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There are two things that all parents of boys know to be very true.

Number one: boys aren’t easy!

Number two: the teenage years aren’t easy!

So what does this mean? That when your sweet little boy suddenly turns into your teenage son, it can be difficult for everyone!

The first thing to remember is that you are not alone. Many parents have been on the receiving end of an angel turning into the devil seemingly overnight. Whatsmore, there are things you can actively do to make this period of your lives a whole lot easy.

One of the most important things you’re going to have to start doing for your teenage boy is being less overbearing. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to let go of the reins completely, and let them do whatever they want! But what it does mean is that you can do a number of far more subtle things, that while small, can make a big difference.

Naturally, their health is going to remain of great importance to you. How you keep it in check needs to be savvy. So, are you worried that their hearing isn’t great? If you book a Doctor’s appointment, don’t have it at a time when he will have to miss something. He’ll only resent it (and maybe you!) if you make him miss his weekly football match with friends for example. If you’re worried he’s spending too much time gaming, invest in some gaming glasses to protect his eyesight. You can pick some up from places like PC Gaming Corners.

Another huge health-related battle you may come across is what he eats. If you want him to eat a healthier diet, you need to be wise. You may not have total control of what he eats when at school or with friends. However, you perhaps can control what he eats at home. Set a good example by following an equally healthy diet. But don’t skip the taste!

If you crave a healthy and safe lifestyle for him, he surely craves a little privacy for himself! Teenagers go through a lot, after all; physically, mentally and emotionally. So, how can you give him that privacy and still feel like you can look after him? By giving him his own space in the home. If he asks you to knock before entering his room, knock. Show that you have that respect for him. If there isn’t room for him to do his own thing in the home, can you create that room? Maybe you could renovate the shed for him, or clear out the attic or basement? You might fear that this private space might encourage him to misbehave. But surely it is better he experiments inside your home or in the garden, rather than elsewhere?

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Our parenting skills have to be taken to another level now that we live in an age where bullies can verbally abuse our kids in the safety of their own bedroom. We want to raise kids who know how to speak up for themselves and for others. Kids who don’t simply ignore cyberbullying when they see it and kids who know how to take action in the right way.

There is a way of raising kids who are Digital Avengers and the following seven tips will help you to do this.

Teach them not to be passive: Your kids have to learn that ignoring cyberbullying is another way of encouraging a bully and making the victim feel worse. 90% of teens have admitted to ignoring cyberbullying when they see it. Don’t let your kids be passive towards this social issue.

Teach them to shut down the bully: Your kids should know that they can help in the fight against cyberbullying and reporting posts to the social site in question or to an adult is one way of shutting down the bully.

Teach them not to participate: They may not be the ones bullying the victim directly but by sharing, liking or commenting on the post, your kids are still participating in cyberbullying and encouraging the bully to do more.

Teach them to speak up: Cyberbullying is not something that can be fought by one person alone. Teach your kids to turn to adults they trust and to tell them if they are being cyberbullied or if they know of someone who is.

Teach them to gather evidence: Cyberbullies can be caught or at least shut down faster if there is evidence. Teach your kids to save media likes images, emails and texts that adults can use to stop the bully.

Teach them about privacy: No matter how much they trust a person, your kids have to learn that certain data like passwords or inappropriate content of themselves should never be shared with others online as they can be used against them.

Teach them how to console the victims: From text messages to a note on social media, your kids’ kind words to a victim of cyberbullying can be the encouragement the victim needs to feel hopeful and less lonely. Teach your kids the power of words and encourage them to reach out to victims privately whenever it is possible.

Teach them to shut down the bully: Your kids should know that they can help in the fight against cyberbullying and reporting posts to the social site in question or to an adult is one way of shutting down the bully.

Teach them not to participate: They may not be the ones bullying the victim directly but by sharing, liking or commenting on the post, your kids are still participating in cyberbullying and encouraging the bully to do more.

