bittersweet mom moments Archives • Parent Influence

Days Out That Really Are Fun For ALL The Family!

It can often feel as though whenever you come across something that is designed to be fun “for all the family” that it’s actually just designed to keep the kids entertained and will almost certainly result in parents sitting around ready to fall asleep at any moment. This applies to films, games, toys, activities, and just about anything else. Of course, there’s not always something wrong with that. After all, kids need things that are just for them as much as anyone else, and most parents understand pretty clearly just how important it is to allow kids to have their time. But sometimes you just want to do something that you can all enjoy, even if it’s just for a little while. After all, if it’s something that you can enjoy too then you’re going to be able to get stuck in and engage with your child much more effectively. Not only that but it will make the whole experience a lot less stressful for you and make you far more likely to want to take your kids out for those kinds of activities again. With that in mind, here are a few days out and activities that really are fun for ALL the family.

The aquarium

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It doesn’t matter who you are or how many times you’ve been around the block; there is just something magical about an aquarium. It can often feel as though you’ve stepped into a whole other world which, to a certain extent, you have. There are things to see that you’d otherwise never experience in person and new things to learn around every corner. Aquariums are often designed with entire families in mind, so it’s not just about the kids. Besides, there isn’t anyone on the face of the earth who could watch a shark swim right past them and not feel a sense of awe and wonder at it. There are usually aquariums in just about every city but finding ones that are really worth visiting can be tough. Check out this page with the results for “SeaQuest aquariums near me“. That way you’ll be able to find the best possible aquatic day out for you and your family.

Go-karts

There’s just something primal about wanting to go fast. Kids know the feeling well, and anyone who’s ever had the temptation to open up the engine of their car and really build up some speed knows it too. Which is why go-karting is such a fantastic activity because it gives the whole family a chance to indulge in that kind of activity without having to worry about getting yourself into any kind of dangerous situation. Sure, you’re probably going to have a bit more control over things that the kids but there are often different tracks for every level, and even if they don’t break any kind of speed records, they’re going to end up having an absolute whale of a time because it’s impossible not to feel like you’re picking up incredible amounts of speed when you’re behind the wheel of a go-kart.

The pool

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If you’re not interested in spending a lot of money on some kind of complicated activity then why not just take the kids for a trip to the local pool. The wonderful thing about any day out with kids is that they have the amazing ability to turn anything into a game. All they need is a large body of water and a few floats, and they’ll almost certainly be able to come up with a whole bunch of hilarious games for you all to play. Not only that but a lot of pools have things like floats, inflatables, and other fun things to play with. That’s not even mentioning those pools with waterslides that you can all race down at high speed before crashing into the water with as big a splash as possible!

A day at the beach

Then again, why spend any money when one of the most enjoyable places in the world is totally free and just waiting for you to come and find it. The beach is one of those things that you almost can’t believe is totally natural since it seems perfectly designed to be fun for the entire family. The kids can build sandcastles, fish in rock pools, or splash about in the waves, while grown-ups can do everything from relaxing in the sun with a good book to heading out into the deep water on a board ready to catch some serious surf. The fact that you and your family can have this much fun without having to spend any money is honestly amazing, and it’s the kind of opportunity that you should take as often as possible.

A family movie night

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Of course, if you want to have fun with your family, that doesn’t mean that you need to get out and do something dramatic out in the world. Sometimes you just need to bring the fun to you. Why not get everyone cuddled up on the couch, get a big bowl of popcorn ready, and have yourself a movie marathon? You can each choose a movie so that you can all be sure that you’ll be watching at least one thing that you actually enjoy. It’s a simple way to spend your time, but if the weather’s horrible and you don’t have that much money to spend, it’s often the perfect family activity.

Sure, not every activity needs to be perfect for the whole family, but it’s always much nicer if everyone can enjoy themselves as much as possible rather than having to worry about getting bored and frustrated when your kids really want to you get involved with what they’re doing. Of course, these are far from the only options available to you. There are plenty of things that you and your family can do for fun; it’s just a matter of figuring out what you all enjoy and embracing that. If you find something that you all love then you could end up discovering a whole new family tradition that will stick with you for years to come.

Time To Take Control: What Can Be Forgotten Now You Are A Parent

Getting that positive pregnancy test, welcoming a newborn into your life, and becoming a parent for the first, second, third or whatever time is always a remarkable and amazing experience. You become entered into a bubble, a special club, that only you and other parents understand. The sleep deprivation, the overwhelming feeling of love, and the fact you no longer mind the look and smell of dirty nappies. However, because we can become embroiled in the world of parenthood, there can be a few things we simply forget to do or even think about. Even though they may impact our family in the future. I thought I would share with you what some of them are.

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Taking out life insurance

While it may feel inappropriate to think about a time when you might be here if we are truthful with ourselves not one of us really knows what the future holds. The last thing any of us wants to do is to leave our partner or our children struggling to pick up the pieces. This is when it might be worth considering a life insurance policy. A life insurance will pay out a lump sum if you are no longer around, some people tend to take it out to cover a mortgage and any debts you may have. Even covering a loss of income, etc. Some people may assume that life insurance doesn’t cover you long term, but this is when companies like Whole Life Insurance comes in. You may be wondering what is whole life insurance, so head to the website to find out more about eligibility criteria. You may be surprised to realize that even with the biggest of issues in your life, you can still secure your family’s future.

