Counselors

Life is full of things that stress you out. Work, bills, social life, kids, spouses – it can all be so demanding. It comes at you like a train going full speed ahead. A good mental health day is almost always the answer.

This is especially true if you have kids and even worse if you have more than one kid. You love them, and they love you. This doesn’t mean that you should be embarrassed to want a break from them.

Unfortunately, for a lot of parents, that break never comes. Many parents don’t make it a priority to take a mental health day to relieve themselves of all the stressors they deal with. They use their kids as an excuse as to why they can’t take time out for themselves.

If this is you, it’s good that you’re reading this article. You need to know why it’s imperative that you give yourself the occasional mental break. Here’s what counselors have to say about it.

Why You Should Take a Mental Health Day

As a parent, you’ll often put your kids first. Your needs get put on the back burner until you get some free time (which doesn’t come very often). You may find that your list of requirements keeps getting longer and longer.

Although you may be the best at managing stressful situations, that doesn’t mean you should continuously do it. The effects of stress can creep up on you and even impact your relationship with your children. You may not realize how stressed you are until you’re on the verge of having a breakdown.

Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., president & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, says it’s common for people not to realize how stressed they are. “Often people minimize the stress they are under, the effect it has, and don’t take action,” he says. This pressure is hazardous to your health.

The problem with ongoing stress is that your body never has a chance to settle down. According to Dr. Borenstein, the human body is designed to deal with short-term stress, not long-term stress. No matter how well you handle stress, it’s still stress.

Taking a mental health day ensures that you get a break from stress. This way, even if you don’t realize you’re stressed, you’re still getting a break. It doesn’t make you a bad parent to put yourself first. In fact, doing so helps to teach your children good stress management.

When You Should Take a Mental Health Day

The time to take a break may not be evident because, as stated before, you may not realize how stressed you are. Because of this, you should schedule these days regularly. However, there are a few signs that can let you know if you’re stressed out. Some of them include:

• Jaw or tooth pain
• Expanding waistline
• Having a hard time focusing/concentrating
• You keep having headaches
• Trouble sleeping

If you notice that any of this is happening to you, it’s time to take a day to yourself. These few symptoms are manageable, but not taking care of them can cause worse symptoms that will impact your health as well as your relationship with your family.

Once you realize how important it is to take a day to yourself, you’ll probably wonder when the best time is for your day. Scheduling your day can be just as stressful as anything else in your life.

Just keep in mind that scheduling is the key. If you make a plan and plan far enough ahead of time, you can make sure that things will be handled while you’re having your day. The last thing you need to be worried about is who’s taking care of your kids and your household while you’re doing you.

A failure to plan will lead to you feeling guilty about putting yourself first. Guilty feelings lead to stress, and this can cause you to cancel your day. It’s imperative that you make a plan so you can have a peaceful mental health day.

One great way to start your plan is by picking a day that your spouse is off from work. This will ensure that you have someone to watch your kids when you’re not around. If you’re a single parent, try picking a day when a friend or family member is fully available for the entire day.

If you don’t have either of those options, you may have to hire a babysitter. You could save money by picking a day when your kids go to school—that way, the babysitter only needs to be there in the evening.

How You Should Take a Mental Health Day

While you’re planning the date, you should also plan your activities. However, don’t plan a strict schedule. A strict schedule could make you stressed if you can’t stick with it.

You should expect your day to be relaxing above all else. To do that, you need to figure out what you need most of all to rest.

Do you need complete solitude? Perhaps you need more time with your loved ones? A massage is a classic choice.

Whatever it is that you need, put that at the top of your activities list. Try focusing anything else you do that day around your priority. Think of some activities that will relax you and help you have a peaceful day.

Even if you decide to do that one activity, that’s okay. The goal is to renew yourself. But to do that, you’ll need complete peace of mind. Just make sure that you take the whole day to yourself, even if it’s to do that one thing.

Here Are Three Positive Activities to Help You Enjoy a Relaxing Day

You can take your mental health day alone, with friends, or with your partner. Modify these activities to suit your lifestyle.

1 – Treat Yourself to a Day at the Spa

Enjoy a pampering retreat, either alone or with your partner.   Enjoy a manicure-pedicure service, massage, and facial masks. While these services might feel decadent, remember that you deserve it! This self-care is essential to well-being.