Teach them to speak up: Cyberbullying is not something that can be fought by one person alone. Teach your kids to turn to adults they trust and to tell them if they are being cyberbullied or if they know of someone who is.

Teach them to gather evidence: Cyberbullies can be caught or at least shut down faster if there is evidence. Teach your kids to save media likes images, emails and texts that adults can use to stop the bully.

Also, be sure to check out a great infographic on cyberbullying HERE!!!!!

Going to the flea market can be a fun and family-friendly way to spend a morning or afternoon. It’s also a great way to pick up some really killer steals on premium, hand-crafted items, such as furniture, lighting, rugs and more. One of the things that most people forget, or don’t realize, about flea markets is that prices don’t really exist. A flea market is an old world, bazaar-style marketplace that is a throwback to the days of the barter system.

You can get some really super deals on great products, as long as you know how to haggle. Haggling is essentially a negotiation, between merchant and buyer, over a price that that lets both parties can walk away from the transaction satisfied.

Here are a couple of bargaining tactics that you can keep up your sleeves to ensure that you get the best deal possible on all items you get from a flea market!

Indoor vs Outdoor

While you are likely to find great deals on many items, there is a difference that exists between outdoor and indoor flea markets. Namely they are dependent on your particular region, climate and what season it happens to be – for example, if you live in the Midwest and want to go thrifting during the winter, you are going to have to find an indoor flea market. Whereas in balmier areas, you would need to find one that is outdoors. There are a variety of directories you can use to find indoor flea markets in your area if you don’t know where to start.

Put Your Poker Face On

Even if you spot the item that is exactly what you were hoping to find – do not act overjoyed. This signifies to the merchant that you really want this item and may cause them to hold firm on a set price. Pick up the item, note the price, then continue looking at the other items. After a little bit of feigned perusal, come back to the item and quietly express your interest.

Know Your Price Ceiling

Before beginning the bargaining process with the vendor, know how much you are willing to spend on the item and stick to it. Being firm in your price ceiling will make you appear confident to the vendor about how much you are willing to pay. The vendor will most definitely have a number in their head about how low they are willing to go on an item. Haggling is all about finding that sweet spot between your price ceiling and the vendor’s lowest sale cost.

Go Low, But Not Too Low

Your starting offer should be around half of what you are actually willing to pay for it – then the merchant will give you his price, which will be lower than the original ticket price. Be prepared to go back and forth with the merchant a few times, you will eventually find the sweet spot.

However, do not insult the merchant by going too low right out of the gate. Also, when you begin engaging the merchant in haggling, they assume that you are eventually going to make a purchase. If you are not positive about wanting to make the purchase, do not engage the merchant.

Hesitate

Many flea markets will be the home of some premium used or hand-crafted items, but If you see any flaws – don’t be afraid to point them out and hesitate about the price. Use damages to your advantage! If you’re stuck in a standstill with the vendor, be sure to point out the chip in the woodwork.

If the vendor’s final offer is still too high, hesitate and look worried. Then say that you’re going to look around and think about it – this will likely cue another round of bargaining by the vendor. Remember, they don’t make money by not selling anything.

But, the most important rule of all is to have fun! Don’t feel too defeated if you don’t get the item at exactly the price you were hoping for – it’s all part of the game!

It can be hard to believe that we are shortly going to be coming up to fall! It is the time of the year that the kids are all going back to school, so your mind does naturally turn towards the next season. A favorite holiday in fall when you have kids, has got to be Halloween. We’ll start to see costumes and Halloween candy on sale in stores soon. So it can never be too early to be prepared for it all. It can be much cheaper and easier to make your own costume. So if you like to do that, here are a few ideas.

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Super Heroes

It can be so easy to throw together a superhero costume for kids. The branded ones can be so expensive to buy in stores. So you just need to choose a color or theme and get a few bits that will match it. You could make a no-sew cape quite easily. Then you just need to get a mask or use some face paints. It is a fun costume to get the kids involved with making too.

