Monthly Archives: June 2018

The Benefits Of Attending A Trade Show For Expecting Moms

 

 

Becoming a mother is a joyful and exciting time, but motherhood is not an easy world to navigate. Proper planning is essential; having all the right things ahead of time makes life a whole lot easier. Often mothers and other parents only find out about these things after giving birth, when it’s difficult to get a lot of shopping and researching done. Hearing about new, helpful ways of doing things after the fact is frustrating. It’s important to receive helpful advice from other moms, experts, and industry professionals in preparation. A wonderful place to do this is a trade show.

A Baby and New Mom trade show is a one-stop place to learn about new ideas and products that make the first-time motherhood experience a lot easier. In just one place, new parents can gain much information on the latest products, parenting techniques, and facts. It’s a fabulous place to buy the latest gear, beautiful and useful items, and find inspiration for pampering babies and properly stocking up with quality items before the big day comes.

A professional trade show like Thebabyshows.com has the industry’s best and brightest in one location. Many things need to be bought to prepare for baby, including diaper and hygiene care, feeding accessories, bedding and nursery, toys, and items to make moms more comfortable while feeding and putting baby to sleep multiple times a day, to name a few. The list can seem endless and having all the essentials as well as some extra pampering items for your precious newborn in one spot is extremely helpful.

Having access to a range of experts offering seminars and advice is an invaluable resource. On top of the shopping a quality baby trade show provides, there are a range of info sessions to sit in on and information to take home. Being in an atmosphere that is promoting good health and happiness for baby, mother, and other parents is comforting, and having other mothers, fathers, and other family around to meet and talk about everything baby is a memorable experience. Being a new mother can be overwhelming and having the support from others and access to a wide range of necessary items can make the transition an enjoyable one.

Before attending a show, check out the vendors, exhibitors, and talks ahead of time online. It’s a good idea to note a few places and where they’re located. Pamphlet and maps will be available to make notes and highlight places to scope out. And take a tip from expert trade show attendees: do a survey of the place one day and mark places of interest, then recharge and return a second day to purchase the things you liked the most.

Becoming a mother for the first time (or second or third) has so many emotions tied to it: joy, fear, love, anticipation, uncertainty, and so many more. A high quality, local trade show that focuses on you and your needs is an incredible help and will supply you with the confidence you need to welcome baby into the world.

How To Relax and Wind Down After Work

 

Relaxing after work can be hard. Winding down can be tough to do and this can cause anxiety and stress. These tips will help you do so and remain more chilled out.

Schedule Your Downtime

You need to make downtime your goal and take the time to schedule it into your daily routine.  You could look at something that is easy to schedule in such as 5 minutes of doing nothing after work.  You also need to schedule any planned activities such as exercise and play or date nights. A goal you might want to consider setting is to have 3 to 5 relaxing activities scheduled into your work week.

Disconnect

Regardless of what you choose to do to relax, it can be hard to unwind when you are still thinking about the work you have to do.  This is why the first thing you should do as soon as you leave the office is to turn off your work phone.  You need to avoid bringing your work home with you and this is the first step.  You deserve to have some time for yourself or time with your family without work, particularly after you have put in all your energy and hard work into the day at the office.

Take A Warm Shower Or Bath

One of the best ways to relax and move away from work is to wash away the tension from the office.  Water has a very calming effect on your mind and the soul.  You should try taking a nice warm shower after work as this will help your muscles relax.  You should follow this with a splash of cold water to energize the cells in the body.

If you have a bathtub, you should try a warm bath.  Light up some aromatic candles and soak in warm water with Epsom salts.  Of course, you should never forget to moisturize after a long soak as you do not want to dry out.

Indoor Water Features

An indoor water feature can be very relaxing and really help you relax and a lot of people are purchasing them with this in mind nowadays. Placing them close to the area where they chill out after work, many find, really helps.

Unwind With Some Exercise

Exercise is a great way to work off some of the stress you have from the office.  Exercise will also release endorphins and this will make you happier.  Regular exercise has also been found to make you more energetic in the long-term and will increase your overall happiness.  Joining a sports team is an idea you should consider as they have a social element to them, but if you prefer to exercise alone a good playlist can help keep you company.

Get Out Of The House

You need to have a change of scenery after being locked up in an office all day and this will help you relax.  If the weather is good, you should try getting outside and you do not have to go further than your garden.  Just breathing in some fresh air is good for you and being surrounded by greenery will let your mind drift away from the office.

Relax With Music

You can always find some peace and relaxation with some soothing tunes.  The music that you listen to has a bigger influence on your mood than you might imagine.  To help you calm down, you should avoid any loud and fast genres of music as they will generally aggravate you more and could cause more tension.  Slower music that prompts you to close your eyes and breathe along will help reduce your heartbeat and this will help you calm down after work.

