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Fun Activities That the Whole Family Can Do

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Having a family is incredibly exciting, but finding something everyone can do together can be hard. There’s always one person who isn’t interested in the particular activity or gets left out, and then no one has a good time. You need to find some activities that everyone can do together and enjoy all at the same time. Read on to learn about some fun activities that the whole family can do together.

Play a Board Game

Everyone has played a board game at one point or another, but playing one as a family can be a little different. Everyone in your family probably has different preferences due, in part, to their age. The older kids may want to play something more complex than the younger kids, so it can be hard to find the right game at first. However, with that said, trying out many different games can be lots of fun. Sure, there will be some duds here and there, but that won’t ruin the evening. The fun comes with finding the right game for you. Once you do, you’ll have years of game nights that everyone looks forward to!

Go Off-Roading

Off-roading is a fun activity that almost anyone can do, and it’s an experience no one will forget. Whether you have a Jeep or a Toyota, you must prepare it for your off-roading adventure to ensure that everyone stays safe and has fun. Then, it’s smooth sailing from there! Everyone can pile into the car while you go on some unique trails and view sights that no one in your family has seen before. However, you must remember that going off-roading also means the experience will be a little bumpy or uncomfortable. Listen to everyone and slow down when necessary to keep everyone happy and feeling good!

Have a Movie Night

While everyone in your family may like some different movies, that doesn’t mean you can’t all enjoy the evening watching one together! Creating a movie night is exciting. And having multiple gives everyone a chance to choose a film they enjoy. Order some pizza, make some popcorn and drinks, and then settle in for a cozy evening. Since you’re the parent, you should probably let the kids pick the movies on most weekends to ensure they stay entertained. However, at the end of the month, the parent’s movies can come out, and you can show your kids some of your favorite films of all time!

The whole family can have fun with these activities and not feel left out! Of course, every family is different, so you shouldn’t just do these activities without listening to the opinions of everyone in your family. Take their opinions and figure out what works best for everyone!

How To Start Learning About Your Family’s Genealogy

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It’s amazing to think about the long lines of ancestors we have that we don’t even know about—these are the people we have to thank for us being here on Earth. We’ve all seen popular companies that promise to tell us about our genes using small samples of our DNA. These companies can provide pretty accurate assessments of our genes, but they can’t tell us much about the actual people who got us here.

Thankfully, that’s where the study of genealogy comes in handy. If you want to cure your curiosity and learn more about your family’s genealogy, this is how to start. The best part is that your kids will love this activity and feel excited to learn about where they came from.

Start Your Family Tree

You can easily include your kids in this part. Start with a large piece of construction paper and markers, and have the kids make the tree as you fill it out. This part is to help you get a better understanding of what you already know and what you still need to learn about your family. Start with yourself, and go as far back as you can. Before long, your family tree will look like a puzzle you can’t wait to solve.

Gather Everything

The next step in learning about your family’s genealogy is to gather every family document you can find. No piece of information is too small, so gather diaries, photographs, letters, baby books, and newspaper clippings. These bits of data will help you connect emotionally with your ancestors and give you a great starting place to delve into your research.

Request Records

You can actually request family records from the government. This is a great option if you know or believe your more recent ancestors immigrated to the United States. Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, you can obtain their immigration records and learn all about when and where your ancestors arrived.

Home Improvement Projects You Can Do With Your Kids

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It’s always a good idea to teach your children valuable new skills. Sometimes when you have some projects around the house that need doing, it’s a good idea to involve your kids. Of course, several projects that require heavy equipment or sharp instruments may not be the best place to start, but here are some home improvement projects that you can do with your kids to get them started.

Installing a New Doorknob

Whether you’re remodeling, upgrading, or just replacing a knob that’s giving you trouble, installing a new doorknob is a great DIY project for younger kids to gauge their interest. Typically, the only tools you need are screwdrivers that match the necessary screws and a little patience. This is an excellent project because it’s relatively low risk, and if your child makes a mistake, it’s easy to take the screws out and try again.

