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18 DIY Reading Nooks You Can Make This Weekend

Finding a way to make reading fun for your kids will encourage a love of reading in them.
A child can read a book anywhere, but it’s more enjoyable if she has her own special place where she can go and read.  You may be thinking that you don’t have the space to create a reading nook for your kids, but you might be surprised when you see all of the different ways that these 18 bloggers have come up with to create a little nook.  You can take an awkward architectural feature in a room and turn it into a window seat or a bench.  If you have a closet that you aren’t using, you can turn that into a nook too.
The possibilities are endless, so read on and see if any of these ideas will work for you.

Architectural/Closet

Some houses have dormers on the outside of the house, but inside those dormers can sometimes create an awkward space in a room.  Many are screaming to have a window seat built there or a desk placed in between the two walls.  Take a look around your house with a new eye and see if there are any spots that you could turn into a reading nook for your kids.  If multiple kids will be using it, you might want to create it in a common area rather than in one of the bedrooms.

Curtained

If you don’t have a spare closet or architectural nook in your home, you might want to try one of these reading nook ideas.  You can take

window curtains, a shower curtain or just an old sheet and hang it up to create a private place to read.  Add some comfort with pillows you have around the house or buy some floor pillows or bean bags.  Hang some shelves for the books and add a light and you are all set.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate or difficult; it just needs to be a space that makes your kids happy when they go there.

Free Standing

If you live in an apartment and you don’t want to drill holes in the wall for curtains, you can create a free standing reading nook instead.

You may just be looking for an area that you can create quickly for your kids to read and play in where you can still see them.  A free

standing reading nook area can be created anywhere by putting together the essentials of good lighting, a container for books and a cushy place to sit.  For more ideas on how you can make your own free-standing

reading nook, take a look at these seven blog posts.

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Cold and Flu Season: Parents’ Guide to Kids’ Illnesses

Cold and Flu season is around the corner, so to you new parents, (and even some of you veteran ones), here is a breakdown of some common childhood illnesses that you should know about…take notes!

There are a handful of childhood illnesses that are more common than others, and you’ll need to be well-versed in how to recognize the early signs to ensure that your charges get the care they need in a timely manner.

  • The common cold – Everyone knows about the common cold, and there are plenty of old wives’ tales about how kids get them. Generally, the common cold is spread by germs that enter the body through the mouth or nose. Keeping little hands clean will help some in warding off this unpleasant experience. Always carry kid friendly hand sanitizer with you when going out in public and see to it that little ones do not gnaw on shopping cart handles or touch public door handles. Many stores now provide disinfectant wipes for the customer’s use, so take advantage of them when they’re available.
  • Chicken pox – Those little itchy dots can make for a miserable time for kids, and it’s one of the most common afflictions of childhood. Usually one child will come down with the pox and then others will fall one by one as it makes the rounds. Unfortunately, it usually gets spread around before the rash shows up. Kids are contagious for two or three days before the appearance of the rash through the crusting over of the blisters.

There are medicines that will help the itching, and oatmeal baths can also help keep irritation in check. Dr. Stephen Dowshen suggests avoiding the sun during the outbreak and for a few days after to prevent burning sensitive skin and increased scarring. Itching is exacerbated by heat and sweating; cold, damp washcloths applied to affected areas should help.

If you have not had chicken pox yourself and you have not had a vaccine, use precautionary measures to protect yourself while caring for an infected child. This illness takes quite a toll on teens and adults and can actually be dangerous for them, possibly leading to complications such as pneumonia, hepatitis and encephalitis. Scarring is permanent for adults who contract the disease.

  • Ear infections – Most kids experience ear infections from time to time. Don’t be surprised if your little charge has two or three of them during the year. Some children have chronic infections, meaning they are plagued with ear pain four or more times a year, or three or more times within a six month period.

