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Uncover Your Roots: A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Captivating Family History Book

family history book

A family history book helps preserve cherished memories and genealogical details. You can make the process more efficient and incorporate various methods to create a book you’re excited to share.

Key Takeaways

  • Creating a family history book helps preserve memories for future generations.
  • Organizing the content efficiently can make the process smoother.
  • Utilizing multimedia elements can enhance the appeal of the book.
  • Incorporate interviews and personal stories for a richer narrative.
  • Sharing the book digitally and in print can reach a wider audience.

Table of Contents

  • Why Create a Family History Book?
  • Organizing Your Content
  • Incorporating Multimedia Elements
  • Collecting Personal Stories and Interviews
  • Design and Layout Tips
  • Publishing Options: Digital and Print
  • Preserving Your Family’s Legacy

Why Create a Family History Book?

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Creating a family history book is an enriching endeavor that preserves cherished memories and genealogical details for future generations. This labor of love solidifies family bonds and is a valuable resource for historical context and personal identity. Sometimes, documenting family history is akin to archiving roadmaps, akin to the enduring Thomas Guides, which families have relied on for generations to navigate their past.

Just as Thomas Guides has detailed road maps for geographical navigation, a family history book guides through the complex and rich tapestry of familial narratives. Beyond preserving individual memories, these books can offer invaluable insights into families’ cultural, social, and even geographical evolution over the decades, making them a treasure trove of information for current and future generations.

Organizing Your Content

The organization is vital to successful family history books. Start by categorizing your information into sections such as family trees, individual biographies, and notable events. Use a checklist to ensure you cover all vital aspects. This initial framework can evolve as you gather more information, allowing you to add or refine sections as needed.

Incorporating Multimedia Elements

Incorporate multimedia elements like photographs, video clips, and audio recordings to make your book more engaging. Tools like Adobe Spark can help you create visually appealing content. Incorporating these elements adds depth and brings history to life, making it more exciting for the reader.

When adding multimedia, ensure they are high quality and adequately attributed to maintaining the integrity and professionalism of your family history book. High-resolution images, carefully edited video clips, and transparent audio files can significantly enhance the reader’s experience, constructing a more emotionally compelling and engaging story. Remember to caption your photos and provide context for your multimedia elements to enrich the storytelling further.

Collecting Personal Stories and Interviews

Personal stories and interviews bring your family history book to life. Contact family members to gather anecdotes and experiences that provide a personal touch. Consider recording these interviews for accuracy and an added layer of immersion. Audio recordings can capture words, emotions, and nuances that written text may miss.

Check out interview tips for conducting compelling interviews. These resources offer valuable insights on asking the right questions and eliciting impactful stories, ensuring your book is comprehensive and heartfelt. Prepare a set of questions in advance, but also be flexible enough to allow conversations to flow naturally, leading to unexpected and delightful discoveries that enrich your family history.

Design and Layout Tips

A well-designed layout enhances readability and aesthetic appeal. Use family colors, crests, or other unique identifiers. Tools like Canva and other design software can be incredibly helpful in laying out your content beautifully. Maintaining reader interest from beginning to end requires striking a balance between text and images.

Consider using thematic elements that reflect your family’s unique characteristics and heritage. Whether it’s specific color schemes, fonts, or graphic elements, these design choices can help create a visually appealing look and feel that reflects your family’s personality. Ensuring a professional yet warm and accessible design can make your family history book a treasured keepsake for all who read it.

Publishing Options: Digital and Print

Once your book is complete, consider both digital and print publishing options. Digital versions can be easily shared among family members through Kindle Direct Publishing, while print copies offer a tangible keepsake. The choice depends on your family’s preferences and the scope of your project. Digital formats offer easy distribution and accessibility, while printed versions provide a physical artifact that can be cherished and passed down.

Learn more about self-publishing options at Self Publishing School, which offers detailed guides and tools to make the publishing process more accessible and less daunting. Whether you self-publish or go through a traditional publishing route, The secret is to choose the approach that best fits your objectives and available resources. Consider proofreading meticulously and hiring a professional editor to ensure the highest quality and best output of all time.

