How to share a summer home

If you have a good relationship with your family then you can vacation at a much cheaper price by sharing a summer home. However the changes in personal circumstances can also make things a little tricky.

A family is more likely to enjoy sharing vacation time if they have common interests, while at the same time respect for one another’s space is vital. You do not always have to take part in every activity together, and having some vacation adventures individually is encouraged.

 

You also need to be flexible on scheduling and be ready to share any concerns freely and openly. A decision also needs to be made as to whether or not the summer home is to be used solely for family members, or whether it should be rented out in the times when it is not being used by the family. Having property affairs overseen by a concierge or rental company can also reduce conflict over whose turn it is to get the home ready for the next visit or to cut the grass.

Looking for good career advice? Then avoid these stale cliches.

Books, blogs, and motivational gurus are full of career advice for beginners and veterans alike. Much of it can be useful, but you’ve got to be careful to separate the good from the misguided and obsolete. Don’t blindly follow these “words of wisdom” without a healthy dose of skepticism:

 

• “Any job is better than no job.” Working at a job you hate can sap your morale and make any change harder to accomplish. You probably won’t be motivated to do good work, and if you quit out of frustration, you could be labeled an undependable job-hopper. No job is fun all the time, but you’ll generally do better at a job you can find some enjoyment in, even if that takes longer to find.

 

• “Follow your passion.” On the other hand, don’t wait forever for your dream job to present itself. You need to know what you’re good at, and what you like doing, but chances are you can do well in a job that satisfies less than 100 percent of your ambitions. You don’t want to give up worthwhile career opportunities because they don’t fit with an unrealistic dream of success.

 

• “You need an advanced degree to get anywhere.” Education is always a good thing, but without a clear purpose, you could waste years and thousands of dollars on studies that don’t necessarily translate to career success. Decide on what you want to learn, be clear on how it will help you, and make sure the investment will really pay off in terms of increased opportunities and career satisfaction.

 

• “Never quit a job.” You shouldn’t jump ship at the first sign of trouble, but staying at a dead-end job with no hope of advancement and little chance of learning anything doesn’t help your career. Look for opportunities to improve your situation wherever you’re at, but keep an eye on the job market so you’re never trapped.

 

• “The one thing you need to do is ...” Be wary of any advice that offers a quick fix. Managing a career is complicated. You don’t know what’s coming up, and you won’t always know the right decision to make. You’ll make mistakes and encounter bad luck. Commit to learning and moving forward, and don’t waste time following short-lived trends or depending on gimmicks to land your dream job.

How to Survive with a Large Family

Having a large family can be tough, but there are some good methods to make sure that you can survive the strain!

 

One good tip is to make children share a bedroom. Children are not automatically entitled to have a room of their own and the fact is that sharing a bedroom with their siblings can actually help to increase their familiar bond as well as provide some humorous memories for them when they are older!

Something else to remember is that it is perfectly fine to keep driving an old car for as long as you want providing it’s still roadworthy. It may not look as pretty as it once did, but so long as it remains functional, gets everyone in and is able to get from place to place, that is really all that matters.

Cooking your own food rather than eating out is also excellent advice. Not only is it a good deal less expensive but home cooking is also likely to be a good deal healthier.

How to beat burnout

If you are finding it more and more difficult to cope with the demands of your job in addition to the rest of your life, you are definitely not alone. More and more people are putting in additional hours at work or being on call even when they should be at home relaxing.

 

The good news is there are ways to make your daily routine a little more balanced. One of the best is to actually build downtime into your schedule. As you plan your week you should make a point of including time with friends and family as well as activities that will allow you to recharge such as a sport of some kind.

 

Being proactive about scheduling can be very helpful and also prevent free time from being wasted.  Another good idea is to drop activities that are sapping your energy or time, including online activities. Making time for exercise can also assist you with becoming more alert and boosting your concentration and overall energy level.

How to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals at a Young Age

As parents, one time or another we have all experienced the frustration of knowing our children aren’t trying hard enough to accomplish we know they are more than able to do. While the initial reaction would be to harp and push, it’s important not to get overly excited about their lack of ambition and instead turn your efforts into teaching them how to set and reach goals – even at a young age.