2 – Connect with Mother Nature

Do you live near a beach, National Park, or mountains? Grab some of your friends, pack a picnic, and hit the bicycling or hiking trails they offer to visitors. Getting your heart rate pumping as you engage in these activities will invigorate you. And, the grand vistas you see along the way are food for the soul.

3 – Explore Cultural Activities

If you are not the “outdoorsy” type, consider a day trip to a nearby city. Open your mind to learning by exploring their cultural offerings. Do they have an art museum, historic district to explore or live theater? Are any festivals happening that you would enjoy? Expand your mind. That focus on learning new things will entertain you as well as engaging your mind.

What You Shouldn’t Do on Your Mental Health Day

The objective is to have a peaceful day that renews you and gets you ready to face your stressors with a clear head. So far, you’ve been told what you should do during your day. However, there are some things that you shouldn’t do either.

1 – Illegal Drugs

You should never do illegal substances. For starters, it’s illegal. Doing anything against the law is a bad idea. Plus, getting arrested is going to stress you out more than anything your kids could do. Doing drugs while you’re already under pressure can lead to a higher risk of debilitating addiction. Then the drugs will cause even more stress on your mental and physical health. It’s a vicious cycle that can have devastating effects on your life.

2 – Infidelity

Infidelity never ends well. Sure, you may feel good on that day or that night, but eventually, the truth will come out. When it does, it will cause more stress than you could ever imagine.

The stress will come from guilty feelings, but more of it will come from the effects that the infidelity will have on your spouse. Talal Alsaleem, an expert infidelity counselor, says that infidelity causes “…triggers, flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance behavior, and manifestations related to the knowledge about the affair and everything related to the affair.” Dealing with this type of fall out in an already stressed marriage could be enough to push you over the edge.

If you’re tempted to cheat on your spouse, perhaps what you need to schedule is marriage counseling instead of a mental health day (you may need both). Communication can significantly reduce stress between you and your spouse.

3 – Overspending the Family Funds

Going shopping is a great way to relieve stress unless one of your regular stressors is finances. The last thing you want to do is aggravate your stress when you’re supposed to be relaxing. If money is a problem in your life, try to plan your day with activities that are free or low-cost.

Even if money isn’t a common issue for you, overspending can stress you out once you’ve realized how much money you wasted. Joel L. Young M.D., medical director of the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine, compares overspending to using drugs. He says that even if people have unlimited funds to spend money, overspending can lead to feelings of guilt or shame, hoarding, and undermining relationships.

Enjoy your day, but don’t bring more stress on yourself by spending unnecessary money. There are plenty of ways to do you without breaking your wallet.

Final Thoughts on Why Parents Should Take an Occasional Mental Health Day

You’ll always be Super Mom or Super Dad to your kids. However, remember that you’re human. You get stressed out, and that’s okay.

What’s not okay is ignoring the fact that you need a break. Even if you handle stressful situations well, you need to renew your mental health every once in a while. Not doing so will begin to affect you and your family in ways you may not even notice.

Focusing on your mental health is setting an excellent example for your kids. After all, you wouldn’t want your kids to subject themselves to constant stress, right? Taking the occasional mental health day will keep you in the right frame of mind to continue being the best parent you can be.

Peer pressure is commonplace today, especially among teenagers. The pressure can come from verbal or nonverbal influences. Additionally, a little bit of external force can be a good impact, or it can have a detrimental effect.

Since this is such a powerful influence in your child’s life, it’s something that you need to understand to help them. Under the control of this pressure, your child can make bad decisions that can cost them dearly. How does peer pressure affect your teenager, and how do you, as a parent, know when to step in and help?

Let’s assume your child suddenly takes an interest in working out at the local gym to bulk their muscles. This once couch laden teen has joined a group of kids at school who want to better their health. In this scenario, the influence of others is positive because your child is making changes to better their body.

Now, what if your child is caught smoking cigarettes or vaping behind the school with her friends? She felt the pressure from others to do something that can have a detrimental effect on her health.