Preserving Your Family’s Legacy

Finally, distribute copies of your family history book to ensure its reservation. Please share it in community archives or local libraries. Your efforts will help keep your family’s stories alive for generations, creating a timeless legacy. Accessible copies ensure that the history, wisdom, and memories encapsulated in your book can benefit not just family members but also historians, genealogists, and anyone interested in the cultural heritage captured in your narratives.

Consider holding a family gathering or reunion to present the book. This particular moment brings joy to the family together, leading to the discovery of stories or photos that didn’t make it into the first edition but can be included in future updates. A digital version can continuously be updated, while print copies can serve as a historical snapshot of the family at its creation.

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Adulting Our Family Parenting

How to Protect Yourself and Family After a Car Accident

If you and your family have been involved in a car crash, you must do a few things to protect yourself and your loved ones. A car accident is undoubtedly one of the most stressful events anyone can experience. 

However, knowing what to do in this critical situation can lessen the mental and emotional burden. Also, it helps to keep you and your loved ones safe and ensure your rights are protected. Here’s what you should do after a car accident: 

Protecting You and Your Family After a Car Accident

1. Stop Your Car 

Stop your car and turn off the engine as soon as it’s safe to do so. If possible, move your vehicle out of traffic and to the side of the road to avoid putting yourself and others in more danger. Do not leave the accident scene, even if there are no injuries. 

Leaving the scene puts you at risk of facing civil and criminal consequences. 

2. Protect The Scene 

Next, set up flares or turn on your flashers (emergency lights) to alert other drivers and prevent further accidents. If the emergency lights won’t work and it’s dark, it’s safer to take everyone to the side of the road. 

3. Get Emergency Help 

Check on your family to see if anyone is hurt and in need of urgent medical help. If anyone is seriously hurt, call 911 to help them get timely medical attention. Every second matters in the face of an emergency, so you should act as quickly as possible. 

If possible, try to apply first aid and follow any instructions you receive from 911 to keep everything under control while waiting for help. 

4. Make an Accurate Record 

Once the police arrive, tell them everything that happened while only stating the facts. In case you aren’t sure about a thing, avoid guessing or speculating and simply tell them you aren’t sure. 

If you and your family members don’t have any apparent injuries and you’re asked whether you’re hurt, tell the officer you aren’t sure. This is because sometimes accident pains and injuries aren’t immediately apparent until several hours after the scene. 

5. Take Pictures 

Take pictures and videos of the wreck scene with your phone or a camera to serve as evidence. Ensure you capture both vehicles involved and their license plates, damages, the skid marks in the pavement, and any debris from the cars. Try to clearly capture the other driver and witnesses in the background if possible. 

Take pictures of any physical injuries and ensure to keep these media safe. You may duplicate and save them on your computer and/or cloud storage for more protection. 

Car Accident

6. Document Vital Information 

Next, document vital information about the other driver, witnesses of the crash, and those attending the scene. The information to take includes: 

  • Full name, home address, and cell phone numbers of the other driver 
  • If the driver isn’t the owner of the vehicle, take the name and contact of the actual owner too 
  • Make, model, color, and year of the vehicle 
  • License plate 
  • Insurance information (such as the name of the insurance company, the effective date of the policy, policy number, insured driver(s), and insured vehicle) 
  • Names and contact information of the witnesses 
  • Location and time of the wreck 
  • Full name and badge number of the investigating police officer 
  • If you need to tow your car due to severe damage, take the towing company and the tow truck driver’s contact information. Also, note down where your vehicle is being towed. 

7. Report The Car Accident 

Inform your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible, even if it’s minor damage. Most insurance providers require that you report within a stipulated timeframe during which you will be covered. Delaying beyond the timeframe could jeopardize your coverage. 

Depending on the benefits of your coverage, your insurance might also cater to accident-related medical bills for all occupants of your vehicle at the time of the accident. 

Also, inform the other driver’s insurance provider about the accident via your car crash lawyer. It’s important to speak with a car crash lawyer before reaching out to them to know what you should say and how to approach unclear questions. 

8. Go For Medical Check Up 

If there’s no emergency, it doesn’t mean you should totally ignore a medical checkup. Take yourself and your family to a local emergency room to ascertain that everyone is fine. 

Some accident injuries take several hours to manifest and can have detrimental health impacts later in life. You want to be absolutely sure that everyone is fine, and going for a medical checkup is the best way to do that. 

