Author Archives: Oscar Dyer

What Is It Like To Live With A Partner In The Armed Forces?

If your husband is one of the many brave people who work for our armed forces, it could place a massive strain on your relationship. Not only will they be away for long periods, but you will worry about whether or not they will return home safely. Today, I’m going to highlight what it is like to live with a partner in the armed forces. I hope doing that will make people more aware of the stresses involved.

Anyone who chooses to join the military should be commended for their actions. As an Army, Navy, or Air Force wife, you’ll have to get used to supporting your partner and being there when they need you. It is possible you might only get to spend a few months together each year, so you need to make them count.

The Loneliness

There can be no avoiding the fact that people who live with partners in the military feel lonely a lot of the time. That is especially the case if there are children involved. Bringing up kids on your own can be very stressful, and you will sometimes wish their father was around to help share the burden. However, there is a simple and fantastic solution to the issue. Ultris Oakleaf Plantation and various other communities in the US are designed specifically to house the families of military personnel. That means buying a property in one of those towns in a wise move. Most of your neighbors will be in the same position, and so you will find ways of supporting one another.

The National Guard

The Worry

While your partner might be able to send letters once or twice each month, you won’t hear from them very often. That is just one of the downsides to being on duty in different countries. Some ladies find that being away from their armed forces husband can mean they spend a lot of time worrying. That is completely normal. When all’s said and done, your loved one is putting themselves in danger in order to protect their people. Many servicemen come home with injuries every single year, and so there is a high likelihood the same could happen to your partner. Opting to get in touch with a therapist could ensure you develop the right coping mechanisms for dealing with that worry. Also, keeping in close contact with their employers will mean you hear about any negative incidents quickly.

The Joy

Outside of military situations, most couples will never experience the level of joy you get when your partner comes home. You will be so thrilled to see them that it could become a rather emotional experience. There is nothing quite as exciting as waiting out on the driveway with your kids for their father’s return. So, it’s not all bad news. While you could buy a family pet to give your children something to focus on when their dad is away on duty, it’s never going to replace the real thing.

Now you know what it is like to live with a partner in the armed forces, we think you should be in a better position to deal with the issue if your husband decides to sign up. Thanks for reading today girls. This post should have given some hope to those who will be affected in the future.

Could Your Family Benefit From A Home Extension?

If your property has become too small to house your family, there are only a few options available. Presuming you don’t have the funds or desire to purchase somewhere new, it makes sense to pay for an extension. Doing so could bring many different benefits for those who live with you. Just in case anyone reading this post isn’t convinced about how much difference an extension could make to their property, we’ve listed a number of plus points below. At the end of the day, work of that nature doesn’t come cheap. So, you will still have to make a significant investment. However, it will be much cheaper than buying somewhere new, and a lot less hassle.

Photo credit here

More space

It might sound obvious, but we thought it was sensible to point out that a home extension will give you more space. Depending on which area of your property you plan to extend, that could mean you get a bigger kitchen or perhaps more bedrooms. You could give those to any aging family members who need extra care. It all comes down to how much money you’re willing to spend, and which parts of your home are suitable for the work. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to weigh up all the pros and cons of building an extension off different rooms. Remember, you can always add space upstairs at a later date. You’re just going to need something on the ground floor first.

Increased value

There is no getting away from the fact that any home extensions you perform are going to add a significant amount of value to your property. That means spending so much cash now isn’t the worst idea in the world. So long as the work is carried out to a professional standard, the value of your home should increase far beyond the initial investment you made. Considering that, extending your property could make good financial sense. You will reap the monetary rewards whenever you decide to sell up in the future.

No need to pack your life away

If you choose not to extend your home, the only other way of getting the extra space you require will be to move somewhere new. As we said only a moment ago, that will be far more costly. However, that isn’t the main reason you should stay put. Moving house is incredibly stressful for everyone involved. You have no choice but to pack your lives away and kiss goodbye to all those special memories. Do your kids a favour and extend instead. There is nothing worse than having to move from place to place when you are young. Children need to feel like that have roots, and they’ll never get that if you keep sending them to different schools. Stability is key!

Presuming you read all those points, the benefits of a home extension should be obvious. All you have to do now is work out which local specialist is most capable of handling the job. Of course, there are lots of review websites you can use to find suitable tradespeople.

