Guest Post

4 Ways to Help Your Kids Get Better Grades on Their Homework

May 16, 2017 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Your children’s educational journey doesn’t begin and end at school. It’s a lifelong adventure that comes home with them and persists through evenings, weekends, and even summer vacations. Make sure you’re supporting your children’s learning and helping them excel at their homework with these smart strategies.

Develop a Routine

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Consistent study habits are essential if you want your children to excel in school. Choose a regular block of time when they’ll study and do homework each night. Determine your child’s learning style and incorporate strategies that cater to these preferences. Your child may understand math better with manipulatives, thrive with flashcards, or prefer a math program on the computer. Include at least 20 minutes of reading for elementary-age children.

Give kids some time to unwind after school, but don’t push the homework routine so close to bedtime that the kids go to sleep late if the study session runs over. A late-afternoon block is best.

Create a Functional Study Space

Children learn best if they have a dedicated space set aside for studying. Even a tiny desk set in the corner is sufficient. Use task lighting so your kids don’t have to squint over their papers. Keep all the essentials handy, including paper, pencils, and reference materials. You don’t want to interrupt your routine hunting for an eraser or ruler. Make sure it’s all handy in a drawer or supply tote.

Consider including a blackboard, whiteboard, or bulletin board in your study space. You can write up the week’s spelling words, leave encouraging notes, or work out math problems on a larger scale with these tools.

Set and Reward Goals

Set homework and study goals for your children, and track their progress so they can see their growth and achievements. You might track passing grades, demonstrated math fluency, or the number of books read each week. Stickers on a chart are easily visible and provide a visual incentive. Set a reward system with perks like a pizza night, screen time, or freedom from a particular chore if children meet their goals.

Keep Kids Healthy

Healthy kids will have an easier time with all their activities, including school. Make sure your children are eating a well-balanced diet that’s low in sugar and processed foods and high in whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. Children between the ages of 5 and 17 should get at least an hour of moderate to vigorous activity each day.

Make sure your home is a healthy space by keeping it clean. Proper humidity levels will help keep asthma and allergies under control. High humidity creates a breeding ground for mold, mildew, and dust mites, yet excessively dry air encourages these irritants to dry out and become airborne. Keep your humidity level between 30 and 50 percent for the healthiest environment.

With the right home environment and routine, your children can thrive in all their activities, from learning a musical instrument to mastering math facts. Work closely with your children’s teachers to set appropriate goals and make sure they’re working on the right activities during their homework time.

Smartphone Apps to Keep your Children Safe

May 16, 2017 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Children are easily distracted by people and activities around them which can lead parents to lose children in small crowds or where there are engaging activities taking place. Parents are always concerned about what their children are doing and their current location. It is, however, impossible to keep track due to various commitments. The good news is that different apps in the market can help paranoid parents monitor their children from wherever they are. With these apps, it becomes easy for parents to know the exact location of their children and the various activities that they are performing with their smartphones. Some of these phones are installed in the children’s phone without their knowledge while others are agreed upon especially when they are in a new neighborhood or traveling so as to alert the parents in case of danger.

Family Locator

The Verizon Family Locator app allows parents to monitor the whereabouts of their children as they go about their day’s activities. The app is in a position to alert you via email or text message when it recognizes an abnormality in the location of your children. When your child, for example, skips a lesson and decides to go out with friends, you can get a notification, and her smartphone signal will pinpoint the current location on an aerial map or photo.

Family Medical Info

The health of a growing child is one of the biggest concerns of a parent. Having the vital medical information of your baby stored in an app is a perfect way to stay stress-free regarding your child’s medical condition. This app stores some relevant medical history which includes the child’s vaccinations, allergies, blood type, a list of prescriptions, and other complicated conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. With this kind of information, you can contact your insurance rep or your family doctor with a tap of a button regardless of the distance between you and your child.

FamilyBase

Digital interactions via social media have become rampant among the young generation. Children are in a phase where their curiosity might lead them into accessing sites meant for adults. This app aids you in controlling how, when and with whom your child communicates with at all times. It also has an option where you can restrict the service hours, limiting the child’s text messages, calls, and purchase options. The FamilyBase app will also help you in controlling your internet bills by limiting your child’s data usage.

Child ID

According to the FBI, more than 400,000 are reported missing annually. The thought of losing a child in a mall without a trace is a nightmare for every parent. With this app, you can store some vital data that can help the authorities in identifying your children when you accidentally lose them. The app can be used to store your baby’s current photos, height, eye colour, weight, mannerism, and birthmarks. The information saved in this app should be able to distinguish your child from the rest for easier tracking by the security agents. This app also comes with advice and safety on what parents need to do when a crisis occurs.

