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Mental Health Tips for Parents

February 17, 2021 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and in the midst of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, you may be struggling more than ever to keep your mental health in check. As a result, you may have felt a sense of guilt or uselessness for your inability to take control of everyday situations as you once did, but this is completely natural given the circumstances, and you shouldn’t feel the need to talk yourself down. In this guide, we’re going to look at some helpful tips you can take on board to keep your mental health in check as a parent. Take a look at these tips below:

Talk to your partner

There are days when you may feel completely at your wit’s end to the point where you question your abilities as a parent – and you wouldn’t be the only one. Everyone struggles from time to time, and in such as unprecedented state of events that we’re currently living through, it’s natural to feel moments of panic or uncertainty in your capabilities of taking care of yourself and your children’s needs. If this is the case, don’t be afraid to reach out to your partner for support. They should be one of the only individuals in your life who completely understand your personal circumstances and is happy to support you every step of the way. Through discussion, you should hopefully be able to come to some decisions about how to ease the burden and share responsibilities so you don’t feel overwhelmed or stressed when you are suffering from days of severe depression or anxiety.

Know the signs in others around you as well

If your mental health has suffered quite badly over the past year or so as a result of the pandemic, you may begin to notice when others around you are struggling in the same way. Keep an eye out for the key signs that your family or friends are suffering too. Some of the most common signs of depression include:

Irritability
Lack of confidence
Lack of interest in hobbies
Unable to sleep / irregular sleep patterns
Inability to concentrate

For instance, your teenager could be struggling to open up with anybody. By noticing the signs and being open about how you feel could help them feel not so alone. If, upon noticing the signs, you feel like trying to handle your own mental health issues and help your child is too much, the best option would be to seek professional help such as a counselor or treatment program. Mental health conditions can worsen without the correct strategies, and you may not have much of an idea of how to help your child get it under control. If you believe your teenager is suffering from any of the above symptoms, it would be well worth visiting depression clinics to help them get their life back on track while you also find solutions that work for you. Often clinics can give you essential tactics to cope with parenting a child with mental health issues, for example.

Recognize your strengths

When times get tough, and your mental health is suffering, it’s very easy to focus on your weaknesses rather than your strengths. However, remembering how great you are will certainly boost your confidence and hopefully help switch off negative thoughts that are causing you to ruminate. Instead of telling yourself, ‘today isn’t going well’ and ‘I am a failure,’ recognize what you have achieved and what you are capable of. Children are inspired by the behavior they are surrounded by, so aim to stay as positive as you can to be a good role model.

Why You Need to Start Taking Better Care of Your Health

January 11, 2021 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

You’ve probably heard plenty of talk about the importance of healthy eating, an active lifestyle, and other common wellness phrases, but it’s often too easy to dismiss this as not applying to you. However, men are just as likely, if not more, to experience serious health concerns in their lifetime, especially as they get older. Here are some reasons, and tips, for getting more pro-active with your health.

Routine health checks can prevent serious issues

It’s a cliché to say that most men won’t go to the doctor unless it’s something really serious, and even then, they’d rather wait it out and hope it resolves by itself. Often, this results from damaging ideals about what masculinity means, which can sadly end up with more men suffering from serious conditions that could have been prevented had they taken action sooner.

Aim to have more frequent checkups with your physician and dentist, particularly as you age. It’s a good idea to regularly review your blood levels and weight. Suppose you have a family history of disease such as diabetes, heart issues, or cancer. In that case, staying vigilant of any early symptoms may help you treat and prevent illnesses from getting worse.

Invest in your diet

The food you eat is one of the most important things that affect your health and wellbeing, and it’s essential to make sure you have a balanced, nutritious diet if you want to enjoy an active and enjoyable life. While there are many kinds of diets and fitness plans, promising the perfect way to eat, in reality, it is far less complicated.

Simply making sure that you have a good mix of fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and a moderate amount of proteins and healthy fats can help you meet most of your nutritional needs. An additional multivitamin for men at NoorVitamins.com can also provide a helpful top up of essential nutrients that are needed for healthy functioning.