Read A Book

Sometimes the best way to get away from the chaos and stress of your day is to slip into another world.  There is research that suggests a part of your brain which feels empathy gets a workout when you read fiction.  If you want to unwind, you should look at reading something with a powerful character or a positive situation.  If you are not an keen reader, you can opt for an episode of 2 of your favorite TV show or turn to an audiobook.

Have Company

Some people like to be alone at the end of the day as solitude helps them to relax.  However, there are other people who find company diverting and will enjoy having people around them.  If you need a distraction, focus your attention on a friend or family member.

Meditate

You do not have to sit in the lotus position and hum to meditate.  There are a lot of people who find formal meditation to be a great way to relieve their stress and find peace.  There are other people who find sitting in a comfortable chair with a heated eye mask to be the best way to meditate.  You can find a lot of podcasts out there that can help you with meditation.

Sleep Tight

There is no better way to restore your energy after work than a good night’s sleep.  This is actually something that many people find challenging, but you can set this up by going to be early.  Ensure that your bedroom is a place that you only sleep in.

Tips for Finding A Physics and Maths Tutor for your Child

 

There are many ways parents can find a physics and maths tutor. With the number of agencies providing tutoring services in the country growing, some people find tutors through personal ads while a greater number rely on recommendations. Tutorfair is one of the first websites that allow people to book a tutor online, and since the site funds charity work it addresses different educational disadvantages. I strongly suggest that you look there first.

Before settling for a physics and maths tutor, it’s advisable that you meet several first. Since tutors are people just like you and me, each has their own style of tutoring. It is, therefore, vital that you first take the time to consider each to see who will best fit the student’s potential. It can be quite tempting to make a decision based on your liking for a person, or on the fact that the tutor seems to have a unique tutoring style that you liked as a child. However, it’s not you that will be working with them. It’s, therefore, important that you listen to your child and see who they’d like to work with and who they think they could learn best from. If your kid likes a tutor, then half of the problem is solved as they’ll often work harder to impress their mentor.

If your kid does not like any of the tutors available, then this could make finding one a bit harder, and the problem might not be about the tutors but more about the student  – he or she probably has a problem with tutoring. I have heard parents say to their children ‘okay, you are going to have to work with a tutor, so find one who you hate least’. This isn’t to say that you should not trust your own instincts, just remember that it is your child that will be working with the tutor.

During the decision-making process, there are some very important questions that I believe are worth asking the new potential tutor. If asked early in the selection process, these questions could save you a lot of time later. Here are some:

– What kind of learner are you? As a student, were you more kinesthetic, auditory, visual, or did you learn best by rote?

– If a student does not feel like studying that day, how would you handle the situation?

– Ever had any difficult students, and if you did, how did you deal with them?

While this might sound like an interview, in part it is. I’d advise you not to give potential tutors a hard time during your initial meet up, but make sure that you voice your concerns or questions. Part of the tutor’s work is to act as a link between the kid and the parents academically. However, I’d be wary of a tutor who can’t explain their working method and ethics. Nowadays, I use my gut feelings a lot. Nevertheless, I still have some things that I like to do first. if the tutor cannot explain some things during the initial meet up, then I would be very concerned about their aptitude to explain challenging things to a student who’s really stuck.

Something else to consider is how qualified the tutor is. Most tutoring agencies have stipulations that their tutors should possess specific qualifications at least a level above those they are teaching. For instance, a GCSE History tutor should have an A-level on the subject, with some even stipulating that they should hold degrees in the area. This does make a lot of sense, however, it is still worth noting that just because one holds a PhD or a degree in a subject, that does not necessarily mean that they can teach it.

Some of the best tutors I have ever met were once people who struggled at school themselves. Most maths teachers back in my school days never really had a problem with maths. However, it’s clear to me now that this made it harder for them to empathise with students who were not ‘getting it’. I only got to really understand maths later on in time, which is something, in some ways, that led me to be more patient with struggling students, since I went through the same struggle.

Apart from being great teachers, the most successful tutors are the ones who are halfway between a best friend and a teacher. Such tutors inspire students to want to learn, and kids often like them a lot they’ll work even harder, sometimes just to impress them. This is amongst the most powerful tools that a tutor has and therefore their success will mostly depend on the chemistry between the tutor and his or her students. I am not saying that all students will love and connect with every tutor they get, but if they really aren’t getting it on, this could be really bad news for both the student and tutor.

The tutor could risk negative reviews from the student’s parents (and this does count in the playgrounds outside of school) while the students could risk wasting a lot of valuable time. It is, therefore, vital that you see how a tutor you are considering interacts with your kid, and although I recommend giving them time alone to work together, do not be afraid to ask your child about how he or she felt after the lesson.

They do not have to be super excited about their tutor, but it is a good idea to check and see if they feel like they learned something and that they do not feel lacking in confidence and completely overwhelmed.

