COMMUNITY

Stressed?  Here are 7 Tricks to help you calm down and relax.

If you are stressed, don’t worry you’re not alone.  Studies say that around 70% of Moms in the US say that being a mother is incredibly stressful.  Also 96% say that they are far more stressed than their moms in the past.  

Sure there are tons of things to be stressed about as a mother.  Financial situations, expectations of your children, lack of time, I could go on and on.  What you might not realize is that your stress can be detrimental to your health and your family.  Stressed moms are usually more insensitive to their children’s feelings.  Studies have also shown that stressed mothers have a direct correlation to their relationship with their kids and their happiness and well being. 

I am sure as a mother or father, there has been a point in time when you as a parent considered daycare.  While daycare centers are abundant, as a parent you want to find the greatest daycare center possible where your son or daughter an reap the benefits and have the best experience at the daycare center.  If you're a parent that hasn't chosen Daycare because of financial reasons or you are a parent that does not see the need to enroll your child into daycare the following information sway your ideas on daycare and hopefully help you reconsider.

I’ve noticed a suspicious pattern.

My husband and I went away for the weekend recently and left our three-year-old with my mom and aunt — an amazing, dynamic-duo babysitting team. From the minute we walked out the door until we arrived back, we heard nothing but rosy, idyllic updates from them: “Building sand castles. Slept ’til 8. Huge breakfast!” “Lunch on Main Street. Great day. Nothing but smiles!” Two days later, we came through the door excited, and our little guy jumped into our arms and got busy showing us all the cookie-making, holiday-decorating projects around the house.

Dinner time for the kiddos just got more complicated.

While we’ve long known that a plate of varied, colorful foods is the healthiest option for kids (and adults, too!), new research tells us just how much color and how much food children prefer at mealtimes.  And the amount might have you running out of the kitchen.

If your kids are anything like mine, they are very open to the power of suggestion.  “Does your head hurt?” I ask and immediately get a yes.  “Your toe?  Your back?”  Let’s just say that the toddler set isn’t known for being reliable.