Yet, she willingly did it because she succumbed to the urgings from others to try something new and dangerous. It’s easy to see that peer pressure can have different effects on your teen, but why is it such a powerful influence?

The Power of Suggestion

Your child goes through various developmental phases as they grow. As a baby, your son or daughter learned that you would take care of all their needs, and they trust you. However, when children reach their teenage years, they try to break away from your influence to form a sense of self.

Your child no longer holds your values in the same light as they did before, as now, they are more inclined to listen to their peers. Your kid needs to fit in at school. Teenagers are at a developmental stage where friends are of the utmost importance, making them more influential than you.

Why is Peer Pressure so Nerve-Wracking?

Let’s assume that your daughter is very wasteful and likes to litter. If she starts hanging with a group of earth-conscious friends, they will pressure her to change her ways. She may change and begin to recycle, picking up any trash she sees lying on the ground, and stop her wasteful habits.

In this instance, the social pressure she feels has influenced her to make positive changes. However, when you find a vape kit in your son’s backpack, you are sure that peer pressure is the invisible enemy you fight. He’s making a very destructive choice.

He knows that smoking and vaping can be harmful to his system. While his brain can register the danger, he can’t comprehend the risks he puts his body in at this point. As your children are growing, their brain is still incredibly young, and you should think of it as a work in progress.

Your teen is going to seek new experiences as they grow and develop, but their brain can’t rationalize what they’re doing. Young people have a higher need for stimulation more so as they age. Inadvertently, new, exhilarating, and powerful encounters many times, transform into high-risk actions.

It’s difficult for a parent to deal with a child who is continuously seeking new stimulation. You won’t always be there to prevent them from doing crazy things or stop their friend’s suggestions to do something dangerous, just so they can “have fun.”

While painting graffiti on the local restaurant wall may seem like a bad idea, the gratification and temptation to “live a little” causes them to ignore the consequences.

5 Signs Your Teen is Dealing with Negative Peer Pressure

Regardless of all the people around your son or daughter, you’re still a powerful influence. While it appears that they are rebellious and not listening to what you have to say, they hear you. Now, whether they listen or not is another story.

It’s essential to stay involved in their lives so that you can help them make better choices. How do you know if your child is under peer pressure and may need help? Well, here are five warning signs to indicate an issue.

1. Sleep Habits Change

Sleep habits naturally change as your child ages. They will sleep more than ever when they hit those puberty years. However, when your child feels pressure from those around them, they can either sleep too much or too little.

You may notice signs like dark circles or bags under their eyes if they aren’t getting enough sleep. You may see their social media time increase as they are on it all night. If they are sleeping too much, you may have problems getting them out of bed or doing things they once loved.

These alterations in behavior can develop into depression if it goes on for too long. You must be careful because of peer pressure and bullying walk a fine line in some instances.

2. Loss of Appetite

Have you noticed a change in their weight? Are they eating too much or too little? A loss of appetite is not uncommon with someone who is under pressure or strain. If their weight plummets or takes a dramatic increase, then it could be a sign that there is emotional upset going on.

3. Moodiness

What teenager isn’t moody? However, you know your child better than anyone else. Hormonal fluctuations can cause Their moodiness, or it can be caused by being unhappy, not eating right, and not getting sufficient sleep. If you can’t even say “good morning” without them biting off your head, then you should investigate further.

4. Withdrawn

Social isolation is a big thing for teens as they develop and change. They may be socially withdrawn from the family and prefer to eat their dinner in their bedroom alone.

However, when you only see them for a few minutes each day, even though they don’t leave home, it’s a warning sign. It would be best if you interact with your child on some level each day.

5. They Have New Friends

Is your teen running with a new crowd? Usually, if there are significant changes in behavior or they become risk-takers, then new friends may be at the crux of the issue. If you’ve noticed that the friends they’ve had since elementary school don’t come around much anymore, you should question their absence.

A new crowd can bring about either a positive or bad influence. Consequently, if you see any of these signs that something is amiss, you can assume that the new friends aren’t the best of characters.

Common Peer-Pressured Activities

Your child may be a level-headed person that uses common sense to make decisions. Sadly, when hormones begin to rage during puberty, they can be an emotional wreck and make questionable choices. They will push the limits as they try out new personas. Never assume that your teenager is immune from the influence of peers; they just need your positive influence to be stronger.

