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We like to think of our parents is immortal, but the fact is they are as human as everyone else, and as they get older, they may need a little more help in day to day life. 

If you want to look after your aging parents, but you lead a busy life yourself, perhaps juggling work commitments with caring for your own children, it may seem like an impossible task, but here are some things you can do to make it possible:

Schedule in visits

Loneliness and boredom are two of the most common, and most upsetting issues faced by older people in society, so it’s really important that you make an effort to visit your parents regularly. If you find it difficult to make time for this, try adding it to your schedule. If it’s there and planned for, you’ll find it far easier to juggle, and if you really can’t visit, at least make sure your parents have a device capable of making video chats, so you can keep in touch that way.

Encourage them to go out and about

Another thing you can do to help with loneliness and boredom is to encourage your elderly parents to attend social clubs and events aimed at older people. Most towns and cities have a range of activities from knitting clubs to choirs that encourage older people to come along and have fun, and taking some time to research them for your parents could give them a positive new lease on life.

Of course, you should also do what you can to ensure they can attend family events, whether that means ensuring they always get an invite or driving them too and from the family parties.

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Advocate for Them

As your parents get older, they may not be able to look after their best interests as well as they once could. If this is the case, you should step in, whether that means getting power of attorney to protect their finances or researching the best care homes so that you can avoid the fate that befell the poor people who were part of the genesis lawsuit. Your parents may pushback on this, but if you’re sure they can’t make decisions on their own, you need to convince them to accept health. Obviously, if they are still perfectly capable of making their own decisions, you DO need to step back.

Make their home safe

Senior citizens are more vulnerable in their own homes than younger people. Not only could something serious like a burglary affect their self-confidence more than it might a younger person, but there tend to be lots of fall risks that could see them become seriously unwell should they fall over them, for example., So, when you have a day or so free, why not head over and ensure that they have decent security and a home that is as safe for them as possible?

Get them help

If your parents are really struggling, hiring someone to care for them professionally may be the best thing you can do for them, should you not be able to do so yourself. There is no shame in this, and as long as you vet the carers thoroughly, it should be a positive thing for you all.

Take good care of your parents - they took such good care of you!

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It was so simple when they were younger! All you needed to do was hire a venue with a bouncy castle and soft play and you knew there would be a great party! But as your child gets older, things change! They become boys and girls with more sass and there are plenty of awkward conversations afoot; and when you start to see them turn into teenagers with an attitude to match, you could very well shudder at the thought of throwing a party for them at this age! Parties at home can go wrong at the best of times but what can you do to throw a party for a teenager that everybody can survive?

Should There Be A Theme?

Granted, they're not going to want a Frozen themed party! But if you are holding a party for a specific reason like their 15th birthday, planning Quinceaneras celebrations can dictate a theme which means that you can pepper the party with suitable items. You could purchase candy for Quinceaneras celebrations which every teenager will be more than happy to eat! But when you start to think about a teen party they are at that stage between childhood and adulthood. You've got to try and get some sense out of them, especially if you don't know what to do. At the very least, having food and the basics in place will make sure that nobody is hungry. And it's a birthday, so don't forget to get a birthday cake!

Avoid Social Media

When your child broadcasts everything on social media it can be a recipe for disaster. When it comes to inviting people to the party, keep it as controlled as possible. You may very well have to lay down the law especially if your child has certain enemies in school! Social media can be incredibly detrimental to any party. And you have got to remember that at the end of the day it's your home so you can lay down the law!

Be Realistic

It's about the size of the venue. If you're holding it at home then you are very aware of how many people it can hold. If possible, try and confine the party to the backyard or an enclosed area. If you're concerned about potential gatecrashers, especially if the party goes on into the night, you've got to be very strict. It's also worth pointing out that if people are hanging around the front of the house this could raise suspicions with the neighbors. And yes, when you are in a busy neighborhood you've got to make sure that you don't have the music too loud as you don't want the police to knock on the door later on! In fact, it might be a good idea to register your party with the local police station so they are aware of what's going on should the worst-case scenario crop up!

Have Your Wits About You!

When your child is turning 15 or 16 it's illegal to have alcohol on the premises in any way, shape, or form! But at that age, children can potentially sneak alcohol in! You've got to be aware of the repercussions. And as a parent, it can mean a hefty fine or time in prison! You've got to have your wits about you and make sure that you are keeping an eye on the party as it goes. You may very well prioritize cleaning up the party as you go but this can be pointless especially if there are dozens of messy teenagers!