Vampires and Witches

Dressing up as a vampire is a pretty safe option. Quite often you will have a lot of the clothing already in at home. The base of the costume is black pants, skirt or dress, with a white shirt for a vampire. Then you could just put together a cape and a witches hat. Just make sure that you get some of the best Halloween makeup, to complete the look. A bright white face and red blood for a vampire, and perhaps a green face for a witch?

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Animals

Animals costumes are fun and easy to put together too. You don’t have to be dressed as something scary on Halloween. Animals are cute, and you could dress from anything from a ladybug to a mouse. Butterflies and other bugs are quite fun to design a costume for. You can make the wings and legs that attach to the arms. Then if your arms are up in the air, you can see the costume in all glory. Animal ears are easy to attach to something like a headband. You can draw on whiskers on your face or things like panda eyes if you need to. A unicorn could be a fun animal to dress as too. Instead of attaching ears to a headband, you could put together a horn, using some cardstock. You could even take a little twist on the animal theme and choose a nursery rhyme animal. How about three of you being the three blind mice? You can be dressed as mice but just have dark sunglasses on too.

Puns

If you or the kids are going to a Halloween party, they will make an entrance if their costume is a funny one. If they dress as a pun or a funny phrase, it will make everyone laugh. The costumes are pretty easy to put together too. For example, ‘identify theft’ could be someone dressed in regular clothes, full of other people’s name stickers all over them.

Wake up, do it again. Between the breakfasts, getting kids ready for schools, early conference calls the busy working mom has her hands full. Interestingly enough, many men and women alike are wired for night time circadian rhythms. When your biological rhythms differ from your daily rhythms, there’s a few things you can do keep the body energized and fueled to stay on-the-go throughout your day.

1.) Consider taking Melatonin supplements. If you’re having trouble getting to bed, you’ll find this to be an effective remedy to help with your sleep schedule. What this will do is not only sleep soundly, but it will help you with the inertia needed to rise out of bed. At times, lack of sleep can make this process quite severe, especially if you’re pulled out a deep sleep between REM cycles.

2.) Make your morning routine highly efficient. Think about all the important things that need to be handled, and make it easy as possible on yourself in advance. Everything from laying out clothes, taking a shower the night before, packing a bagged lunch or preparing breakfasts and dinners for the next day can cut down on not just the time needed … but even the amount of time you spend deciding on them.

3.) Create your to-do lists for work and play in advance. You know in the morning when you’re not 100% cleared for productivity … you can bypass the fuzz factor by setting this up when you were awake and alert the day before. When the mind is fresh, you have the best opportunity to use your time wisely.

4.) Think about work you can bring home, or do online. If you are awake in the evenings, after the kids are winding down for bedtime you might find your window of extra opportunity. This might end up being a time of greater focus and therefore creating better results in less time – keeping you ahead of the game at work. If you’re looking for the best internet provider to work at home, Internet Choice can provide a giant list and save you a lot of time searching.

5.) Consider a moving closer to where you work. If at all possible, you’ll gain valuable time in your day. Having a short commute becomes, of course, cost effective in terms of gas and vehicle repairs, in addition to decreased stress levels of balancing work and mommy tasks at home.

Remember, even just a power nap, or closing the eyes briefly for 15 to 20 minutes can have an impact in the amount of energy you have. Take time for breaks and you’ll have more time for being an awake, aware, and happy Mommy.

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Author Bio

Sam Jones is a digital marketing expert, social media and branding consultant and guest blogger for various publications, including Business2Community, Inbound.org and TestPrepPlace.com. In her free time, Sam is an avid traveler, foodie and lover of all things technology. She’s also a fitness fanatic (in the making). 