You know your child better than anyone, and you know if he or she is a leader or a follower. Some teens won’t be swayed by temptation, while others will follow their friends to say and do just about anything. It would help if you were on guard, and here are the five most common things your teen will feel pressured to do.

1. Shoplifting

Remember, teens need to feel an adrenaline rush. They may not need to steal that candy bar at the store, but it gives them the “rush” to do something dangerous. If your child has developed “sticky fingers,” then it could be a sign of pressure from peers.

2. Sexual Encounters

Since their hormones are raging and they are going through puberty anyway, it’s not uncommon for them to have sexual encounters. Sadly, they can use sex as an outlet for their frustration, which can lead to teen pregnancy. Parents need to be observant of abnormal sexual promiscuity as it can get teens in trouble.

3. Smoke, Vaping, Trying Drugs

You may remember smoking in the bathroom when you were in high school. Times change, but some problems remain the same. Smoking, vaping, and trying drugs is the number one temptation that your child will feel pressure to do.

4. Engaging in Risky Behaviors

Life is all about taking chances, but it may cause them to take more significant risks when it comes to the uncertainty of the teenage years. If you’ve noticed that your child is engaging in downright dangerous activities, outside influence could be blamed.

5. Bullying

If one teen starts picking on a peer, then others will jump on the bandwagon. Bullying is never okay, but your child may feel outside influences to torment or taunt another student.

Final Thoughts: Prepare Your Teens for Peer Pressure Before It Happens

It’s essential to keep the communication lines open with your teenager. If you see any changes in behavior such as inappropriate language, clothing style alterations, social isolation, or disrespectfulness, then you need to keep an eye on them and their friends.

The truth is that if you keep a close relationship with your child that you can usually quickly spot problems and help steer them back in the right direction.

There’s never been a more accurate statement than “all is fair in love and war.” Even the best relationships go through downward phases, but what happens when you call it quits? Can you walk away without dissing the other party, or do you feel inclined to share all their dirty deeds and put a little twist on the story for interest?

Spreading rumors is gossip, and there are many reasons why people love to pack tales. If the situation ended on a sour note, you might want to make yourself look and feel like the victim in the relationship. Saving face is not necessary if you keep your private business personal. Why is it that people feel the need to share everything they know with their friends and family?

A simple “it didn’t work out” should suffice any curious folks. Besides the fact that talking trash about your ex is not in good taste, it can have some negative psychological repercussions. Here are some reasons why spreading rumors is not healthy.

1. It Makes You Look Childish

Imagine sitting around the lunch table at work talking about all the horrible things your ex did to you. While a couple of people may be curious to hear the scoop, most of your coworkers would rather you save the details for a more captive audience. When you are spreading rumors and talking about intimate things that went wrong, it makes you look childish.

Remember the days of grade school where your best friend ran and told the teacher every time you looked at her wrong? Your family and friends may feel that you are a bit childish if you are spreading gossip. An adult should be man or woman enough to admit it didn’t work out and move on.

2. A Rumor Keeps You in a Negative Mindset

Life is full of disappointments and trials, and when you’re dealing with a broken relationship, it can be quite a blow to your esteem. However, it’s not as much about what happened to you as it is your choice to ruminate about it. When you focus on the negative things that happen in life, then it’s setting you up for a pessimistic outlook.

Instead, why not take positive matters from your relationship and choose to remember these things? There will undoubtedly be several relationships in your life that don’t work out, romantic and otherwise. If you dwell on all the things that went wrong, you won’t be able to get past the negativity.

As counselors will reveal, broken dreams hurt, but you must learn to move beyond the brokenness to find healing. If you’re constantly dwelling on the past and the negative parts about it, then you can’t move on to the future.

3. You May Get a Bad Reputation

Do you know that person in the family or your workplace that everyone avoids? You don’t want to turn into this individual. No matter how hard you try, your constant “Negative Nelly” attitude and downward demeanor are a real turn off.

People want to be around those that lift them and make them smile. If you’re continually trashing your ex and talking about all your problems, then the individuals in your life may want to steer clear of any interaction with you. Additionally, if you’re telling things that aren’t 100 percent true, then it also has some serious consequences.