9. Keep a File of all the Details Regarding Your Car Accident

You should gather all accident-related documents and information together and keep them in one file for easy access. Make sure to include the following: 

  •  a claim number 
  • the claims adjuster in charge of the claim 
  • names and phone numbers of all relevant contacts 
  • receipts for expenses incurred due to the accident, e.g., car rental 

10. Protect Your Rights 

Lastly, with all the evidence and information related to the accident gathered and saved, it’s time to contact your personal injury attorney to help protect your rights. You  

want to ensure you seek legal advice at every step of the process and avoid guesses or speculations, especially when reporting to the police and insurance companies. 

Recap: Car Accident

Regardless of the severity of the accident, your attorney can help you and your family get the deserved compensation for injuries sustained, thus relieving you of the burden of medical bills while affording you the best treatment. 

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Adulting Our Family Wine Wine Wednesday

Wine Wednesday: Let’s Catch Up!

It’s been a while since I’ve updated you about my family and our life. I figured it’s about time to bring back Wine Wednesday, but with a little catching up involved. So – let’s catch up over a glass of wine (or another beverage of your choice).

What I’m Drinking

Before delving into our chat it’s important to talk wine. Today I’m drinking 19 Crimes, Cali Red with Snoop Dogg on it. It’s one of my favorites, and I’m drinking it out of a new wine glass that I just opened today! Check out the rose gold mirror wine glass here.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

What the Barkleys are Up to

Life has been crazy busy with the kids going back to school, and it seems like it’ll only get busier with fall sports and activities starting. Here’s a quick update on each of the kids:

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Liam, Josie, and Sylas
  • Sylas is eight now and just started the 3rd grade. He’s playing soccer this fall.
  • Josie is six and in the 1st grade. She’s playing soccer, participating in two cheerleading programs, and doing ballet and gymnastics.
  • Liam is five and in kindergarten, and he’s playing soccer too.

My boys like to keep their schedules light, but Josie doesn’t stop and wants to do it all.

I’ve been building my freelance writing business. I volunteer for whatever I can with the kids and their school, so I stay pretty busy. Chris is an assistant manager at a gym and a super dad who helps with school pick-ups and drop-offs. He also helps shuttle the kids to their activities and makes the best ever fried chicken.

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Let’s Catch Up on My Work

I’ve been writing regular articles for Psych Central and Power of Positivity, while also working with a few other clients. Some of my published work includes:

I was also recently mentioned on Feedspot in an article titled 15 Best Freelance Mom Blogs and Websites. My info was slightly incorrect, but that’s to be expected when I write about South Haven, Michigan so often. I’m honored to have made the list!

Let’s catch up! What do you want to tell me on this wine Wednesday?

I’d love to hear what’s going on in your life! Leave a comment and let me know, or find me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook to chat more. 🙂

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Adulting Our Family Parenting

3 Professional Services Every Family Should Contact During Emergency

As a part of a family, you do everything in your power to ensure their safety and wellbeing. From buying basic necessities such as a house or car to securing a future using insurance and investments, you make sure your family lives a content life. However, things do not always work out as planned, leading to uncertain situations. When this happens, it’s best to know who to contact during emergency situations.   

No matter how experienced or knowledgeable you are, it is not necessarily possible to handle these uncertain situations on your own. You need the support and skills of professionals to improve the situation.  

You might wonder, “What uncertain or emergencies are we talking about?” and “What professional service do you require?” Continue reading to know!  

Contact During Emergency

Professional Services To Contact During Emergency

Medical Emergencies And Need For A Family Doctor 

Taking care of your family’s health and wellbeing is one of your top priorities. Despite your best efforts, you can not neglect the possibility of your beloved family member getting sick. It can be as mild as a fever or even a severe undiagnosed condition.  

Yes, you can use first-aid or home remedies to keep the health condition in control. However, you must not delay contacting the family doctor in these situations. Their skills, knowledge, and expertise can help diagnose the condition and provide appropriate treatment to improve the patient’s condition. Aside from this, you can also contact the doctor for regular checkups to ensure that your family stays healthy.  

Lawsuits And Need For Defense Attorney 

As unlikely as it may seem, you or your family member can get indulged in a lawsuit for breaking the law. It could be due to drinking and driving or wrongful accusation of criminal offenses such as battery or assault. Obviously, you can not deal with these situations on your own.  

