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Important Life Lessons To Teach Your Kids Early

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Being a parent is an extraordinary thing. It’s a wonder of life. You can guarantee every day will present a new experience for you and your child. Cherish those early years because they’re gone in the blink of an eye, and take advantage of those years to pass down some serious wisdom. At a young age, a child’s mind is like a sponge. Check out these important life lessons to teach your kids early.

Treat People With Kindness

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The phrasing might be difficult for a kid to understand at such a young age, but you know the message. Everyone should treat others as they would want to be treated. People deserve respect and kindness, and it’s never too early to teach your children that.

In fact, the sooner, the better. Children aren’t perfect, so there will be times when they face or witness a bully. At that moment, they’ll remember your lesson about being a respectful and considerate human being. They might even feel compelled enough to stand up to the bully on behalf of the other child.

Don’t Tell Lies

Honesty is the best policy, even if, as adults, we tell little white lies—it happens to the best of us. Fortunately, you don’t need to get into that issue just yet. For now, focus on the truth. Encourage your children to always be honest, especially when it’s hard.

Those are the moments when the truth counts the most. Regardless of the consequences, your children should refrain from telling a lie because one lie can quickly become several. Nothing good comes from lying. With every truth they tell you, make sure you convey your response with love and care so they always associate honesty with a good feeling.

Take Care of Your Things

Teach your children how to care for their things so they carry that lesson as adults. This lesson encourages them to value their possessions and live a responsible lifestyle. You can start slowly by having them clean their rooms and take care of their toys.

Lessons like that transfer over to keeping their house clean and making sure all belongings last long. It might surprise you, but a quick lesson in cleaning could translate into teaching them about car maintenance when it comes time for them to drive. After that lesson, they’ll be very protective of their vehicles.

Always Be Grateful

No one can predict the future. None of us have a way of knowing what life holds for us. All we can do is prepare and do our best with the information we have.

Teach your child to be grateful for what they currently have. Greed is a dangerous thing, and we need to teach our kids that there are those less fortunate. They’ll be more appreciative of the gifts they receive and the care they accept.

Lifeis constantly throwing new lessons at us. But give your kids a head start by teaching them the most important life lessons early on.

3 Reasons Why Your Child Won’t Drink Water

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Water is a drink that boosts your mood, provides abundant energy, and prevents dehydration. Water is universally the best beverage you can drink to improve your health.

As a parent, you want the best for your children, but you may struggle to encourage them to drink water. You understand its value, but your children still refuse. Continue reading about the reasons why your child won’t drink water, so you can find solutions.

Preference for Sugary Drinks

Sweet drinks like juice are enticing for people of all ages—especially children. Water, however, can taste somewhat bland. Kids don’t think about the health benefits of water. All they want is something they can sip on those tastes good. When water doesn’t taste like much, your children may quickly deem it undesirable.

Try cutting up slices of fruit and adding them to your kids’ water. The many health benefits of fruit-infused water will improve the flavor and provide your children with additional beneficial nutrients.

Another method to improve the taste is to add sugar-free drink mixes to their water. Instead of drinking sweet beverages made of pure sugar, your child can consume the water they need while savoring the flavors they adore.

Forgetfulness

Another reason why your child won’t drink water is they simply forget to. Children are frequently active, whether running around outside or playing with toys. Even when eating a meal that they love, TV sounds or their favorite toy in the living room may distract them. And since water isn’t the most appealing beverage for kids, they often get distracted and forget to drink it.

Not Understanding Water’s Benefits

Your kids may not drink water because they don’t understand how much they need it. Fortunately, kids are curious and ask their parents questions all day! Take advantage of this curiosity by teaching them the importance of water.

Talk to them about how water makes them healthy and strong. Use visual aids like books and videos to make the learning process even more interesting. You can also conduct an interactive game that challenges your children to drink water.

Encouraging your child to drink water and finding which solutions work best will take some time. But with experimentation and patience, your kids will drink water every day before you know it!

What Parents Need To Know About Baby Teeth

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It’s normal to have many questions about your baby’s teeth. After all, it’s been a long time since your first pearly white came in! Every parent wants to do their best to set their children up for success, and caring for their teeth is part of ensuring a healthy bite in adulthood. To help you care for your baby’s new gnashers, let’s take a closer look at what parents need to know about baby teeth.

The Low-Down on Oral Care

The truth is you should start caring for your baby’s teeth before the first one comes in, as bacteria can easily build up on the gums, especially after feeding. It’s best to clean their gums, cheeks, and tongue twice a day with a clean, damp washcloth to remove leftover food.

Once your baby’s first tooth emerges, you can introduce a baby toothbrush with a rice grain-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste and brush twice a day. Getting them into this habit early makes it much easier to teach them how to brush their teeth and get them to stick to it later on in life.