4. Your Stories May Come Back to Bite You

It’s often said that there’s his side, her side, and somewhere in the middle is the truth. You see things from your point of view, and your partner has their opinions. However, you need to make sure that what you are telling is the truth.

Anything you say can come back to bite you later. For instance, let’s assume this person wants to get back together with you. You’ve had time apart, and now you realize you can’t live without each other. What about all those rumors and stories you told about them?

Your friends and family may tell the other person all the things that you said, and they might not even do it on purpose. The lies you tell can come back and haunt you later, especially should you reignite your passion.

5. Rumors Can Affect Your Children

If your relationship was more than a short fling, then you may have children from the union. It’s hard to talk trash about your ex when there are little ears around you. Remember, little ones are listening to everything you have to say.

When you are trashing their mom or dad, it’s very hurtful to them. It would help if you allowed children to form their own opinions, and they will. As your kids grow and mature, they will see the people who are there for them and those who aren’t.

Additionally, just because you had a bad relationship with their other parent doesn’t mean that they will be anything less than a great mother or father to their children. You don’t want your kids to see you in a negative light, and when you’re spreading rumors about their parents, it can cause problems.

6. People Won’t Trust You

Sadly, along with getting a bad reputation, people won’t trust you if you’re sharing intimate details about someone else with them. If there’s any golden rule of relationships, it’s that if people are talking about others with you, then they are talking about you with others.

When someone confides in a friend, they trust that the friend won’t be spreading their business all over town. If they hear you are always talking smack about a bad relationship, they will be less likely to want to share anything with you. They will be afraid that you will share anything that they tell you with others, and their fears are warranted.

7. You Can Be Sued for Slander

When you’re hurt, it always sounds better to add a little bit of juice to the story, especially if you’re trying to save face. However, today’s society is “sue happy,” and they are more than eager to take you to court. While Defamation of Character is a widely overused term, it’s grounds for a suit.

If you have said things about your ex that can affect their business or personal standings, it can cost you big time. Never put anything on social media outlets. If there is one shred of proof that can back up their claims, then a judge will likely rule in their favor.

8. Bad Karma Always Comes Back Around

Karma is the universe’s way of rewarding or punishing deeds. If you plant goodness into your garden, then you will receive kindness in return. However, if you plant negativity, gossip, and lying in life’s garden, then karma will not be so kind.

Remember the old saying, “what goes around will come back around?” When you are telling lies and spreading gossip, the same judgment that you give out to others is going to come back on you. It may not happen today, tomorrow, or even in the next year, but at some point in your life, you will be repaid for your evil deeds.

9. You Can Hurt the Other Person

Most folks think that the best way to get back at someone who has hurt you is to cut them in return. However, you can do some real damage when you spread vicious rumors. More importantly than what others think, how will the person you once loved feel when they hear the things you’re saying?

You don’t want to do anything that will be a stumbling block to anyone, especially someone you once had intense feels about. Causing them to have issues in their personal or professional life is downright mean. Could you live with the guilt if you got them fired or had other severe repercussions over lies?

10. They Can Retaliate

According to the NIH, retaliation or reprisal can have a “chilling effect” on relationships.

Be careful what you say to others about your ex. Not all people take rumors and gossip so kindly. Some folks believe in the “eye for an eye” type of retaliation. Your ex may start spreading rumors about you or worse yet do things to get back at you.

Many unbalanced people in this world will stop at nothing to get revenge. Do you want to take a chance of a severe retaliation against you? When you threaten someone’s reputation or well-being with lies, there is no telling what they might do to get revenge.

Final Thoughts: Move on Gracefully from Your Ex Without Spreading Rumors

Though it’s difficult, it’s always best to count your losses and move on. If you need a therapist to help you through a bad breakup, then go to therapy. You don’t want to hurt others because karma can and will pay you back for your misguided deeds.

Don’t start rumors. Instead, you will find it best to forgive. Only then can you can move on with someone new. You deserve to have someone who will love you 100 percent and won’t cause the problems of your previous partner. Shake the dust off your feet and start the journey to find someone new.