Usually ear infections will occur with upper respiratory infections or colds. The estuation tube, which is much smaller in little ones, begins to swell. This tube connects the middle ear to the nose and back of the throat. Blockage here causes fluid to build up in the middle ear behind the eardrum. This build up can lead to infection due to germs multiplying, but doesn’t always happen. When it does, it often results in the child fighting off the infection and fever ensues. Temporary hearing loss can also be present as a result of the pressure on the eardrum caused by the excessive fluid.

Since some ear infections tend to be viral rather than bacterial, many doctors take a wait and see attitude rather than prescribing antibiotics. They will often suggest pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and usually the infection runs its course in a matter of a few days. If it becomes severe, then more aggressive treatment is called for.

  • Fifth disease – For being a common illness, Fifth disease, caused by Parvovirus B19, is not talked about much. It’s a rash that leaves a child looking as if she’s been slapped. It is also commonly called “slapped cheek” rash since it is the most recognized manifestation of the illness. Initial symptoms – fever, runny nose and headache – are fairly mild.  The rash typically shows up several days after the onset of the more non-specific symptoms.

Except for rare instances where the child has a very weak immune system, Fifth disease tends to be mild and usually disappears within a few days. Most kids have full recovery and future immunity to the virus. In cases where the immune system is compromised, serious complications such as chronic anemia can crop up that will require medical treatment.

The historical name, Fifth disease, comes from the rash being number five on a list of common skin rash illnesses affecting children. Measles was first on the list followed by scarlet fever, rubella and Duke’s disease.

  • Croup – This illness is common among the very young. It is often the result of infection caused by human parainfluenza viruses (not to be confused with the flu virus). The upper respiratory tract becomes infected, and fever, runny nose and cough show up as symptoms. In the case of croup, the upper airways become inflamed. This inflammation of the larynx and trachea often results in a barking cough. It can also lead to hoarseness.

Children have a tendency to get worse at night. This is especially true for the child who is upset or crying. Since the swollen tissue of the windpipe can make breathing difficult, you may hear a high pitched noise called stridor during inhalations.

Plenty of rest and fluids, along with acetaminophen or ibuprofen for discomfort and fever, are generally enough to get the child through this uncomfortable illness.

Most of the common illnesses children will contract are fairly benign and will pass within a few days. You need to be aware of what illness they are contending with though, so that you can take necessary precautions to protect your own health. If you have a strong immune system, generally you will have nothing to be concerned about; still, you need to be diligent  around those diseases that affect adults more adversely then children.

Always remember that washing hands, proper etiquette for sneezing and coughing and a healthy lifestyle will help keep most illnesses at bay. When illness does strike, lots of TLC and a nice steaming bowl of chicken soup seem to work wonders in combatting those pesky bugs.

Better Breakfast Tips For Families (INFOGRAPHIC)

A recent survey about breakfast uncovered  surprising trends about the breakfast eating habits of families across the nation. It found that one in every five children go without breakfast at least once per week, with 38 percent of parents saying this is due to lack of time and hectic mornings.

And interestingly enough, that number surges to 50 percent for those who typically eat on-the-go or in the car, demonstrating a direct correlation between eating breakfast on-the-go and poor nutrition in the morning.

The survey also showed that parents are concerned about sugar content in their children’s breakfast foods (36 percent), but when they must choose between a better-for-you breakfast and something their children will actually eat, they’ll chose the less nutritious option.



In light of the survey results, Barbara’s partnered with Frances Largeman Roth, RDN, nutrition expert and mom of three, offered 5 Better Breakfast Tips to help parents give their kids the most nutritious breakfast possible, which you can view below:

