4 Reasons to Take Your Kids for Regular Dental Check-ups

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Few people enjoy going to the dentist, but it’s one of life’s necessities. While it might be tempting to delay visiting your dentist, regular check-ups are important, particularly when it comes to your kids’ health. If you’ve been a little lax about keeping up with routine appointments, take a look at these four reasons to take your kids for regular dental check-ups:

1. Preventative Healthcare

Regular trips to the dentist ensure that any potential issues can be diagnosed at an early stage. If your child’s teeth are showing signs of decay, for example, a routine dental appointment will enable this to be resolved swiftly. As a result, your child may only require a dental cleaning or a superficial filling, rather than root canal treatment or an extraction. 

Even if your child still has their first set of teeth (baby teeth), it’s important to take a preventative to dental care by taking them to a pediatric dentist in Woodbridge, VA. Problems with baby teeth, such as decay or early tooth loss, can impact the alignment of emerging teeth and potentially lead to long-term issues.

2. Reduce Anxiety

Sadly, many people are reluctant to go the dentist because they’re fearful or anxious. When you take your child to a friendly and professional dental practice, like SV Dental Centre, you can ensure that they don’t develop dental phobias or fears in the future. By getting them used to going to the dentist, sitting in a dental chair and having their teeth examined, you can make sure that your child feels calm and confident, which will stand them in good stead for the rest of their life. 

3. Early Orthodontics

Many people require orthodontic treatment to improve the alignment of their teeth. Not only does this serve a cosmetic purpose, but it also enhances the functionality of the mouth and can help to prevent future dental issues developing. 

In many instances, wearing braces from a young age reduces the time that treatment takes. If you take your child for routine dental check-ups, your dentist will be able to assess the development of their teeth at regular intervals and refer you to an orthodontist, if necessary. As a result, your child can enjoy better alignment, improved oral health and minimal treatment. 

4. Dental Care Education

When your child attends the dentist regularly, they’ll be more aware of the importance of oral hygiene. Their dentist may point out places they’re missing when brushing, for example, or teach them how to floss effectively. 

Good at-home oral hygiene is important at all stages of life, so making sure your kid gets dental care education from a young age is a critical way of instilling good habits and protecting their well-being. 

When Should Children Visit a Dentist?

In most instances, babies should make their first visit to a dentist when their first tooth emerges or when they reach 12 months. From then on, kids should usually have a routine dental check-up every six months, although you can always arrange an appointment more swiftly if you have any concerns.

Tips For Settling Your Family Into a New Neighborhood

Every neighborhood has little nuances that make it special. That's what's so exciting about moving and settling into a new area. You and your family will get to explore and find every unique thing the new neighborhood has to offer. Let's look at a few things you can do to ensure that you settle in quickly.

Unpack Sooner Rather Than Later

When you move into a new home, it's best that you unpack as soon as possible so that you settle in quickly. The sooner you establish some sort of order in your place, the sooner you start feeling at home. If you just sold your home, then you probably haven't felt at home for a while. Selling a home takes about 65 days on average, and during that time it probably won't feel as homely as it used to.

Volunteer

After you and your family move into a new neighborhood, you want to find out as much as you can about the area, and connect with the people who stay there. One of the best ways to do that is through service. If you volunteer, you will get to invest time into your new neighborhood and you will learn about some issues that shape it. Volunteering is a good way to meet and get to know new people who might even share some hobbies and interests with you. You can find volunteering opportunities online or you can call or visit organizations that do things that are important to you. There is a lot you can do as a volunteer, and there are a lot of benefits involved.

Enjoy Time Outside

Spending time outdoors with your family is another way of accelerating the settling process when you move into your new home. There is a lot you can do, from taking walks, spending time at the park, walking and running your dog, to just sitting at the nearby park. As you spend more time outside, you increase your chances of connecting with the local community. Besides just connecting, you need human contact from time to time. This is good for your mental health. You can plan walking routes and visit cultural hotspots in your new neighborhood. There is a lot you will discover just moving about.

