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Category: Family and Lifestyle

  6. How to keep a relationship strong after having kids

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    A relationship can be a beautiful thing. But, over time, it can become a little less beautiful. One of the main reasons for this is kids.  There’s no doubt about it - having kids is going to change the dynamics of a relationship.  No longer can you devote all your time and attention to your other half.  Late nights and broken sleep can affect mood and stress levels, as well as decrease any expected precious evening time together you may have had planned.  Babies and children are unpredictable. 

    Even with a five year old and two year old, we never know what the day or night will bring.  Illnesses suddenly spring out of nowhere and though they may mostly sleep through the night, we’ll suddenly go through a patch of them refusing to go to bed or waking up with growing pains for nights on end.  Often we plan to spend an evening together with no work or social distractions, once the children are in bed, but by the time they are asleep we’re both practically asleep too or too shattered to interact!

    That being said, I feel like our relationship is still strong and perhaps even stronger since having children.  One friend with older children once told me if we can get through the early years of having kids, we can get through anything!  

    So, how do you make sure your relationship stays strong after having kids?  Here are three things I think help to keep a relationship strong after having a baby.

  15. Garden improvements the whole family can enjoy

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    Home improvements are usually to boost the value of your house, adding a patio or improving your garden space, or painting your home a more aesthetically pleasing colour. But, what home improvements can your whole family enjoy? The kids aren’t going to care about many of the improvements you make for your home, however, there are some ideas and projects that the whole family can enjoy in the garden.

  21. Outdoor activities I enjoyed as a child, that my kids will too

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    Technology always moves so fast and it’s crazy to think when I was a child there were no iPads, no iPhones, not even a computer!  Yep, you might be thinking I’m ancient by now, but I’m only 32.  I didn’t have a laptop or the internet until I was in my twenties!  We never had one at home when I was growing up and it was all kind of a new thing.  Even my senior school had only just started putting in computer rooms and most of us were like ‘why would we need to use a computer?’ Ha!

    My children are already whizzes on the iPads at ages five and two.  It’s quite crazy, but also a sign of the times as no doubt it’s going to be imperative for most to know how to work them.  I’m sure they’re going to take over our lives even more in the future, which we’re already beginning to see with the likes of voice-activated home hubs like Alexa.

    There’s also a lot of negativity around children using technology so much.  We sometimes depend on it a little too much to entertain our children.  After all it’s an amazing way to keep them entertained and calm them if they’re being crazy!  We still encourage our children to get outdoors as much as possible.  It’s important to keep in touch with nature and for the children to invent their own games as well as keep active in the fresh air.

    Outdoor activities don’t seem to have changed too much since I was a youngster.  There are those crazy hover board things, which don’t actually hover, but that’s all I’ve really noticed that’s any different.  It’s still kind of a skateboard, just with a few additions!  I wonder if technology will ever catch up and take over outdoor play with some crazy inventions, or perhaps the good old fashioned ways to play outdoors will always remain.

    Here are outdoor activities I enjoyed as a child and my children will too:

  37. 5 fun ways to keep fit with a little one

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    There seems to be a common complaint amongst parents that they don’t have enough time for exercise once they have children.  While that may be true to a certain extent and we parents can no longer partake in the long after work gym sessions we enjoyed before children, we just need to be inventive and realise ways we can exercise with our children instead.  Here are some fun ways you can keep fit with your young kids.

  45. [Blog Giveaway] Summer Birthday Party Ideas for Kids

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    Planning a summer birthday party for your kids can be a fun and exciting experience. With the right ideas and activities, you can create an event that your kids will never forget. From outdoor games to creative decorations, there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to planning the perfect summer birthday party for your little ones. With these ideas, you’ll be able to make sure that your kids have a blast on their special day!

  51. A midwife’s guide to understanding newborn cries

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    Newborns communicate through cries, and understanding them is an important part of parenting. Cries can tell us if a baby is hungry, tired, or in pain. They can also tell us if a baby needs to be cuddled or just wants some attention. Knowing how to interpret these cries can help parents respond quickly and accurately to their newborn’s needs. With the right knowledge and understanding of newborn cries, parents can create a more peaceful home for their little one.  Here is our experience with our baby's crying and an explanation from a midwife to understand different baby crys.

  63. 5 tips to get a better night’s sleep naturally *

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    Did you know you spend up to 25 years of your life sleeping?  That’s like a whole quarter of your life if you live to 100 or even more if not.  Crazy right?  I had no idea we spent so much time sleeping.  In fact, I had no idea about half the things in this video which highlights how important it is to get a good night’s sleep in the right position.

    Read on to discover my top tips for getting a great night’s sleep.

  75. Cooking with a four year old: veggie spaghetti chilli

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    Four year olds absolutely love helping around the house and as parents we should take advantage of this before they are teenagers who don't want to help with a thing!  Encouraging your child to help with food preparation can instill a love of cooking and healthy eating from a young age.  There are lots of simple recipes a four year old can help with.  For chopping and slicing, buy a Kiddy Kutter child safe knife - these saw the food, but are unable to cut a child.

    We recently cooked a vegetarian chilli together and I'll share the recipe with you here.

  87. Top 100 Baby Names 2016 – Are your names there?

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    Baby Centre has released the top 100 baby names for both girls and boys and I’ve been having a nosey.  I don’t know why, but I find names fascinating.  It’s always an interesting conversation to have, to discover why people chose their children’s names, or even how they got their own name!

    Here’s how my little family ranks in the 2016 charts:

  97. TOTSUP | Big Red Bus Reward Chart

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    We were kindly sent a TOTSUP ‘Big Red Bus Reward Chart’ to review with our daughter Bella.  Bella is almost four and has been going through a ‘threenager’ stage for a good few months now!  We thought it was easing at one point, then she seemed to get a million times worse!  She’s not a naughty child, but learning right from wrong, asserting independence and pushing boundaries like any normal three year old.  It can certainly be frustrating as a parent and there are days when no amount of pleading or bribes of treats will work!  There are also days when Bella doesn’t seem to care if I raise my voice, get upset or angry.  She’ll just carry on doing the exact opposite of what I’ve said.  Grrr!

    We had tried rewards charts, but with little success.  She’d be rather excited by them for a day or so, but would quickly revert to the unwanted behaviour and not seem bothered by the promise of a reward.  We’d only tried printable charts with star stickers and they were pretty boring, resembling a worksheet rather than something fun and interacting.  I was unsure whether the bus would be any different to the charts we had already tried, but the reviews were very impressive and it looked so much more fun than a bog standard sticker reward chart.

    Would Bella be convinced?