Getting Back Into A Normal Routine Post-COVID

 

With schools and daycare centers closed, and many people working from home, COVID-19 has probably completely disrupted your normal day-to-day routine. Even though things aren’t quite back to normal just yet, it’s important to start trying to get back to a more regular routine.

Aim for a daily routine

Even if your kids aren’t back in school or their normal childcare arrangements, you can start to set up a daily routine so that things are happening at the same time each day. Get everyone up at a regular time, have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time, and schedule in time for learning and play. 

 

Things might not be back to usual just yet, but setting up a stricter daily routine gives everyone a bit more structure to their day. It helps you to get back on track, ready for returning to school and work when it does happen. 

Incorporate regular playtime 

With schools closed your kids have probably been having lots of extra time to play, but even as you start to get back into a normal routine it’s important to still include regular playtime. It’s not just for your kids to have fun, playing helps kids to understand and learn a whole range of life lessons as well as key social skills. Plus play is a good time for kids to express themselves, and forget about all the upheaval and disruption that’s still happening. 

 

If your children are getting tired of the same old toys after months of being stuck at home, then monthly subscription boxes for kids such as the Sago mini box could be a perfect alternative. When you sign up, every month a new box will arrive filled with an exciting make-and-play activity. Each one is based around a different theme to keep your kids engaged and entertained for hours. 

Create a weekly schedule 

COVID-19 has thrown pretty much everything into uncertainty and plans are consistently being disrupted. But it’s important to try and get back into the habit of planning out each week at the start. 

 

This gives your kids a clear idea of what they’re going to be doing whether it’s going out, just doing certain activities at home, or even household chores. It gives them something to look forward to and a bit more stability throughout the week, which will help with getting back to a normal routine. 

 

If you’re struggling to keep up with various schedules then use the Cozi Family Organizer to stay on top of everything. You can add in appointments, events, school commitments, and virtual class schedules, as well as track chores and share a grocery list with everyone. By adding a bit more organization to your week it’ll be a lot easier to get back to a normal routine. 

Get an early night 

It’s easy for bedtimes to get disrupted when you’ve fallen out of your regular routine. But getting to bed at the same, earlier, time each evening and getting a good night’s sleep is essential. 

 

Over a couple of weeks start to move bedtime forwards a bit every few days and implement a bedtime routine that helps your kids to unwind. Try to avoid watching television or looking at any screens for an hour or so before bedtime. Instead, get them settled in bed and read a story together so that they can fall asleep more easily.

 

You could also try using a sleep and mindfulness app like Moshi that’s designed to help kids fall asleep. Choose from audio stories or relaxing music to help kids wind down and fall asleep as you bring bedtime forward. 

 

If your kids are at the age where they have a nap during the day, aim to fit it in at the same time every day when possible. This also allows you to have a set time in the day to catch up with work or other bits and pieces. 

Prioritize play dates 

Socializing during the height of the pandemic was very difficult, but another important part of getting your kids back into a normal routine post-COVID is going to be setting up regular playdates. Arrange one or two playdates each week and meet up with another family in a local park or play area, wherever you and your kids feel safe. 

 

Ensuring your kids socialize with others on a regular basis, even if it has to be at a safe distance, is essential to their development and will help to prepare them for returning to school. Getting outside will also get them active and help them to burn off some energy. 

 

By following these steps you should be able to get you and your kids back to a more normal routine post-COVID and provide them with a bit more stability and reassurance.

This was a huge issue for me when I was starting out with breastfeeding, so I hope it helps some folks out! Feel free to share this with moms you know who are breastfeeding! 

What to Do if You Are Having Trouble Breastfeeding

If you are expecting your first child, you may have plans to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is the best way to give your baby the vitamins and nutrients they need to grow and develop, and it also helps protect them from infections if you exclusively breastfeed for the first six months. As well as this, breastfeeding is a great way to bond with your baby. However, many mums will probably have already told you that it isn’t always easy, and there are some problems you can encounter. If you find you are having trouble breastfeeding, here’s what you can do.

Pain When Breastfeeding

When your milk ‘comes in’ at around 2-4 days after giving birth, you may find that your nipples are tender and sore. Add to this the fact that a newborn will require feeding every two to three hours, and it’s not uncommon that breastfeeding can be quite painful in the beginning. However, there are a couple of things you can do to ensure this pain doesn’t last. First of all, you’ll want to check how your baby is latching on. The best way to describe proper latching is if your baby has most of the lower part of the areola in their mouth, the nipple against the roof of their mouth, and their tongue underneath. 