Spending time outside also increases your chances of meeting new neighbors. People who stay close to you play a big part in defining your community. When you meet your neighbors, you can ask questions about the neighborhood and you can discover the most interesting place a lot sooner. When you come across your neighbors, don't forget to smile and say hello. Establishing relationships with your neighbors will help you feel more settled and welcome to your new neighborhood.

You can also spend time outdoors but within the confines of your property. There is a lot you can do at home. If you are a fan of gardening, that could be a good thing to do as well. About 42% of individuals who do some gardening at home said they felt healthier and happier than before.

Be a Tourist

After a while, your neighborhood will no longer be new to you. Take time when everything seems so novel to immerse yourself in where you stay. This will help you to appreciate more as you get used to everything.

Explore Nearby Parks

The park is a good place to find out what your neighborhood is all about. There are usually a considerable number of people hanging out at the nearby parks. That's a good thing for you because neighborhoods are made up of people. As you are exploring nearby parks, you might find the chance to meet and introduce yourself to people. After you connect with a few people, you just have to take the next step and follow through to establish more cemented connections. Of course, that's not very easy, but if you just moved, try to get out of your comfort zone and take steps to get to know those around you.

Meeting people also let you know places you and your kids should avoid. For instance, there might be some areas with poisonous plants like poison ivy. If you know where it is, you can warn your kids to stay away. You can find Poison Ivy in most states except Hawaii and Alaska. At least 85% of people have a Poison Ivy allergy, so the sooner you know where it is, the sooner you can avoid those areas.

Moving into a new neighborhood offers you the chance to view the world with a completely new set of eyes. Take the time when you are still new to explore everything and get the most out of it.

Cool Artwork Ideas for Your Home

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Is the décor in your home lacking in interest? Maybe you don’t even have much in terms of décor, and you’re looking for a way to inject a little personality and style into your house. If that’s the case, artwork can certainly do the trick,adding a sense of style, uniqueness, and personality to a room. It can help to bring a design concept together, creating flow in not just one room, but the entire house. 

For those who are new to shopping for artwork, it can feel a bit daunting. There is just such a huge selection available thatit can be hard to pinpoint what is best for your home. To help you out, we’ve gone ahead and put together a list of cool artwork ideas that you can use in your home that are sure to transform the space.

Focus on How You Group Items

Sometimes, it's not about the specific artwork pieces that you choose; instead, it comes down to how you group pieces together. Rather than choosing all the same size and shape frames, mix it up and create interesting groupings. You can stagger them so they aren't all level, and really make it look interesting to the eye. This is also a great way to make otherwise “boring” art look much more high-end and luxe.

Splurge on the Frames Rather Than the Artwork

If you've been focused on finding the perfect art to hang on your walls, it's time to step out of that box and start looking at the frames instead. Frames give you a way to tie design and colour concepts together, and even create a theme. You can take a really simple item such as a poster, use a spectacular statement making frame, and suddenly you’ve got something really beautiful and interesting on your wall.

Create Your Own Map Artwork

Here’s another cool idea that will have you acting as the artist. Looking for ways to create your own artwork that can be framed will add that “wow” factor which mass-produced pieces lack. Check out craftoak.com for ideas on how you can choose a specific map that holds significance for you, customise it, and then transform it into artwork. You’ll end up with something that instantly becomes a keepsake, yet looks really sleek and cool on the wall in your home.

Shadow Boxes Allow for Shape and Dimension

Be sure to also look at shadow box frames as another cool idea. These provide shape and dimension to your typical boring flat walls. Shadow boxes look like a frame, but they are in fact a small box that allows you to place items in them to display. You can place such things as dried flowers, a jersey, medals, baby slippers, seashells, the list goes on and on. These boxes are extremely versatile and provide some really great results.

If you’re ready to shake things up in your home and add some cool artwork, these ideas can certainly help get you started with the transformation.

Bringing Sexy Back: 6 Tips for Men to Get Their Bodies Summer-Ready

Let’s face it: the “Quarantine 15” has a lot of mens’ self-esteem in the toilet right now after a long past year of sheltering in place and social distancing. 