Raising children is not for the faint of heart. These little wonders don’t come with a manual, and by the time you figure out how to do things right, they are grown and gone. Thankfully, counselors have discovered what things that parents teach to make them grow from successful kids into thriving adults.

10 Habits of Parents of Successful Kids

There are no perfect parents in this world; there are only those who try with everything within their powers to raise good kids. Some children are more complicated than others, and for those challenging kids, you will need to keep reinventing your techniques. If you need a little parental help, then here are ten habits of parents who ensure they’re raising successful kids.

1. They Help Build Esteem

Successful kids are almost always the product of hard work. They have parents behind them that have helped to build their esteem. It’s easy to become so frustrated with life, even at a young age. Kids face pressures that adults often label as inferior, but in their world, these events are traumatic.

If you want your child to be successful in all aspects of life, then you must build their self-esteem. Even when they hit those rough patches, you will give them the skills and tips they need to overcome. Once they learn they did something once and can do it again, they will feel a sense of pride.

2. They Don’t Let Them Quit

Children are notorious for wanting to start something and then never finishing it. They may want to get involved in a sport or instrument, but they become bewildered after a short period. Parents mustn’t let children quit just because they are tired or have lost interest.

If they learn early in life that they can bow out when things get rough or they simply don’t want to do something, they will continue that pattern throughout life. Raising successful kids always starts with a drive and determination to keep going even when you feel like quitting. It will really be beneficial when they enter the working world.

3. They Teach Them Respect

Respect is taught at an early age. To get your children to respect you, there must be firm boundaries that they are expected to adhere to. Let them know what you will and will not tolerate.

If a child learns at the age of three that backtalking is not permitted, they will grow up with that mentality. Teaching principles such as these early on is the best way to raise successful children. If you want them to respect you, then you must also respect them.

A successful parent will never call names, put them down, or say anything derogatory, no matter how angry they become. Additionally, the child will automatically learn these words and actions are not permitted.

4. They Have Open Lines of Communication

A parent’s first choice is to yell, punish, or get angry when a child doesn’t do what they are told. However, you must step back and look at the situation through their eyes. Your child is subject to mood swings, bad days, and feeling off just like you.

The best way to combat when your child is acting out is to talk to them. Keep those lines of communication open. You must establish that they can easily talk about their feelings and find a resolution. Communication skills will follow them through life, and they are essential for working and having good relationships.

5. They Spend Time with Them

Your children need you. They don’t want to see you in passing as you are on your phone or computer all the time. Carve out a specific time that is for them each day. They can say how they want to spend their time.

They may want to play games, color, ride bikes, or watch a movie. If you just designed a particular hour like 6-7 pm every evening, make sure they know that they are important enough to be a part of your day.

You don’t want them to grow up with inadequacies because they were lonely or didn’t have time for them. Successful kids had parents who made time for them no matter how busy their life.

6. They Have Chores

Many parents are divided on the chore issue. Having responsibility doesn’t mean that a child must clean the whole house; it just means that they need to help. Having chores is essential for raising successful kids.

Do you want your child growing up thinking that they don’t have to do anything, and they will be waited on hand and foot? No! You want your child to know the value of hard work and why it’s essential to do an excellent job in the smallest of tasks.

7. They Teach the Value of a Dollar

Some kids are natural savers, while other children tend to love to spend their money the minute they get it. Giving your child an allowance and teaching them about savings accounts and a rainy-day fund is always advisable. They should know how it feels to save and wait to buy the one thing they’ve always wanted.

Children have lots of opportunities to put back money. Think of all the birthday and Christmas funds that they receive. Unless they need something, they should put it all in the bank but a small amount to spend. Many children can buy a nice car when they are 16 years old because their parents helped them to save.

If you just hand everything to your child, they will never know the value of a dollar. Many parents find that when a child must work for something they want, then they tend to respect it a bit more. There’s nothing wrong with a small allowance and utilizing tools to help them save.

8. They Give Firm Discipline and Direction

Gone are the days of corporal punishment, but you must discipline your children in ways that are effective for teaching. Discipline is a chance to redirect a child from a wrong behavior by showing them what to do that is right. Teach them that for every action, there is a consequence.