Missing Quality Time With The Kids? 7 Great Ideas For Staying Close

Sharing time with your family is the most wonderful event of each day, but it seems to get harder and harder to do as the kids get older. There are the same number of hours in a day, but there comes a point when you realize they just aren’t enough. When kids start school, and you are at work, it can be hard to get back to each other in the evening with enough energy to engage each other fully. Often the weekends are full of household chores and sports clubs so your time together may still be restricted.

Even though you live under the same roof, you can still feel very isolated despite having a close family. When your kids become more and more independent, they seem to prefer the company of their friends, and their sports and hobbies take up much of their time. Rather than feel glum, we give you the top seven ways to keep in good company with your growing kids:

Take an interest – Ask your kids plenty of questions each week about what they are into. This is different from asking what they are up to. Instead, talk about their music tastes, and what movies are worth a watch. This will give you a springboard for a deeper conversation and before you know it, you have been sitting and chatting for half an hour.
Dates – Take each of your kids out one at a time on their own, like you would a date. Visit a favorite coffee house or ice cream bar. Just the two of you together can be a great opportunity to catch up and talk about things at their level. Eventually, you can invite siblings to do the same with each other to keep their relationship close.
Dog walking – Have the whole family take the dog for a walk. It gives you all some fresh air and exercise, setting good habits for life. Most importantly, you can visit places away from the house that you all enjoy and feel relaxed in.
Faith – Some moms use this time in their lives to touch base with their faith at places like harvestfamilychurch.com. It also provides the rest of the family a chance to be together in a friendly setting where activities are very oriented toward the family as a unit.
New hobby – If you take up a new hobby, or even an old one, you can probably find your kids will take an interest. If they are ready to find their own hobby, see if you can join in. Learn a new instrument together, or find some craft activities you can both enjoy.
Board games – Sometimes affectionately known as Bored games by kids. They are great for getting you all to interact with each other.

Source of image is Flickr.com

Do the school run – Taking your kids to school instead of them taking the bus buys you those few extra minutes each day to check in with everyone.

Fantastic Tips For Making A Shared Bedroom Special

Do you want to create a beautiful bedroom that both your children will love, but don’t know where to start? For parents who have children sharing a bedroom, it can be hard to know where to start when designing a bedroom both children will love.

Designing a beautiful shared bedroom that both of your little ones will be happy with, is actually much easier than you think. Believe it or not, a shared bedroom can be just as fun and unique as separate bedrooms, and twice as fun.

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To help you make your children’s shared bedroom special, we have put together five fantastic tips below.

1. Be consistent with the design

Layout is vital when designing a shared bedroom. Everyone needs their own space, even babies and small children.

The key to giving your littles ones their own space in a shared room is the layout. Use different corners and areas of the room to create individual zones for each child. Just make sure to keep the design elements consistent so that each area of the room works well with the rest of the space.

Don’t forget to plan the design so that it grows as your children do. Invest in good quality furniture, bed linen and mattress toppers that will last.

2. Design a flexible space

Although your little ones share the room, it doesn’t mean that everything in there has to be shared. That is why it is essential that you create flexible play areas that they can share and play in together, as well as areas for alone time.

To give your child the opportunity for alone time, perhaps you could have an indoor tent or small den for each child to play in.

3. Split the room

Most children who share a space, like the idea of having a formal division in place. Dividing your children’s bedroom can be as simple as drawing a line down the centre of the floor or adding a curtain divider.

If however, you rent your home and adding a curtain or drawing a line is not a possibility, think about your other options. Perhaps you could invest in bunk beds that go in different directions and use them to mark each child’s territory? Or perhaps you could split the room using furniture?

4. Add personality to the space

Just because your children share the room, it doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t reflect their personalities. There are plenty of ways you can make a shared bedroom as personal as separate ones. Use toys, artwork, photographs and accessories to reflect each child’s personality, likes and hobbies.

You could also use two different colour schemes in the room, and then use one unified wall to keep the room consistent.

5. Don’t forget storage space

Make sure to take storage space into account when designing your children’s new bedroom. With two children sharing one space, you will have double the stuff, so will need ample storage options.

Consider investing in beds with storage space, such as cabin beds, stacking crates or ceiling storage. Think about what would work best in the space and go from there.

Magical Design Ideas for Your Kid’s Bedroom

Everything that a child experiences as they grow up helps to shape them as an adult. I for one, remember many things that happened to me as a child and believe they contributed to my personality. I’m sure you do too. With this being the case, what could be better than designing your child a magical bedroom? It’s the place they’ll spend most of their time; playing, sleeping, doing homework, etc. Here are some tips that they’ll thank you for when they grow up:

Apply Wall Decals

Wall decals are great little tools for making a room more personalised and artistic. There are lots of different styles, so there’s something to suit every kind of child. You could get their name, the outline of a fairy, butterflies, animals, and more. They’re really easy to apply too, so you don’t even need that much patience to do it! In fact, I bet your little one would be happy to oblige (although you should supervise). Don’t worry, you can’t even tell that they are stickers. They look painted on!