Approximately 64% of men said their current state of health or appearance negatively impacts their confidence, according to a recent survey of 1,000 US men ages 30-65 conducted by Vault Health. In addition, 90% said their current state of health or appearance could be improved.

But that doesn’t mean it has to remain that way– especially with a post-Covid return to normal on the horizon as we settle into the beautiful summer months. 

Dr. Myles Spar is the Chief Medical Officer for Vault Health, the first men’s telehealth startup to offer direct-to-consumer prescription treatments such as testosterone replacement therapy to optimize their physical, sexual, and cognitive health.

He has some sage tips for shedding unwanted belly fat, gaining lean body mass, and getting in shape for what will hopefully be one of the best summers ever. 

1. Diversify Your Workout. Incorporating different training styles into your routine can help you achieve better results while avoiding the boredom that comes with a stale and repetitive workout plan. This means changing-up your workouts with activities like HIIT training, cycling, lifting, hiking, or yoga. Whatever workouts you enjoy, make a plan to rotate between four specific types of activity throughout the week: cardio, core, flexibility, and resistance.
2. Incorporate Cardiovascular Exercise. Studies show that combining cardio and strength training, sometimes called cardiovascular exercise, into your regimen has proven not only to have the best effect on cardiovascular and overall health but to be one of the best techniques for fat loss.
3. Listen to Your Body. Not every day is for breaking records. Your stress, sleep, diet, and emotional health can affect your workout readiness for the day. If you wake up feeling tired or drained, pay attention to those signals. If you haven’t had a rest day in the past week, consider taking the day off from strenuous activity. Otherwise, you can try jumping into your regular workout routine—but if you’re not feeling re-energized within 10 minutes of the workout, there’s a good chance your body needs to take it easy. Wearables can also offer important metrics when it comes to registering your body’s recovery and readability.
4. Prioritize Nutrition. Though exercise is key, supporting your workouts with a healthy and balanced diet will enable you to achieve better—and longer-lasting results. Whether you’re already a healthy eater or starting from scratch, now is a great time to refocus on your nutrition. First, establish your goals. Is your top priority to build muscle mass? Then you’ll need to ensure that you’re consuming adequate calories and plenty of healthy protein. If your top goal is losing body fat, you may want to experiment with intermittent fasting or reducing simple carbs and sugar from your diet.
5. Celebrate Small Wins. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your body is no different. Losing fat and building muscle mass will take time, determination, and follow-through. It’s not uncommon for people to get discouraged when they don’t see immediate results, but just remember that it usually takes much longer to get your body back into shape than It does to fall off the bandwagon and get out of shape. The key is to celebrate the small wins like completing your first full week of training, losing 5 pounds, gaining a half-inch of muscle, and so on.
6. Boost Your Results With Performance Kits. If you’re hoping to burn fat and obtain lean body mass, Vault Health has two customizable performance-based personalized plans just for these purposes. The Body Kit relies on the power of peptides, which are naturally-occurring chemicals that can boost key hormones inside the body and, in turn, burn through fat while making it easier to pack on muscle. It can also improve things such as sleep, mood, energy, and endurance. In addition, Vault also has the popular Vitamin B12-MIC Fat Burner Kit. By increasing metabolic rate, Vitamin B12-MIC can help burn through fat while regulating sleep, mood, and appetite. The MIC stands for Methionine-Inositol-Choline, and it’s a combination of nutrients that can boost liver function, lower cholesterol, help with allergies, regulate appetite, and rid the body of toxins, amongst other things.

But with all this exercise, don’t forget to rest. Remember it is possible to overdo it when it comes to exercise, and working out too hard may actually decrease testosterone. So don’t skip those rest days!

Ways to Keep Mum and Baby Happy and Healthy

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Bringing new life into this world can be a magical and wonderful experience, even after you have gone through the ordeal of carrying your baby for nine months and going through the birthing process. It is no surprise then that you would love nothing more than to spend as much time with your new-born baby to ensure that they are happy and healthy. However, it is vital that you ensure that you are also looking after yourself. After all, a mother needs to be well and fighting fit if they are to protect their baby from the world.

