Tag: Parents

Let’s Talk About The Birds & Bees: A Guide For Parents

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. A major landmark in life is puberty. At that stage, the world changes for young people and it’s critical for parents to understand how to explain those changes. The following contributed post is entitled, Let’s Talk About The Birds & Bees: A Guide For Parents.

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Parents from certain generations have different memories of “The Talk”. If you’ve got children who are approaching puberty or well into their teens, you probably still belonged to a family that didn’t openly discuss sexual health. Your parents definitely didn’t get a talk from theirs – and it gets even worse the further back you go.

Approaching the topic of the “birds and the bees” is always a fidgety moment for parents. You want to shy away from it as it makes you uncomfortable. At least, that’s how our parents acted in the past. We’re at a slight advantage as we now live in a more open world where sexual health talks are normalized and encouraged. It’s not as big of a taboo topic anymore – but that doesn’t make it any easier for us to talk to our kids about it!

Part of the problem is not wanting to freak your kids out; the other part is that you want to cling to the memory of your child being an innocent little kid. You put it off and before you know it your child is well into their teens and confused about everything.

A lot of pediatricians recommend starting sexual health talks when your children are as young as 5. That sounds crazy to some but it’s more about broaching different topics and letting them ask any questions they might have about the human body. You then gradually talk to them about more things as they get older, particularly when they approach puberty. The goal is to let them know what will happen to them before it happens – too many kids are frightened by the changes to their bodies because they have no clue what’s going on and aren’t taught about it until after the changes begin.

Keeping all of this in mind, you’re still on edge about broaching these topics with kids and teens. Maybe after seeing the dangers brought about by neglecting these talks, you’ll understand why they’re crucial for all parents to have…

Schools Barely Cover The Subject

Parents are guilty of taking the easy way out and saying “Hey, I don’t have to teach my kids this as the schools will do it for me.” While that should be true, schools are notorious for barely covering this subject. They give the most base-level teachings on sexual health – and it’s often one time when your kids are around 10 or 11.

That will never be good enough and your children could have so many questions. Many kids get the “sex talk” from school and are left more confused than before. The curriculum is terrible for this and the onus is on you to pick up the slack and help them understand everything. Schools never talk about things like hormonal balances and how puberty can change your mood on a dime. You teach your child most things in life, so why shy away from one of life’s most important lessons?

Kids Can Easily Find Myths Or Misinformation Online

Following on from above, a child who had a sex education class at school is likely to do some online research. They have questions and things they want to know, so the internet is there to oblige. Unfortunately, this leads to a cataclysm of misinformation coming their way. They will read things that aren’t true and can mislead them in many ways.

The same goes for teens approaching sexual maturity. Perhaps they have a boyfriend/girlfriend and they want to learn more about sex. Googling this can help, but it’s so easy to find the wrong answers – particularly about stuff like contraception and safe sex. For example, a lot of adults don’t know the difference between medical abortion vs Plan B, let alone teens! People think they’re the same thing and may avoid Plan B altogether when it’s actually a safe form of contraception.

It’s insane how easy it is for your children to read the wrong things online, leading them down a terrible path to poor sexual health. You want them to be safe and to feel confident in what’s happening to their bodies. The best way to do this is by talking about things and listening to their questions. Provide them with trustworthy resources too, so you know they’re getting the right info and missing all the myths.

Uninformed Kids Exhibit Riskier Behaviors

What’s the problem with kids picking up myths or misinformation about sexual health online? They’re empowered to make wrong decisions. This leads to riskier behaviors when they’re older and is more likely to result in things like STDs or unexpected pregnancies.

It sounds obvious, but informed and properly educated kids grow up making better sexual health choices. There’s genuine evidence to support this with proper studies suggesting that appropriate sex education leads to increased contraception use, reductions in the number of sexual partners, and more positive attitudes towards safer sex. Kids with the proper information are also more likely to delay their “sexual debut” – that’s a weird term, but it’s the official lingo used in the study.

In other words, informing your kids and having chats with them as they grow and develop will help them have a better understanding of sexual health. They’re less likely to take risks and potentially ruin their – or other people’s – lives.

You Set Them Up For A Terrible Time During Puberty

It’s commonly known that young people may experience a higher risk of mental health issues with early puberty. Anxiety is the big one and it’s born from a complete lack of understanding. When you leave it too late to talk to your kids about puberty, the anxiety can already settle in. They have no idea why their body is changing and it freaks them out – why is their skin no longer clear and what’s all this extra hair doing everywhere?! Even after hearing what puberty is, they still might be scared about little changes here and there.

Talk to them before they reach puberty and you prepare them for it. This can save them from a lot of mental and emotional distress. Teens already have so much to worry about when going through puberty, so you can take at least one thing off their plate.

We know it’s hard, but please try not to shy away from talking to your kids about sexual health. Experts recommend starting these talks from an early age – but you don’t have to be crazily explicit about things. As you notice your child is starting to change and puberty is on the horizon, that’s when you should have a proper discussion about things. And be open to future discussions too – as they dip into their teenage years, you can talk about other things and ensure they grow up as adults with a good sex education.