Incorporate Plenty of Colour

Children’s rooms should be full of colour and excitement, although there are a few ways you can do this. You could go all out by using playful shades of yellow, green, red, purple, orange, etc. Or you could use pastels, which are a bit more calming for kids who can’t sleep very well at night.

Make Their Bed Double Up as Something Else

Instead of giving them a boring bed, let them have a bed that doubles up as something else. Be honest; we all wanted one when we were kids! You could get a pirate ship bed, a bed with a slide attached to it, a bed that looks like a dolls house…there really is no limit. You can even find designer boys beds in the shape of a big red bus. It might seem like a silly expense, but they’ll absolutely love it!

Mix and Match

Kids don’t want things to be perfect and matchy matchy. They’re not boring like adults. Instead, mix and match colours and pattern. You can do this by buying mixed sets of furniture, cushions, and accessories. It looks so much more fun!

Release Your Inner Artist

If you want to personalise your child’s room a bit, you can release your inner artist. Paint their favourite cartoon characters on the wall. Decorate old furniture to make it look like it came out of a scene from ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Cut out Peter Pan’s shadow on a piece of paper, place it over a lamp, and his shadow will play in the room.

image author

Make a Tipi

Another wonderful way to get crafty; make your kids a tipi. Kids love to have a ‘den’ to play in, and it’s also a great place to read or do homework. You won’t have to force them to go up to their room ever again!

Imagine how thrilled your child will be when they see their magical new room!

Top Tips on Keeping Your Kids Healthy This Winter

Your children’s health is of paramount importance. Many of us are keen to make sure that our kids are happy and healthy. In the winter, it can be tough to make sure that your children are the embodiment of health. Colds, sniffles and the like can have a devastating impact on your child. After all, children should be free to run around and play. Not, be lying on the sofa.

So, how can you make sure that your kids are healthy this winter? Here are some top tips that you can use.

Tackling the Indoors Problem: Get Cleaning!

The long, cold winter days often mean that we confine our kids to the house. After all, the wind and the rain can be unpleasant to play in. But, with that, we often forget the importance of cleaning for good health. Making sure that dust bunnies are not present is important. Dust and fluff can get on our children’s chests and leave them with severe coughs. Thinks like Tennant floor scrubbers are the best way to make sure that your home is dust free. Carpets can trap dust in the fibres which can get a child’s chest. But, wood flooring seems to collect dust behind furniture. Blitzing the house is critical to keeping your child healthy this winter. Especially when they are being kept indoors.

Washing Hands and Beating Bugs

Tackling germs can be problematic. Make sure that your child is washing their hands. After all, kids are tactical in their nature. At nursery and play groups, they often hug their friends. But, if their little friends have colds, you could all be struck down with a virus in the home. Washing hands regularly is important. So, do this after toilet trips and before meal times to keep your kids happy and healthy this winter.

Hydration Station

Kids never stop moving! But, keeping them topped up with fluids is important. Yes, that did sound like I was comparing a child to a car. But, if you think about it logically, kids need to make sure that they are hydrated. This is so that they can combat colds and illnesses more robustly. Milk and water are the best kinds of drinks. Milk is essential to keeping your children’s bones strong. But, water is great for keeping them hydrated. Try to avoid sugary juice drinks. These aren’t good at all. What’s more, they can cause tooth rot.

Jamie Lynn

Vaccinations: Flu Shots

Vaccinations are an essential part of life. Make sure that your child is up to date with their flu shots so that you don’t get struck down this winter! Injections can be scary to kids, but treating them to a new toy after should soften the blow.

A Good Nights’ Sleep

Having a good night time routine is important for your children and their overall health. A warm bath and a set bedtime are necessary for them to mini people. But, it’s also good to their immune system to have regular sleep at the same time. Implementing a good night time routine is imperative to kids. So, aim to get them into bed at the same time every night. This is the easiest way of combating illnesses.

How To Find The All Important ‘You-Time’

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When you have little ones in your life, it’s easy to forget about ‘you-time’. Hobbies, pastimes and activities tend to fall by the wayside when your life revolves around the children. Even carving out twenty minutes to read a book or take a bath can seem tough. As a mother, it’s important to take care of yourself as much as the children. Your wellbeing and happiness is an important factor in their growth.