Handling lawsuits require you to contact the Criminal Defense Law Firm, as they have appropriate knowledge about the law and skills to protect the defendant. As you might already know, criminal charges can severely affect a defendant’s life. It is crucial to take assistance from the defense attorney to protect yourself and get back to normal life.  

Locked Out Of Your House And Need Of Locksmith  

Last but not least, you need to have the contact of a local locksmith on your emergency contact list. It is particularly important if you live alone or move out from your family’s house for education or a career. Contact with a locksmith will come in handy when you’ll get locked out of your house and do not have an extra key for the home.  

In case your house has a digital lock, you’ll need the assistance of a locksmith to reset the password and improve the security of your home. It is crucial if you have elders in your house who often mix up or forget the passcode.  

To Sum It All Up: Who to Contact During Emergency

These are a few emergency or uncertain situations you may encounter during your lifetime. It is important that you have the contact of the professionals stated above on speed dial to safeguard yourself on an immediate basis. Timely action will ensure that you suffer zero to minimal loss and return to your everyday life as soon as possible.  

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Family Activities Our Family Parenting

Everything You Need to Know When Planning a Father’s Day Celebration

Whether it’s your husband, father, or grandfather, they deserve recognition for their roles in your life. Being a parent is far from easy, even once your kids reach adulthood. Even though this holiday comes around every year, the man in that fatherly role deserves love and praise for his efforts and hard work. So, here are some things and ideas you may want to keep in mind when you’re planning a Father’s Day celebration.

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Planning a Father’s Day Celebration

Thinking of a Surprise? Here are the Components of a Successful Surprise

Surprises are a great way to show your love and affection for your dad. They are also a great way to make your dad feel special on this Father’s Day. While many people think of a surprise as more for birthday parties or a major accomplishment, it doesn’t have to be.

For starters, a surprise celebration doesn’t immediately need to be a party. The event could be something like a surprise dinner for two, breakfast in bed, or even a surprise visit. These things alone can be a nice surprise, but also very fun.

The only requirement is that they expect it to be a typical day, only to have something much bigger happening. If they’re not expecting to see you for Father’s Day and you show up, that would be a great surprise! Otherwise, you can plan a fun outing or prepare their favorite dinner.

How to Get Your Dad (or Anyone Else) Ready for His Big Day

If you’re getting your dad or any other loved one who’s in a fatherly role ready for his big day, here are a few activities that will make him feel loved.

  1. Plan a surprise for him
  2. Have a fun breakfast with him
  3. Take him to brunch
  4. Watch a movie together
  5. Does he have a favorite activity like fishing? Why not take him?

There are plenty of things that you can do for this person. You know him best, and there are plenty of Father’s Day gifts to choose from. Whether you think they will love experiences or physical gifts is entirely up to you, as you know them the best!

How to Make Them Feel Loved and Special on Father’s Day

Showing them your appreciation and how special they are is simple. Here are some small ways to show them know how much they’re loved and appreciated! These gestures may seem very small, but they pack a big punch!

  • Give him a card with a message saying, “I love you, dad!”
  • Give a phone call if you live too far away, and have a nice chit-chat with them
  • Send a text of your favorite memory
  • Write a note and leave it outside his door telling him how much you appreciate everything he does
  • Buy him some of the best cigars that are out on the market that will wow him

Even if you’re not able to physically be around your father or loved one, you can easily give them a call, send a text, and even mail them a gift. What matters is showing that you’re there and care about all of this. It speaks more about your love and appreciation than anything else can.

Making Memories That Will Last A Lifetime

Father’s Day is coming up soon, and it’s time to think about what you want to do to make this a memorable day for the dads in your life. Special Father’s day moments can be anything from cooking a meal at home or taking him out on a date. It can also be as simple as saying thank you for everything he does for you every day.

While people on YouTube or TikTok may be planning grand gestures for their dad or loved one, you don’t need to go overboard. These holidays aren’t intended to be a spectacle but a special and intimate day.

Final Thoughts: Planning a Father’s Day Celebration

When planning a Father’s Day celebration, remember that you only have to show how much your father or the man in your life means to you. Stick with something simple like a meal, a call, or quality time. It speaks volumes about how much you love and appreciate them.