Second, make sure to consult with a breastfeeding specialist just to rule out any physical problems that may cause latching on to be an issue.

Not Producing Enough Milk

As mentioned, your milk may not come in for up to four days after giving birth. This is because the hormonal changes that trigger milk production do not happen instantly. So, if it has only been a few days, not producing enough milk is not usually a problem to be concerned about. However, if after this period you find that your baby is losing weight or not putting on enough weight, it could be that you are still not producing enough milk. In this instance, you may be advised by your breastfeeding consultant to start expressing to help build up your milk supply. 

Alternatively, you can consider using baby formula. You’ll want to ensure you choose a reputable brand such as Alula from Me and My Child. Their S-26 Gold baby formula is suitable for newborn babies and has been carefully formulated to give them the right proteins and nutrients to aid healthy development.

Leaking Breasts

Leaking breasts are a common problem in the first few weeks of breastfeeding, and it is a problem that can be easily managed. You may find that one breast leaks while your baby is feeding from another, when you are sleeping, or when your baby is due a feed but you are not quite in a position to be able to feed them there and then. If you are worried about wasting this milk, you can find milk collection shells that fit inside your bra, which are useful if leaking tends to happen during a feed. Make sure to store the milk in a sterile bottle and either use it straight away or store it for up to 24 hours in a refrigerator. Alternatively, you can use reusable or disposable nursing pads.

Remember not to put too much pressure on yourself when it comes to breastfeeding, and ask for help if you are struggling.

Giving Young Adults “Veto Power” Sets Them for Success as Adults 

By Patty Alper, Author

 

Today, our young adults must learn the skills of survival in the 21st century. And those skills have changed and continue to change at a record pace. To thrive, students must learn the skills that are desirable to today’s corporate world or face the prospect of never gaining financial and social maturity.

Corporations have long known that their best employees are successful often because they have acquired skills beyond those needed to be an employee. In fact, the greatest managers and executives learn that skills to inspire and lead others do not naturally come from working as a subordinate. Rather, they come from testing out leadership skills in relationships with others. 

 

People who grew up in difficult circumstances and yet are successful have one thing in common . . . at a critical junction in their early adolescence they had a positive relationship with a caring adult.

[ATT]—President William Jefferson Clinton

 

I am a firm believer that success and perseverance should be taught in the home. I have seen too many cases where it is not. The tone parents set, and the boundaries outlined as adolescents become adults, can make a tremendous difference in the young adults’ abilities to navigate relationships and careers in the 21st century.

In Robert D. Putnam’s recent book, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis, he details how dramatically different it is to be a young adult today, and how several factors can lead to an inequity of opportunity for our youngest populations. He suggests that in contrast to when we were all adolescents, youth today cannot escape the risk factors that infiltrate their school, community, and home environments. We need to be doing something different.

We now live in a world where we have the fortune and misfortune of 24/7 Internet at our fingertips. With that powerful resource – one that our children must embrace to be successful in any future career – comes 24/7 threats and a tremendous likelihood of negative influences. Unlike the world in which we grew up, our children face cyberbullying, inescapable peer pressure via social media channels – of which more are added every day – and unprecedented access to misinformation and horrible examples of behavior. Without positive and significant adult role models, Putnam says this generation is far more likely to experience a lack of self-esteem, suffer from depression, experience suicidal thoughts, or have a feeling of disenfranchisement. 

Moreover, as a means to guard against the ever-present pain and disappointment, our youth now adopt an early a sense of mistrust. Many use it as their primary, and even proven method of survival. Putnam describes two Orange County teenage sisters, Sofia and Lola, who developed their own moral compass for this generation, their rule of thumb: “You can’t trust anyone, not even your best friends.” 

One can easily see how this scenario leads to societal danger—one lost, misdirected youth at a time—starting with a kid dropping out of school, followed by an enticement of criminal activity for easy money, or potentially a new allegiance to an extremist sect that supply youth with a sense of belonging. Meanwhile, many lack the time, inclination, or role models to even consider their future or aspirational goals, particularly when they are just trying to survive. 