Keeping The Parents Informed

When it's teenagers attending a party they may turn up without the parents. If this is your first teenage party it's a good idea to have contact details of each parent just in case something goes wrong. You've got to think about the worst-case scenario. And if a child has an allergic reaction to a food item or an accident they may have a smartphone on them but you've got to get in contact with the parents! It sounds like common sense but when our children get older, they are very adamant they can look after themselves, there are certain parts that you have still got to oversee as the adult!

Try Not To Be Overbearing!

When our children have a party we could very well be a helicopter parent and oversee every single aspect of the operation but we have got to remember that it's our child's party and they will probably want us to take a step back. When our children are inviting friends over, there could be plenty of people that you haven't met before and they could very well be people that you take an immediate dislike to. It's so easy as the parent to butt in and exert your authority but your children are at the age where they have to fight their own battles. And while we're doing it from a place of love, we can't be too protective. Ultimately, our children may tell us to go and stay in the living room so they can have a party on their terms. And we have to respect this to a certain extent. It's our property and we have the final say but this is an occasion for your child. If it goes wrong it could result in a very difficult life for them in school! Because while these children are going to be courteous to us they may not be the same to our child.

Throwing a party for any teenager is quite a complex task. When our children get to the age where they want something a bit different we've got to respect their wishes. But we've also got to remember that with any teenage party can come a very different set of social circumstances. It's not about the bouncy castles anymore! They are blossoming into little adults but this can be a situation where their social stance can be measured in school. And we all remember this from when we were children, so perhaps it's time to incorporate this into our planning!

As a parent, you have to get through many different stages of life with your kids before they become fully-functioning adults. You’ll get through the baby stage, where the only communication is screaming until you respond to the right need. You’ll go through the toddler phase, where their words aren't quite there yet, so you’ll have to decipher the tantrums they throw to understand what they mean. You’ll get to the inquisitive child phase, where they ask awkward questions about where babies come from. This is where you have to decide being honest and being age-appropriate, and if you think that the two go hand in hand, you’re not there yet!

You then get to the pre-teen stage of life, bordering on their teen years. These are the most awkward years, and though they shouldn't be, you can remember how hard it was to ask your own parents questions about the body, boys and girls, sex and more. It’s the age where school is teaching your children a little more biology and they’ve worked out that YOU, their parents, have been having sex for years. It’s awkward.

The awkward conversations are the most difficult ones to have with your children, but with your teenagers who believe that they already know everything about the world? Those awkward conversations become even more difficult. The thing is, you are a parent. This comes with a territory and whether you want to or not, you have to have an awkward conversation or three. Or more if you’re the parent of a particularly awkward teenager. These conversations may feel like a mountain to climb, but with the right planning and the correct injection of humour, you can get through this!

With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at how you can sit your teenager down and get through those awkward - but necessary - topics.

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• Choose Your Topic Wisely

You can’t just hit your teenager with a chat about their sexuality or needing Priority STD Testing if they’re having sex. You have to approach with caution pick your topic wisely. Is your teen approaching the age of legally being able to have sex? Well, a conversation has to happen but you need to understand the topic you’re going to talk about and how you can make it relevant. Clearly, if your teenager is discovering their own attraction to the opposite sex, you need a conversation about safe sex and all that comes with it. They may not want to sit down to talk about it, so you can always get some books that are easy to read, ask them to read through them and then talk them through the risks. The birds and the bees may be able to fly away, but you need to be present for this conversation!

• Understand Why You Feel Awkward

There isn’t one parent in the world that finds discussing sex with the product of the own activities easy. However, unless you want to deal with underage sex and teenage pregnancy, you have to identify why you feel so awkward before you dive into this conversation. The likelihood is that your teenager is going to feel way more awkward than you do. Before you sit down together, get your own confidence up and rip off the Bandaid. 

• Fill The Silences

There are two types of teenagers. The first is the one who will be inquisitive in the conversation you’re having and ask loads of questions. They’ll make a joke out of the situation and they’ll laugh with you at how awkward this conversation is. Then there is the second type, who will remain silent and simply grunt their way through the chat you’re having. You can handle this in a couple of ways. You can either choose to fill the silences and continue on as usual, just getting through the conversation and imparting all your worldly wisdom on STDs and the human body. Or, you can bag the conversation for a time they want to engage with it, it’s up to you.

