Sheree

  • How to recognize stress in kids

    Recognize When Children Are Stressed and Help Them Manage it

    It’s tempting for grown-ups to remember childhood as an idyllic time. Sometimes, we adults think that since children don’t have to worry about paying the bills, keeping a job, cleaning the house, and so forth, they can’t possibly have any problems.

    This is a really counterproductive way of thinking, though, because children do get stressed. And they need your help to deal with it.

    Children do not have the coping mechanisms, born of experience and maturity than adults do. This is why seemingly small things can be very upsetting to children. So be patient and learn to recognize your kids’ stress and help them cope. Here are some things to look for and some tips on helping them deal with their stress.

    Physical Symptoms

    Stressed children may exhibit physical symptoms, such as diarrhea, hives or rashes, restless sleep, changes in appetite, and /or nausea.

    Emotional Psychological Symptoms

    A stressed child may exhibit depression, excessive sensitivity, or social withdrawal. Stressed kids may be aggressive or have angry outbursts.

    So if you see these symptoms in your child, what can you do? It’s tempting to do nothing. Parents may think it will go away on its own, or that their child will outgrow it. But stress needs to be confronted and coped with so that it does not become entrenched in your child’s thought and behavior patterns. Here are some things you can do.

    Listen

    Really listen. You may ask your stressed child what’s wrong, or why he is acting a certain way, and you may not get an answer. Or you get an answer like “Nothing.” But really listening means paying attention to your child’s words and body language even when they don’t know you’re watching. Certainly asking your child what is wrong is a good thing to do; it shows you care.

    But don’t interrogate her, or expect your child to be able to verbalize exactly what’s occurring in her life and how it’s affecting her. Even some adults have trouble with this. So try to “read” into the passing comments, complaints, and body language of your child.

    Express Empathy

    If you express empathy, it shows your child that you do notice and understands. Verbally expressing empathy can also help your child build a vocabulary to explain his stressful feelings. You might say, “I bet it hurts your feelings when people call you names. It hurts mine, too,” and share an experience from your past.

    Help Your Child Be Proactive

    Work with your child in finding solutions to his stress. Sit down and make lists of things he could do, such as writing a letter to the stress-causing person or cutting back on some of his extra-curricular activities.

    Let your child know that she does not have to be doing something 24 hours a day to have personal worth. She has worth because of who she is!

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  • Introvert Moms Raising Extrovert Kids

    How to Raise an Extrovert Child When You Are an Introvert

    Even with all of the rewards and happiness that parenthood provides, it may often leave an introverted parent feeling drained and in desperate need of some time to be alone. This is especially true if you’re an introverted parent trying to raise an extroverted child, who has a need for social interaction that far exceeds your own. Here are some tips for raising an extroverted child when you’re an introverted parent.

    Devote Time to Recharge

    In order to provide the best care and environment for your extrovert, you need to devote time to unwind and recharge yourself. For many introverts, prolonged periods of social interaction can be daunting and often leads to feeling anxious or stressed out.

    If you’re in a bad mood, there’s a good chance that your child will pick up on that. This can lead to your child feeling depressed. They may blame themselves as a result of something that couldn’t possibly be their fault. Schedule an hour out of the day for a break, to process and manage your stress. Explain to your child why it is important for people to recharge their batteries and turn it into a positive experience for them. This will also give your child the opportunity to process their feelings and experiences.

    Provide Opportunities for Interaction

    It’s important to provide many opportunities for social interaction for your extroverted child. However, that doesn’t mean you have to turn your home into a hangout spot for all of their friends. Schedule social interactions for your child with a wide variety of people. Spend time with family members, schedule play dates with friends from school or take a trip to a public play place where your child can meet new friends.

    By establishing interactions outside of the household, you can provide an appropriate level of social interaction for your extrovert while also keeping your personal space. It is recommended, however, that you allow your child to enjoy interactions with their friends in your household on occasion. Even if it’s just once or twice a week, your child will greatly benefit from having a social outlet on a more personal scale.

    School Environment for Your Extrovert

    Make sure your child is getting an education that properly caters to their extroverted needs. Meet with the school’s staff of teachers and assess what type of classes would be best for your extrovert. Seek out teachers that have a significant amount of practical “fieldwork” in their lesson plans.

    The best thing you can do for your child is to get them involved in extracurricular activities, preferably involving groups of people or clubs. This is something that they’ll already be interested in getting involved with. It is a wonderful way for them to socialize and build relationships with like-minded people, as well as learn valuable skills. Discuss what activities your child is interested in – whether it be sports, the chess team or the drama club, and get them involved in as many as you and they can comfortably manage.