Measuring Home Skirting

If you live in a mobile home, your house probably has skirting to protect your pipes from external damage related to weather or temperature. Unfortunately, weather can beat up the skirting, and it eventually needs replacing. The full replacement may be a bit too much for small builders, but one way your kids can help with this project is in the preparation.

Many kids love playing with the tape measure. Before replacing your skirting, it’s a good idea to measure the length and width of the exterior of your home and put it into an online skirting calculator. Have your kid grab the tape measure and run it to the other side of the house, allowing you to get the correct numbers. The kids feel involved, and you save a bit of running.

Lawn Care

Maintaining a proper lawn or garden is a valuable step in home care. Depending on your kids’ age, you could show them how to use a lawnmower or focus on watering the grass to keep your yard looking fresh and clean. Learning how to care for a lawn or garden is a great home improvement project for your kids and gets them outside now and then. If you use a sprinkler to water the lawn, offering a bit of summertime fun running through it is a great motivator.

How Important Are Backpacks in Children’s Lives?

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Backpacks serve purposes beyond tugging around your things. They also become a personal item you carry along as if they were an appendage.

We must understand how backpacks play a significant role in child development and why they are necessary throughout childhood and into young adulthood. This article covers how important backpacks are in children’s lives.

Bridging the Gap

A lot changes when a child becomes old enough to go to school. There is a huge difference between home, which is all a child knows, and school, which is new and exciting. As great as school can be, they still need that comfort. Backpacks provide that comfort because they are a part of home that you can take with you.

This helps to ease them into the world early on. Kids also like to compare details about their backpacks with their peers. They become topics for conversation. Through backpacks, bonds and friendships are made.

Keeping Organized

It’s hard, if not downright impossible, for a child to keep everything together. This is why backpacks are so necessary. If you can keep all your things and resources together, you will be successful in school.

Holding Belongings

Backpacks hold more than just books and papers. They also hold a child’s nearest and dearest possessions, like their favorite toys or clothes. Snacks and lunches are also another huge thing that keep kids going throughout the day. Backpacks are perfect for this reason.

If kids use them properly, backpacks do a wonderful job of maintaining their motivation. When you shop for a backpack, make sure you search for the ones with the best quality.

Now that we have opened the discussion, we can easily see how important backpacks are in children’s lives. It is something that goes with them everywhere. Of course, it’s important that we recognize this as we grow older so that we remember how important they still are!

How Does Moving a Family in the Military Work?

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Any time you prepare to move, things can get a little dicey without the proper information and planning. Therefore, if you happen to be on active duty and are also preparing for a move, the military has all the hard stuff taken care of for you. This isn’t to say that you won’t have to put your end of the work in as well, but they help make the overall transition a little easier. This is how moving a family in the military works for those in the military curious to know before their first move. (Or simply for others who’re interested.)

Restrictions Overseas

The military is chock-full of restrictions on what you can and cannot do and moving is no exception. Generally, when moving, you can take everything with you—but if you’re moving overseas things tend to become complicated. There’s a limited amount of items and specifics on what you can take when traveling overseas. The military will step in to put your things in storage during your entire time overseas at no cost to you. As a bonus, they’ll pay to have everything shipped. Make sure to take precautions before things start happening.

Filing Claims

It’s never ideal if something gets lost or broken during a move. Some things are priceless, so you should be careful of what you choose to have moved in bulk and what you decide to take with you personally. Otherwise, the military will reimburse you for issues like this. It is up to you, however, to make sure to file your claims with your command wherever you end up. You have a limited amount of time to do so before it’ll be counted as void.

Finding Your Footing Afterward

For military members, moving is just another aspect of the job. But for the spouse, it’s more of an intricate situation. They have to uproot themselves from their lives every few years. This can be a complicated process, so the military has assistance programs for them during and after moves. One thing military spouses worry about is how to continue with their normal lives when they must constantly move. The government has programs in place to help them if they’re seeking to further their careers when their spouse is on active duty.