Perhaps the greatest gift we can give our children today is positive adult influences. They need people in their lives that they can trust, and with whom they can share their feelings. Not only will this help them navigate these emotionally challenging times, it will also provide more opportunities for those adolescents to succeed as adults. But let’s be more specific. How can we be positive adult influences?  

 

Create a Safe Space

 

One of the most important suggestions I have for all mentoring relationships – and that certainly applies to parent/adolescent relationships – is to first create a safe space. Especially in today’s toxic and judgmental environment, our youth need to witness that ideas can be openly discussed without fear of harsh criticism or judgment. When a parent presents that environment at home – where there is empathy and active listening (not just the obligatory “uh huh” while we continue with what we are doing) – that parent offers something that will have a lasting impact: a judgment-free zone where creativity and idea-generation can flourish. Once your adolescent realizes that his ideas can be welcomed and even cherished, the bridles are off, and you have effectively “freed” his mind to explore what else he can dream and accomplish. I have witnessed the before and after for these transitions, and they are powerful. They are life-changing. In fact, as Chris Gardner, the author of The Pursuit of Happyness, once told me, when we mentor with this mindset, we are not only impacting this generation; we are impacting their kids as well.

One of my favorite writers, who has also helped me in my own life and as a mentor, is Dr. Carol Dweck, the renowned Stanford University psychologist. I had the wonderful opportunity to speak extensively with Dweck about mentoring and parenting mindsets. One of her core mantras is to praise challenges and progress, not innate qualities. In other words, we should be teaching young adults that there will always be hurdles; it’s how you overcome those hurdles that matters in life. We should be praising the ability to come out of difficulties. She also stated that, whether students are aware of it or not, they are terrible at estimating their own abilities. The immense power to believe in oneself can strongly affect a person’s desire to learn, her overarching achievement, and her life’s potential. That’s what we as parents and mentors must instill.

How can you start your child thinking about that mindset? I like to ask, “What was your challenge today, and how did you work through it?” Take yourself out of the equation. Let your young adult share how he identified a problem, and he overcame it. “What did you learn from that?” This could easily be an entire dinner conversation – and rightly so.

 

Encourage a Project, and Put Your Young Adult in Charge

 

In my book, Teach to Work: How a Mentor, a Mentee, and a Project Can Close the Skills Gap in America, I describe in detail what I call “Project Based Mentoring.” The model stems from Project Based Learning theories, but adds a skilled mentor to support the student and project. Through the project, these two different generations are given something to “do” together, and the project is both educational and transformative. The project is frequently based on tackling realistic problems with real-world application. 

Importantly, however, there are important guidelines for that relationship. It is the student who is the idea generator, the responsible party, and the driver of the activity and its execution. Together, the mentor and mentee/student share a mutual goal of planning the project framework within a timeline to achieve successful completion. Eventually, in the classroom, the students will give a public oral defense. The project and the relationship mimic workplace assignments and intergenerational (and often cross-cultural) work relationships.

I suggest this sort of project is just as developmental and experiential if it is embarked by parent/child teams, and you review the project’s success in an “oral defense” at the end. Has your daughter wanted to paint her room a different color? Has your son been wanting to plan a weekend trip or activity for the family? These could be excellent projects in which the parents teach responsibility and project planning, while also encouraging creativity and positive mindsets. 

Based on my 20 years of mentoring, I can tell you the relationship works. Young adults, often for often the first time, are developing skills that are relevant to an actual career. They are seeing first-hand that strategizing and hard work can yield results. The youth develop character and competence, and through both, they develop confidence. And naturally, bonds form that can have a profound impact on everyone involved (even the parent/mentor).

 

Give Them “Veto Power”

 

Importantly, the parent(s) need to remember that their role is to encourage critical thinking, but not direct the project. In fact, this is an opportunity to give up control – and see how your child can take on, enthusiastically, more responsibility with time. You should absolutely be asking questions and playing devil’s advocate in “what if” scenarios. But I would suggest giving the “veto power” to your child. In order for a child to take on more authority, you have to give up some of it. “No, mom, I really do want to paint the room black.” 

Cringe! I know! But keep in mind the ultimate goal: instilling long-term values and hopefully a few lessons learned and/or disappointments overcome along the way. You are preparing your child for the real world of decision-making.

