3 Kids and Us

How to Help Your Teen Have a Great Future

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Helping your teen navigate some of the most emotional and pivotal years of their life can be a challenging task at times. Many parents struggle with finding the right balance between giving advice and telling them what to do. You know that your teen needs to be able to figure some things out on their own, however you might also feel like you know what is best for them in certain situations. While this may be true, allowing them to find their own way with your guidance, as opposed to control, is important.

The fact of the matter is that your teen is going to have an exciting future ahead of them. If you are looking for ways in which you can help them achieve all that they can and enjoy that bright future, here are a few tips to bear in mind.

Learn to Listen

When it comes to helping your teen to have a great future, one of the most important things you can do for them is to learn how to listen. It is only by listening to your teen that you will be able to better understand the vision that they have for their own future. By learning to listen, you can offer them all the assistance and guidance that they need in order to achieve the future they are after.

Listening is also the only way to know where your teen is at right now emotionally and mentally speaking. Your teen might be dealing with struggles that haven’t been apparent to you up until now. You should pay special attention when they reach out to you and try to read between the lines when they share things with you. Many teens find it difficult to be honest with their parents about the things they are dealing with, but if you let them know that you are there to listen to them then they will be more likely to open up.

If you do find that your teen is in need of more specialized help, you can then bring them to a rehab center for teens. You will never know if such a step is necessary, though, unless you learn to listen.

Help Them Plan

In order for your teen to achieve the bright future that they envision and that you want for them, they will need to take definitive steps towards it. This means that you will both need to be on the same page about what that future looks like and what needs to be done in pursuit of it.

If your ten has a specific career in mind, what sort of degree and experience are necessary to be qualified for such a career? If they don’t know yet what they want to do with their life, are there certain areas of interest that they can explore? You might consider having them shadow a professional who is already working in one of your teen’s areas of interest.

Whatever their future holds, they will need your help to plan out the right path to that future.

Sports Are Good For Children—But Injuries Can Happen

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A Clear Tradeoff

There are many positive benefits for children involved in sporting events. For one thing, they learn to work toward a goal. For another, they learn how it’s necessary to function as a team to achieve that goal. They learn discipline in the form of regular practice so certain aspects of the sports become ingrained at the subconscious level. This also involves exercise.

With sports like ice hockey, a new skill must be learned just to play the sport—you can’t play ice hockey if you can’t skate, and you can’t ice skate well enough to be a valuable team member unless you practice. Getting the balance right involves “growing” new muscles. You’ve got to have stronger ankles and leg muscles, and you get them through skating.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/child-soccer-playing-kick-613199/ 

It may take a whole season for a young child to learn skating well enough they’re able to be a valuable part of the team; that’s one of many reasons it’s good to start children on hockey early if there’s an interest, or you want to see them get good by the time they’re teenagers. But hockey isn’t the only sport which requires those who play it to learn new skills.

Swimming is similar, and many swimming sports exist. Singular sports like biking or hiking, more appropriately athletic activities, also require new skills to be learned. But regardless of the athletic activity your young ones are getting involved with, increased physicality naturally expands the risk of injury. So there’s a clear tradeoff. But as a parent, how do you manage it?

Safeguarding Children And Preserving Positive Sporting Benefits

The benefits of sports events outweigh the potential hazards; but those hazards certainly can’t be ignored. Especially with a sport like ice hockey, between “checking”, the hardness of the ice, general clumsiness, fast-flying pucks, high tempers, and general clumsiness, it’s a greater surprise if young ones sustain no injury whatever, than if they get scuffed up a bit over the regular course of the season.

What makes sense is securing the trustworthy services of a local sports medicine physician. The thing about injuries is, their recovery may require a lot of time or a little; but there are definitely best practices. Sometimes your child will pull a muscle, or dislocate something. While they’re in definite pain, with a slight adjustment they can return to practice.


Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/quarterback-american-football-sport-67701/ 

Other times, a given injury might be at a level where it’s going to take a few months for the young one to recover, and then there will be physical therapy to consider. For such situations, it makes sense to secure the services of a trusted orthopedic surgeon at Ocean County; or wherever you happen to be.

When you’ve got orthopedic or sports medicine options available prior to the start of the season, recovery happens quicker, you get the right medical attention sooner, and you can probably reduce associated costs in either surgery or therapy right off the bat. You’ll know what the doctors charge, and you’ve got time to shop around—if you prepare beforehand.

Your Child’s Sports Experience Benefits Through Preparation


Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-health-family-tree-strong-3306996/ 

So there’s a mild dichotomy to consider here. On the one hand, you want to provide your young ones the best possible opportunities as regards development. Athleticism, new skills, team building, socialization, long-term planning and preparation—sports provide such outcomes in a natural, organic way that’s fun for everyone. But injury potential exists.

You can diminish associated injury impact through acquisition of proper medical professionals from the outset. Doing things this way allows you to shop around for the best medical options, preserving your bank account by helping you avoid the emergency room when possible, while simultaneously setting your children up for success in sports.

5 Gift Ideas That Your Niece Is Going To Love For Sure

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Looking back through your childhood days, your aunt might not have been the most favorite person in your life. Your aunt is the dope person you will find. Aunts might be super fun at times and they let you enjoy life to the fullest. You also get adorable gifts from your aunts during birthdays or any special occasions.

Buying gifts for babies is easy but when it comes to buying presents for young kids, the task is quite difficult. But when you have Packed Party right beside you, you will be spoilt for choices!

Here are some of the coolest gift options for your niece that will make you the coolest aunt ever!