  1. Breakfast Time over Screen Time – Mornings are hectic, especially at the beginning of the school year, before everyone has settled into their schedules. Make it clear to your kids that breakfast time needs to come before they turn on the TV or play with their phone
  2. Better Breakfasts – Barbara’s Breakfast Survey revealed that juice and cereal are the most common breakfast foods on school days: 71% of children drink fruit juice and 95% of children eat cereal. Clearly, kids love juice and cereal but you can still help them make better choices. For example, 100% fruit juice rather than “drinks” or “blends” and lower sugar cereals like Barbara’s Puffins, which are also packed with whole grains.
  3. Add Color! – Studies show that kids like food that’s colorful, so take the opportunity to fit in an extra serving of antioxidant and vitamin C-rich fruit–and tempt their taste buds–by offering brightly colored berries, diced apple and melon, or sliced grapes and kiwi fruit on the breakfast table.
  4. Streamline Set Up – Having a sit-down breakfast is much more doable if you do a little prep in advance. Set up the breakfast table the night before: Clear clutter, and set out bowls, spoons, and napkins. Then all you need to do in the morning is serve the food!
  5. Always Have Backup! – There are some days when you just have to grab and go! Being prepared with a healthy back up option is smart. I like to make extra whole grain pancakes on the weekend and freeze them for a rainy day.

This infographic sums it all up well:

Your Guide to Fertility Waist Beads

african waist beads

I went on a weekend getaway and rediscovered the waist beads my mom brought back for me from her trip to Sierra Leone, Africa earlier this year. It reminded me to share more about the  beads on the blog because there is a long history in the beads that include fertility.

In fact, they are called “fertility beads” in some cultures. It is thought that they originated with the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria, West Africa but other West African nations like Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone have adopted them. They are considered to be “of the earth” or the source of life as many women wear them during pregnancy to protect the baby from evil spirits and ensure a safe labor an delivery.

Some wear them to encourage fertility. It’s not scientific of course, but steeped in tradition. Others believe the beads have healing property. Some African women wear them to ward themselves form negative energy.

waist beads

Erotic Nature of Beads

In some parts of Ghana and Nigeria, people have a belief that the waist beads possess some erotic appeal and have the power to incite desire or deep emotional response on men.

They Symbolism of the Colors 

The colors and stones or beads used in the beads have different meaning too. Colorful rainbow beads are considered to have balancing properties.

~Yellow- Symbol of wisdom/knowledge, clarity, increases awareness & stress relief.

~Blue- Symbol of knowledge, healing, peace, truth & harmony.

~Orange – Symbol of optimism, positive mood & promotes self-confidence.

~Pink- This color is associated with unconditional love, romance, purity, femininity & healing.

~Green – This color is associated with prosperity, hope, harmony & healing.

~Red – Self-confidence, vitality, sexual energy, passion & courage.

~violet – Color symbolizes intuition, power, inspiration & royalty.

~Gray – Symbol of wisdom & communication.

~Brown – Symbol of comfort, security, practicality.

~Black- Symbolizes energy & strength. (source)

Beads can be made with semi-precious stones thought to heal certain ailments. They are sold, made with all types of materials shell, gemstone, glass, plastic, pearl or even clay or wood.

waist beads

How to Wear Them

Waist beads are created to be worn below the belly. I have worn mine at my mid-riff as well. Some prefer to wear them under their clothing only to be seen by themselves or their spouses or partners. Others flaunt them on bare bellies or even over their clothing.

Waistbeads for tracking Weigh Management

Many women wear the beads as an instrument in losing weight. When the strands begin to be too tight, the wearer knows it may be time to cut back and start exercising if they want to maintain their weight. Also, for those on a weightloss journey, as the beads become looser, they know they are definitely on a downard trajectory as the scales do not always indicate loss when one is building muscle at the same time as muscle weighs more than  fat.

waist beads

Modern Use

In modern culture, waistbeads have been adopted to flaunt and draw attention to a trim midsection or tight abs.  Women in Ghana have worn them to accentuate their hips.

They are more of a fashion element though those who wear them ought to be aware of their cultural origins and significance just in case they are questioned or asked about them while out and about. It is the best thing to be aware when donning an item of clothing or style that originates in a culture that is not their own. You don’t want to be accused of “cultural appropriation.”

Cost

If you don’t have a family member or friend coming back from Africa, certainly, you can grab yourself some from Etsy shops. I found them sold Here, Here and Here for about $10 and up. If you spot any on sale for $5, they may not be authentic and genuine but a mass-produced copy. Beware!