With that in mind, it’s time to take back some time for yourself. It’s time to rediscover the things you love and reconnect with old friends. When you rediscover that time, it opens you up as a parent. You become more confident, happier and healthier. You’ll instinctively pass this joy onto your children. We understand that it’s difficult and lives are hectic, but here are some tricks we’ve found effective.

Schedule one night a week for you

The first thing to do is make your downtime part of the routine. If it’s part of your weekly timetable, it’s much more likely to happen. Don’t just promise yourself ten minutes after they fall asleep. Give yourself an entire evening. Use it to do what you love. The children can spend time with Dad or the Grandparents and you can wind down. Try to get out of the house and break free of the environment, it’ll do you wonders. Plus, it’s something to break the week up and look forward to.

Take advantage of nap times

Nap times are little pockets of heaven when you’re a mother. I speak to a lot of mums who use naptime as a chance to tidy the house or do the dishes. Forget that! Steal twenty minutes to read, exercise or just close your eyes. Use that period of time as a break from the day. Restore a little energy and learn to enjoy that small time to yourself.

Find help

Sometimes, you just need certain responsibilities and tasks to disappear. If you can free your mind of some chores and responsibilities, you’ll give your brain room to think. Take advantage of the community around you. Many housing communities have a HOA management service. This is a homeowner’s community system that manages maintenance and some landscaping. It’ll take the edge off some of your responsibilities and give you support. If possible, employ a cleaner once a week to help eliminate some chores.

Spend time with other mums

Even when you have the children in tow, try to spend time with other mums. Meet at the park so the children can play while you sit and catch up. It will feel a little like ‘you-time’ as you get the chance to chat to an adult! It’s also a great support system to exchange advice and stories. When things are tough, you won’t feel quite so alone.

It’s really important to find that right balance. Burning yourself out isn’t good for you or the children. Try to free yourself of any unnecessary chores and responsibilities. Then schedule some downtime and spend time with other mums. It’s all about finding little pockets of solace during the day.

Why All New Mothers Sometimes Feel Like They Can’t Cope

Ask any mother and they will tell you the first baby is always the worst. This is because, as a new mum, you are clueless. You don’t know what to do or why your baby is doing what they are doing. After the fear of pregnancy and giving birth, you are left with a tiny, helpless, grumpy little bundle. Every scream and cry worry you endlessly, and none of your maternal coping mechanisms seem to work. You are not the first mum to feel like that, and you won’t be the last. The test of trying to figure it out as you go along is part of the bonding process. The harder you work for it, the more baby knows you love him.

There are times though that you feel the whole world is judging you as a bad mum. Maybe baby has a stuffy nose, or they have been scratching themselves raw. We all worry our baby is too fat or too thin or too far behind the other babies development. Worry comes with the job. All babies catch colds every month. All babies catch themselves, then scratch that same spot because it itches as it heals. All babies have chubby and thin phases. No baby will ever be ahead of the pack on everything.

If you are tired but still worrying and trying, you are being the perfect mum. You’re not going to be able to relax because your baby’s well-being is too important to you. However, there are some tips and tricks available to help you get through the tough times. Never for a second think that it’s not OK for you to nap while baby is asleep. It’s essential that you do, for your own sanity! Use a sling or harness to keep baby close while you do the chores, so you’re not using nap time to get it done.

For scratchy babies, do your best to keep nails short, by tearing ragged ends, not cutting. Also, take a look at Scratchsleeves to cover up wayward fingers and give sore skin a chance to heal. For those times when you worry about baby’s weight, keep a diary of what they eat, and what they do. You will probably find they are eating very well and are particularly active. Every time they have a growth spurt, it changes their proportions a little, and can make them look thinner. Weigh them regularly if you are concerned.

Thanks to Flickr for the pic

If you feel like you can’t do this and you’re not coping, then you are perfectly normal. Mum’s have a tough time of it when they first have a baby. Your hormones are a mess, and you are very sleep deprived. But if you are reading this, then you are probably doing just fine. If you are concerned about how you are doing, join a mother’s group and speak to your health visitor. The odd teary day is to be expected, but if it frequently happens , you may want to ask your doctor to do some health checks for you.

7 Reasons To Take Your Family To Australia

If you are trying to decide where to take your family in 2015, why not consider going on a trip to Australia? There are many incredible things to see and do in the land down under, and so your family will have a blast visiting this country. If you are thinking of booking a getaway soon, here are seven reasons you should choose Australia.