Pay attention to your mental health

As well as ignoring physical health issues, a large number of men will also ail to pay attention to mental health concerns. This can happen for a variety of reasons, most commonly, the fact that men are often expected to be tougher and more resilient to emotional issues. However, this attitude has led to a huge number of men experiencing serious mental health problems, with growing rates of depression, anxiety, and many other disorders.

If you are worried about experiencing mental health issues, don’t hesitate to address it with a physician, therapist, or counselor. There are several ways to find a solution that works best for you. Taking steps to improve it will not only benefit you but can also set a great example for others. Encouraging friends and male family members to speak more openly about their mental health can also help reduce stigma and help them to reach out for help more easily when they need it.

6 Top Tips for Creating a Baby-Friendly Home

December 9, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

If you’re expecting a baby in the next nine months (or less), you’ll more than likely want every inch of your property to suit their needs.

In addition to creating a beautiful nursery, you must ensure your home is warm, safe and spacious to support their health, security, and first steps.

To feel 100% prepared for your son or daughter’s arrival, read these six top tips for creating a baby-friendly home.

Cover Electrical Outlets

Once your baby starts crawling, cruising, or walking, you can guarantee they will want to explore every item on the floor, walls, and furniture. To ensure they are safe when they move across your home, you can cover your electrical outlets with a plastic outlet cover. Research to find out what the most suitable method is for your type of electic outlet.

Add Corner Guards

Children are prone to falling forwards and backward when they are first finding their feet, and they’ll lack spatial awareness when moving from A to B. To prevent unwanted injuries, you can cover all sharp edges with corner guards. For example, you could add them onto the corners of tables, baseboards or low shelving, which will provide peace of mind that they will be safe when falling in the home.

Install Efficient Radiators

Faulty or broken radiators will fail to increase your home’s temperature on a cold night. Ensure your little bundle of joy is safe and warm every day of the week by installing efficient radiators before their arrival. There are also many beautiful designs available at warmrooms.co.uk that can complement the size of a room and its interior. For example, vertical column radiators are an ideal choice if you have minimal wall space.

Move Medicines and Cleaning Supplies

As mentioned, babies and toddlers are inquisitive, so you can guarantee they will want to explore every cupboard when an opportunity arises. Keep them safe within the home by moving all medicines and cleaning supplies from lower kitchen cabinets or shelving. Store them in a higher cabinet and install a child-lock for extra peace of mind.

Remove Poisonous Plants

Children will be happy to put every object into their mouths once they have improved their fine and gross motor skills. While you might think your beautiful plants are harmless, you might be surprised to learn that some varieties are poisonous when consumed, such as devil’s ivy, English ivy, and poinsettia. You should, therefore, remove them from your home (or place well out of reach) before your little one starts rolling and crawling.

Stabilize furniture

As a growing baby will want to explore different colors, textures, and movements, they’ll want to browse the many items sitting on a bookshelf. To ensure it never topples over, you must stabilize it and anchor any heavy furniture against the wall. You can also add baby-friendly products onto lower shelving, such as:

Board books
Soft toys
Various textured fabrics
Stacking cups

Don’t forget to remove breakable items from the bookshelf, such as vases, candles and sculptures.

Before your baby arrives in the world, take a walk around your home to identify potential safety issues, such as a faulty water heater, choking hazards or unsecured mirrors or furniture. It’s much easier to get all this sorted without a baby than waiting until they arrive.

Sharing Your Love Of Sports With Your Kids

November 20, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

While it is important that children have their own interests and that you help them foster them (while showing an interest in them for their sake), there is something quite special to developing a bond over an interest that you mutually share out of your own independent interests. If you want your child to have your love of sports and to develop a bond over it, there are a variety of ways you can help nurture them in that direction. Here, we’re going to look at a few.

While looking at the tips below, it’s important to remember that the personality and inclinations of your child matter just as much as anything else. Not everything is going to work the same for everyone.

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Play it for fun

If you want your child to get into playing a sport, then you should be sure to encourage them to explore it at their own pace, not to force them to play it for any sort of competitive reason or try and get them to play it to get better at it. Simply put, if you put too much pressure on them too early, they’re going to eventually balk against it and are more likely to quit than anything. If your child shows a natural aptitude for athletics, it’s only natural to want to encourage them to pursue it, but trying to force it is only going to work against the very same desire.