    As an introverted parent, an extroverted child can sometimes seem like quite a handful. But, even if you aren’t excited about expressing your feelings or meeting new people, it’s important that your kid gets the chance to do so. Every chance that you give them to interact with people will help them to develop their social skills and maybe even earn them a new friend.

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  • 3 Reasons why YOU need to shop abroad

    3 Reasons you NEED to shop abroad

    Here’s why you should be buying all your clothes/ items abroad:

    We travel A LOT… at least in my opinion. No complaining here, I love it! But I’d be lying if I said it came without struggles…

    One of the biggest challenges for me is deciding which items are the most important ones to pack into our luggage.

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    During the first couple years of our marriage, I quickly learned the benefit of packing neutral colored items…Clothing that could easily be mixed and matched for a plethora of outfit combos. But, I still had a hard time getting everything to fit. And now with two kiddos, I find the challenge even harder.

    So I thought long and hard and realized that I don’t particularly dress fancy every day. If I can be real honest here, you can pretty much find me wearing the same outfit 3 days in a row! #helloyogapants

    So, did I really need the number of clothes I was carrying? Do you? And for my kiddos? Did they really need THAT MANY outfits? Now, I know what you’re thinking…kids really do NEED that many clothes LOL. BUT, I know that, gratefully, I will have a washer available.

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    Now then, I really can pack less, and I bet you can too. If you’re anything like me and don’t need that many outfits, could you then- pack just 3-5 outfits and purchase things as you need them? I don’t know about you, but one of the first things we do, when arriving at another country is finding a shopping center.
    Malls are filled with tons of great info on neighboring areas including recreational activities and so on. I also always find a store within my innate *frugalistic* (I just made that word up haha) budget. So if there ever came a pressing need where you don’t have the proper attire, you can go ahead and shop. But, what if you actually wind up NOT needing any more clothing?! You’ve just saved so much space and weight in your luggage!
    Your welcome. LOL

    #thejoysofpackingyourlifein49pounds

    I love that most of the time; our pieces are unique and hardly ever do we bump into someone with the same exact items!

    And so, here’s why you should pack less & shop abroad / overseas:

    Fashion: OK maybe I’m just a tad bit bias but I love the styles of clothing in Europe…They’re so fetch GREAT! Period. LOL

    Prices: I’ve found that the prices are comparable with what I’d pay in the states in most cases with a few exceptions. [Since now the value of the euro is close to dollars] However, if you find yourself in the UK, manage well since, the pound is stronger than dollars (always double-check this because it fluctuates). ps. a quick & easy way to measure the value of your currency to another- go check the price of a Snickers bar!

    Exclusivity: What I love most is that there are so many stores unique to each country and its loads of fun exploring them! What I also enjoy is finding some of the same store brands but with different styles, you just won’t find in the U.S.!

     

    What are some of your favorite reasons for shopping abroad? (If we even ever need such a reason to shop ; D) Or your favorite stores?!

  • This is what every daughter needs to hear

    Important Things to Tell Your Daughter

    When you are raising a girl, there are certain things you should always tell your daughter. These things, whether they are words, conversations, or otherwise, are going to help her grow up strong, independent, confident, and kind.

    Tell Her to Be Kind

    An important thing to start telling your daughter even at a young age is that she should always be kind to others. This is a really good lesson to teach daughters from toddler age to teenagers and even into adulthood. You want your daughter to be a nice person that is open, honest and treats others with respect. Teach her that even during moments when being kind is the last thing she wants to be, she should always remember humans make mistakes and that forgiving them and being the better person is sometimes the only thing she can do.

    Teach Her How to Say No

    This is something that is essential to living a well-balanced and stress-free life, but something many people never learn. Saying no involves everything from not feeling comfortable doing something, to being pressured into being intimate with someone, or even just saying no to helping someone with something she doesn’t have time for. Saying no encompasses so many things, but they all come down to one thing: she needs to know she has the right to say no whenever she doesn’t want to do something, can’t do it, or doesn’t feel right doing it.

    You Are Proud of Her

    Your daughter should always be told that you are proud of her. Show pride in everything she does and succeeds, even if the results were not quite as you expected. Children and teens really crave this type of attention from their parents, and girls can be sensitive about accomplishing something and not getting proper recognition for it. You can really help your daughter raise her own personal confidence and self-esteem by showing that you are proud of everything she does.

    Friends Are Important

    Girls should know how important it is to have girlfriends in her life. Friends are essential at all ages, as they can help you when nobody else is there for you. In addition to the importance of family, her friends become the people that she can trust with personal information, she calls up at 2 am for a ride, or just that is there to support her when her life isn’t going how she planned.

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