There’s No Place Like Home: How To Adapt Your Home For Your Elderly Parents

Two focuses of my blog are Health/Wellness and Home/Living Discussions. A decision many of us will face is caring for our elderly parents. In some instances that involves moving them in with us, requiring us to prepare spaces in our own homes for their twilight years. The following contributed post is entitled, There’s No Place Like Home: How To Adapt Your Home For Your Elderly Parents.

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Aging is a fact of life. Even then, it’s hard to watch as your parents struggle with things they used to do with ease. It’s as if they are no longer your superheroes. However, this is when you need to step in to make their lives more comfortable.

Some children do this by inviting their elderly parents into their homes permanently, yet, even if they remain in their property, you want them to visit and be a part of your life. As a result, it’s necessary to make adaptations to your home, regardless.

The question is, which ones should you focus on first?

Removing Fall Hazards

Hazards are double-edged swords. Not only do seniors struggle to see and or avoid them, but the impacts of a trip, no matter how small it seems, can be very damaging. And, if you have children, or lead a regular life, you are bound to have fall hazards throughout your home. Removing them is imperative, and you can do this with a simple audit. Go around your house and evaluate what’s safe and what’s unsafe, and find it a new place to live if it falls into the latter category. For example, decorative rugs or hardwood flooring might be slippy.

Installing Handles

You can’t go with them everywhere, which means you can’t always be around to lend a hand. Take the bathroom, for instance. Your parents require privacy, but your bathroom might not be conducive to the elderly. A surefire sign is an interior that lacks handles and rails. After all, the less-abled can’t lift their body weight without leverage. Installing hand grips is simple and cost-effective, yet it will make a significant difference to your parents when they visit or come to stay.

Putting Up Barriers

A mistake can be fatal. At the very least, it can be painful and result in a trip to the Emergency Room. You shouldn’t take any chances, and you don’t have to with barriers that are strong enough to shield your parents from further harm. A custom metal fabrication on the upstairs walkway is a fantastic place to start, as is the staircase, and any balconies or balustrades. And, if you have them, you might want to reinforce them just in case. With a custom metal design, you get peace of mind that everything is to a high standard.

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Keeping Numbers Handy

You’re not a professional caregiver. You’re a concerned child who does the best they can to assist your elderly parents. This is commendable, but it means you will need help when situations take a turn for the worst. Thankfully, expert care workers are on hand, all you need is their number. Taking down the contact details of emergency contacts should enable you to negate any problems. Of course, you know what to do if it is serious – call 911. Either write them down or store them in your phone or both in case of a situation where you don’t have either handy.

There’s no place like home, not when it’s designed for safety.

Are You Trying To Balance Being A Parent And Studying? Here’s 3 Tips To Make It Easier

Two key focuses of my blog are Creating Ecosystems of Success and General Education. Many parents balance going back to school and parenting which can be a lot of work. The following contributed post gives tips to parents for simultaneously balancing both tasks and is entitled, Are You Trying To Balance Being A Parent And Studying? Here’s 3 Tips To Make It Easier.

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There are many reasons why parents decide to continue or even start, studying at the same time as raising a young family. They may have become parents at a young age and missed out on the chance to finish their education, or perhaps they took time out to go on a gap year or went straight into the workplace instead. Whatever the reason, it is possible to make a return to education and raise a family at the same time. It will be more difficult – after all, you have little people depending on you, but bare in mind that you are doing your best to be a good role model and improving your future job prospects. Here, we look at a few ways to make studying and parenting a lot more simple.

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1) Think about online or distance learning

Sometimes, actually getting out to a college or university campus can be the most difficult thing about studying for a parent. If your children are not of school age, you need to look for reliable daycare, which can be extremely expensive. You also have to think about getting everyone ready and out of the door on time in the mornings, and let’s face it, with young kids, that is never the easiest thing to do. Lessons and deadlines are usually set in stone and have no leeway for flexibility. Online and distance courses, are not as rigid, and can often be done at your own speed, from the comfort of your own home – in your pyjamas if you like and sitting at your affordable reclaimed wood table. It also allows you to attend events at your children’s school and be at home for them when they need you without the worry of it affecting your grades or attendance.

2) Be prepared to study anywhere

When you’re studying and raising a family, the one thing you are most likely to struggle with is time. As parents, we seem to waste a lot of time, sitting around in our car while they are in ballet recitals or soccer coaching. When you are studying, those little pockets of time can be precious. Have a bag ready to take anywhere and everywhere with course books, printouts, flashcards and anything else that you need to do some spontaneous studying. You will be surprised at just how much you can get done!

3) Lose the guilt

Guilt is one thing that parents feel a lot of the time, and when you are trying to divide your precious time between your children and your education, it is easy to feel guilty. To do both effectively, you need to let that guilt go. Sometimes, you might have to put the TV on and leave the kids to amuse themselves. Sometimes, you might need to miss that show or that baseball game to meet a deadline. There will be times when you feel exhausted and have little patience left, but remember, you are doing this not only to benefit you but to benefit your children as well.