Do sports together rather than expecting them to do it

If you’re trying to get your kid into sports because you want to build a bond with them around that shared interest, then you should make sure that you’re not simply pushing them to get into it and then vicariously enjoying those sports through them. If you want your child to associate sports with fun, then it’s important that you’re directly involved with it and actively making it more fun for them. For instance, get them more used to physical activity at first by going on bike rides with them after you teach them how to ride, or practice basketball with them by getting a hoop to play with in your backyard. That way, when they start to get to the age where they can explore their own interest, they already associate sports with fun.

Get them into the trivia side

There is a common misconception that it’s only the most physically apt and athletic guys that love sports, but we know that’s not true. There are guys who are into sports because they compete or have competed, there are those who love to support the home team, and there are those who love to get into the details of it, to uncover all of the stats and learn about everything they can. Even if a kid isn’t a natural athlete, he can develop a true and passionate interest in sports. Getting into the trivia side of sports with them, such as discovering the best coaches, looking at stats of different players, and maybe even involving them in your fantasy league, can develop an interest in sports just as easily as getting physically involved. Let them be the kind of fan they want to be.

Take them to a game

As mentioned, just as there are those sports fans who love to get involved physically and who love to learn everything about the technical side as they can, there are those who love feeling involved with something bigger than them. That’s a big component of just about anyone who supports a local sports team or athlete. If your child is old enough to attend a game, then taking them out when possible, even if it’s an occasional thing, can be a great way to build brilliant memories associated with both the sport and you, and can be something that they look fondly on for years to come.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

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Let them have other interests

All children are going to develop multiple interests over time. In fact, as they develop those interests, they’re likely to drop an older one for some time while a new passion has their attention. As a parent, it’s up to you to acknowledge and accept that they have different interests and that sports may not always be a priority. When they are young, especially in their single-digit ages, they are going to have short attention spans, which means they can get bored with prolonged activities and want to do something else. You can encourage them to develop self-discipline, especially if they start competing, but you shouldn’t try to force them to sit and stick with something if they’re getting restless and distracted.

Don’t make it a “man thing”

First of all, if you are looking to share your interest with your daughters, you had better get rid of any notions of what being into sports means about them and their femininity. Everyone can love sports of any kind, whether it’s men or women competing in it. Gatekeeping isn’t going to help anyone. However, for boys, it sets a bad example if you try and tie their love of and skill with sports to any notion of what makes them a “man.” This is toxic masculinity in its purest form, and it can set them up with harmful notions about manhood for life. Sports is about athleticism, competition, and ambition in that particular field and it’s okay to inspire them with those thoughts. But don’t make it something that it’s not.

You can’t force a child to get into sports, of course. You can, however, make it clear that you have that interest and, if they want to get into it, you would be glad to share it with them. It’s the only natural way to share that love of sports with your kids. Hopefully, the tips above show you a more measured and considerate way to get your child to share your love of sports. What’s more, it’s one that’s likely to work more than simply trying to urge them to start doing sports out of nowhere.

Tips For Investing For Your Family’s Future

November 11, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Everyone knows the importance of family, and when it comes to your family’s future, you want to do what’s best for them. There’s a lot that you can do and in many different ways but one of the most important things is your financial health. Investments are a great way of helping to potentially give your funds a bit of a boost and to hopefully set you and your loved ones up with a financially healthier future. But not everyone invests their money for fear of the unknown and potentially losing their savings. However, with the right attitude and approach, it could be something that you can provide for your family. Here are some tips for investing for your family’s future.