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Adulting Health Healthy Living Mental Health Our Family Parenting

3 Comforting Ways to Deal with Stress That Comes with Family Life

Deal with Stress

Family life is exciting and joyful as you watch your little ones thrive and grow into amazing adults. You spend quality time together, bond, and generally bring a smile to each other’s faces. But, parents also know that family life requires you to deal with stress. You must be aware of the consequences of stress and take action to avoid it wherever possible.

Deal with Stress
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Why Avoid Stress?

Sure, stress is a normal human reaction common to most people. It developed as an evolutionary response to help us take action to keep us out of harm’s way. For example, if there was a direct threat to our safety, such as a wild animal, feelings of stress would encourage us to fight or run. But nowadays, many of us experience stress over situations that genuinely aren’t life or death – and it can have negative consequences for our health and wellbeing.

Stress can cause physical, emotional, and behavioral changes, including:

  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Restlessness
  • Sadness
  • Procrastination
  • Emotional outbursts
  • Withdrawal from social situations
  • Changes in eating habits
  • And much more.

You must take steps to reduce stress in your life to look after your children as best possible.

How to Deal with Stress

Seek Assistance

If you feel you’re at your breaking point and have noticed that stress has impacted your mental health, you must seek assistance. A medical professional may be able to help. When you visit a doctor, they can diagnose any mental health conditions that could worsen from stress. They can recommend therapy or medicine or could recommend getting medical marijuana for anxiety. There are mental health charities, support groups, helplines, and more.

Find Ways to Reduce Stress

Some situations will be stressful regardless of how you prepare for them or act, but you can avoid many stressful situations. Being more organized can help significantly reduce stress. Learn to recognize when your family needs different things so that you aren’t scrambling. Planning can reduce the last-minute pressure that gets placed on parents. Resolve conflicts and do what you can to lead a more stress-free lifestyle.

Spend Time Relaxing

You must take time to relax and recuperate. Many parents experience burnout, constantly running around and doing something for someone. Take time to relax, no matter how busy your schedule may be. There are countless ways to relax, and those that best suit you will depend on yourself as an individual, your preferences, and your needs. Some people like to take a nap, others prefer to run a bath, and some will watch a favorite TV show or movie. Whatever suits you, make sure to make time for it.

Deal with Stress

Taking the time to deal with stress and cope with family life is essential to your well-being. It also benefits your family as you’ll be happier, more energized, and better equipped to deal with daily situations. You deserve to be at your best, so take the time to relax and recuperate.

What’s your favorite way to relax or de-stress? Leave a comment and let us know! 🙂

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Family Activities How To Our Family Parenting

5 Ways to Create Meaningful Cherished Moments with Your Family

Your family is the most important thing in the world. No matter what happens, they are the ones that will stay with you for the rest of your lives. Having children and starting a family is no easy task. You’ll want to make them feel safe, secure, and protected. Plus, you want to make the childhood one that they can cherish and look back at fondly. To do this, you must create cherished moments with your family.

Plan things that will give you cherished moments that you will remember for the rest of your lives. These moments are something that holds even the most broken families together. We keep thinking about investing our time here and there, but we should be investing our time most of all with our families. All of this activity planning does not have to be very complicated.

You can plan some activities that will create a strong bond between the members of your family. It just has to be a bit strategic so that everything goes as smoothly as you planned in the first place. Here are some of the best ways to create meaningful and cherishable moments with your family.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

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How to Create Meaningful Cherished Moments with Your Family

1. Plant a Garden as a Family

One of the best activities to do as a family is getting your hands dirty with each other! You can encourage even the smallest members of your family to help in any way they can. Some family members can dig a patch to plant vegetables or flowers in the backyard. Some can help clean up, while others can be a part of the fun. Nothing will feel more rewarding than watching everything you planted blossom and grow. Watching the plants bloom will be a symbol for your children since they are blossoming with each passing day as well.

It will not only make every member of your family cherish the things that we get from mother nature, but it will also make you grow closer. Plus, it teaches your children endearing qualities such as patience and hard work. It helps them persevere through different areas in life as they learn to keep the garden at optimal conditions. You will also make quite some memories along the way.