Here are a few ways you can look after your health but also the health of your baby. 

Make Sure You Have Time to Yourself

While you have the newfound responsibility to care for and look after your baby, you also need to have a balance between spending time with your baby and taking time for yourself so that you can recharge your batteries. You can do this by speaking with your partner and ensuring that the both of you have equal amounts of responsibilities, but also so that you can come up with a game plan. For instance, if one of you is still working, then when they get home, they may have to take the baby for an hour or two while the other can have some time for themselves. 

You may also wish to speak with your family and see whether they can help you out when times get overwhelming for you. Your parents would most likely love nothing more than to spend a day with their grandchild, and while your baby is being looked after, you can pamper yourself and catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Keep Stocked Up on Baby Formula, Nappies and Bottles

Help keep stress at bay by ensuring that you have the essentials stocked up. There is nothing more stressful than realising that you are running low on baby formula or nappies and needing to find a way to get some quickly – especially if you do not have the time to head out to the store. The best way to keep your supplies stocked up is finding an online pharmacy that you can easily order from, saving you time and a lot of effort. All you have to do is click on an online chemist in Australia, put the items in the basket, checkout, and have the items delivered to your home. Plus, if you head to a discount chemist, you can save money, too!

Rotate the Night Shift

If you have a partner, then be sure to rotate the night shift so that you are taking it in turns when your baby stirs and needs feeding or changing in the middle of the night. This is only fair, as it helps stop one of you from getting burnt out. Make sure you create a rota so that you can remember whose turn it is. 

Becoming a parent is a huge responsibility, which means you will need to ensure that you are not only caring for your baby but also yourself. The aforementioned tips are a few ways you can help keep both mum and baby happy and healthy.

Benefits of Fresh Fruit and Veg

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At this point, it is nothing new to hear that a decent portion of fruit and vegetables is going to be majorly beneficial to your health. However, there is something to be said about what kind of fruit and veg you are eating, where they are from, and how fresh they are. There are more to the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables than just for your health, and this article will go into further details about those advantages, so read on for more information.

 

Fresh Fruit and Philanthropy

Fruit in the Box offers a wonderful and incredibly beneficial service, both to you and to the community. In basic terms, Fruit in the Box will give a box full of fresh fruit and vegetables to a vulnerable family in the area for every box that you order so thatyou can combine healthy living and charity into one majorly convenient process.

If you are looking for a convenient and affordable solution to your fruit and veg needs and like the idea of supporting those who need the most in your community, then you should consider Fruit in the Box.

Local Support

It ultimately comes down to the support you are providing to your local farming community. By making sure to buy your fruit and vegetables fresh, you are much more likely to be offering support to your local community and feeding into an economic loop in your area. As you buy from local sources, you are inserting money into the system; that money is far more likely to be spent in your community as well. This goes on to create the aforementioned loop, which strengthens the economy of your community.

Better for the Environment

Buying fresh fruit and vegetables is often better for the environment, if you are buying from a local source when they are in season. Though this can be dependent on the time of year, and whether the food is native to where you are, sometimes you cannot avoid shipping those exotic fruits from another country if you want to make smoothies from them, but that is something that you can decide for yourself. This means that, so long as you are careful to ensure you buy fruit and veg in season, and think responsibly, then you should mitigate your environmental impact. 

Nutritional Value

In terms of nutrition and health benefits, there are negligible differences between eating fresh fruit and fruit that has been frozen, so why should you eat fresh fruit over frozen fruit whenever possible? While there is minimal difference between fresh and frozen veg in terms of nutritional value, your fruit's true freshness is an important factor in terms of nutritional value. So the longer your food sits between being picked and buying it, the less nutritional benefit it will have. In most cases, fresh food delivered directly to you, or picked locally, is going to be your best option for eating fruit and veg at their nutritional peak.