Moving doesn’t have to be as complicated of a process as people tend to imagine. If you have the proper plan and strategy in place, it can make for a very simple procedure. So, if you’re wondering how moving a family in the military works, then it’s as easy as referencing this article. Alternatively, you could ask a military service member what their experience was like. You might be surprised to hear how effortless it is for them.

Tips and Tricks for Childproofing Your Home

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Covering up open outlets, placing corner guards on sharp points, and baby-gating stairs were probably the first steps you took to make your home safer for your young children. If you’re wondering what more you can do to make your home as safe as possible for your kids, check out these tips and tricks for childproofing your home.

Add Kitchen Locks

The kitchen is arguably the single most dangerous room in any home for a child. It’s full of sharp and hot things that could easily harm your child should they get their hands on these items. Knives, blenders, toasters, and ovens are just a few of these hazards. One step you can take to prevent injuries is to place safety locks on cabinets and drawers that contain potentially dangerous objects. To keep kids safe around the oven, you can use a stove guard, be sure to use only the back burners for cooking, and turn pot and pan handles toward the counter.

Secure Your Furniture

Large furniture can be especially dangerous if left standing on its own. A curious child climbing around can take down bookcases, cabinets, and shelves. To keep these from toppling over onto your child, get some fasteners and secure the furniture flush against the wall. Screws will be the best method of securing the furniture. Many parents often forget this aspect of childproofing, making this an essential tip for childproofing your home.

Check Your Attic

If your home has an attic, make sure you’ve taken the steps to make this area childproof as well. Check the ladder for any loose or protruding nails. These are super easy to remove, but they can do a lot of damage if your child is playing near the ladder or climbing on it. If your child is able to access the attic, check to see if you can address any other potential problem areas. Attic safety is widely disregarded, but the safer your kids can be, the better.

No matter what, your child’s safety should be your top priority. Much of what they’re experiencing is so new and fresh to them that they’re not always thinking about safety themselves. Locking up hazardous areas, making sure your furniture is secure, and checking every space of your home are the keys to making sure your children are as safe as they can be in your home.

Ways To Show Your Dad Appreciation on Father’s Day

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Father’s Day is a day that every father awaits. There’s nothing more heartwarming than receiving handmade cards and gifts from your kids (they’re crudely made, but they’re full of love) and having them excitedly tell you how much you mean to them and how proud they are to have you as their dad. Parenting is often thankless work, so it can be nice to hear that you’re doing a wonderful job.

As a father, you’ll probably spend the day with your own family. But that leaves one very important person alone on this special day—the father who raised you. Instead of leaving your old man out of the celebrations, make this year special with these creative ways to show your dad appreciation on Father’s Day.

Write a Letter

Do your parents live miles away from you? You probably don’t want to go through the trouble of packing your luggage and hopping on a plane for a single day of celebration. What should you do, then?

If you can’t see your father in person on Father’s Day, take the time to pen a heartfelt letter instead. Tell your dad how much you appreciate him. Whether you send him this message through text or snail mail, he’s sure to flash a smile when reading it.

Make It Fun

Maybe you think Father’s Day should be an exciting event. Your family takes you to the beach, an expensive restaurant, or the local golf course each year to celebrate. Why not do the same for your own dad? The next way to show your dad appreciation on Father’s Day is to plan a fun activity or outing.

It doesn’t have to be on Father’s Day, but during that same week, invite your dad to spend a day with his favorite kid. There are countless things you can do and places you can go. Just make sure that whatever you’re doing is something you know that your dad will enjoy.

Celebrate Together

This momentous day in June is a time to celebrate fathers of all kinds. Instead of letting your dad celebrate on his lonesome, invite him to join your family festivities. What was that one saying? The more, the merrier.

Father’s Day is more about family than anything else. The more family you include, the livelier and more joyous it will be.