Photo by Emma Bauso from Pexels

Save, Save, Save

Saving is important to any individual in life, and the more you can save, the better. Regardless of your income, your age or position in life, it’s always good to be setting money aside for a rainy day, or in this case – an investment. In order to build your funds, having a savings pot is essential. A savings post is going to help you take advantage of all these potential opportunities and investments that will come your way throughout your life. If you’re saving money aside and plenty of it, you give yourself more advantage when it comes to spending it. Some of that money may go towards living in the moment right now, and another may go to spending it during retirement. It’s worth allocating various savings pots for different reasons because it’s going to give you the option of doing more in life. So if you want to invest your money, the first thing you’ll need to do is save it. Sounds like you’re doing the opposite of what you need to be doing but if you’re not willing to save, then you’ll have no money to spend on investing without investing your whole savings fund. And at the end of the day, you should only risk what you can afford to lose.

Do Your Research

As mentioned above, every investment has its risks. And when it comes to risks, a lot of us will shy away from taking them. That’s because no one wants to be in the position where they’re dealt the losing card, right? We all want that shiny pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but if there’s a whole host of obstacles in the way that could risk losing it, many of us will be complacent in doing nothing instead. Research is important when it comes to investments because, with very little knowledge of the thing you’re investing in, it increases your chances of it failing. So when it comes to any investment, look into it more.

Those questions that you have to confusing parts of the investment, seek the answers to. If you’re going into it blindly or with half the information, it can be difficult to get a positive outcome. You have to be very lucky in some cases, and that luck can often not always run in your favour. With that being said, do the research if you’re unsure and trust your gut.

Consider Buying To Rent

Property is a great investment to make, and one way in which you can take advantage of the property market is to buy properties to rent out. These would be something you can either buy outright if possible or to lend a loan in order to pay it off through those who rent from you. It can be a great way to generate a passive income, and that can be great for those times in life where you need a bit of extra money here and there. Look at what properties are out there and consider the potential rental yield that’s available with each property you look at.

A lot of lenders are going to look at the rental yield against what you’re borrowing to make sure that you’re going to be able to pay off this mortgage or loan with the money you make each month from the property. One thing to note is that when it comes to buying to rent, you may have dead months where the tenancy isn’t filled, and so it’s important to have a backup fund. This can cover you during those quiet times if you are unfortunate to have them. Be cautious when renting abroad to as a condo for rent Singapore might perform differently to one in your home country.

Look At Investing In Property Shares

Investing in property shares is important, and it’s certainly something that you want to think about as an alternative option. It might be that you don’t fancy funnelling all your money into the one investment where you’re completely responsible. It might be that you put a fraction of the money in to get a share of the investment pot. This can be beneficial to do and a way of doing something different to simply buying a house outright or with a loan.

Be Wary Of Timing

Timing is key when investing, especially in property. There’s no point in buying to let out a property just before you retire because, at that point, you don’t really need or want your money to be tied up to anything. Instead, you want to be cashing all your investments in so that you can enjoy the money you’ve earned over time. Look at your timing, and it’s ideal if you can create a plan or timeline to stick to when it comes to investing in properties.

Diversify Your Portfolio

And lastly, be sure to diversify your portfolio. Don’t just concentrate on the property market but explore stocks and shares too. Look to expand your portfolio and to have your eggs in several baskets than just the one.

Investing is a great way in hopefully making your money go further, so use these tips to help make that happen. Setting your family up financially can be a great relief!

LOOTCRATE Offers Great Gifts This Holiday Season!

November 4, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

I have talked about how I am a fan of LOOTCRATE. I have picked up a few LOOTCRATE items in the past and to be honest, any crate that I have gotten in the past has been filled with so many great quality items, and you can find a bit of everything no matter what your interest is.

Recently I was sent one of these kits to check out as we get ready for the holiday season. I was sent the new LOOTCRATE DX. With the new LOOTCRATE DX you get a bigger crate, bigger gear! Each box gives you a surprise assortment of awesome pop culture gear and collectibles delivered to your door every month!

Take a look at the pictures below and you will see the variety you get in this box. The box itself was a ton of fun and really taps into your fandom into a number of areas. All of the items are of high quality and you will find that the quality and variety alone will keep you coming back for more with every month that goes by.

So, as you can see, this is a box that is full of a ton of different items that tapped into my own interest in popular culture movies, super heroes and more. You get a ton of things that makes the value of this box definitely surpass the cost of the box itself.