How to give your children a stronger financial future

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It is one of those unavoidable things in life, but everyone has concerns about having enough money to support themselves andthose around them. As parents, it is only natural to want to provide the best for your children, often at the expense of your own ambitions or treats. This can come in the form of milling them around daily to clubs and school or even just trying to prepare them for the big bad world they will face as adults. 

 

How can you prepare them?

There are many ways to prepare a child for the future, whether it is encouraging them to eat healthily, helping them with homework, or even just offering advice on what car to buy or which college to attend. You must face all different problemswhen watching your child grow, but there is a sense of pride when they come through it unscathed and as a more rounded adult. Children need guidance from their parents to understand how the world works, teaching them how to navigate through the many challenges they will encounter. One of the best ways to help them is to show them the importance of saving money, whether it is an emergency fund in case of unexpected financial hits or putting money away so that they might be able to purchase that first apartment or house or even selling one. BluePrint Homes can help with this as their cash-only offers can give you a much clearer idea on helping them to know how much money can be on offer while making the process more streamlined to avoid complications with realtors. 

 

Let’s talk money

The US Department of Agriculture estimated in 2017 that the average cost of raising a child to adulthood ranges from$174,690 to $372,210 depending on your own financial circumstances. This is based on having both parents living together, but it is still an awful lot of money. Children are expensive, though, whether it is buying diapers and pacifiers when they are born to ensuring their school uniform is always in good condition; a lot of money is required to assist them in having the best possible start in life. College fees are traditionally quite high, with the latest figures showing that state-funded colleges can cost $9,687 while private tuition can cost upwards of $35,087. Out-of-state students could be looking at fees of at least $21,184, meaning significant savings might be required to make the college dream a reality. 

 

In conclusion

As a final point, it is clear that caring for children is almost certainly an expensive task and as parents, it is only right to want to do your best for them. Helping to save can be a great way to give them that preparation for the future, and quite often,it is something they can take with them for the rest of their lives. With the correct guidance, you can see your children grow into strong adults, armed with the knowledge that they can have a much brighter future with good financial control.  

The Post-COVID Job Market: 3 Potential Careers for Parents

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on career fields across the country. Millions of Americans lost their jobs during the pandemic and many are still struggling to find employment. According to a study on the COVID-19 recession, one in five U.S. renters with kids are still struggling to keep up with rent during the pandemic, and 27.5 million people don't have health insurance.

It's no surprise then that many parents are looking to make career shifts to find stable employment both during and after the pandemic. But what are some of the best career options for parents right now? Here are a few career options to keep in mind.

Medical Assistants

The medical industry has seen significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic because of high demand. But what makes the medical field a good choice for parents is that the demand for medical assistants won't be going away. In fact, pre-pandemic, the employment of medical assistants was expected to grow by 19% between 2019 and 2029. Even the profession of osteopathic doctors has grown 63% in the last decade. Additionally, depending on the career route you'd like to take, the path to becoming a medical assistant typically takes only between nine months to three years.

Project Managers

Project managers oversee all phases of a project and make sure it runs on-time and on-budget. The demand for project managers is extremely high with over 22 million projected job openings through 2027. The reason why project management is in such high demand is because it's needed across a wide array of industries. You can be a project manager for construction projects, corporate event planning, wedding planning, marketing, and more. What's more, it only takes approximately two months to get a PMP certification if you're willing to study for three hours each day.

Digital Marketing Specialists

Digital marketing has seen a major surge in recent years. In fact, LinkedIn currently lists digital marketing specialists as one of the top 10 most in-demand jobs right now. What makes digital marketing ideal for parents is that you can do this work remotely and you may even be able to make your own hours depending on the job you take on. While a degree in digital marketing may come in handy, you can typically find online certifications and classes that can help you develop the skills you need to apply for these jobs.

The current job market is a bit of a nightmare. But by being strategic with your career shift and having a strategy in mind for the kind of jobs you want, you can make finding your next career as a parent post-pandemic a little bit easier.