 

Make it Fun

 

Finally, it is your job to make sure this project stays fun. If there is a hurdle or negative outcome, help your child collect evidence on what happened. Don’t let the conversation or thinking turn to, “I’m so stupid,” as students will often say. Keep the conversation and comments constructive and positive.

Likewise, make sure your child’s effort, and not innate abilities, are praised. “What did you learn today?” “What did you try hard at?” Dweck says it is actually counterproductive to compliment an innate talent, physical attribute, or skills. Give your student this mentality and you have given them one of the most valuable lessons in life: “You are in charge of your learning and your mindset. It’s a choice.”

 

PATTY ALPER, author of Teach to Work, is president of the Alper Portfolio Group, a marketing and consulting company, and is a board member of both the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and US2020, the White House initiative to build mentorship in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers. She has also been appointed to the corporate committee for Million Women Mentors. 

 

I hope today’s guest post is helpful for those of you with teens. My oldest is already a tween so the teen years are very, very close! Ack! 

6 Items Worth Investing In for Your Teen

For parents of teens, it can feel like you are constantly shelling out money for various wants and needs. After a while it can start to feel like you’re nothing more than a cash machine, dolling out money every day. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with putting your foot down, and really as a parent that’s a necessary thing to do, there are some things that can really be worth investing in. But how can you tell if the item is a want versus a need?

Here we’ll take a look at six items that could be well worth you investing in for your teen.

A Laptop or Chromebook

There’s no denying that we live in a digital age. With that said, it’s perfectly normal for your teen to rely on the same digital devices you do. Many of today’s schools are even requiring teens to show up to class with their own laptop or Chromebook. So this brings us to the first item worth investing in – a laptop or Chromebook.

Each of these devices allows for flexibility since they can be taken anywhere. This means they can use them in class, to and from school on the bus, and at home to do their homework assignments.

In terms of what the best devices are, typically you want to be picky when it comes to screen size, the weight of the device, the memory, and the battery, which should be as long-lasting as possible.

Encourage Reading with an E-Reader

It’s always great to encourage good habits for teens, and reading certainly fits into that category. Rather than traditional paper books, you can invest in an e-reader for them. Again, it’s about giving them convenience, and an e-reader is something they can throw in their bag and take on the go with them.

There are a number of different types/styles available with various features. You can find everything from a basic e-reader device to ones that are filled with features and can even double as a tablet or a secondary monitor. One thing to be aware of when shopping for these devices is the screen size. Look for one that will provide a comfortable reading experience, ideally one that allows them to adjust the font size, which is quite common.

Invisible Braces

Investing in your child’s teeth is always a good investment and the teenage years are the perfect time to think about teeth alignment. Where it used to be that traditional metal braces were the only option, today teens can have invisible braces that are convenient to wear and completely discreet. These are meant for kids ages 14 and over, and can be a very real and effective solution for any misalignment they may have.

You can try this site, which is Alignerco, known for its selection of clear braces/invisible aligners. Invisible aligners can help with crowded teeth, gapped teeth, crossbite, and overbite. Opting for invisible liners is incredibly cost-effective when compared to the standard metal braces. Alignerco features installment plans, which are perfect for parents looking for an affordable solution.

A Musical Instrument

Music is another fabulous hobby to encourage in your teen, and if they show any interest in it you’ll want to jump on it. This could include something like a drum set, a guitar, a wind instrument, a keyboard, or any other type of instrument. Depending on where their interest lies this, can obviously get pretty expensive, which is why it needs to be seen as an investment.

Driving Lessons

Of course, this is something that will have to wait until they are the appropriate age, but driving lessons are an excellent way to prepare them. A professional driving school will go over all the rules and regulations, plus work to build up their confidence. 

The last thing you want to do is teach them any bad habits you yourself may have. At least by investing in professional lessons you have the peace of mind knowing they are learning all the right habits and rules.

Their First Car

This one can be a bit controversial. There are certainly plenty of parents who feel this should be the responsibility of the teen to save enough money for their first car, whereas other parents want to gift it to them. If you’re on the fence, you could always take the middle-of-the-road approach and tell them you will match dollar for dollar whatever they save. This provides your teen with a goal to work towards, teaches them responsibility, and you’re still able to contribute to the purchase.

Many Things to Look Into 

As this list shows, there are plenty of different items worth considering when it comes to purchases for your teens. It’s all about weighing your options, taking their own personality and needs into consideration, and of course, setting a budget that makes you feel comfortable.