2. Plan a Trip Together

Planning a trip together does not mean that you plan it with your significant other and leave your kids out of the decisions. Instead, let your children in on the decision-making process. You can make up an entire budget and then geographically select the locations where that budget would go perfectly. Then you can ask your children to choose the places they want to visit and the activities they would like to do.

They can make up a whole day of it by researching some attractions that they would love to see. You should also check the weather report for those days if you plan outdoor activities. Making your children a part of this decision will make them feel loved, trusted, and responsible. It will also be a wonderful memory for them to cherish in the future.

3. Plan a Photoshoot With Your Family

If you want to preserve some family memories, the best way is to schedule a family photoshoot. Try to do this when your child has just been born so that you can truly capture their innocent essence in the photograph. It is tough to dress up your baby and take them for a photoshoot, especially when they are uncomfortable. However, that is why it is best to choose an option that will let you do it from your home. Many professionals can do in-home newborn photography for your newborn child. They can even capture candid moments that you will love. You can get a shoot done with your immediate family or get every relative that lives nearby involved.

4. Cook Food Together to Create Cherished Moments

We all know how important it is to have at least one meal together as a family. It brings a lot of closeness between family members. Many studies have shown that children who cook food with their parents do better academically, have higher self-esteem, and even lower obesity. You also get a chance to sit down and talk about daily topics with your children, opening lines of communication.

Take this one step further and cook some meals as a family whenever you get the time to do it. Not only does this teach your children an essential skill, but it also gets you many wonderful memories together. You can get one recipe book that you love and assign one task to everyone.

5. Make One Day a “Family Holiday”

There are so many days that we celebrate. Children’s day, mother’s day, and father’s day are all great, but none of them are dedicated to your whole family. What would be better than assigning one day in the year as a family holiday? This day should be dedicated to unique traditions you have as a family, such as a poem for each family member, special food, and even activities. Come up with surprise activities to honor each family member and show how much you cherish each other. It is a tradition that your children will also pass down to their own.

Create Meaningful Cherished Moments with Your Family

It is essential to create cherished moments with your family while your kids are young. Cherished moments have a positive impact on their future life, and they’ll create memories that they remember forever.

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Family Activities Home Our Family Parenting

The 6 Great Benefits of Removing the TV From Your Home

Have you ever thought about getting rid of the TV? It might have crossed your mind, especially if you’ve got kids fighting over the remote. If you are trying to make your household a better one, is removing the television a solution to try? While TV isn’t the root of all evil, there are many benefits to actually removing the television.

Benefits of Removing the TV

You Will Spend More Time Together

When you don’t congregate around the television, the living room serves a different purpose. It becomes a space where you spend time focusing on one another. You can play games, talk, and enjoy each other’s company. There will be times when you want to watch something, but you can always go out to the movies. If money is tight and you’ve got a Mac, there are many ways that you can start adding movies to iTunes for a treat. Instead of having the TV as your visual and emotional focus, removing it and using movies as a treat can make a big difference. 

Your Kids’ Education Will Improve

A better education is one of the best things about removing the TV. Whether your child is attending a traditional school, a cyber charter school, or you are homeschooling them, it’s something that they will put more effort into if you ensure that there is no TV in the house. You’ll likely notice results quickly.

You Can Start Your Day Without Kids TV

Removing the television can shock the system, especially if your kids want to watch their favorite shows. You probably also have an iPad or a phone where you could give your children the opportunity to watch things. Plus, you’ll have times you want to give in because you’re tired. However, what you can do here is gradually ease off over time.

When your child doesn’t need to watch something first thing in the morning, they naturally start gravitating towards their toys. It allows for a more creative way to start the day. If they can play in their room while you relax in the living room with your cup of coffee, it’s a win-win! 

Your Child Will Play With More Toys

Most children have too much stuff. When your child doesn’t play with any of their toys, not only is this a massive waste of money, but it could be that they’re spending all their time watching TV. If your child only plays with these toys for a few minutes, removing the TV could mean your child starts playing again. Additionally, this could spark their imaginations even more. It is an amazing way to start filling in the gaps in their mind. This means that rather than sitting down and watching TV that force-feeds all sorts of information, they are now using their brains in different ways. 

You Will Have More Time for Other Things

The benefits are not just for the kids! Without a TV for distraction, you’ll have more time to do other things. You could play with your kids, start reading more, and spend time developing yourself. Spending more time with them will strengthen the bond while taking time for yourself can help you achieve more with your life.