How to Feel Happier with How You Look

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While beauty isn’t skin deep, your appearance can damage your happiness and self-worth throughout the years. If you spend your life avoiding your reflection or dodging photographs, you must take the steps to improve your confidence.

Don’t allow your self-esteem issues to affect your mental health or hold you back in life. Continue reading to learn how to feel happier with how you look.

Make Time for Regular Self-Care

If you overindulge in junk food, skip workouts, and don’t make time for relaxation, you may add inches onto your waistline, feel sluggish, and experience a dull complexion. What’s more, your poor lifestyle can lead to a negative thought pattern that can eat away at your self-confidence.

Improve your outlook and physical appearance by making time for self-care. For instance, you can:

• Follow a nutritious diet

• Exercise regularly

• Destress your mind and body

• Enjoy a good night’s sleep each night

• Meditate

• Go for a stroll

Stop Avoiding the Mirror

The thought of looking in the mirror might fill you with dread, but it shouldn’t. Instead of pretending it doesn’t exist, you must look at your reflection and focus on your many positives. While you might not like the shape of your nose or blemishes on your skin, there are bound to be features you do like, such as your full lips, high cheekbones, big eyes, or long eyelashes. The more compliments you give yourself when you look in the mirror, the less likely you will avoid your reflection in the future.

Make a Change if Necessary

If a particular feature affects your confidence, there is no shame in embarking on surgery, if you feel it is necessary. For example, if you can’t help but focus on the shape or size of your nose when you look in the mirror or at photos, a rhinoplasty procedure could improve its appearance and, in turn, increase your confidence. However, it is vital to consult an expert in the field, such as a rhinoplasty Las Vegassurgeon, to ensure you are 100% happy with a surgical procedure.

 

Give Yourself a Makeover

New clothing is scientifically proven to make you feel good. According to a study in Social Psychological and Personality Science, the power tie improved participants’ cognitive processing abilities, as it made them feel more powerful and in control.

So, if you want to burst with confidence and feel happier in your skin and your abilities, you should give yourself a makeover. Treat yourself to a new wardrobe that makes you feel stylish, strong, and confident. Also, you could watch tutorials online to improve your grooming or make-up skills.

Identify Your Insecurity Triggers

Your insecurities might heighten after completing certain activities. For example, you could struggle with confidence issues after browsing through celebrity magazines or scrolling through social media. Once you have identified your triggers, try to cut them from your life to improve your self-esteem. Also, you must stop comparing yourself to others, as this can cause unnecessary insecurities.

3 Great Reasons to Give a Gift to a Teacher

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Do you ever find yourself struggling to figure out when you should be giving your child’s teacher a present, and when you shouldn’t? You don’t want other students and parents to think that you’re trying to earn special treatment for your child, but you do want to show your appreciation. It’s a difficult line to walk for most parents. 

The good news? There are some great opportunities for giving gifts to teachers in a way that’s totally acceptable. Today, we’re going to cover some of the best reasons to give a gift to a teacher, and what you need to know before you get started. 

Before Giving a Gift to a Teacher

The first thing to remember when you’re getting a gift for a teacher is that this can be an educational opportunity for your child. This is a chance for you to teach your child how important it is to say thank you, and practice generosity in their life. Ideally, any gift to a teacher should come from your child, so they can learn these lessons first-hand. A gift that comes straight from a child can also feel more meaningful to a teacher than one from a parent. 

The next thing you need to know is when other people are likely to be giving gifts to the teacher. If you’re the only one who sends your child to school with a present, this could earn them some unwanted attention. Pay attention to the common times of the year when gifting is more likely. 

Finally, think about how you can choose a gift that’s as appropriate as possible for your child’s teacher. Even if it’s going to be you, that’s giving the present rather than your child try to avoid any gag gifts that might come across the wrong way. Any present you get should be thoughtful, meaningful, and not too overly expensive. Try to see how much other parents are going to be spending or consider going in on a large gift with other students. 

With those rules out of the way, here are the 3 best times to give a gift to a teacher. 