1. A hello Kitty keychain

A donut-shaped keychain might be the perfect gift for your niece. Squishes and soft toys in unique figures are like the trending gifts now. Hello Kitty is loved by girls and the donut-shaped keychain simply can add more colors to the occasions. It is simple and can be carried around. If your niece is a fan of Hello Kitty, then it will turn out to be a plus point for you.

2. A purse like grownups

Purses can turn out to be great gifts for nieces but if she is growing up, then she would love her sense of independence and freedom. In this case, you can get her a training purse which looks exactly like the real purses grownups use. These purses are not too big and they come in a variety of colors. It adds a fun pop of excitement in your niece’s life.

3. Letterboard

Little girls always love to decorate their rooms. Customizable letter boards add a sense of sophistication and glamor to a room. Gift your niece with a letter board that just defines her personality. Give her some quotes or simply help her put a declaration that she is in her room. She will fall in love with your gift. Put some great colors as the frame boundary and let her decorate her room just the way she likes it.

4. Matching T-Shirts

Matching shirts and T-Shirts are always so cute and they are loved by everyone. This time when you present your niece with gifts, gift her a twinning T-Shirt so that she can look like you. Take her size and you can gift one size, toddler and small girls. When you both will put on similar T-shirts, you will rock the streets.

5. A small and gorgeous necklace

For those grown-up nieces, a gorgeous necklace piece will turn out to be a wonderful gift for her. The box can be customized and you can choose any gem that would suit your niece the most. The customized boxes come with sweet messages that your niece will keep for many years to come.

You can pick from any of these cool and trendy gift options for your dearest niece and see how it instantly lights up her face and eyes, at the very sight of it!

6 Tips for Taking Your Child to Their First Concert

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Everyone remembers their first concert. The excitement, the noise, the sights, the sounds, the smells –– it’s a big moment for many adolescents. As a parent, it’s important that you do everything possible to ensure that your kid has a fantastic time without experiencing any of the pitfalls associated with a live music act. With that in mind, here are six tips you can use to guarantee that your child’s first concert is memorable for all the right reasons. Check them out here:

Buy Good Seats

Unless your child is especially tall for their age, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to see over grown-adults standing up in a crowd. Therefore, it’s a smart play to shell out a little extra to get good seats so they’ll be able to see the show without interruption. No one wants to spend two hours staring at the back of some stranger’s head.

Listen to the Artist

If you haven’t listened to the band that your child is going to see, take some time to check out their latest album. Not only is this an easy way to connect with your child, but it will let you determine if the concert is appropriate for their age.

Bring Ear Plugs

Suffice it to say that rock concerts can be extremely loud affairs. So don’t forget to bring ear plugs for yourself and your child. Note, young children in particular have sensitive ears!

Give them Some Space

If your child is in their teens and wants to go to a concert with their friends, then it’s a good idea to give them some space. It’s okay to keep an eye on them from a distance, but there’s no need to cramp their style while they’re enjoying their favorite band.

Have Cash on Hand

Think concert tickets are expensive? Then just wait until you get to the actual venue. Refreshments are sure to set you back a good amount, and artist merchandise can range from $40-$80 for t-shirts and jackets. Yet, it’s highly likely that many kids will want a souvenir from their first concert –– so be prepared for this eventuality. Now is not the time to teach them a lesson about saving money.

Be Safe 

At the end of the day, a kid’s first concert should be a fun, positive experience. However, parents should also be aware of any potentially harmful situations that may occur at a concert venue. Don’t let your kids out of your sight, and teach them to respect boundaries. (Crowd control barriers are in place for a reason!) Going to a concert for the first time will be a blast for your child, but always remember that it’s better to be safe than sorry.

4 Health Tips for New Parents

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Becoming a parent is a life-changing experience. And while it is extremely rewarding, it can also be quite stressful, time-consuming, and frustrating. As such, it’s not surprising that many new parents struggle to balance their new responsibilities with a healthy lifestyle. After all, it’s not easy taking care of a newborn 24/7, 365. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to ensure that you maintain healthy habits without neglecting any of your new parental obligations. Check out our top four health tips for new parents here:

Make Time to Exercise

Time management is a theme that we’ll revisit throughout this piece. As one can imagine, caring for an infant requires lots of time and attention. Given that fact, it’s important for new parents to make the most of the free time they do have available. Scheduling out a few times a week to get in a solid workout can be very beneficial. Plus, not only is exercising good for your physical well-being, but a vigorous workout can also help relieve stress. Lastly, don’t think twice about taking a walk with your little one in their stroller. Just getting up and moving around can provide a big boost to your energy and morale!

Meal Prep

Again, it’s unlikely that new moms and dads will have lots of time on their hands to cook healthy and delicious meals every single day. That’s why it’s so important to prepare meals at the beginning of the week so that you can grab and go as you need to. The good news is that it’s possible to find plenty of easy, healthy recipes that also taste great.

Speak with Your Doctor

New parents, understandably, place a priority on the health of their children. However, while you may feel like you’re constantly running back and forth between your home and the pediatrician’s for months at a time, it’s imperative not to forget about your own well-being. Don’t neglect treatment plans or doctor’s appointments! Medical professionals offer a huge variety of beneficial services –– from stem cell back injections to regular check-ups. So call up your doctor if it’s been a few months since your last appointment.

Remember to Breathe

Being a parent is hectic. It’s worth keeping in mind that while life moves fast, you can’t ever go back. Therefore, do your best to enjoy the experience of parenthood as it unfolds. Otherwise, you could end up missing out on a special moment! To conclude, don’t feel bad about asking others for help from time to time. Getting a family member or close friend to babysit for you will give you an opportunity to unwind and relax.

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!