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1. It will be a massive adventure

One thing, you can guarantee, from Australia is that it will be an adventure. When you travel somewhere like Oz, you will find that things are wild in the literal sense of the word. Children love exploring new places, and so they will have a lot to see in this country. Getting to the place takes a long time, and so you need to think about whether your kids can handle the flight. If they can, it will be an ideal trip.

2. You can see some fascinating animals

Some of the weirdest and wildest animals in the world happen to live in Australia. Many people see that as a reason to avoid the country. They think that they will get bitten by a black widow spider the moment they step onto Australian soil. The chances of that happening are one in a million. Your kids will get an opportunity to see some of the most bizarre creatures in the world, and it is safer than you think.

3. The weather will (always) be sunny

Right now, it is summer or the ‘wet season’ in Australia. That means that the temperature is high, and you can expect some extreme weather. If you have never been to Australia before, you should go in their winter so that it is a little cooler than it is right now. Kids’ skin tends to burn quickly, and so you want the weather to be a little calmer than it is in the summer. No matter when you go, you know you will be in for some sunshine.

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4. The art there is fantastic

One thing, which Australia is famous for, is its eclectic range of new art. Some of the canvas prints in Australia are stunning. From aboriginal art to modern art and portraits, there is something for everyone here. Some people believe that the reason for this excellent art is because the scenery in the country is dramatic.

5. They speak the same language

If you are taking a family abroad, the language barrier is always a concern. If you go to Australia, there is one enormous advantage. They speak English as their mother tongue. That means that you and your children should have no problem in the country. You can talk to strangers with ease and so getting around is simple.

6. You can experience another culture

Despite the fact that the language is the same as ours, there are some cultural differences between us and the Australians. When you go to Oz, you will notice that people take life at a slower pace than we do. The heat means that people have a positive attitude towards everything. When you visit this country, prepare yourself to relax. Remember, you need to embrace the culture here.

7. It is always developing

Since Australia is a relatively new country, it is still growing and expanding in many ways. You will find that there are always new projects and things going on in this rich and exciting country. When you visit it, you should go to tourist information and find out what’s going on there. You should also consider taking a bus tour so that you can get a real taste of the environment.

Top Changes You Should Make To Your Home After Having Children

If you’re lucky enough to have just welcomed a new life into the world, you will have your work cut out. Looking after small children can be an incredibly stressful job. Not only that, but you may have to make lots of alterations to your property in order to accommodate them. We all know how prone kids are to accidents, and so it’s important you limit the chances of them being seriously injured. Most of the changes you need to make are pretty simple. You just have to think like a child in order to work out which areas of your home are most dangerous. While common sense is the best solution, you might like to consider some of our suggestions…

Jessica Pankratz

Invest in slipcovered furniture

The chances of your child dropping or spilling something on your furniture stand at somewhere close to 100%. For that reason, you need to invest in some new products that can be cleaned without too much hassle. Slipcovered furniture companies provide excellent items that have removable covers. That means you can take them off and wash them without having to pay for a specialist. While you might have to spend a lot of money for the best quality furniture, it’s most certainly worth the expense. Just ask any other mother on your street.

Cover those sharp edges

Small children slip and fall all the time, and that is why it’s vital that you cover all the sharp edges in your home. That is especially the case if you have marble countertops in your kitchen. Thankfully, there is no need to get the sander out and round them off. In fact, you can get some cheap products that solve the problem. Most of them are made of rubber, and they are fitted over your sharp edges to ensure anyone bumping into them leaves uninjured.

Look for alternative lighting solutions

We all know how difficult it can be for a small child to fall asleep in the evenings. So, it might be sensible for you to look for some alternative lighting solutions. Adding some lamps or dimmer switches could help you to create a more relaxed atmosphere. In turn, that could mean your child get to sleep much faster. The last thing you want is to deal with a kid that refuses to close his eyes because you are in a brightly lit room.

Install a stair gate

Children are not capable of walking down stairs safely until they are at least a couple of years old. However, most of them will attempt to do so regardless. That could lead to them getting hurt, and it could result in a lot of worrying medical visits. To eliminate the possibility of that happening, you must install a good quality stair gate as soon as possible. If nothing else, it will give you peace of mind.

So long as you make all those basic changes to your home, you shouldn’t encounter too many safety issues. We hope your child grows up to become a healthy and well-balanced individual.

Good luck!