1. Special Occasions

Special occasions are a great time for giving a gift to anyone in your life. For instance, you might decide that you’re going to give your child’s teacher a present on valentine’s day, or on the last day of school before your kids break up for the winter holidays. If you know when your child’s teacher has a birthday, then you could consider giving them a gift then too – but only if other parents are considering doing the same thing. 

Think about the kind of special days throughout the calendar that might be meaningful to your child and their teacher. You could even think about getting things like Easter gifts, or buying a present for a teacher when she or he announces that they’re expecting a child. 

2. At the End of the School Year (or the Beginning)

By the time the school year finishes, most students and teachers have been through a meaningful time together. It’s nice to finish the year off by saying thanks with a gift that’s meaningful from your child. Think about what kind of present you can get to show that you appreciate how much the teacher has helped your child, without spending over the odds. 

Often, one of the most important things you can remember when you’re gifting at the end of the school year is to include a card with a message from your child. This heart-felt thanks will make a huge difference to any teacher. There are also occasions when you might decide to start the year off with a gift – but if you do that, try to make sure that the present is as small as simple as possible! 

3. Just Because Gifts

Finally, everyone loves a surprise from time to time – even your child’s teachers. Randomly giving gifts to teachers can be a difficult process, as there’s always a chance that you could come across as trying to earn preference for your child – so make sure that “just because” gifts are small. 

If you’re giving gifts just because, make sure that you can link them to something meaningful. For instance, you might want to give a gift after your child overcomes a particularly tough academic challenge, or when he or she manages to accomplish something in school. Remember, a thank you note and explanation will help the gift go down the right way here. 

 

 

Simple ways to avoid accidents as a new driver

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Whether we want to believe it or not all these tiny humans running around will one day be driving in our streets. As parents we want all of our kids to be safe, courteous drivers that don’t get into accidents. There are a number of safety tips we can give our kids as they begin training for driving and they are not your basic to do’s. To avoid accidents and dealing with expensive collision repair Kleinburg teach your kids these unusual tips. 

Let them know they can call you whenever they feel unsafe to drive. Your kids are going to get into drinking and possibly experiment with other substances some time in their lives. Don’t focus solely on lecturing them about not doing drugs but let them know they can call on you for a safe ride home if anything ever put them under the influence. This doesn’t even have to be just drugs and alcohol sometimes you can suddenly feel so ill that it is no longer safe for you to drive. Other times you may have tried a new medication and it made you feel off, if this is the case let them know it is ok to call you for a safe ride home so they done put themselves and others in danger. 

Teach them basic car maintenance skills. Many young people these days can’t even change a tire on their vehicle and have to call for help. Others don’t know how to change their own oil or even check their oil levels without help. Teach them how to change a tire, where their spare is, what to do if their emergency lights come on or something starts steaming under the hood. Knowing these basics will help them when they are out and about and something arises. 

Get them proper hands free technology and Bluetooth capabilities in their vehicles so they can avoid distracted driving. This is such a huge problem with young people and it can easily be solved with the proper tech gadgets. Even older vehicles can have Bluetooth capabilities with the proper tech. 

Teach them that driving is a privilege and not a right. Too many spoon fed kids these days feel they have a right to be on the road and can do whatever they want while driving, this is not true and you need to drill that into their heads so they aren’t entitled behind the wheel and respect others and themselves when driving. 

These simple but logical tips will help to teach your child the dangers of ignorance and how to be a responsible vehicle operator. 

Ways To Save On Body Shop Repairs

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There comes a time in every vehicle owners life where they need to see an auto body shop. Whether it’s because you were in an accident or bought a car that required repairs the best ways to get them fixed is to see a certified  auto body shop. You always want the work done by professionals since your vehicle needs to be safe on the road and pass certain inspections. You also want to ensure your repairs are covered by an insured professional just in case something goes wrong and you need to go back in and see them. So how can you save money when visiting an auto body shop? 

Always check your insurance coverage. You may only need to pay a small portion of the costs depending on what type of insurance am you have and what situation you are looking at. If you got hit and needed some repairs you could have to pay nothing and in some cases just a small deductible. 

