admin, Author at 3 Kids and Us

Baby on Board: The Fascinating Phenomenon of Daddy Nesting

April 22, 2016 by admin

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Men have slowly but surely become more involved in everything related to raising a child and a modern day father will often be tasked with changing diapers and feeding or bathing their child on a regular basis.

Fatherhood has definitely evolved and yet there is one phenomenon that many still think is exclusive to a pregnant mother, which is the urge to “nest” when the delivery date draws closer.

It now seems that expectant fathers are also prone to this behavior pattern when fatherhood is close to becoming a reality. Daddy nesting can take various forms. It might be that that they clear the yard in preparation, or they might decide to order some new seat covers from Shear Comfort for example, so that the family car is comfortable and ready for the new arrival.

Mothers it seems are not alone in getting that urge to build a nest as it were, so here is a look at the phenomenon of daddy nesting.

Keeping their precious cargo safe

A prime example of daddy nesting is to choose a safe family car or to review the current safety features in their existing vehicle.

A common theme amongst nesting fathers is to decide that now is a good time to review their transportation needs. A sporty model simply doesn’t seem right it seems, once fatherhood approaches, drawing expectant fathers to a family wagon like never before.

Becoming a parent changes your sense of responsibility and dads-to-be realize that they need a car that will accommodate a car seat and give them enough space for all the bits and pieces they will be carrying around when traveling with a baby on board in the future.

Nesting habits around the house

The nesting urge can strike fathers in all sorts of different ways and some of them might seem trivial, but in the eyes of an expectant daddy, they matter.

Although a baby will not be wandering around the house or the garage for some time to come, a pending arrival tends to focus the dad’s mind on how to make sure their tools and equipment are safely stored and maybe get rid of any items that are no longer required, if their man-cave is going to become family friendly.

If you are a father awaiting the birth of your first child, you may also find yourself staring at everyday objects like the garbage can, and wondering whether you need to get a bigger one that will cope with extra waste like diapers.

All in the hormones

Many of us understand that pregnant women will be heavily influenced by their hormones at certain times throughout their pregnancy, which is perfectly logical when you consider that a mother’s estrogen and progesterone levels can be up to three times their normal level with a baby on board, but dad’s hormones also get affected.

It seems that certain pheromones emanate from the mother’s sweat glands, causing the fathers testosterone levels to drop and his prolactin hormone to rise, which stimulates his paternal instincts.

This means that if you are anxiously awaiting the birth of your child, your body is taken over by the same sort of instincts that expectant mothers feel and you are being mentally prepared for the excitement and responsibilities of parenthood.

Time for construction

If you are a nervous father-to-be waiting for the big day, your nest building instincts will almost certainly fill you with an irresistible urge to start building what you need for the new baby.

Building the cot and putting up those extra shelves will be something you positively want to do, as your nesting instincts take hold.

Lewis Hutchinson is a new Dad who works as a life coach. Having a newborn in his life has changed his outlook on some things, and he is taking his first-hand experiences into consideration when coaching others, particularly men on the road to Fatherhood.

Benefits Beyond the Game: Boosting Child Development Using the Family Card Night

April 13, 2016 by admin

Kids are smart enough to know that play time is more fun than school time. However, they are not experienced enough to know that learning is good in itself and can be fun too. If your kid has a tough time with school work, you’ll be happy to know that you can help them develop skills at home. Even better, since you’ll be playing cards, your child will be more willing to learn and have fun doing it.

Good Winner

Of course, all people like the feeling of winning and no one likes to lose. Yet it takes emotional intelligence and a great attitude to be a good winner. A good winner feels great about winning yet remains humble and considers the feelings of those who have lost. Moreover, it takes a special person to lose and see it as an opportunity to get over it and try again. Winning and losing at cards helps children become more emotionally intelligent, which is a skill they will need in and out of school for their entire lives.

Extraverted Player

There is nothing wrong with being an introvert. Plenty of healthy, smart, and successful people are introverts. However, it can be hard for child introverts to be more social, especially in school settings. When it comes to participating in class, learning to be more social can help kids gain a higher sense of self esteem, especially if they enjoy a subject and can supply the correct answers. Playing cards in a family setting helps kids become more socialized versus retreating to their rooms or hiding behind a phone or video game screen.

Computational Skills

Particular card games require computation. This is a great opportunity for your child to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers. To give them added practice, you can make them the ‘official’ scorer, which would require them to compute the scores for all players or teams of the game.