Lupita Nyong’o, a Bellyitch Blog fave was spotted wearing one (above) back in 2014 when she was in Maui for the Maui Film Festival. She was seen looking tone and effortlessly chic in a Marysia Swim bikini and even Instagrammed a pic from the locale.

SHOP THE LOOK!

 

5 Tips For Helping a Child Struggling with Homework

Though some progressive schools around the country have taken steps to eliminate homework, it still remains a fixture in the lives of most students. Homework can also be the source of much household suffering, either due to a refusal to complete assignments that ultimately affects academic performance or a difficulty completing the work. Before you throw in the towel altogether, give these five suggestions a try in order to get the students in your family back on track.

  1. Nip Excuses in the Bud – Kids will come up with remarkably creative excuses to get out of doing their homework, especially if they’re having trouble with the work or are eager to pursue activities that they enjoy. Refusing to accept excuses and establishing a routine of completing homework on a set schedule can make a noticeable difference in homework struggles that are built around kids’ efforts to evade homework. When your child knows that his efforts to avoid his homework will not be effective, he’s more likely to direct his energy elsewhere.
  2. Verify Kids’ Claims – Two of the most popular ways of getting out of homework is to claim that it was completed during free time or that there was none assigned. While actively showing distrust for your kids’ claims can be detrimental to their self-esteem, it’s still a good idea to make sure that you establish a system of verifying their claims in regard to homework. Making it routine to go over assignment planners or to check homework together can help you ascertain just how much homework your child has without actively accusing him of being dishonest.
  3. Work on an Incentive Plan – For many kids, homework just doesn’t seem to serve much of a point. There’s no tangible payoff for the time invested in filling out those worksheets or writing assigned papers, so it can understandably seem like a waste of time to them. There’s a fine line between creating an incentive plan and bribing your child to do the things he’s supposed to do, but it is possible. When your child is able to connect his hard work and all the effort he’s putting into his homework with actual, tangible results, he may change his tune. Making sure that your child understands how his grades are connected to the effort he puts in and that there are rewards for doing his very best in school is important.
  4. Establish a Line of Communication with Teachers – Whether you’re looking for verification of assignments or looking for the best way to help a child that’s having trouble with his schoolwork, it’s important to make sure that you’ve established and are actively maintaining an open line of communication with your child’s teacher. Kids that want to do their best in school, but find it difficult to grasp the work, can easily become frustrated and lose their interest in academia altogether. Working with his teacher to find the best way of helping him overcome his difficulties is essential, especially if your child’s frustration is reaching a level that’s difficult to manage.
  5. Get to the Root of the Problem – The most effective way of helping your child overcome a homework struggle is to find the root of the problem and address it directly. If he’s having trouble focusing or grasping the material and is avoiding it because he feels that it’s above his skill level, work with him until he’s feeling more confident. It’s also important to swallow your pride and ask for help yourself if you need to. Not only have teaching methods changed since your own school days, but skills that you haven’t used in decades can become rusty. When you’re able to work with your child one on one to determine his individual learning style and needs, you’ll be able to tailor your approach to homework help accordingly.

In some cases, it may be necessary to consider working with a tutoring program to give your child the extra attention that he needs to succeed to the best of his abilities. Helping your child reach his full potential is your job as a parent, even if doing so requires you to take measures you wouldn’t expect. You may also want to discuss persistent problems with a specialist, especially if you suspect a learning disability that requires special care. In such cases, many young students’ academic performance improves significantly after the appropriate measures are taken to help him work around the roadblocks he’s encountered.

5 Hurricane Irma Prep Tips For Families

Hurricane Irma has just tore through many  Carribbean islands and disaster recovery effort there is underway. The dangerous storm is heading toward the Southeast United States.

Parents and caregivers who live in the impact area should talk to their children about the hurricane and take immediate steps to keep them safe.