Call around and get quotes. Every business is a little different and some places charge more or less for certain jobs. Make sure to call around and let them know your looking for quotes on a job, sometimes they will try to get below your lowest quote to get your business. 

Take good care of your vehicle and drive sensibly. The best way to avoid spending money on auto repair is to avoid auto damage. Drive responsibly and take good care of your investment, when you need a car wash get one, if you see rust fix it right away so it doesn’t spread, take care of it so it doesn’t cost you any money in the long run. 

By using these simple tips you should be able to save some cash when seeking out auto repairs at your local body shop. 

5 Ways to Help Your Child Adjust to Their Braces

As any orthodontist will tell you, braces are the go-to if you want to avoid jaw-related problems and teeth misalignment in the future. But even with these benefits, they still pose some challenges during when they're first put on, especially for children. Here are five tips to consider using to help your child get through those first weeks of wearing braces.

Keep the Bathroom Clean and Organized

A clean bathroom makes for an easy brace-wearing journey, as it generally comes with easier maintenance and oral health care routines. De-clutter your counters and keep them free of any unwanted items, such as used product packages, for starters. Next, organize your drawers with dividers and arrange products into individual caddies based on their usage. Let toothbrushes sit together with the toothpaste to allow for separation from any cleaning products.

In addition to this, implement a cleaning routine and use disinfectants while wiping your counters and the rest of the bathroom. This is crucial to preventing your brushing essentials from coming into contact with three types of water damage that you may be fixing in your bathroom, such as clean water damage, grey water damage, or black water damage. The spaces in your child's braces could harbor harmful bacteria upon contact with toothbrushes stored on contaminated surfaces, making it a health hazard.

Make a Schedule to Ensure Proper Care

Getting braces means switching to a new oral hygiene routine, one that will likely take a toll on even the most organized child. Consider making a schedule to remind your child of their new oral health practices to help with this. Begin by picking out designated brushing times for both morning and night hours based on their sleeping schedule.

Since some braces require softer toothbrushes, make it a point to get new ones with soft thistles. Rather than scrubbing the braces to remove any debris, make it a point to first brush without toothpaste to get rid of the food particles. Next, dedicate at least two minutes to brushing, focusing on details in the wires and brackets. Make it a point to also give your child some company during this time until they feel confident going about it on their own.

Help Relieve Discomfort

Discomfort is an expected part of wearing braces, and the 4 million Americans who wear braces can definitely attest to this. Individuals with braces often experience discomfort during their first days after installation. Relieving it is essential in helping your child ease into wearing braces. It will also go a long way in encouraging them to continue participating in their favorite activities.

When your child experiences pain, help them ease their discomfort with painkillers recommended by your family physician. If the pain persists, consider scheduling an appointment with the orthodontist to check for any underlying issues. You can also stock up on cold snacks such as milkshakes and ice cream to help introduce coldness to help keep down any inflammation.

Keep Braces-Friendly Snacks Handy

Your child will no longer be able to have treats, such as candy and popcorn, making for an even rougher period. To help with this, shop around for braces-friendly snacks. Some of these include ice-cream and yogurt. Warm foods will also come in handy for increased circulation, such as good health-based alternative soups. Manageable snacks also make for braces-friendly treats, like mashed potatoes, pudding, applesauce, and various cut-up fruits.

Listen to Your Child's Concerns

Of the 4 million people in the United States who wear braces, 75% are younger than 18. This means that most braces-wearers are still trying to navigate through their early hurdles of life, from making new friends to finding out where their interests lie. Braces are no fun at this stage, and a majority of children will have objections and concerns during their daily routines.

Listen to your child when they speak up and help them navigate their current needs. Encourage your child to be involved in their typical activities both in and out of school. Don't let their discomfort with their new braces make them feel like they can't enjoy anything. If they are hesitant to join any activities, encourage them to remind them of these interactions' long-term benefits.

If your child has braces, these tips are crucial in ensuring they get an easy transition process. Make it a point to utilize each one to help your child ease through their braces journey.