You Will Have More Time With Your Significant Other

Sure, you may still feel tempted to watch Netflix in bed, but if you’re trying to practice what you preach as a parent, you can spend more time with your partner talking and getting quality one-on-one time.

While quality time is one of those important things in life, you may not like the idea of canceling your Netflix subscription. But the thing to remember is that TV doesn’t have to dominate your life. You can take the opportunity to do other things that benefit you both as a couple. Everybody has been there; they’ve had such a terrible day that they need to relax and focus on something mindless. However, having quality time with the other person and possibly venting will be more productive in the long run.

You’ll Think About the Quality of the TV You Watch

When you watch shows as a distraction, removing the TV gets you thinking about the quality of what you watch. If there’s an upcoming event you want to watch, you can make a plan for watching it ahead of time. Reaching for the remote is such an easy option, but without a TV, you’ll have to decide what’s worth making a plan for.

Recap: Benefits of Removing the TV

If you are trying to make a home more suitable for your children, you may think that getting rid of the TV is a very extreme response. However, if you spend a lot of your time in front of devices, it might be worth it. You never know — you might be surprised how your lives change!

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How To Life Our Family Parenting

11 Ways to Help Your Family Through a Tough Decision

Families are important to each of us, and sometimes they can be the most complicated people to help. Whether it’s a tough decision about health care, or something else entirely, there are ways for you to help your family. A few helpful tips can get them through this challenging time with less stress and more understanding. So here are six things that will help your family member when they’re trying to make a tough decision.

Help Your Family
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How to Help Your Family Through a Tough Decision

Stay Calm And Supportive

When someone you care about is going through a tough time, it’s essential to try not to get emotional. The loved one might be feeling so much stress already that they don’t need anyone else piling on more guilt or fear of a bad outcome. So remember, staying calm will help your family stay focused on what they’re trying to do. Supportive words will help them feel like they’re not alone in this.

Just be there for them, and let them know that you’re always available to talk if they need it. Sometimes just listening is the best thing you can do.

Help Your Family Gather Information

When someone is making a difficult decision, the best thing you can do is help them gather as much information as possible. Helping your family gather information might mean doing some online research or talking to experts in the field. Whatever it takes, let your family member know that you’re there to support them through this process. Reassure them that you want to make sure they make the best decision possible.

This step can be beneficial, especially if your family member feels overwhelmed or unsure of where to start. The more information they have, the easier it will be to decide. Help them make a list of pros and cons so they can decide. 

Don’t Push Them Into A Decision

One thing that people don’t always realize when going through a stressful time is how much pressure it can cause. When you try to push someone into making up their mind, they might feel like there isn’t anyone else in their corner. And this will only add more stress to an already difficult situation.

So try your best to avoid pressuring them, and let them take their time deciding what’s best for them. It might not be the answer you want to hear, but your loved ones must make this choice themselves.

Talk About Their Options

Even though it might feel like there’s only one correct answer, most tough decisions have more than just two choices. Try to help your family member see all the different possibilities when making a difficult decision. Helping the person see their options will give them peace of mind and boost their confidence.

Let Them Know You’re There For Them

No matter the decision, your family member will need your support. Let them know that you’re always there for them, no matter what. Knowing that you’re there can be helpful in times of stress and uncertainty, and it can help your family through a tough time.

Don’t Give Up On Them

No matter how long it takes for your family member to make a tough decision, don’t lose hope! Sometimes the correct answer isn’t apparent and can take time. Let them know that you’re there to help no matter what, even if they need more time or information before making their choice. Always remember that they’re doing their best to make the right choice.

Give Them Space 

If your family is struggling with a tough decision, sometimes the best thing you can do is give them some slack. Let them know that you’re available if they need to talk, but don’t push them to speak.

Everyone deals with stress differently. The best you can do is be there for them and keep a close watch on them. However, if you are concerned that your loved one isn’t coping, you may need to get involved sooner rather than later.

When they are ready, be available for them and listen more than you talk. It’s easy to offer advice or give your opinion, but this is their decision at the end of the day. Let them know that whatever choice they make – it’ll be okay.

Help Your Family
Source

Offer Professional Help

If your family needs a little more help making their decision, offer to connect them with professional resources.