Here are our tips for parents from the folks at Save The Children:

Prepare Your Kids Now for Hurricane Irma

1. Talk about Hurricane Irma: Take time to explain to your children that a hurricane is a natural event and not anyone’s fault. Using simple, age-appropriate words and explanations about what disasters are or what happened during a disaster can give them a sense of understanding and control. Let them know your top priority is to keep them safe.

2. Reassure Kids They will be Safe: Let your children know you’re planning ahead to keep them safe. Reassure them that during an emergency, many caring adults — including parents, teachers and first responders — will be working to keep them safe.

3. Identify Evacuation Routes: Find out if you live in Hurricane Irma’s evacuation area, and assess your risks from a storm surge, flooding or wind damage. Together with your kids, identify the best evacuation routes, so many you can all be ready to evacuate quickly and safely. Keep up-to-date with weather reports, evacuate if instructed to do so, and stay away from windows or doors if you cannot evacuate safely.

4. Fill out ICE Cards: Make In Case of Emergency (ICE) Cards for all your children, which include three emergency contacts that any first responder or caregiver can reach out to, in case you are separated during the hurricane. Since local power and phone service can be disrupted during emergencies, it’s also important to have one out-of-town contact. Practice learning these numbers with your children.

5. Pack a ‘Go-Bag’: Put together a “Go Bag” with each of your children, which can include a favorite stuffed animal and the comforts of home, as well as an ICE Card and activities to pass the time, like books or games, if you need to evacuate to a shelter. Every family should also have an emergency preparedness kit, complete with nonperishable food items, a flash light, medicine and other medical supplies, water and personal hygiene items like baby wipes and hand sanitizer.

You can learn more about preparing your kids for emergencies at Save The Children. 

Tips For A Healthy Hygiene Routine In Your Children

It’s a struggle to keep our children clean most of the time, and whether they’ve been to school, to the park, or just around the block for five minutes, there is a very big chance they will come back covered in a decent amount of dirt and germs! But it’s not just the fact that kids like to get messy, there are many common issues that kids can suffer from when it comes to their hygiene, so what are they, and how can you minimize these?

Hair

A very common thing for children to get is head lice (also known as nits), and you can prevent this by having a suitable hair length. If you have a daughter, a bun style is a very simple method. It’s common knowledge that nits prefer clean hair to dirty or greasy hair, so they say you should wash your hair every other day. However, this can build-up grease and oil which doesn’t feel so pleasant, but according to soundbodylife.com, there are some great brands that will get rid of oily hair. So if you want to minimize head lice but also want to feel like you have clean hair, this may be a good option to try.

Nails

You should actively discourage your child from biting their nails, especially if they are swallowing the nails. They say there are more germs under your fingernails than there are on the average toilet seat, so the germs could potentially make their way to your digestive tract and potentially cause diarrhea in your children. Solutions to this can include keeping the nails short, but also by encouraging proper hand washing routines. If these don’t work, there are ways to make your nails taste disgusting, that you can find on diyhealthremedy.com, and therefore will stop your children wanting to bite their nails as much.

Washing Hands

This is the most important thing to communicate to your children to make sure that infection doesn’t spread. The common habits would be to wash their hands prior to eating, after using the toilet ,or being in germy environments (such as playing with animals). The best thing you can do as a parent is to set a good example for them and make sure you abide by the rules yourself. If you have family members that don’t wash their hands regularly, this could contribute to the development of threadworms, which are not very pleasant at all!

Brushing Teeth

Last, but by no means least, by having excellent oral hygiene it will have an impact on your children’s entire lives. In addition to knowing the best brushing technique, it’s also important to communicate to your children how their diet can impact their teeth and why they should cut back on fizzy drinks and avoid high amounts of sugar.

Keeping a good hygiene routine is important for every single one of us, but it’s even more important for your children! So make sure you get them started off on the right foot by implementing these at a young age.