You thought once you made it out of the Terrible Twos you were scot-free, but then pre-teen years set in, and pretty soon, you had yourself a full-fledged teenager. Many parents find their child’s teenage years rife with disagreements, new stresses, and a brand new set of worries. If you’ve got a child who’s become a big, bad teenager, use these tips to help you navigate what can be some of their most trying years. It’s not easy being a teen, and it’s not always easy to parent one. Keep these strategies in mind and you and your child will make it through these years unscathed.

Personal Appearance Issues

When our kids go through puberty, social anxieties about their appearance become much more pronounced. Talking early and often with your child about self-confidence and worth will help them get through the times of self-doubt and help them bolster their self-esteem. For many teens, skin conditions take top billing when it comes to appearance concerns, namely, that of acne. Not only can it be embarrassing for your child; it can also become rather painful if left untreated, and leave permanent scars. It’s important to find an effective acne treatment for teens that targets the skin conditions adolescents normally contend with, instead of grabbing just your run-of-the-mill face wash. When it comes to other personal appearance issues, like clothing and hairstyle, be sure you’re not forcing your own ideas onto your child. Teenage years are filled with a desire to achieve the right self-expression, and forcing a certain style of dress onto your child will only see them more resistant as they feel stifled. Allowing them to dress as they wish doesn’t mean giving up expectations; they can wear that all-black ensemble and still uphold the values you’ve instilled in them.

Be Wary of Cyberspace

Children these days are well-versed in the Internet, and tend to be more knowledgeable of the social media channels and opportunities awaiting them on the World Wide Web. This can be a cause of great concern and fear for worried parents, and that worry is not misplaced. It seems every day we hear a new story of cyberbullying or a meetup gone awry. When they’re young, it’s easy to use an online safety software program like NetNanny to protect them, but this gets harder as they get older and likely have their own phone. It’s important to talk openly and honestly with your child about their online habits, and to ensure that they’re not posting any type of personal detail on their social media profiles. Sit with them and make sure privacy settings are being used, and warn them of the potential consequences of posting photos and videos that may jeopardize their safety or reputation. Ask them to be honest with you about any friend requests from individuals they don’t know, and encourage them to approach you if any type of bullying is occurring on their social media channels. The more open you are, the more open they’ll tend to be, and this can help ensure their safety online.

Have the Hard Conversations

In their teenage years, your child will likely feel the urge to experiment. One way to combat this urge is to talk honestly and openly about the hardest of topics. When it comes to sex and drugs, it’s important to breach the subject before your child is actually exposed to it. As much as you don’t want to have the conversation, doing so makes it more likely for your child to act responsibly when faced with the option to try something you’d prefer they didn’t. Get to know your kids’ friends and meet their parents if possible. Knowing who your child spends their time with will allow you to approach the right conversations and help keep track of what they’re doing.

Look Out for Warning Signs

Your child will likely go through a multitude of changes as they navigate their teenage years, and this self-exploration is normal and healthy. However, there are warning signs to be on the lookout for that could indicate serious problems or issues. If your child loses or gains an extreme amount of weight, experiences problems sleeping, suddenly changes who they’re hanging out with, or sees their grades taking a nosedive, there may be something more serious at hand. While you’ll likely see changes in behavior, anything that lasts longer than six weeks is a cause for concern.

Making it through teenagehood is tough, and as a parent, it’s important to do everything you can to make it easier for your child to protect them and your relationship with them. Keep these tips in mind as your child gets older and make it through this tough period with ease.