Once you’ve settled for a tutor, the next thing to consider is how you are going to get the most out of the tutor. To find out more about my thoughts on this subject matter, see my next blog post coming soon “Parents: How To Get The Most Out Of Your Kid’s Tutor”

5 Things You Should Know about Bath Bombs Before You Use Them

 

Bath bombs are a relatively recent innovation in health and beauty products. They’ve also exploded in popularity in the past few years. Bath bombs are typically pressurized packages of various ingredients that create a fizzing reaction upon exposure to water and they come in varying sizes and properties. Here are five things you should know about bath bombs before you use them.

Bath Bombs Aren’t for Everyone

Bath bombs were originally developed for those who can’t use traditional bath products, but they aren’t for everyone. If you have sensitive skin, you should probably avoid bath bombs altogether. Avoid bath bombs if you have a tendency toward urinary tract infections as well.

Check the Ingredients

While many bath bombs include ingredients no different from the soaps and other beauty products in your home, you should check the ingredients. Avoid bath bombs with glitter or vegetable oil-based luster. If you opt for glitter, opt for mineral based glitter over pieces of plastic. While it looks pretty in the bath water, plastic glitter can irritate sensitive parts of the body.

If you know you’re allergic to an ingredient, don’t buy a bath bomb that contains it, so check the ingredient list on every bath bomb you buy – or make your own. If you don’t know what an ingredient on the back of the package is, look it up. Or consider buying a different bath bomb.

You Could Still Be Allergic to Common Ingredients

Fragrances and the coloring agents in bath bombs can cause mild skin irritation. Fluorescent bath bombs are the most likely to contain artificial dyes that may cause allergic reactions. In general, it is safer to choose bath bombs that contain natural ingredients. If you start to feel irritation, the best advice is to clear the tub, wash off your body and then wash out the tub.

If the irritation doesn’t calm down in a few hours, talk to a doctor. However, you’re probably not reacting to the citric acid or sodium bicarbonate found in many bath bombs since they’re so diluted by the bath water. Note that these are the ingredients that react to make the bath bomb fizzy in the first place.

Fresher Is Better

The best bath bombs are fresh ones. You can tell how fresh they are by how fizzy they are on contact with the water. A general rule of thumb is to use the bath bomb within three weeks of buying it. If you ordered it online, take the shipping time into account, so if it took a week to arrive, you have two weeks to use it.

Understand the Safety Hazard that Bath Bombs Create

There have been stories of people going to the emergency room due to a serious rash from exposure to ingredients in a bath bomb. However, there is another hazard that bath bombs can introduce. All of those essential oils and butter can coat the inside of the tub, making it slippery.

Take care not to slip when getting in and out of the bath after using a bath bomb. You may want to clean the tub before using the bath bomb since these slippery oils will stick to dirt and grime in the tub. If you don’t want to be cleaning the tub before taking a bath, choose a bath bomb that doesn’t contain oil.

Conclusion

Bath bombs can be great for relaxation and fun as well. But if you want to enjoy them without the side-effects, know what you’re getting into first.

How to Deal with Your Children During a Separation

 

 

Sometimes marriages and partnerships break down; this can be a difficult time for both of you and your children as well. You can both get so engrossed in the problems you are having that it can be easy to ignore and forget about how your children are feeling. If you are in a similar situation, here are a few tips for dealing with your children’s feelings during the tricky time of a separation or divorce.

Try Not to Put Them Between You

Many parents use their children as a messenger, especially if they are living apart. Although you might think there is no problem doing so, in fact, this type of communication via your children can have an impact on their feelings. They might have to say things to their parents that make them upset or anxious, and it also places a burden on them that they shouldn’t have to deal with at any age. To minimise any problems, you need to discuss things in private or via email. Things that involve the children can be discussed as a group with all of the family members there because this then gives them the opportunity to ask questions.

Understand Their Feelings About Both of You

Even though the two of you can no longer live together, your children will still love you equally. For that reason, you should try to understand that they might not share the feelings you might have for your partner. It can be easy to talk to your children about the separation and perhaps say negative things about your partner, but this can make your kids feel awkward and upset. You should also avoid taking your kids to the family solicitor London, so they don’t have to hear negative things about their parents. If you have feelings that you want to share, try talking to a therapist or someone you trust rather than talking to your children.

Take Time to Listen to Your Kids

A period like this in your children’s lives can cause a great amount of turmoil. They won’t always understand what’s happening, and they might form ideas that aren’t true. That is why it is vital that you are there for them and that they can ask you about what’s happening. Allow them to talk and to express how they feel, try not to dismiss their feelings, but also try to let them know that things will be ok. Both parents should do this in case one of your children want to confide on one of you and not the other.

Avoid Asking Too Many Questions

When your children spend time with the other parent, you should think of this time as visiting an aunt or uncle. You should ask them fun questions about their stay but try not to grill them or ask about what your partner did. It will make them feel uneasy and in an impossible position.

Separation is never easy, but if you can all try to be as open and approachable as possible, it will make it a lot easier for your kids.