• Make It Fun

There is every chance that you are not going to find any of this awkward conversation funny. At all. However, you need to find the humour in the conversation, or it’s going to become decidedly unfunny. Keep the mood light, and do it while going for a walk or eating if you must. No matter what, this is a serious conversation - it just doesn't need to have an air of being serious!

• Ask Questions

A big part of understanding how your teenager feels is going to be in asking the right questions. You want to make this a two-way conversation rather than a Lecture From Mom, and so you should talk about whether they are thinking about or having sex. Ask them how kids at school are approaching the whole “teenagers having sex” period of life and make it about someone else. You can ease into these awkward conversations, but they need to be discussed and that means that you need to ask as many questions as you can to understand them, too.

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• Ask For Their Input

There will 100% be topics that your teenager wants to discuss but also doesn't want to talk about. They don't know how to broach the awkward stuff any more than you do. Ask them if they have questions, and warn them at the start of the conversation that you’ll expect some questions at the end. The harder conversations to have will bring you closer together as a family - believe it or not - and the more you ask now, the better!

• Be As Understanding As You Can

If you broach the conversation of sex, sexuality and the body, you can bet that there will be things that you don’t want to hear, but you will! You need to go in with as much understanding as possible and without judgement. You are going to internally make your judgements and be shocked - just keep them internal. You are the parent here, so you need to make your teenager feel safe enough to talk to you about anything that comes up. Don’t lose that trust - let them talk to you and don’t judge, just guide.

• Solve The Problem

If during your chats about sex and sexuality, yoru teenager makes a confession to you, ask them whether they want advice or just to vent. Then act accordingly. If they are willing to confide in you about something difficult for them, your conversation has gone from awkward to understanding to bonding. It’s all in how you handle what they’re telling you, and you have a chance to cement that relationship as one where your teenager can confide in you and you’ll help.

There is nothing more terrifying than having a conversation you or your teenager are not ready to have, and yet there are plenty you may never feel ready for. The key is to prepare yourself for this moment and you have around thirteen years before you have to be ready to talk to your kids about sex and protection. You’re going to talk about peer pressure, the pressure to have sex before their ready and you have to prepare them to be confident - to say no. There are so many opportunities to ensure that your child is comfortable and confident about what to do, and it starts with very many awkward conversations. There is no time to waste: preparation has to start now. Are you ready? Let’s go.

Contact lenses are often thought of as an upgrade to your regular glasses. This is especially true for people that find it frustrating or annoying to wear glasses. However, the contact-wearing lifestyle might be a little more complicated than you first thought. In this article, we’ll be looking at 10 things that people usually don’t tell you about wearing lenses.

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1. Yes, you do need to touch your eyeball

Yes, putting on contacts means touching your eyeball. A lot of people take a while to get used to this, and you’ll probably spend a long time with your optician before you get the hang of it.

2. You’ll eventually get used to them

But don’t worry, sooner or later you’ll get used to touching your eyeballs and your friends will think it’s strange or gross that you are accustomed to it.

3. You might miss your glasses

Glasses aren’t just for vision–they can also be a fashion accessory! A lot of people find they miss their glasses after wearing contacts for a while.

4. Never, ever fall asleep with contacts on

Falling asleep with contacts on is dangerous, so if you don’t like the idea of spending a few minutes removing them before you nap, you should think twice about trying contacts.

5. You don’t have to go to an optician to get contacts

You don’t actually need to visit your optician to get contacts. Companies like Eye Contacts provide them over the internet and as long as you know your prescription, you can get them delivered to your door.

6. You’ll need to take them out more often than you think

Whether it’s taking them out before your shower, your morning routine or a nap, you’ll end up taking them out a lot more than you think. 

7. You’re going to lose plenty of contact lenses

Contact lenses are slippery, hard to see with your blurry vision and have a tendency to get stuck in the most random places.

8. They’re a lot more maintenance than you think

You’ll need to replace your lens case to prevent fungi buildup, you need to carry a cleaning solution with you, you need to prevent your eyes from drying up and you need to have a weekly or monthly prescription to ensure you have enough lenses. It’s a lot more work than most people think!