Average Developmental Timeline

In general, your baby’s first teeth will emerge when they’re between 6 and 12 months old or as early as 4 months. Their set of impermanent teeth should finish emerging around the age of 4. If your baby has not developed any teeth by the time they are 12 months old, it’s time for a visit to the dentist. Typically, teeth come in pairs, usually beginning with the central incisors, then the lateral incisor, the first molar, the canines, and ending with the second molar. Your baby should have 20 teeth: 10 on the top and 10 on the bottom.

Losing Teeth Early

One of the most important things that parents need to know about their baby’s teeth is that they can lose their teeth too early. On average, your child’s teeth shouldn’t begin to fall out before the age of 4. While it’s relatively rare for baby teeth to fall out on their own accord, it can happen. If a tooth does fall out, it’s usually because of an injury or some form of tooth decay.

While these teeth are impermanent, they are important placeholders for permanent teeth, and if lost too early, their bite can become crooked or misaligned. If a tooth does fall out too early, a visit to the dentist is important, as an orthodontist can ensure their future bite is healthy.

When To Worry

Most of the time, your baby’s teeth will develop normally and without a fuss, but there are some things to look out for during the teething state and after their first tooth emerges. One of the most common misconceptions about baby teething is that this process can make babies sick—this is untrue. While your baby may be in some pain, teething does not cause fever, rash, diarrhea, or any symptoms of illness.

If your baby gets sick while teething, take them to the pediatrician. If teeth grow dark or black, come out crooked, or don’t start emerging on time, speak with their doctor to determine the best course of action.

Fun Ways To Involve Your Kids With Interior Design

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There are few joys greater than watching your kids explore their passions and interests in life. However, sometimes introducing them to new things is the best way to spark some serious enthusiasm. Consider these fun ways to involve your kids with interior design during your next home project.

Have Them Create a Rough Draft

Whether through an online simulation program or crayons and paper, letting your kids have a say in what their rooms look like is a lot of fun. It’s important to emphasize what the room “could” look like and avoid making promises about the final result. However, implementing a few design elements is a straightforward way to get them giddy and excited about their room’s design.

Ask About Details

While most kids don’t know the finer details that go into the interior design process, they are more than capable of identifying colors and describing textures. Once they’ve told you what they like, you can match design elements to their preferences. For example, their preferred textures can help you determine which of the most popular rug fibers would suit them best. You can also pick out lightbulbs according to their preferred lighting warmth! Sometimes the descriptions your kids will offer will be simple, but they might also surprise you with some detailed contributions.

Record Their Work

Pictures of the rooms your children create for themselves allow them to look back on the past and witness their personal progress firsthand. When they’re older, your child might wonder how they thought their initial designs were stylish or cool. But in the end, they will look upon the experience as a fond memory they are thankful to have. Being able to improve on their past designs is also a bonus that creative kids will appreciate.

There is no telling what your kids are going to grow up to be. However, the doors you open for them occasionally lend them the chance to discover something special about who they are. You can connect with your children and inspire them to explore their creative sides by considering these fun ways to involve your kids with interior design.

A Brief Overview of a Baby’s First-Year Milestones

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The smile is the first major thing a baby accomplishes during the first year of life. At first, it seems like gas, but rest assured, it’s a smile for you! Here’s a brief overview of a baby’s first-year milestones.

The Widest Smile You’ll Ever See

Let’s not forget about the smile! About 2 months into their life, a baby will take notice of your presence, face, and voice. When babies bond with a parent, sibling, or whoever else is around, they smile most at them since they feel closer to those individuals. Your voice, presence, and face make them smile!

Sleeping Through the Night

During the first three months, babies struggle to sleep through the night and adapt to a routine. As they’re adjusting to a new world, they may still struggle to sleep past 4 and 6 months. If this happens and they exhibit one of the signs they’re not getting enough sleep, try finding the reason.

Sometimes it’s the crib—the crib might not have the right mattress type, or your furniture’s severely outdated, meaning you’ll need to upgrade the crib to one made from natural, toxin-free materials, like wood.

That First Little Giggle

When babies cry, they could fill an entire amphitheater with noise. Don’t fret, though! Once your baby’s 4 months old, they start to laugh. The slight noise escaping their lips is nothing but the sweet sound of giggles! Whether you’re tickling them, playing peek-a-boo, or making silly faces, they won’t stop.

Say Their First Word

The first word is the best milestone! From first saying “mama” or “dada” to saying different animal names, the first-word stage is the most memorable. On average, babies start talking between 12 and 18 months but can start as early as 9 months.

Standing and Walking for the First Time

Where is your little explorer wandering off to? If they’re on their legs and slowly making their way toward you, then it’s definitely you they’re after! Between 9 and 12 months, babies begin to stand and walk on their own.

