him/her to sleep right afterwards.
  • 6 to 12 months: mobiles, floating bathtub toys, and small toy cars are ideal for this age group.
  • 1 to 2 years: sandbox toys, musical instruments, puzzles, and illustrated books are perfect for kids of this age because they are just starting to learn.
  • 2 to 3 years: large Lego’s, tricycles, kitchen play sets, and chalk are the best option for kids in this stage of development.
  • 3 to 5 years: crayons, bikes, painting sets, and coloring books are ideal for kids between the ages of three and five.

If you want to know whether a toy is age-appropriate, you should check out online reviews. Especially when you’re shopping from amazon online, read the reviews before you buy!

cloth dolls

Choose a toy that brightens your child’s face

You should not rely on well-known and expensive toys because there is no guarantee that they will be safe. Does your child put everything in his/her mouth? Make sure that small parts such as buttons and eyes are attached to the toy firmly.

Moreover, the toy should not have any sharp edges that could injure your child. If you buy stuffed toys, make sure that the filling is free of non-toxic materials and clean.

You do not have to buy expensive

You are the adult and kids do not fully understand the value of the toys that you buy. You need to comprehend that the best toys do not have to be the most expensive. Moreover, you should not spend a fortune on a toy that will be discarded in a few months.

Simple, inexpensive toys that celebrate the power of learning are ideal. Additionally, if you always give expensive gifts, you raise the bar higher each time, and your children will be disappointed if you buy something cheap. For this reason, you should buy your kids reasonable and practical gifts that will teach them how to be grateful and happy.

Try not to overbuy

During the holidays, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents are usually on the prowl for dolls and toys. As a result, your kids end up with too many gifts. Although they will be very happy while opening them, you will be setting a very high bar for presents. This will make them zoom past your pile of presents and start looking forward to the next one.

Child friendship

You should try not to give more than two presents in a single day to lower their expectations. When you spread out the gifts over a few days, your kids will learn to accept them as they come.

Expectations Of Motherhood

When you’re pregnant for the first time, your mind begins to wonder. The “pregnancy brain” aids and abets you in this.

You wonder what your baby will be like. Will they be a doctor? A police officer? A writer? A poet? Will they be shy or outgoing, confident or more reserved?

Naturally, in the midst of all this, you begin to imagine what having a baby is going to be like. You skip over the whole birth aspect and right to those first few months, when you have your baby in your arms and know that your life is changed forever. You wonder what it will be like. And of course, you begin to build a vivid imagination, brimming with expectations of what this new world will be like for you.

Then, post-birth, the reality sets in – and it’s not quite like you imagined it would be!

Sleep

Expectation: You’re going to be tired. Everyone knows that parents of newborns struggle for sleep, delving into the depths of sleep deprivation in ways that the human body was never meant to be able to sustain. You’re expecting it and you’re prepared for it.

Reality: The tiredness is like a vice, closing around you, relentless. You know you’d be tired, but you didn’t realize how bone-deep exhausted you were going to be. It’s a shock to the system and, at the worst points, makes you evaluate those plans to bring siblings into your baby’s life one day.

You

Expectation: Motherhood is not going to fundamentally change who you are on an outside level. You’re still going to have time to see your friends, do your makeup, and indulge in things that you enjoy. You’ll still be you.

Reality: Of course you’ll still be you – but that fundamental shift is going to happen. You’ll find yourself preferring the idea of sitting over a cot watching your little one sleep to going out for a night with the girls. And surprisingly, you’ll be completely okay with that. You’ll still have time for the things you used to do, but they will no longer hold the same lure.

baby with mom

Clothing

Expectation: Your baby (and as they age, your toddler) will be dressed in the most amazing clothes that money can buy. They’re going to look absolutely and totally adorable. You’re going to hit every baby boutique that you can find, and spend hours lovingly dressing them up and helping them to learn their own appreciation for clothes.

Reality: Clothes don’t last thanks to the endless cycle of washing that they have to go through. Babies are amazing, but they’re messy little creatures. Not only is food going to end up on those stunning clothes, but playtime introduces the possibility of paint and crayon stains. You might be able to preserve a pristine look for awhile, but it’s not going to last!

Motherhood

pregnant mom

Expectation: Despite the occasional drawback and sleepless night, you’re going to love it. Every single moment is going to be worth it when you see your baby smile at you.
Reality: Exactly as you thought.

Time Out! Stop Siblings Fighting With These Fab Tips

I’m sure that every parent knows how difficult it can be to have to deal with two feuding siblings. Some children have a long-term problem with each other while others will simply go through a period of bickering that only lasts a week or so. But neither of these situations is ideal, and you will need to stop all this fighting as soon as it occurs. That way, your family will start to enjoy spending time together, and your kids won’t be intent on upsetting each other!

But how exactly do you end a war between two siblings? As a matter of fact, it isn’t quite as difficult as you might think. Hopefully, the following ideas should help you create a peaceful household.

Listen To Them

More often than not, kids fight because they think that their sibling is getting preferential treatment. If this is the case, you need to listen to the child who thinks that they are being hard done by. Maybe you could change a way you speak or act around them to show that you view each child equally? It is also important to listen to your children so that they feel able to open up to you. That way, a child will find it easier to talk to you if their brother or sister is ever bullying them. That way, you can act quickly and punish their sibling so that the bullying stops.

daughter

Keep Their Belongings Separate

Another main reason why siblings argue and fight so much is that they sometimes don’t share their things or they don’t want their brother or sister to use their belongings and toys without permission. To make sure there is never any confusion over whose is whose, it’s a good idea to keep their belongings completely separate. You should also consider clearly marking their books and think about getting some stationery personalized so that they never fight about who owns certain books, paper, and pens!