Increased Memory

The brain functions like a muscle; areas of the brain grow stronger with increased activation. A particular portion of the brain is responsible for short term memory. Card games, such as Memory, help children become better players as well as strengthen their long and short-term memory. If your child is a fan of Memory, find similar family card games online.

Boosted Confidence

Depending on a child’s natural abilities, some school work may come easy to them. Most of the work at school will pose certain levels of challenge, which can be stressful and test a child’s confidence. Confidence is built through experiences. Children feel better about themselves by doing things successfully as well as when they overcome mental obstacles. Playing card games boosts confidence as children learn how to play and get better.

Followed Instructions

Games have instructions just like schoolwork and tasks within the workplace. Children benefit from learning how to play by the rules and follow instructions. It requires diligence and discipline to learn the rules and play accordingly. Moreover, children can teach younger siblings and older family members how to play games, which strengthens social skills.

Dominic Hicks is raising 4 kids with his wife. He enjoys writing on family topics once the kids are tucked up in bed and he has 5 minutes to himself.

The Power of Play: Top Toys and Activities for Healthy Child Development

April 12, 2016 by admin

Every parent wants their kid to be smart. However, as child experts know, there is room (and even a need) for play time regarding a child’s social and cognitive growth. Toys and activities are a part of a healthy child’s development. The caveat is making a distinction between helpful toys and activities and those children can do without.

Books and Music

Reading is an incredible exercise for the brain. Kids will need to read all through their school years and starting early places them at an advantage. Moreover, school teachers are directed to create multi- sensory lessons, so listening to music is just as stimulating and helpful as reading books. Teach kids to read books and think about characters, plot, and action within. Similarly, introduce your children to different varieties of music that use a multitude of instruments and range of beats and tempo.

Dolls and Action Figures

On the surface, children may want to play with dolls because they are possessions, keepsakes that they can claim as their own. However, dolls and action figures help children understand and mimic the world around them. Dolls and figures are used to emulate human interactions and can be a great way to teach children valuable lessons related to ethics and emotional intelligence. Rather than command children or reprimand for misconduct, you can use dolls and figures to help them make the cognitive connection themselves.

Puzzles

As kids grow older and mature, they begin to understand the world around them and how objects interact. Physical puzzles help children develop motor skills as well as understand mathematical concepts. Moreover, solving puzzles requires critical thinking, and playing with them serves as opportune times to be introduced to advanced concepts and principles. Puzzles help your child prepare for the NNAT. The test evaluates your child’s ability to reason and problem solve.

Cooking

A cookbook and utensils are not usually considered toys yet cooking can help kids make cognitive connections. Cooking requires children to gather materials, combine them, and follow directions in order to produce an end product. Of course, they will need help and monitoring in using utensils and devices, yet the process is great for development. Moreover, you can teach children to eat healthy and turn them onto a hobby that they can enjoy throughout their lives.

Building Blocks

Building blocks help children develop motor skills and understand geometric concepts. Young children begin to understand principles such as balance and symmetry. When your child gets a bit older you can graduate their love of building blocks and help them build things such as small chairs, foot stools, etc. Who knows? You may be helping to pave the way for the world’s next leading engineer or architect.

Sports

Athleticism is a recognized intelligence that necessitates athletes manipulate their bodies and objects in space and time to achieve one or more goals. For example, a baseball player at the plate must learn to determine the speed and position of an oncoming ball within fractions of a second, which is just one aspect of the game that requires conditioning and agility too. Keep in mind that it is also important that kids have the proper equipment so as to avoid injuries, such as properly fitting youth baseball cleats and a helmet for when they are up to bat.

Courtney Nolan is a nurse who works at a children’s health clinic. She enjoys getting to know the families, and enjoys seeing kids grow up as younger brothers and sisters come along to her clinic.

3 ways to feel more attractive

April 12, 2016 by admin

With the new year fast approaching, now’s the perfect time to revamp your image and make yourself feel more attractive. There are lots of ways to improve your look. From rethinking your hairstyle to finessing your fashion choices, you should be able to make some relatively simple changes to boost your confidence and put a spring in your step for 2016.