Bed Bugs: Merciless Invaders

You don’t have to be an unhygienic individual to become beset with these night-time menaces. Bed bugs can creep into your house through an open window, on the back of a pet, in a suitcase via baggage handling, or even through the walls; coming from another house. Did you know that a bug bomb is actually less effective at killing bed bugs, and more effective at relocating them? It’s true. In the wrong apartment complex, being a bed bug must be like playing beach blanket bingo. Apartment 238 bombs, then 240 bombs, then 242, and the bugs just keep hopping properties. But the good news is, advice on exterminating the little blighters isn’t the kind that ends up being exceptionally difficult. There are three main ways to go about it. But first, before you decide to turn your life upside-down chasing these vermin, the best advice is to ensure that you are actually infested with them. Doing this is simple enough; cut a two-liter bottle in half, throw in some sugar, water, and yeast, then turn the pointy end backwards so it becomes a funnel into the bottle. Tape some paper towels around the contraption to keep any bedbugs with Steve McQueen character from making a great escape out the side, and viola! You’ve got a home-made bed bug trapper that cost you essentially nothing. Check out more detailed instructions here. If, in the morning after you’ve used the trap, you find that your property has indeed come down with an infestation of the bed bug variety, then it’s time to try some of this advice.

Freeze ‘Em To Death
How extensive is the temperature control in your property? Better yet, what time of year is it? If you’re in North Maine in January and discover bed bugs, just open the windows, pull out anything that wouldn’t benefit from freezing solid, and leave it for a week. After four days at zero degrees Fahrenheit, bed bugs die. But creating such conditions is not always easy, or possible, to do.

Sweat ‘Em To The Netherworld
Bed Bugs have exceptionally high temperature sensitivity. Too much heat or cold will end them. On the hot side of things, 113 to 118 degrees is ideal in killing bed bugs. At 113 degrees, they’ll die in an hour and a half. At 118 degrees, they’ll die in twenty minutes–that’s faster than a television sitcom, commercials excluded. If you’ve got control over the thermostat penultimate enough to complete such a heating, you’re good to go. If you live in Arizona and it’s July, just turn off the AC. Otherwise, this option is also a little difficult to pull off solo.

Hire An Exterminator
You may be able to fix your car yourself, but it’s a lot less likely you’ll make a mistake that’s costly if you hire a mechanic. You may be able to fix the refrigerator yourself, but the same applies there, too. With NJ bed Bugs, finding an extermination service makes a lot of sense. They come equipped with precisely the necessary tools to deal with infestations in safe, effective manner. Consider, for instance, steam extermination. This is a method by which extremely hot steam is used to kill the bugs. It’s done with a modicum of time, and a maximum of lethal effect–but there’s very little to no damage. 113 to 118 degrees is uncomfortable, but most devices clothes and furniture pieces will not be adversely affected. The best advice when it comes to infestations is to trust experts who have the tools and know-how to effectively destroy vermin.

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Author Bio

Wendy Dessler

Title: Super-Connector at OutreachMama

Wendy is a super-connector with OutreachMama who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.

Photo: http://www.outreachmama.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Wendy-Dessler.jpg

Twitter Handle: @outreachmama

Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/outreachmama

Website URL: http://www.outreachmama.com/

If you have a child heading off to high school in the coming months or years, or have one already attending a school but who needs a change, there are many factors to consider before you make your decision.

With so many schooling options available these days, and education and school life so important to a child’s future, it can be incredibly daunting trying to work out which is the best choice to make. If you need some assistance, read on for some tips to consider today.

Decide What Your Priorities Are

One of the first things you should do when looking for the right high school for your kids is to be clear about what your priorities are. This can vary tremendously from family to family, so is well worth taking the time to think about and discuss.

Environment and Philosophy

You want to find a school that matches well with your own values and your requirements. For example, look at the cost of the school fees to see if the price range is achievable for you over the coming years, and examine how far your children would have to travel each day if they were to attend that venue.

In addition, you may have a preference for a same-sex school over a co-ed one, or vice versa. You may also be looking for an institution where pastoral care is a big part of the curriculum and community, or where the specific educational philosophy aligns with your own.

For some parents, it may be very important to find a school that has top-notch facilities, or that does or doesn’t have a uniform. You may also be very interested in an educational facility that has a wide breadth of topics for children to choose from in their last year of study. Some parents also look only for a small school, while others like the idea of their children attending a larger one.

