Fun Indoor Activities For Rainy Spring Days
Spring is a great time of year to start getting colorful and to create beautiful artwork of all types. There are lots of simple, low-cost options for parents to consider, and these projects can easily be completed with simple ideas and in a short period of time. Some important supplies to have on hand will include
low-cost watercolor paints, craft glue, colored paper and old
magazines, yarn and fabric scraps, recyclable plastic contains such as
large and small yogurt containers or even plastic soda bottles.
Spring Vases Vases
are always a great option to make in the spring, and they can be as
simple or as creative as your child likes. Start with a plastic
container and apply a layer of craft glue with a paintbrush to create a
layer over the plastic that will make it easier to work with.
Allow
this to dry completely and then provide kids with markers, paints,
fabric scraps, yarn and even sparkles and decorative shapes and allow
them to design their own vase.
There
are lots of videos online about making paper flowers, but you can
always just use tissue paper that is gathered in the middle and fluffed
out around the edges. Use a green pipe cleaner to hold the base of the
"flower" and create a stem. A bouquet of these flowers will look
amazing in the kid's own vases.
Egg Shell Planters Start
by hard boiling eggs and allowing them to cool. Draw a line around the
top pointy end of the egg about a third of the way down. Using markers
and paint, allow the kids to decorate blow the line to give their egg
planters faces or spring scenes.
A
parent can then use a very sharp knife to cut off the top of the
decorated egg and scoop out the egg, leaving just the decorated shell.
Fill almost to the top with a few tablespoons of potting soil, sprinkle
in some sprout seeds and just a dusting a soil. Place in an egg holder
or create your own with by cutting up an egg carton, kids can decorate
the base as well. Place
on a windowsill with sunlight and water just to moisten the soil. In
three to five days you will have sprouts, and within about a week they
will be ready to eat.
Talk So Kids Will Listen
Most parents complain, at least from time to time, that their children don’t listen to them. Shouting doesn’t help, and chances are it will only aggravate the problem. Try these tips for forging better communication with your kids:
• Get their attention. Don’t start talking if they’re focused on something else. You may have
to do something unusual—to reach a toddler having a tantrum, for
example, trying giving his or her back a few pats or a tickle. For
older children, singing a song may break through their wall of boredom
or inattention.
• Be brief.
Most kids don’t want to listen to long lectures. When you have
something to say, get right to the point. They’ll get the message
without feeling patronized or growing bored.
• Write a note instead.
If your message isn’t time-sensitive, try writing a note to your kids.
They can read it at their convenience, and you’ll be able to put more
detail into it than you would in a brief conversation.
• Stay positive.
Don’t just assign chores and tell kids what they’re doing wrong. Praise
them and thank them so they won’t automatically tense up when you ask,
“Can I talk to you for a few minutes?”
• Set the right example.
When your kids have something to say, give them your full attention. If
you ignore them when they’re trying to talk, they may do the same to
you.
Emotional Management Advice For Family Caregivers
Unpaid
caregivers are among the most overlooked yet vital workers, with more
than sixty-five million Americans giving care to loved ones who suffer
from aging, disabilities, or illness. It can be difficult to balance
care-giving with others roles such as partner, parent, and
professional, and it is only natural to have mixed emotions which can
include anger, loyalty, love, and resentment.
If
things are really getting too much for you, then you should try to get
professional help, but for those for whom things are generally okay,
there are ways to cope with bad days.
Anxiety
is a natural emotion for caregivers. Medical issues that involve
complex technologies and treatments and alarming symptoms, together
with seeing loved ones declining in health, can cause great anxiety.
One good tip is to make sure you stay as informed and confident as you
can be about the specific illness your loved one suffers from, and
motivate yourself to share feelings with them before it is too late.
Guilt
is another emotion common to care-givers; the awful feeling that you
are not doing enough. It Is crucial to understand that everybody has
their limits and that respecting and understanding those limits within
yourself does not make you an awful person. The reality is that
accepting those limits can ensure you stay present and engaged and do
not burn yourself out.
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