 

It’s not as difficult as you may think to instill the importance of goal setting in your children. With a few simple steps you can plant the seed:

 

• Start by looking for ways your child already sets goals, even though they may not realize that’s what they’re doing. For example, if they are trying get their favorite video game and saving up any extra money he or she gets. Take this opportunity to discuss the steps that will need to be taken in order to get the rest of the money for the game. Explain how good it feels to work toward something and actually make it happen.
• Start small – Help your child pick a small, fun goal that can be reached in a relatively short amount of time – maybe a craft project or finishing a short book. Starting with small goals is a great way to teach children to work toward bigger goals.
• Let them be involved in choosing the goals they want to reach. Sure we want them to have straight A’s or make the honor roll each grading period or make the sports team but these may be more YOUR goals than theirs. Letting them choose what they want to achieve is often better because it allows them to take ownership of the steps needed to reach them, as well as the actual accomplishment.
• Be supportive – as your child begins to work toward setting and reaching their goals, be the biggest cheerleader you can be for them. Applaud their efforts no matter how big or small and let them know you see how hard they are trying.

It’s never too early to start instilling the importance of setting and reaching goals in your children. And while these steps are a great way to get the ball rolling, remember that we are our children’s biggest teachers so be prepared to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

Fun and Cheap Halloween Costume Ideas for Kids

With summer already coming to an end and fall just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about the favorite holiday of many children – Halloween. What kind of costume does your little one want? Scary? Fun? Will you buy the costume or take the creative route and make it? If you’re handy with a needle and thread or have a creative side, maybe one of the following ideas will be a winner with your kiddos:

 

• Gumball machine: Get a bag of colored balloons, a clear trash bag and a ball cap and you can create this costume fairly quickly. Blow up all of the balloons and don’t forget to cut holes in the trash bag bottom for your legs and two on side for your arms.. Make sure the holes aren’t big enough that the balloons can get out. Have your little one step into the bag and secure the top of the bag at the neck with a ribbon or pin it to their shirt. Add the blown up balloons. Get a piece of paper or thin cardboard and write “5 cents” and attach to the ball cap. There you have it  - a gumball machine!
• Zombie: Zombies are all the rage thanks to the variety of television shows and movies on this very topic. Don’t be surprised if this is one of the ideas your child throws at you for a Halloween costume. It’s easy to turn your child into a zombie – grab some old clothes that you were getting rid of anyway and shred them. Now, add green, brown and red paint to the clothing, dark makeup under his or her eyes, a little red lipstick or makeup for blood and you’re all set!
• Ghost : A Halloween favorite that never goes out of style. Take a bed sheet, cut holes for the eyes and you’re done. Does it get any easier than that?
• Military person: Live near an Army/Navy store? You’ll find all you need to make your little guy or gal a GI.
• Painter: A pair of overalls, a painter’s cap, splatter a little paint, add a paintbrush to the pocket or carry a roller and you’ve got yourself a little painter.

These ideas can really done by anyone with little cost but tons of value when it comes to entertainment and memories. Be creative and Happy Halloween!

How Children Can Deal with Bullies - Especially in Day Care

When we think of bullies we tend to think of bigger kids picking on littler kids, older kids taking milk money from younger kids – all when our children are a little older. But bullies in day care? Sadly, it’s never too young to start dealing with them. Bullying – no matter what age – is NOT just kids being kids and as soon as everyone gets that out of their mindset, we can be on the way to helping the problem disappear.

 

Children become bullies for different reasons – maybe they are acting out behavior that they’ve seen somewhere before, maybe they are doing it for attention from adults or the other children. In extreme cases, children may bully because they enjoy seeing others in pain, fearful, miserable or even injured. If bullying gets to this point, it can be very difficult to stop.

Regardless of the underlying cause a child bullies another child, as parents we need to teach our children how to deal with it if they become a victim of a bully.

 

• First, you’ll need to find out just what is going on. If you suspect your child is being bullied, you can ask questions like “Has someone hurt you?” Even at a young age, children are able to tell you something that happened that made them feel bad or hurt. Let your child explain what happened – let them talk until they are finished – and no matter how upset you are, keep your emotions under control so that you can reassure your child that they have done nothing wrong and you will help take care of this.
• Once you know what is going on, you’ll want to figure out how to help your child respond if it happens again. You can play out different scenarios to help your child find the best way to deal with the situation if an adult happens to not be close by – ignore the bully, stick with friends (think safety in numbers), act brave and finally tell an adult.
• As the parent – you will need to take action. Talk to the daycare director, teachers and/or caregivers who are in contact with your child and the bully. There is a very good chance that they may not be aware of the situation because your child has been afraid to say anything. Many times talking to those in charge will help stop the harassment. But if it doesn’t, keep working at it with those in charge until it does.

It’s difficult to fight our protective impulses when our child tells us he or she is being bullied, but fight it we must. Let you child know that you are there for them and the lines of communication are open and that you are there for them to make the situation right.