Areas of Focus

As well, consider whether your main focus is going to be on a school’s academic record, or its other programs, such as sports, music, arts, language, or science. Ask yourself if all of these study areas are of equal importance, or if one is more vital than others?

If you have a child who excels in, or simply loves, a particular area, you should seriously consider finding a school that specializes in this department. There are many top schools around the country which have focus on one discipline and which can therefore help gifted children to become even better at their preferred area. If your child loves athletics, for example, you’ll find academy sports in Utah which are well rated.

Utilize Recommendations

Another great way to find the right school for your children is to utilize word-of-mouth recommendations. The parental grapevine can be a font of worthwhile information, and is useful when it comes to finding out the ins and outs of how a school operates, what its community is like, the style of the teachers, and so on.

Ask around and you’re sure to find out if any parents have a bad word to say about a school, or if they have nothing but glowing testimonials to share. Keep in mind too that opinions from other parents can be more up to date than some of the information you may find online or in printed publications.

Visit the School

Lastly, make sure that you pay a visit to any school that you’re interested in before you book your child in to attend there. Head to an open day/evening or arrange an appointment so that you have a chance to meet the principal or other leader at the school, as well as some of the teachers and the students.

Keep in mind though that while public events provide a good opportunity to get an overview of a school, you may find that you receive the most accurate impression of a facility if you check it out on a normal school day.

Visiting each school on your shortlist will allow you to compare facilities and notice if they seem well maintained and modern (or not), and to get a feel for the environment and how discipline is handled. School visits will also let you see if current students are polite and well presented.

When checking out a school, take note to see what the learning environment is like in the classrooms. See how the tables are arranged, what teaching methods are used, and if classes appear to have access to plenty of well-organized resources.

Baby powder may have been invented for use on babies, but that doesn’t mean that little bums are the only thing to use it on! The sweet smelling powder does a lot more than offer up a preventative measure to diaper rash. In fact, there are quite a few off-the-wall ways to use baby powder that you’ve likely never considered.

From making your hair smell fresh and clean to getting out those tough-to-remove grease stains, baby powder is a giant when it comes to usefulness around your house. Here are a couple of the handier ways to apply baby powder to your everyday life!

Gets Rid of Tough Grease Stains

Accidentally get some grease on your favorite shirt during lunch or dinner? Not a problem! Apply some baby powder to a powder puff or cotton ball and dab at the grease mark – be sure to rub into it really well, and then shake the excess powder away. Repeat this process until you see that nasty grease stain disappear.

This also works on just about any fabric, so try it on your upholstery, too!

Make a Dry Shampoo

In a pinch, baby powder is a great substitute for use as a dry shampoo. Simply sprinkle a little bit onto a comb and brush through to your hair to the roots. It’s an effective oil and remover that makes your hair look freshly washed. It smells great, too!

While it makes a great dry shampoo for humans, it works just as well on your fur babies. If your pet is in between baths or just in need of a little refreshment, rub a handful (or more, depending on the size of your dog or cat) into their fur, allow it to sit for a couple minutes and then brush. As it does in humans, it degreases your pets and gives their coats a just-washed shine. Plus, your animals are sure to like a dry wash over a full-blown bath.

Removes Sand

Summertime comes with a lot of perks: warmer weather, fun fashionable clothes, and of course, visits to the beach. The beach is a great place to relax and let the fresh outside air and water rejuvenate you. However, you’re likely to get sand all over you in the process of decompressing during your mini “daycation.” If you pack some baby powder in your beach bag, you’ll find removing the sand to be a much easier process. Sprinkle a bit of the powder onto any sandy areas and it will make the tiny grains brush off easily. Your car and living room will thank you for leaving the sand and mess back at the beach.

Baby powder is a very versatile product that has a wide variety of applications, however, it is important to exercise moderation. For example, when using it as a dry shampoo, you don’t want to use too much as it will make your hair appear dusty. It’s an inexpensive and handy tool that, when used right, will save you money and frustration every time.