Don’t Expect Everyone To Be Happy Every Time

No matter how good you are at mediating an argument between your children, you shouldn’t expect to make each child happy every time. There is no way you will be able to satisfy both children, especially if they have been fighting over toys or sweets. But as long as you have gone with the most just decision, you shouldn’t be worried about leaving one of your children to sulk and be upset with themselves.

Disobedient children

Set Clear Rules

Of course, one of the quickest ways to settle any dispute is to prevent them from starting in the first place. And the best way to prevent any arguments from starting is to set out some clear rules from the beginning. This way, your children will know exactly how they are expected to behave. Not only that, though, but you can also state in the rules which toys belong to which child.

Hopefully, this blog post will help you put a stop to your children’s constant arguing. And you can enjoy some peace at last!

3 Ideas To Help You Make Time For Yourself

free time for coffee

When you’re a parent, it’s fair to say that finding time for yourself isn’t the easiest of tasks. You’re so busy ensuring your children are thriving that you forget to care for yourself.

While this is perhaps inevitable, it is far from a sustainable state. Motherhood is a joy and blessing, but it does not need to involve a sacrifice of your own mental and physical health. Taking a break to remember what it’s like to be you, and indulge in adult pastimes, is considered by doctors to be an essential part of navigating life as a parent.

Of course, the idea of making “me time” when you have children is daunting. Most parents say that they never feel like there are enough hours in the day to manage their children’s’ requirements; how can you possibly find the time for yourself, too?

The good news is that finding time for yourself is definitely possible without compromising on being a great parent. Here are a few ideas that, if utilized, can help make your “me time” a reality that is relaxing, comforting, and able to energize you for your everyday life.

#1 – Call A Friend You Haven’t Spoken To In A Long Time

Call A Friend

In the modern world, the vast majority of friendships are played out online. We interact on Facebook, Tweet funny messages to one another– and it’s wonderful, there’s no doubt about that. We all need that connection to the outside world, especially if your children are young.

As useful as these predominantly-online friendships are, however, there is nothing quite like actually speaking to another person, hearing the tone of their voice, and sharing a laugh together. Phone calls are fairly unusual these days, but they still have their place if you want to focus on yourself for awhile.

  • Choose a friend you have not spoken with in a long time.
  • If you feel it’s necessary, message them beforehand — either by text or social media — and ask for a good time to call. This is an especially thoughtful step if they have young children of their own.
  • Ensure your children are busy and have adult supervision, so they won’t be waiting around for you.
  • Find a quiet corner of your home, or head outside and call from a nearby park bench.
  • Call your friend and spend time catching up, reminiscing about old memories, and focusing on yourself for a little while.
  • While you’re naturally going to want to talk about your kids, it’s good to bring up other topics as well.

If you do this regularly, you will feel the benefit of it, and may even come to look forward to this rather old-fashioned way of keeping in touch with someone you care about.

#2 – The Perfect Bedroom

Perfect Bedroom

There is nothing quite like the moment when you walk through your bedroom door, close it behind you, and finally find a little glimmer of peace. You spend your day with your children, and you love every second of it, but we all need that zone in our home where we can just be ourselves.

Making the effort to turn your home into a sanctuary is a step you will not regret taking. It’s a step that ensures you always have somewhere to return to at the end of a day; a place where you can be confident of a few quiet moments to yourself. To give your bedroom that indulgent, welcoming feel that we all need, you might want to consider a few of the following:

  • Treat yourself to a few scented candles or wax tart melts. You can enhance the feeling of relaxation by choosing scents that are meant to encourage de-stressing, such as lavender or vanilla. Our emotions are impacted by fragrance far more than you may realize, and lighting a scented candle and watching the flame flicker may be a routine you associate with the beginning of your “me time”.
  • Treat yourself to good quality, comfortable mattress, as there is nothing quite like the feeling of collapsing into bed at the end of a long day. If it’s been awhile since you have upgraded your mattress, then this is a step that you’re definitely going to want to take. Browse popular mattress types, learn from Sleepei.com what might suit you, then take the plunge– and you’ll be forever grateful that you did.
  • Soft music can help to relax you at the end of a long day. Streaming services like Spotify allow you to setup your own playlist, so put together a list of songs you find inherently relaxing and play them at a gentle volume when you finally retire to bed at night.

#3 – Take Out A Magazine Subscription

One of the most commonly suggested ways of obtaining “me time” is to read a book. This is all well and good — and if you’re able to, then go for it — but many moms struggle to focus on a book regularly, If you can’t frequently dedicate the time to reading, then picking up the thread of a storyline after days or weeks away can be confusing and isolating. As a result, you don’t have the chance to experience the full benefits of reading; benefits which, as lifehack.org points out points out, are myriad.

Magazines, however, don’t have the same accessibility problem. They are designed to be read for awhile, put down, and picked back up at a later date, making them a perfect choice for busy moms. Choose a magazine that genuinely interests you and take out a subscription, so you regularly have a new issue arriving. The day a new issue arrives is a reminder to set aside some time to actually read it.

To Conclude

Motherhood is busy, action-packed, exciting, wonderful, a little overwhelming, and of course 100 percent worth it. However, you can enrich your life by introducing a little time when your needs come first. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount of time; half an hour a week is more than enough, and will give you a chance to center yourself. Make a little “me time” and you won’t regret it; what’s more, it’ll help you be a more relaxed, fun parent.