They should know that if they don’t make their beds and take the trash out of their room, they will be punished. Discipline should always be done in love and never in rage. Remember, they are little humans and make mistakes too. They just need a gentle nudging to learn that life isn’t always easy, and you need to do your part.

9. They Teach The Kids to Acknowledge their Feelings

The old philosophy that men aren’t allowed to cry, and girls cry too much is psychically disturbing. Your children should know from the toddler years that it’s okay for them to express themselves.

Now, you may need to show your children appropriate ways of expression, as anger is the most natural emotion to show. However, if you raise a male child to think it’s not okay to cry, then they will build anger and resentment inside. Allowing children to acknowledge their feelings and voice their concerns can help them prepare for the real stress when they get into corporate America.

10. They Enforce the Value of a Good Education

If you don’t make school valuable, then your children won’t value their education either. There should be firm guidelines for school from kindergarten on. Let them know that no matter what schoolwork and their learning come first.

Successful kids almost always have a parent behind them who is pushing them to be all they can be. Teach your children that college is not an option but rather a requirement for a good life. Once they have these things ingrained into their brains, then they will learn that school is an obligation that they must attend.

Final Thoughts on How Parents of Successful Kids Provide Firm Foundation

Raising successful kids is not an easy job. You need all the parenting tips and tricks you can find. Look to others who have raised good kids and ask them their secrets. Maybe they did something that you can efficiently utilize with your children.

Remember that everything you do, either positive or negative, will have an impact on your child and their future. Children require constant care and attention, and you must be steadfast on the rules and discipline for a good outcome.

Above all else, don’t forget to have fun and spend as much time with your babies as you possibly can. You will blink your eyes, and they will be grown. The real regrets happen after they leave the nest. So many people say they didn’t learn how to be a good parent until after their children were raised.

One of the best tips of parenting advice that anyone could give you is not to miss all the little moments as they will soon be gone. You don’t get a second chance at this monumental task. So you must ask yourself, are you raising a successful child?

Telecommuting is becoming increasingly popular today. For the family with children, a stay at home job means that you don’t need to pay the exorbitant daycare bills. However, it takes a unique person to work from home with kids and juggle everything.

Children thrive in their home environment. Having the pleasure of working from home means that you get to be a part of all their milestones. Additionally, you don’t need to worry about what may or may not be happening at the daycare or babysitters’ home.

Setting Boundaries When You Work From Home With Kids

No one can care for your child like you. Consequently, it’s a real balancing act to try to juggle the role of employee and parent simultaneously. How can you bring in the bacon while making lunch and changing diapers too? Here are some healthy boundaries to help you make working from home with kids a success.

1. Maintain A Routine

Some jobs are a bit more restrictive than others. Whether you can work whenever you want, or you need to punch the virtual time clock doesn’t matter. You must have a routine to be successful.

It’s easy to get your days and nights mixed up when you allow the children to dictate the routine. To feel and be a success in this job setting, you need a schedule. The beauty of being at home is that you can lay in that extra 15 minutes or you can take a longer lunch.

Get up bright and early and start your day. You don’t need to account for traffic on the commute and dressing for success. Just make sure you keep a schedule so that the children don’t get their sleep patterns off balance, which can affect the entire home.

2. Have A Dedicated Workspace

Working from your dining room or the coffee table in the living room will only last so long. You must have a dedicated space so that you can be organized. Also, the children must learn that this area is off-limits to little hands.

If you’re lucky to have a room where you can close the door, then it works out great. No matter where you set your home office, it must be a space that allows you to concentrate. If your children are younger, then you will need to be close to keep an eye on them.

Kids of all ages must learn that they can’t mess with your papers, scissors, pens, or other necessary office supplies. Establish early on that your space is for you only. Having clear rules about your work area will help to learn the importance of leaving you and your things alone in this zone.

If your children are older and more responsible, then you may want to put a sign on the door to let them know when it’s safe to come in. If you’re going to be on a conference call or doing a Skype chat, then you want to put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door.

Having some simple boundaries can save you from some embarrassing situations that can arise as you work from home with kids.