Lassy Project

Most children disappear without trace due to the extended time taken by parents to realize that their child has gone missing. This app provides an instant alert when your child goes missing so as to facilitate an immediate rescue mission. Lassy Project provides an updated image of the missing child and a real-time map displaying the coordinates of the last recognized site. This app makes a perfect alert tool for notifying when a child goes missing as only relevant people in the immediate area are informed.

3 of Signs It’s Time to Upgrade the HVAC System in Your Home

April 24, 2017 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Most households don’t notice their HVAC systems. As long as their home stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter then they don’t think about it. However, when it stops performing effectively or starts getting more disruptive, homeowners are forced to evaluate their HVAC units to determine what can be fixed and what needs to be replaced. Here are three signs that your HVAC system needs to be replaced or at least needs to be inspected.

There Is More Dust Floating Around

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Dust is more than a cleaning annoyance. It can worsen your allergies and make your children sick. If they have asthma, they could struggle to breathe — even in their own homes. Furthermore, pollen from the outside can spread to areas like the bedroom and den that you want to feel comfortable in. Replacing your HVAC unit and cleaning your ducts can make it easy to breathe in your home again.

If you have noticed more dust in your home lately, check your air ducts to see if they’re particularly dusty. While air filters catch a significant amount of dirt and dust, older models are less effective at trapping these irritants. Your older home could also have decades of dust build up in your air ducts if they have never been cleaned.

Your Energy Bills Are Increasing

There are two signs that your HVAC system isn’t performing like it should: your energy bills are increasing and your system seems to run constantly. In this instance, you might have a leak in your air ducts that is pushing the air out of your home instead of inside your rooms. If your energy bills have been on the rise lately, pay attention to your HVAC system and see if it’s not turning off as often as it used to. The two could be correlated.

Before you decide to invest in a new system, call your local HVAC company for a checkup. There might be something wrong with your unit that’s causing it to run longer or push out room-temperature air. This could be an easier — and more affordable — fix than a complete replacement. During your tune-up, the HVAC professional will also check other sources around your home for leaks, like a drafty room or loose windows. This too could provide an affordable alternative to an HVAC replacement.

Your System Is Loud and Disruptive

Has your HVAC system grown louder in the past few years? Is there roaring and clanking that is keeping you and your kids up at night? If so, then your unit may be on its last legs. Older motors have to work harder and lose pipes or doors could lead to clanking noises.

This is another reason to have your HVAC unit inspected by a professional. He or she might be able to tighten up a few loose elements or find a way to muffle the sound of your system without requiring a complete replacement.

A poorly performing HVAC system can make the summer miserable, whether you’re sweating through the day or sneezing all night. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, then it might be time to invest in a modern unit.

5 Ways to Treat Hypokalemia During Pregnancy

March 24, 2017 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of Hypokalemia During Pregnancy

Even though pregnancy is a pleasant experience, you’re also at a very delicate phase in your life. And fatigue and normal muscular weakness may be pretty normal during this period, but you still have to be very careful when it comes to your health. Muscle weakness may be brought about by hypokalemia, which is a deficiency of potassium in your bloodstream. This condition can prompt unpleasant complications and jeopardize your pregnancy as well as the health of your unborn baby. So let’s take a look at the causes, symptoms, and treatments for hypokalemia during pregnancy.

What causes hypokalemia?

During pregnancy, your potassium levels can decrease because of vomiting as a result of morning sickness. Another cause of this condition is increased levels of aldosterone, a hormone secreted by your adrenal gland and important for maintaining the pH and electrolyte level of blood. If you take diuretics that make you urinate more than usual, you may suffer from low potassium levels since potassium is filtered through your kidneys. Diarrhea can also lead to this condition, and antibiotics such as carbenicillin and gentamicin can cause hypokalemia.

What are the symptoms of hypokalemia?

It may be difficult to pinpoint the symptoms associated with hypokalemia in pregnant women because these are symptoms common during pregnancy. However, fatigue, muscle weakness, muscle pain, twitches, constipation, nausea, abdominal cramping, and irregular heart rhythms are some of the symptoms to look out for. Muscle pain and fatigue may be usual during pregnancy, but you should consult a physician if you undergo such symptoms in order for hypokalemia to be ruled out.

Treatment of hypokalemia

1. Potassium Supplements

The most common treatment for mild hypokalemia is oral potassium supplements. You can get these supplements in various forms, including tablets, capsules, powder, and liquid. With the powder form, you can mix it with food or water. The liquid supplement is great if you gag or experience nausea when you try to swallow pills. Your doctor will prescribe the manner in which you should take the potassium supplements. If you’re taking any medications, you should inform your physician before you take these supplements because they can react with some medications.