Wheth this box sounds interesting or not, you definitely need to look at all of the unique boxes that are available on LOOTCRATE. I know that you will be impressed. Especially as you get ready for the holidays, I can say that so many guys will find these boxes to be a great gift! Consider passing one on to someone you love!

Toxic Masculinity Is Real: We Must Do Better

October 28, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

When it comes to thinking of my role as a man and a father, I know that it is impacted by the world around me, as well as the world that I grew up in.

The challenge?

Many men are growing up with traditional ideas about what it means to be a man that sometimes can be considered to be toxic masculinity.

What is toxic masculinity?

Toxic masculinity is defined as an adherence to traditional male gender roles that consequently stigmatize and limit the emotions boys and men may comfortably express while elevating other emotions such as anger.

When I see this definition it makes me sad, as I know that men in general can be so much more without being held back by traditional male gender roles.

As a guy that was a bit more emotional, I was teased and told by other guys to “be a man” when I was young.

When did being a man become being someone that could not show emotion. By hiding away our emotions we hide away a side of our selves that make it even harder to connect with others in our lives, making many only see one side of who we actually are.

Vault Health recently wrote a blog post that explored this issue even more in depth.

The thing that this article says is that Toxic Masculinity can affect men’s health because “it’s not manly to be going to the doctor regularly” or “talking about deficiencies as we age is weak” They are completely right. I mean, how many men talk about low testosterone levels and how this impacts us, not many that I have seen. Vault Health has a unique way of helping all men to take better control of their health. .

Four Things You Need Before Bringing a Kitten Home

October 26, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Getting a kitten can be an exciting time for any family. Kittens make adorable pets and are sure to become a firm friend for your children throughout their lives. However, just like any pet, your new kitten will need a number of essentials in order for them to thrive. A healthy kitten who has plenty of things to do is a happy kitten who will grow up to be a happy and satisfied cat. So, what are some of the essentials that you need to have ready before you bring your new furry friend home?

Litter Box

Most kittens will come with the knowledge of how to use the litter box so unlike puppies, you don’t usually need to provide them with any toilet training. They learn this from their mother when they are very young and see her using the litter box, so as long as you show the kitten where their toilet is, they should start going there with no problem. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that cats, in general, prefer to have a clean toilet – who wouldn’t? So, investing in a self-cleaning litter box is a great idea to make your life easier and ensure that your cat is happy. Read this article from Kitty Reporter to help you find the best self-cleaning litter box for your needs.

Scratch Posts

Kittens love to scratch – it’s just a normal part of growing up for them and part of being a cat. In fact, even adult cats need plenty of things that are suitable for scratching, but it’s even more essential for a kitten with their little needle claws. Providing your kitten with scratch posts and pads will help you train them early in their life to scratch something more suitable than your furniture or your hands and feet when they need to get their claws out. Place them strategically around your home so that your kitten always has one in reach.

Collar and ID Tag

While it’s a good idea to get your kitten microchipped by the vet as early as possible, you should also invest in a collar and ID tag. A bell collar designed for kittens is a great idea as they can be very mischievous and often get stuck in tight spots around the home where you might not be able to find them. Wearing a bell collar means that even if they end up hiding somewhere, it’ll be easier for you to figure out where they’ve gone. And, some kittens can be little masters of escape, so an ID tag is perfect for helping them get back to you safely if they manage to get out.

A Comfortable Bed

While many cats and kittens sniff at their bed and decide to sleep on your feet instead, providing your kitten with a space that they can call their own is essential. Cats tend to like being inside tight, warm spaces, so consider a cat igloo style bed that they can curl up in.

With the right essentials, you’re on your way to a happy experience with your precious new kitten.

Are Payday Loans a Good Idea?

October 21, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Are Payday Loans a Good Idea?

It can be really hard to make sound financial decisions when you feel like you have nowhere else to turn, which is why many people go to payday loans when their credit rating isn’t good enough for credit cards and short-term personal loans from banks. There has been much criticism about payday loans in the media, claiming that payday loan companies do not hold consumers’ best interests at heart. If you’re thinking of getting a payday loan, read this first.