There are counselors and organizations out there that can give you advice on how to make the best possible choice. Usually, these professionals have likely dealt with similar situations before and may even offer a different perspective. A psychiatric nurse practitioner is an excellent person to seek advice and assistance. They have experience and will have an idea of treatment options. 

Seek Out Support Groups to Help Your Family

There are also support groups available for family members going through a tough decision. Support groups can be a great way to connect with other people who understand what you’re going through. Plus, they may offer some helpful advice.

It can be comforting to know that you’re not alone in this and talking to someone who has been in your situation before can help you see the light at the end of what seems to be a never-ending tunnel.

Remember That Every Decision Has Good And Bad Points

No matter what choice your family makes, remember that there will always be pros and cons. Help them make a list and go through it with them. Sometimes writing it all down and having someone go through it with them gives them a new perspective. Just remember, whatever they decide – make sure you let them know how much you love them, support their decisions wholeheartedly, and remind them of all the beautiful things they have to offer.

Give Them Time

Sometimes the best thing you can do is give your family some time. They’ll come around in their own time, and when they’re ready, they’ll let you know. But, until then – be there for them, support them, and love them no matter what.

Help Your Family Through a Tough Decision

Making a tough decision can be tricky, but hopefully, these tips will help your family through it. Remember to support each other and stay positive – whatever the outcome!

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Family Activities Holiday Our Family Parenting

The Best Matching Pajamas and Outfits for the Holidays

Christmas seems to be the best time of year for matching pajamas and outfits. While matching Christmas pajamas are the most popular, there are also many matching Christmas outfits for the family. If you start planning your family’s Christmas apparel now, it’ll be one less stress for you when the countdown gets closer.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Matching Pajamas and Outfits for Christmas

Matching Pajamas for Christmas

1. Burt’s Bees Pajamas

These pajamas for the whole family are so cute. My favorite print is the reindeer print, but you can also choose between:

  • Winter Hats
  • Snowflakes
  • Christmas Tress
  • Buffalo Check
  • Stripes

2. Elf Green Stripe Family Pajamas

These cute pajamas are fun and festive. You’ll all love wearing them, all they’ll be perfect for a Christmas Eve photoshoot.

3. Plaid Pajamas With a Deer and Tree

I love these pajamas for a few reasons. First, I love plaid. Second, the tree and deer are so cute, and they’re perfect for everyone in the family. The deer and tree aren’t the only patterns available, either, so take a look!

4. Christmas Lights Pajamas

These pajamas are the perfect ones to wear while decorating the Christmas tree together. I love the navy blue with Christmas lights. Plus, you can get pajamas for your family pet, too.

5. Plaid Flapback Pajamas

Is there anything cuter than flapback pajamas? These plaid pajamas have cute little bears on the bottom, making the flap even better. Click the link to check out the other patterns because there are plenty to choose from.

Matching Outfits for Christmas

1. Matching Ugly Christmas Sweaters

There are so many options for matching ugly Christmas sweaters. Plan for your holiday get together and choose which pattern is best for your family. I love the dinosaur print ugly Christmas sweaters.

2. Plaid Matching Mommy and Me Christmas Dresses

There is nothing cuter or more fun than matching your mini on Christmas or at a holiday party. These dresses are perfect, but there are other styles available, too.

3. Green Plaid Matching Dresses

These green plaid dresses are adorable and super festive. The best part is that you can easily find matching flannel shirts for the boys to wear. There’s also a red option available.

4. Whole Family Matching Plaid Outfit

I love these matching family outfits because everything you need is on one listing. Dresses available for mom and daughter, and flannel shirts for the boys. You won’t have to look anywhere else for the final pieces.

5. Knitted Ugly Christmas Sweaters

My family loves dinosaurs, so I’m all about dinosaur sweaters. These ugly Christmas sweaters come in all sizes, so everyone in the family can have one. The festive colors make the sweaters perfect for dressing up or down, too.

Fun Matching Accessories

You can pull the outfits together by adding some matching accessories. Consider Santa hats, reindeer antlers, comfy socks, or slippers.

Matching Pajamas and Outfits

The Best Matching Pajamas and Outfits

Get ahead of the holidays and start choosing your matching pajamas and outfits for your family. Which of the matching pajamas and outfits are your favorites? Leave a comment and let us know!