9. Wearing contacts can be stressful

If you’ve been through a stressful day then the last thing you want to do is poke around your eye to remove a contact. Wearing contacts can be a lot of work, so you’ll probably want to keep your glasses around for convenience.

10. You can dress up with some cool contacts

But once you get used to wearing contacts, you have plenty of options for a cool halloween costume and you can even wear unique contact lenses to change the colour of your eyes. It’s a pretty nice perk for getting used to poking your eyes.

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You love your spouse and kids and want the best for them. Be glad to know there are actions you can be taking to help ensure you create a happy and healthy family life.

Set the tone by being a good example for your kids and teaching them how to be responsible. Spend quality time together so you can grow a deeper bond and work through any problem areas or conflict. Have fun with one another and enjoy each other’s company because one day your kids will go their separate ways and you won’t see them as often.

Encourage Regular Exercise

One tip for having a happy and healthy family life is to encourage regular exercise. It’s a positive habit to adopt and one that will help your kids to have more energy and maintain a healthy heart and weight. An excellent idea and option is to look into learn to swim for kids programs that they can start right away. They’ll not only be learning how to swim and getting exercise but will be gaining confidence in themselves in the process. They may also meet other swimmers and friends in these classes.

Make Medical Appointments

It’s important for all of the family to have regular checks with a doctor and dentist. Keeping up to date with these appointments will allow your medical professionals to spot any irregularities quickly and treat them. For instance, Doctor Hanid Audish DO is practiced at treating patients with a wide variety of conditions as a family doctor. 

This allows for peace of mind for parents who are fit and healthy to live a full life with their children and it allows children to grow up as healthy as possible too. Making health a priority for your family will help everyone to thrive.

Practice Open & Honest Communication

You and your family members must learn how to communicate effectively for a happy and healthy household. Be open and honest with each other and speak in a respectable tone. Try to avoid discussions when any one of you is feeling emotional and charged up. Learn what you can do when stress takes over so you don’t say words you’ll later regret. Work through issues that arise by sitting down and have a mature conversation about what’s happening. You’ll be able to avoid miscommunication by having frequent family meetings and checking in with your kids often.

Have Dinner as A Family

It may also help you to develop stronger relationships with your family members when you eat dinner together. These meals are a chance for you to share insights about your days and get on the same page. You can discuss upcoming family vacation ideas or pressing issues such as grades and schoolwork. Get everyone involved by assigning tasks such as meal planning, setting the table, cooking, and cleaning up.

Maintain A Clean Home

Everyone in your family will be healthier when you have a consistent cleaning schedule. Assign chores and tasks to your kids so that they learn responsibility and can help you maintain a tidy home. It’s a wise idea to perform a deep clean every so often so that you can get rid of any dirt and grime that may be hiding in hard to reach areas. Remind your family members to wash their hands regularly and be sure to visit the doctor if anyone should become sick or ill.

Conclusion

Apply these tips, and you’ll be on your way to building a happy and healthy family life. Work together as a team to accomplish these goals, so everyone is pitching in and helping. Enjoy the positive outcomes that come from putting forth an effort to ensure your family life is a priority.  

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When life gets too much sometimes and the stress starts to build, it’s easy to feel anxious. Whether it’s work or family stuff, it might seem like there is pressure coming from all angles. Thankfully there are some simple ways to help relieve this stress. You don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money on therapy or medication, as there are plenty of natural ways to relax. 

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a school of reflection and meditation. It works by creating awareness and allowing you to focus on more positive thinking. Mediation is key so try to spend a few mins a day sitting and reflecting. There are video tutorials to do this available online. Once you have perfected the art of mediation you can also bring mindfulness into your everyday life. It’s all about taking your time to appreciate simple things and not worrying so much about the future. Take time over your food and your hobbies, be aware of what you’ve achieved so far instead of living in constant fear of the unknown. 

Exercise

This is a proven way to relieve stress and immediately improve your mood. Exercise is an important part of your routine so if you’re not getting enough it might be a good idea to set aside some time for it. You could try something you can do at home like yoga videos. You could also join a local sports club if you want to meet people. There are many options. It’s important to try to get in 30mins of cardio each day, such as running or walking and then to compliment this with strengthening exercises.