Saving for your children’s future

It is hard to think about years ahead when right now you can’t see past tomorrow due to lack of sleep. However, these children grow up so fast and before you can even blink college and university will be here. This is why it is so important for parents to start saving for this as early as possible. It isn’t just about education either. You may want to have money set aside for their first car, even to help them get on the property ladder. We all know how hard that is for young adults these days. It could be a small amount each week, saving any birthday or Christmas money they receive in a bank account, but over the weeks, months, and years those small amounts can really add up.

Securing your own future

Finally, we can often forget about ourselves and our futures, so it’s just as important to have general savings to cover family expenses, trips, and even to help with your future finances when retirement comes along. You also might want to think about getting a will in place now that you are a parent. Every one of us has assets, be that of monetary or sentimental value, and it’s important that should anything happen, that your children and family know what your wishes and intentions are.

I hope this helps you take back some control of the future.

Dear Sons, I love You

To my dearest sons, Aj and K-man, you are a part of my heart just like your sister. I will forever love you without conditions and be there to help you through all difficulties in life. I will be your cheerleader when you succeed and your Mama Bear hug when you don’t. I will try to let go of the tension that occurs when you try to do a 360 off of a picnic table and I will be here to listen when you want to share your thoughts.

I will forever do my best to better understand the mind of a young boy and continue to learn about boys through watching you grow. I know sometimes we clash and at times you think I don’t love you, but never in a million years would my love stop for you boys. You, my dear sons, are my heart and I love you dearly.

Sure we won’t see eye to eye and sometimes my Mama ways will interfere with your youthful boyhood, but I always have your best interest at heart and will continue to do my best to support you and step back when necessary. My dearest sons, I love you more than words will ever express and I am grateful to be your Mom for it’s a blessing that some people don’t get.

Love,

Mama

Things I wish I had Taught my Daughter

As I get further into the life of raising a teenager, there is a lot of things that come to mind. For instance, while I feel I raised her pretty darn well and so far she has a great head on her shoulders and doesn’t fall prey to peer pressure, there are some things I wish I had taught her. I covered the basics like using your manners, folding laundry, washing dishes, being a kind soul and learning how to read a person based on energy to determine if they are good or bad. I raised her to have hope beyond anything else and to know that hope sometimes is all we have to move forward and remain positive. Sure I taught her a lot that I am proud of but here are just a few things that I wish I had taught her and hope time has not run out for them.

Chivalry Is Good

For a majority of my daughter’s life I was a single mom. I started off on state assistance as a 21 year old single mom when she was about four months of age. I had no money, I had no job and I wasn’t even sure how I was going to survive, I ended up in subsidized housing and I was on state assistance for a period of time. With that being said, my daughter never learned that chivalry is good. She instead learned that being a strong, independent woman means that men can’t offer anything. That having a man hold the door open for you is a sign of weakness. That having a man do things to help you is a sign of weakness. There are many things about my inability to teach her that chivalry is good due to the circumstances of her upbringing that I now wish I had been able to teach her.

Crying is Okay

For many years I held back tears, if I had to cry I would do so behind closed doors and away from her seeing me cry. This daughter of mine grew up seeing my strengths but rarely my weaknesses. Sure she saw me when I lost patience and she saw me make some mistakes but she rarely saw me cry. I fear that I never showed her that crying is okay and doesn’t make you weak. I find myself now telling her to cry it out, just let those tears flow because while she didn’t grow up seeing me cry much, I did cry a lot. I use crying as a means to move on from emotional situations and it helps refresh my soul. I hope that I am not too late to teach her that crying is a safe way to release emotions.

Getting Help is Okay

I rarely had help with her growing up, this is not to say she didn’t have an involved Dad, for we share custody of her, but when she was with me the idea of me getting help was something I rarely asked for. I am and was more of an independent soul who knew I could do it all, even at the risk of feeling drained. I fear I didn’t teach her that accepting help or admitting defeat is okay and isn’t a sign of weakness. Rather, getting help is okay because it shows that you can let go of ego and stubborn pride to get help from those who care about you without judgment.

It’s Okay to Speak Up

As my daughter gets older and I see that I still struggle with this concept for I hate confrontation, I realize that I didn’t teach her it’s okay to speak up respectfully for something you believe to be wrong. If you are in a situation where you feel you should speak up, then do so and do so in a way that doesn’t engage an argument. This is a skill I am still trying to master at 35 years of age, but I hope I have just enough time to be the example to her that she needs to learn how to speak up for herself and defend her rights to adults and peers alike.

There are many things I have taught my daughter that make me proud, there are many things that she has also taught me that make me proud. Being a mom is such a difficult task because you think you are doing things right only to find that you missed out on some moments to teach valuable lessons. It is never too late to try again and to morph these things that you didn’t teach your child into today’s life. If you too are faced with the realization that you didn’t teach your child something that was important, try to set the example now. They will learn best when they see these things in action through you rather than lecturing them about the lessons you never taught.