1) Get a fuller head of hair

As celebs like Jude Law and Jason Statham demonstrate, you don’t need flowing locks to look great. However, if you’re losing your hair and you’re not happy about it, there may be steps you can take to address the issue. Male pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss and it occurs when testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This hormone can have a damaging effect on hair follicles and eventually it can cause them to die. If you’re developing the tell-tale signs of male pattern baldness, you may benefit from taking the treatment finasteride. Better known under the brand name Propecia, it works by blocking the production of DHT. It comes in tablet form and it usually takes between three and six months to show positive results. In many cases, it slows or stops the loss of hair, and around two-thirds of men who take it see renewed growth. This is a prescription hair loss treatment and you can find out more about it online or by speaking to your doctor.

2) Hit the gym

Whether you’re completely out of condition or you’d just like to achieve a more toned look, it’s worth hitting the gym. OK, so it takes some effort to improve your physical condition, but the results will make your hard work worthwhile. Getting in shape will mean you feel better about your body and it could cause your confidence to skyrocket. As an added bonus, you might find that your energy levels increase too. To ensure your workout is tailored to help you achieve the results you’re after, it’s a good idea to book an appointment with a personal trainer to kickstart your get fit routine. These experts can tell you exactly which exercises to focus on.

3) Refresh your wardrobe

Want to look your best at the Christmas work party? Or perhaps you’ve got a hot date planned. Whichever events you’ve got lined up, now could be a great time to refresh your wardrobe. It’s easy to get stuck in a fashion rut and buy the same styles of clothes in the same colours time after time. To really turn heads, why not go for something completely different instead? So that you don’t fall into your usual shopping habits, try taking a fashion-conscious friend with you when you hit the stores. They’ll be able to steer you in a new direction and get you to try garments you may otherwise avoid. Revamping your wardrobe is one of the quickest and easiest ways to improve your look.

Following simple tips like these could help you to feel more attractive and boost your self-esteem.

Smooth Sailing – Tips and Tricks for Departure Day

April 1, 2016 by admin

When you turn up for your cruise, departure day can go very smoothly, or it can be very stressful. It all comes down to careful planning on your part. Make sure your departure day goes as smoothly as possible by following some simple tips, and get your dream cruise off to the best possible start.

Know the Boarding Procedure

All cruise lines will have a slightly different boarding procedure. You should try to find out a bit about this when you book your cruise using an online comparison site so that you know what to expect.

In general, when you arrive at the terminal, you will go through the check-in and security, during which your luggage will be scanned. You will then leave your luggage with the baggage handlers who will take it away and deliver it to your cabin. You will also have to hand over all of your documents so your identity can be checked, and you may then have your photograph taken for security. You may also have to complete a medical questionnaire.

You will normally be given an ID card, which you will use to get on and off the ship and to pay for items on board, and it will sometimes also be the key to your cabin.

Once you have completed check-in, you will go to a waiting area. The suite customers will often board first, followed by groups and wedding parties. However, this depends on the cruise line. When your turn comes, you will go on board and your ID will be checked again. Personnel will greet you when you get on board, and sometimes you will be led to your cabin. However, you may be have to find your cabin yourself with the help of a map.

Prepare Your Documents in Advance

Make sure you have everything you need before you leave home. Check and double check that you have your passport, ticket, insurance, and any receipts for excursions you have booked. Keep them together in one place and don’t leave home without them.

Take a Small Day Pack

Your suitcases will be taken to your cabin, but this process may take a few hours, so it is a good idea to take a small day pack with you that you do not mind carrying around. Use this to pack the essentials such as your medications, something to do while waiting in the queue, and maybe even a change of clothes.

Don’t Be Late

Don’t make the boarding process more stressful by having to rush from the airport. The best idea is to arrive the day before boarding, but if you arrive on the same day, arrange your transfer in advance. Have a plan written out so you know exactly where to go and what time the boarding starts, and this will help you to avoid rushing.

You could aim to get there just after boarding in order to miss the queues, but be careful if you do this because you do not want to arrive too late.

Enjoy a Great Start to Your Cruise

Don’t start off your cruise badly by failing to plan properly for departure day. Familiarise yourself with the boarding procedure, pack appropriately, don’t make it into mad rush, and carry everything you need for the first day. Then you can ensure a smooth, stress-free process so that you can enjoy the best start possible to your dream cruise.

Ryan Posa founded Cruise Republic in 2008 after being the District Sales Manager for Carnival Australia. Passionate about the travel experiences and opportunities offered aboard a ship, he often blogs about his favourite cruise destinations and tips for a successful modern cruise vacation. See Ryan’s Tweets here.