Take up a new hobby

A new focus is a great way to sort out your head and have some fun. What kind of things are you interested in? Do you like cooking? Are there some new recipes you want to try? You could also think about making things at home or something else creative. Take up an art or craft class, or simply go to a workshop with your friends. Gardening is a great new wellness trend, getting in touch with nature can be really therapeutic. The smells and general contact with nature help bring you perspective. Aromatherapy is also a great way to relax. Do some research into other ways you can relax with natural herbs. There are many benefits of ashwagandha for example. Try going to new places as well. Look into local events near you. Really make the effort to get out there.

Get enough you time

If you want to try a new hobby, or go somewhere new, don’t be afraid to do it alone. This can actually be very beneficial to your mental wellbeing. Consider taking yourself off the grid for a while and spend some time relaxing alone. If you learn to enjoy your own company in this way you will return to your loved ones, after a break, even better prepared to deal with your personal relationships. 

There comes a time for every couple where they decide whether having a baby is a good idea. Some couples choose to leave it later than others in life to have a baby, where others are already planning to get down and dirty on the kitchen floor right after they get married. It doesn't matter what people say, there is never any “right time” to have a baby, and if you are unique, you’ll also learn that there is no “right way” to have one, either.

Babies cannot be ordered at the pizza place and dropped off, all pink and perfect. No, babies are not easy, and it’s not just hard when they arrive. It’s hard trying to get them to arrive at all. Childbirth is a slog, pregnancy is a slog, and trying to conceive a baby can be just heartbreaking. There is no one way to make a mother, and if you are in the very unlucky group of women who discover that they have been touched by infertility, you’re going to feel that in your soul. Your body is supposed to know what to do: release an egg, fertilize it, grow it into a baby - bingo. However, some women just don’t have that same level of luck that others have, and it’s heartbreaking. The doctors appointments feel invasive, the information is overwhelming and it can feel downright unfair that the “getting down and dirty” doesn't just make a baby. 

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The good news in all of this heartbreak? There is way more than one way to make a baby. From artificial insemination to adoption and back again, you can fill that yearning and have the baby of your dreams. With the right help and advice, you can be a mother and you will have a precious baby in your arms to love. Below, we’re going to take you through your options.

• IUI - Intrauterine Insemination

This nifty little trick is perfect for those couples who are doing everything right but nothing is happening. What it means is that the sperm from your partner or donor is matched with an egg inside the uterus. Your cycle is tracked and a trigger shot used at the right time to induce ovulation. The sperm is then placed into the womb at the optimal time in the month and you cross your fingers for a positive test two weeks later. It’s around as invasive as a pap smear is, and you may have some cramping. The cost of IUI varies from place to place and clinic to clinic, but it’s a method of conception that allows you to carry your own baby.

• DIY Method

If you are a same-sex couple, or a heterosexual couple looking for extra help but cannot afford the IUI at a clinic, they go it the old-fashioned turkey baster method. Many women are also finding that if they have sex and use a Mooncup or similar menstrual cup afterwards, they can keep sperm close to the cervix in the hope of preventing “run off”. It’s not generally advised to use a cup when not on a period, but as long as the environment is as clean and sterile as possible it’s proving to be a good method for conception. The turkey baster method works best with a donor and a same-sex couple, with sperm-friendly lube and pillows under the hips for ten minutes after insemination to help your chances.

• IVF

This is a popular option for most couples who have exhausted all other - cheaper - options. IVF requires the extraction of eggs from the female and the sperm from the male is deposited into a cup. In a lab, the sperm and egg are mixed and watched for fertilization. On day 5, when the egg and sperm have turned into a blastocyst, it’s reimplanted back into the womb of the mother. This is all done under strict watch of the menstrual cycle so that the best possible chance of conception is reached. It’s not a cheap procedure, so bear that in mind!

• Surrogacy

If you cannot carry your own child, then your other option of a child that is biologically yours is surrogacy. There are two methods: traditional surrogacy where you use the womb and egg of the surrogate with the sperm of your partner, or gestational surrogacy, which is IVF with a surrogate. Your sperm and egg are mixed to create the blastocyst and this is implanted into the womb of your surrogate. Surrogacy can be expensive depending on where you are in the world, so bear this in mind.

There is more than one way to make a mother, and you can still have your dream - with a little research. Good luck!