20 Sentences Supportive Parents Say to Make Their Child Feel Valued

Kids get reprimanded all the time when they do something wrong and it is very easy as parents to lash out at them and say something that may makes them feel hurt, angry, or confused. There are things that parents should try to say regularly when disciplining children, encouraging them or helping them understand the consequences of their actions.

Education.com has an evergreen post  with the 20 sentences parents should say to help their child feel valued and aid their development and I am proud to say that I do in fact say many of them often! Woot!

Here they are listed below and for more insight as to why these sentences are important, visit Education.com here!

  1. How did you do?
  2. I know you and I believe you can do it.
  3. You worked so hard.
  4. What do you think?
  5. How does that feel to do that on your own?
  6. You are beautiful, inside and out.
  7. I’m so proud of you because…
  8. How would you improve it?
  9. Are you willing to do what it takes to improve it?
  10. Your dad and I agree that…
  11. What are the consequences of that choice?
  12. I understand why you feel that way.
  13. I have your back.
  14. You make me smile.
  15. You did a great job.
  16. You can come to me for anything.
  17. You are worthy of respect, love, and success.
  18. You can come to me for anything.
  19. Would you like to talk about it?
  20. I love you.

Old Wives Routine To Calm a Collicky Baby (VIDEO)

As a veteran mom, and a five-time God mom and auntie to four, I have been around enough babies to learn a thing or two about tricks to the baby-raising trade.

Colic is a condition that newborns experience and it is uncertain how and why they get it. Common side effects are non stop crying, irritability and restlessness.

In this quick little video, I share my tips for calming your baby who has colic.

Tips to Make Sure Your Vehicle is Safe for Baby

As a parent, there are few things more important to us than our families safety. We put latches on windows, remove choking hazards and install burglar alarms in our home to protect against intruders. We research the food our baby eats, the chemicals in their products and the materials they wear.

All in all, we do whatever we can to ensure they are happy, healthy and safe. And the same is true when it comes to the family car, when the roads can be so dangerous it makes sense that your vehicle and driving should be as safe as possible.

Here are a few ways to ensure everything is up to scratch

Car Seat and Position

Being a parent is expensive, and unless you have a very well paid job or are incredibly wealthy, there are likely to be times when you need to cut back and make savings. However there’s one place you should never do this, and that’s with your children’s car seats. These are absolutely vital in a crash and could be the difference between life and death. A second-hand car seat could have been damaged and not perform to its full potential- you might not be able to tell this just from looking at it.

According to  https://saferide4kids.com/blog/where-to-put-your-car-seat/,ideally car seats will be placed in the middle seat at the back, and then booster seats will need booster seats until they are four foot nine inches tall. This could be between ages eight and twelve. This allows the seat belt to fit on them correctly and protect them efficiently in a crash.

Don’t Overlook Tires

When you set out on a long journey, chances are you check the fluid levels and lights on your vehicle. But tires are commonly overlooked, and this shouldn’t be the case. Tires can mean life or death, they’re the only part which has contact with the road. You need to ensure there is 1.6mm of tread, this is a legal requirement. Balding tires will increase your stopping distance and could lead to blowouts and other damage. If this happens, in some cases along with the tire replacement you might need the entire wheel changing.

You can find the correct models for your car on sites like https://www.partsengine.ca. Being careful with the way you drive will help you to maintain your tires and prevent damage, harsh steering and braking will wear tires far more quickly. Make sure they are properly inflated too. Over or under inflated tires will affect performance, find the correct pressure in your car’s manual and check them regularly.

Aftermarket Safety Features

The more modern your car is, the more safety features it’s likely to have. However, not all of us can afford to run out and buy a fancy new car, as much as we would like to! But you can still make your current car as safe as possible by adding aftermarket safety features. This could be curtain airbags, and anti roll bar, lane change assist and much more. The type of features you will use most will depend on where you drive most often (freeways, urban  driving etc.) so do some research on a site like https://www.petra.com/blog/2016/04/18/top-5-aftermarket-car-safety-devices/ and work out what would be best for you.

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