It’s completely normal for babies to walk later, at 18 months. As your little one discovers how fast they can run and finds any excuse to get up and follow you around, make sure you block off the stairs, kitchen, and bathrooms.

So, parent, now that you know what milestones babies accomplish in their first year, what one are you most excited about? It will be a breathtaking journey for you and your baby, and the first year is the most exciting.

Summer Send-Off: How To Throw the Best Family Pizza Night

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It’s near the end of the season, and you’ve scratched what feels like a million activities off your summer bucket list. Whether you camped in the backyard for many weekends, visited a theme park, or hosted more pool parties than you can count, it’s safe to say that you’ve done it all!

However, the kids are planning their last hurrah of the break before returning to study nights and pop quizzes, and you want in! How about taking part in the summer send-off and learning how to throw the best family pizza night your young ones will experience? Continue reading below to learn more!

Just Dough It

Pizza night is the perfect opportunity to make your dough. Regardless of the recipe you use and the ingredients it requires, you never want to forget to proof your pizza dough.

As one of the most common pizza making mistakes, not allowing your dough to rest and rise for a final before pulling can result in a dense, rubbery, final product that your family may struggle to enjoy.

While most dough suggests a two- to three-day proofing process, a 24-hour minimum is acceptable if you’re under time constraints. You can involve your young ones in this step by allowing them to mix the ingredients.

Pro tip: If you don’t have the dough ingredients readily available or you’re really crunched for time, you can always make it a pizza bagel night and have kids pick out their favorite bagel.

The Sauce Is the Boss

Whether store-bought or homemade, it’s an essential first layer to your pizza festivity. If you would rather make it yourself, you can’t go wrong with quality canned tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and basil.

On a separate note, kids are creative, fascinating people who can spice up recipes instantly. If your family prefers barbecue over red sauce, feel free to test it out! You can also use alfredo sauce as an alternative.

Make It Cheesy

Now that you have your dough and sauce, it’s time to consider your cheese options. While there is an overwhelming amount of cheese options on the market, a low-moisture mozzarella is typically the go-to for that epic cheese pull.

However, the decision is entirely up to you and the family! A sprinkle of parmesan is also a tried-and-true detail that is the genuine chef’s kiss to a perfect pie.

Top It Off With Finishing Touches

Now the best part: toppings! Traditional pepperoni slices for that instant classic, but if you’re using barbecue or alfredo sauce, consider grilled chicken slices, black olives, and pepperoncini as delicious options.

You can use a variety of leftover vegetables you have on hand and take a poll of everyone’s favorite toppings so you have them readily available during the final customization. Pair the meal with the kids’ favorite dessert to end the night on a sweet note!

Throwing the best family pizza night takes plenty of work, planning, and toppings! You don’t have to have an elaborate setup or state-of-the-art equipment to make it successful. All you’ll need are a few ingredients, patience, and the people you care about most to share the experience with.

Activities To Do Before the Summer Gets Away From You

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Summer is already here, and that means it’s time to get out there and enjoy the nicer weather. It can be easy to put things off until it’s too late. If you need some inspiration, this list of activities you can do before the summer gets away from you should be valuable.

Plan That Family Camping Trip

Around April or May, it’s easy to say that you want to take the family camping this summer, but it’s much more difficult to actually pull it off. You must make sure you have all of the necessary gear for the campsite on top of checking to see if all of your kids packed everything they needed. Plus, you have to find a suitable campground site with activities that everyone will enjoy.

We get it—this can all be quite stressful. Fortunately, once you get there, it should be much smoother sailing. You can either kick back and relax or partake in some fun camping events.

Get Some House Projects Out of the Way

One thing that all dads like to put off when summer rolls around is the big house projects that need to get done this year. However, some of the best outdoor improvements can be the most rewarding in the end, which is why it’s so vital that you start now. That way, you can make sure you have plenty of time to admire your work and take advantage of its benefits. Plus, you can use the rest of the season for more fun excursions with the big project out of the way.

Set Up a Garage Sale

Unfortunately, we have another one for you that isn’t quite as fun but needs to get done. A garage sale is a summer activity that always has a habit of getting away from people. This is why you need to begin the season with a full-blown garage sale. We’re sure that your family has a ton of unused stuff that others will gladly buy from you. Even though you likely won’t make a ton of money from one of these, you can at least put it toward another fun activity.

Join a Sports Team

Let’s do something that’s just for Dad. Joining a local sports team is a great way to get some sun while participating in an activity that you enjoy. Whether you decide to play something that you did back in high school or try out something new, we’re sure you’ll have a blast with it. Who knows? You might even make some new friends that you can spend time with when you’re not at home.

Try Something New

At the end of the day, though, the goal of this article is to get you thinking about your options this summer. There are so many things to do, and we don’t know what you’ve already tried. That’s why it’s best to just get out there and do something you’ve never done before. You won’t regret it.