How to Spruce up Your Parenting Blog

You have a blog devoted to parenting and want to make sure your ideas, photos and text not only get the word out but keep parents coming back for more.

Here are some ideas:

  • Make sure your blog has easy to read information. The copy in your blog is just as important as the photos and/or video you attach to it. If you have a difficult time with grammar or find that you just can’t get creative enough to make your copy stand out from the rest, hire someone to do it for you; or get someone to read over your material and search for errors before you post it.
  • Have some fun on your blog. Parenting isn’t all about rules and boundaries, it’s about places to take your children and free events found within your city. Through a blog you can add the latest juicy gossip about kids and how to raise them, what foods your children should eat, or where the next best place to go on vacation is located and what a family should do there.
  • Make sure you have a terrific way to connect with your readers. KISS Insights, for example, provides you with a real-time tool that allows readers to ask you questions and lets you know when a question is asked so that you can reply quickly. Email is a fairly easy way to communicate, but KISS Insights allows folks to take a look at your blog, and, at the same time respond to what they like and don’t like about it.

Parenting is an important duty, but because it’s also a fun duty, you’ll want to show your readers that you care through the articles you produce and the fun that you have along the way.

 

Teaching Your Child to be Prepared for Emergencies

When is the best time to start teaching your child how to handle an emergency? Children as young as two years old can be taught to dial 911 in an emergency. Discussing this with your child and giving specific instructions of when and how to call can get you help quickly when it is needed or even save a life.

The American Red Cross has a program called First Aid for Children Today (F.A.C.T.).  This program is targeted towards children ages five to eight years old and teaches injury prevention and first aid. Teaching children about emergency situations and what to do when a parent is not around or if a parent is in need of medical attention is vitally important. Children cannot be expected to react to an emergency in the same way an adult would, however, children can be taught how to handle an emergency situation when there is a need.

Discussing “what-if” scenarios with your children and the best ways to handle them will help them be prepared. Go over an emergency plan in your home. Do your children know where to go in the event of a fire? Do older children know where to find a fire extinguisher and how and when to properly use it? Do your children know how to dial 911 and what to say when they do call? Teach proper use of 911 and emphasize to your child that prank calls to 911 are illegal. Be sure that your child has memorized your address and phone number in the event of an emergency.

When preparing your children to handle an emergency do not be overly dramatic. You want to teach your children how to handle an emergency without scaring them. With proper preparation your child can step up and take control of a bad situation in an emergency.

Choosing a Hypoallergenic Dog

Affenpinscher
Image via Wikipedia

Choosing a hypoallergenic dog is the solution for a child whose allergies prevent him from owning a pet and doing fun things such as dressing the dog in pet costumes. Allergies can be disruptive to an individual’s life, especially for children. Luckily, hypoallergenic dogs do exist, and children with a special love for animals do not have to be deprived of the joys of owning a dog.

Reasons to Buy a Hypoallergenic Dog

As many people know, the President has purchased a hypoallergenic dog because his young daughter has allergies. This is a perfect solution in a health situation that cannot be remedied. When people are allergic to a dog, they are reacting to proteins in the dog’s dander and saliva. Hypoallergenic dogs usually have less hair, preventing the extent of the protein that the allergic person comes in contact with. Most hypoallergenic dogs are also smaller in size. This is because there is less in the way of overall body size, hair and saliva to cause symptoms and allergic reactions.

Examples of Hypoallergenic Dogs

Poodles are an example of a small dog that doesn’t shed. Lhasa Apso is another breed that doesn’t shed. The Samoyed is known for having no dander. Schnauzers are short-haired and typically shed less. They do bark heavily, however, which spreads their saliva around, causing allergic reactions in some people.

The Puppy, Playing and Pet Costumes

Finding the right hypoallergenic dog for a child with allergies is a fun process. The child gets to interact with a variety of puppies and can pick his favorite. Being able to walk a dog teaches a child a sense of responsibility. Playing with a dog keeps children active and joyful. Being able to dress a dog in pet costumes is an opportunity for amusement for both children and adults.

Family Life and Debt

Debt Consolidation, Circa 1948
Image by Orin Zebest via Flickr
Image via Wikipedia
There are many obstacles to overcome in order to have a successful family life and overwhelming debt can be one of the most stressful areas to try to work on. Not only are money conversations one of the biggest causes of arguments, but debt is sometimes a dealbreaker due to the stress and worry over paying bills that you can’t afford. There are a few ways to lessen the burden and have a happier lifestyle.

One of the ways you can work on lessening the heavy load is to consider a debt consolidation service. Sometimes paying one bill can be much easier than paying a ton of small ones and it helps stop the phone calls and letters.

Another thing to consider is to form a budget to see exactly where your money is going each month. You may not think about the small things that you buy but let’s say you get coffee for two people every day at a major chain. That can cost around $10 per day and adding that up for the month could very well pay a car payment or utility bill. Sometimes seeing where your money is going can be helpful in getting on the right track in order to become more debt free.

The most important aspect is to communicate with your family. It can be tough to tell your children they can’t have that new video game or join the soccer team this season, but sometimes it is necessary to cut corners and the things that aren’t a necessity can be eliminated first.

It is making a committment to a better life that can put you on the right track and it starts by cutting corners and looking at what is a necessity and what is a luxury. Leave room for a few luxuries but take a look at the end goal.

Getting The Big Gift For Your Kid

YONGIN-SI, SOUTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 26: South Ko...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The first thing to do before you explain is see if the gift they want can be gotten for cheaper than you think. Get on a search engine like Canada 411, and see if you can find a retailer that might have it for less. If they do you might be out of the woods. If not then you would have to explain.

Explaining to them is easier than it might seem. Telling them that Santa can only get one thing if it’s the big thing might be a hard concept to grasp. Trying telling them that anyway. Let them know that Santa gives presents to everyone and so they have to decide if they want that or all the other stuff on their list. Most kids, as you might know, will pick to have the other stuff because they often value you quantity over quality.

If you choose to not talk to them about it and they don’t get it then just let them know that you felt it wasn’t the right time for that present from Santa and remind them that there are other occasions to be a good kid and get great presents.