3. Have A Sitter on Back-Up

While working from home allows you the freedom to watch your children, there may be times when you need to go to the office. Each career has different demands, and you must be flexible to adjust to those requirements. If you need to go to a meeting, then your boss is not going to want you to bring the children along.

Have a person that you can trust to watch your kids for a few hours each week, if necessary. Even if you don’t need to go to the office, you must get out and get some fresh air at times. You and your children will enjoy a break from each other on occasion.

4. Enhance Your Ability to Focus on One Task at a Time

Before you even begin your job where you work from home with kids, you need to be a multi-tasker. You may be changing diapers while talking to your boss or a client. You need to learn the power of the mute button on the phone.

Get a good pair of earbuds that have noise cancellation features. There are times when you need to ask the children to be quiet, and you don’t want the entire office to hear your banter with the youngsters. No matter how hard you try to mold them, your children are not always going to be perfect angels.

It takes a special person to balance the life of a parent and career individual from your abode. Setting boundaries is imperative, but you must also be able to do a juggling act every day.

5. Learn to Drown Out the Chaos

Have you ever seen or been with a parent that has their kids screaming and playing around them and doesn’t seem to be bothered by the noise? You must become that parent who can tune out the chaos to get anything done. No matter the age of your children, you will always have them at your door and in your face wanting and needing you for something.

Sadly, it doesn’t seem to get any better when they are older. To be a parent who works from home with kids, you need not let every little noise bother you. Unless you’re on the call with a boss or talking to a customer, then drown the noise out.

Some parents who work from home like to play classical music in their earbuds while they work. They can still hear the kids should there be an incident that they need to help with, but they can focus on the task at hand, thanks to the likes of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

6. Let Workers Know You Have Kids or Pets

Your employer should know if there is anything that can distract you during the day. Some jobs know and expect that there will be children, spouses, and pets that can interrupt, and they are okay with it.

If your job requires you to be on video conference calls, you should let everyone know upfront if a child may come in crying or a dog may bark. It helps everyone else to learn why you may have that mute button on more than the next person.

Don’t wait until you’re in the middle of a meeting before you let everyone know. Working at home can be chaotic on a good day, so it’s best that your company understands your situation and knows what to expect during such events.

7. Carve Out Time for You

Boundaries are essential with your children, but you must also set some personal boundaries to ensure your sanity. Working from home is not for the faint of heart. You won’t get the social interaction that you need.

In your weekly planner, you must include things that allow you to have some free time. You need a night with your buddies or wine with the girls. You must have some time that is just for fun and relaxation that’s outside your home.

When you work and live in the same place, it can be quite overwhelming never to have an escape. Your sanity demands that you have some time away from your home and out amongst other people.

8. Tell Your Children What You Expect

You must tell your children what you expect while you are working. They should have clearly defined rules to ensure your success. While you cannot talk with a newborn about rules, a five-year-old can undoubtedly know the importance of leaving mommy or daddy alone while they’re telecommuting.

When you work from home with kids, you must somehow make money while taking care of their needs. So they need to know why your job is so outstanding and why they need good behavior. Make a rule sheet and enforce these rules to ensure that your days are a little easier.

9. Give Your Children an Approved List of Activities

Your kids need to have an approved list of activities that they can do while you are working. Some great things for them to do can be:

•Color
•Watch TV
•Play on Tablet
•Video Games (with limits)
•Play with Toys

Then they also need to know things they cannot do, like:

•Go Outside Without Permission
•Ride Bike Too Far
•Play with Noisy Toys
•Argue with Siblings
•Get in Swimming Pool or Hot Tub Unattended
•Cook

Keep in mind that these guidelines must be written the age in mind. A 15-year-old can do some light cooking or ride their bike, but you wouldn’t want a seven-year-old to feel adventurous.

Final Thoughts: Strike a Balanced Life and Work from Home with Kids Successfully

Whether you chose to work from home with kids or you were forced into this role, you need to make the best of the situation. Telecommuting is the wave of the future. It can be a great way to make a living and be there for all your children’s little moments.

Childcare is such a considerable cost, and you can’t forget the savings in transportation costs too. If you can make working from home with kids a success, then, by all means, you should do it. Setting effective boundaries will ensure that your home can be both your haven of rest and place of employment.