A Potentially Dangerous Cycle

Payday loans are mostly for consumers who need an extra bit of money to make ends meet – normally this is for relatively small amounts, a few hundred dollars or so. These loans are due by the next time that the borrower gets paid, but the interest rates can make this payment difficult. The average payday loan in America comes with an interest rate of between 300% to 400%, which means that people who are desperate for money feel they have no choice but to take those high-interest rates.

If they can’t pay the loan back, they might have to take another payday loan at the end of the month. If their credit rating has gotten worse in the meantime, they will get even higher interest rates. If they can’t pay the next loan, they have to take out another, causing a dangerous spiral into debt. Roughly 25% of all payday loans are rolled over like that at least nine times, creating interest of over 1,000% on what was initially borrowed. This dangerous cycle is called a debt trap, and can ruin lives and cause large amounts of stress as the borrower receives intimidating letters and even visits from debt collectors.

No Alternative?

Many people turn to payday loans because they feel they have no alternative. In many situations, that just isn’t true. Some people can borrow from family or friends, but feel too proud to ask. There are also other loan mechanisms that don’t have such high-interest rates. Car title loans are such an example – they have an interest rate of about 96% and just require the borrower to own a car or have a car in the final months of payment. Read this: a fantastic article on how to get car title loans in Miramar, if you want more information on how the process works.

Demand Still High

The demand for payday loans is still high and expected to get even higher due to rising unemployment. Millions of Americans use them every year and nearly 5% of US adults take one out annually. This might be due to the fact that in 2019, 46% of Americans would not be able to cover an unexpected expense of $400 according to the US federal reserve. Although many would just pawn an item or sell some assets, payday loan companies don’t make most of their money from people who could sell items to pay for bills – almost three-quarters of American payday loan industry profits come from borrowers who need to take out over 10 loans a year, many of these stacked up on top of each other.

5 Awesome Apps For DIY

October 5, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

When it comes to improving your home, DIY is the way to go! There are so many home improvement jobs that you can do by yourself, with no need to call in the experts. We all have to start somewhere, and if you’re new to DIY, you might be glad of a little help. To get you started on the right track, here are a few great apps for DIY projects.

1 . Room Scan Pro

RoomScan Pro uses the sensors of your smartphone to help you plan floor layouts. The app helps you to draw walls based on your accurate recordings. You can save these floor plans as DXF or PDF files. Features of Room Scan Pro include an augmented reality scanner and laser and manual drawing. You can even touch your phone against a wall to create an accurate plan fast!

WoodShop Widget

The Woodshop Widget app is a collection of wood-related functionalities and utilities, including squareness testing, shellac mixing aids and board volume calculation. It’s a handy tool to use in construction, DIY and woodworking projects. You can use the widget for metric or imperial, as well as with the default iOS measuring system. The movement feature can tell you how a board may grow or shrink depending on the conditions. You can also use the app to design compound miter cuts, using any combination of angles that you please.

HandyMan Calculator

The HandyMan Calculator app includes a wide range of conversion tools and calculation tools, perfect for any construction worker, handyman, or DIY enthusiast. The tool includes rebar weight, arc length, fractional calculators and density calculators. Every calculator has easy inputs and is easily convertible. The HandyMan Calculator also features a time tracking tool, a cut list, and a to-do-list.

DIY On A Budget

DIY On A Budget is a social network based on helping people with DIY projects, and exchanging tips. It’s a fantastic place to get feedback and advice on any type of project. Whether you’re looking to fix your microwave yourself or learn hacks for distressing wood, the app has plenty of great ideas to offer. You can browse through the DIY gallery to get inspiration, run polls, or get feedback about your latest DIY project.

iHandy Carpenter

The iHandy Carpenter app is a fantastic tool for home DIY projects. The app features levelling tools, bubble level bars and digital plumb bobs. You can use the app to make sure your photos, surfaces and walls are well aligned. The app also features a protractor and ruler so that you can get accurate measurements with ease. Once the tools have been calibrated, you’ll also be able to use them as an inclinometer and a clinometer.

Before you attempt your next DIY project, download these five and get all the tools and tips you could dream of! Whether you’re updating your child’s nursery, or improving your bathroom, these apps will help you to improve your projects.