2. Eat foods rich in potassium

Another treatment option is to eat potassium-rich foods, which include potatoes, tomato, yogurt and white beans. Natural, whole foods are the best sources of potassium, and you can also eat peas, lima beans, sweet potatoes, broccoli, avocado, bananas, and salmon. Grass-fed beef, raw milk, sardines, and grapefruit are other important sources of potassium.

3. Increase electrolyte intake

During pregnancy, it’s important to increase your intake of electrolytes to 2,000 mg per day in order to keep up your potassium levels as a result of raised blood volume while you are expecting a child. As a pregnant woman, you need potassium for your body to function properly. This mineral helps to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance. Also, it plays a major role in how your body transmits nerve impulses, contracts muscles and releases energy from fat, protein, and carbohydrates. It’s very common for pregnant women to crave pickles, which are rich in electrolytes. You can also take vitamin water, apple juice, and coconut water.

4. Medication

Medication may also be prescribed to treat hypokalemia. If your condition was caused by a thiazide or loop diuretic, and you have a proper renal function, your doctor can prescribe angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. However, ACE inhibitors can have some side effects, which can include a dry cough during pregnancy. If this happens, you should see your doctor in order to discontinue the treatment. Your cough will then be resolved within a few days. You can also be prescribed potassium-sparing diuretics. Your doctor can also prescribe oral potassium chloride, which is excellent for replenishing your potassium levels.

5. Surgical care

When you suffer from hypokalemia, it’s a medical condition and surgical intervention isn’t required. However, you may have to undergo surgery in case of certain etiologies. For instance, if you have renal artery stenosis, which is a narrowing of your arteries, surgery is required. Adrenal adenoma, villous adenoma and intestinal obstruction that produce massive vomiting are other conditions in which surgery is required.

Prevention of Hypokalemia

Prevention is better than cure and if you’re pregnant, you should eat a diet rich in potassium. If you’re using diuretics, you should have your serum potassium routinely monitored to catch hypokalemia during its early stages.

4 Tips to Encourage Creativity in Your Children

March 24, 2017 by Painter Mommy 1 Comment

Creative thinking is a characteristic commonly found in successful business men and women. These people aren’t afraid to try new ideas or take chances. If you want to raise creative kids, but don’t know where to start, check out these four tips for encouraging creativity.

Create a Space Where Kids Can Get Messy

Image via Flickr by CCK_mom

It’s hard to keep your home clean when you have children. However, if your kids are always worrying about getting dirty, their creativity suffers. Instead of letting your kids run wild with the arts and craft supplies, create a space where it’s okay to be messy.

A sunroom or any tiled surface works great for a creative space because it’s easy to clean. Just make sure it’s free of allergens and stays at a comfortable temperature so your kids can play longer. During the summer, you can also set up some tables outdoors and let your kids make all the mess they want. Being messy isn’t really the problem; it’s being messy all over the place.

Schedule Time Each Day for Creativity

Most parents let their kids watch a little TV, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, TV doesn’t help stimulate creativity. When kids watch TV, they go into a semitrance and don’t rely on their own brains to come up with things to do. If you want your kids to be more creative, turn off the TV and give them something to do where they need to think and explore their surroundings.

Set aside time each day during which your kids participate in creative activities. When your kids know they need to do something creative every day, they’ll start to think of things to do on their own. Over time, creative time will become their favorite time of the day.

Provide Ample Arts and Craft Supplies

Image via Flickr by Carissa GoodNCrazy

Another way to encourage creativity in your kids is to make sure they have all the supplies they need. Some kids can take crayons and some paper and color for hours. Others kids need more prompting with drawing books and creative toys. You know what your kids like to do, so find ways to bring in creativity.

Beyond arts and craft supplies, it helps to model creativity for your kids. If they see you sewing, painting, or gardening, they’ll want to join in on the fun. If your kids show an interest in a creative activity, make sure they have time to learn.

Let Your Kids Make Mistakes

Creativity comes when kids experiment and try new things. If your kids know you won’t be mad when they make a mistake, they won’t worry about trying something new.

Praise your kids when they try something new, but don’t make them feel like they’re under surveillance. Creativity happens when there’s freedom to explore without interruption or interrogation.

There are tons of ways to encourage creativity; there are just a few listed here. You just need to plan ahead and do what works for you and your kids. We’d love to hear what helps your child be creative in the comments below.