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Tips for Throwing a Fun, Successful Pool Party for Your Child’s Summer Birthday

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Summer birthdays are the perfect opportunity to take advantage of pool time. However, poolside birthday parties need something special to set them apart from just another day at the pool! For a successful pool party, you’ll need a good invitation, a safe environment, and some exciting special features to add to the experience! Invitation Information Nothing is worse than forgetting essential information on an invitation, leaving the guests and the host unprepared for the event. According to Greetings Island , the location and time are the most important elements of an invite.  But for the comfort, confidence, and motivation to attend for all of your invitees, consider including the activities involved (so they can be appropriately dressed and mentally prepared), the food provided (so anyone with allergies can be notified), and an assurance to the parents of the children invited that they will be safe and taken care of! Water Safety According to SwimJim , when it comes to...

What You Should Know Before Taking Your Kids Swimming

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Swimming is an excellent activity that allows your children to have fun and stay active. It’s an activity you can do throughout your life, so it’s good to start your kids now. Of course, there are some things you should be aware of before you take them swimming. Where to Go There are many options for where to take your kids swimming. Your first thought might be a pool, but you could also consider a lake, the ocean, etc. While each of these can provide a fun, new environment for your kids, it’s important to be aware of what you might see around different bodies of water. You should be aware of pests around water . Some insects, such as dragonflies or water skippers, will pose no harm to you, but you should know of the more risky pests as well. Mosquitos are probably the most common and they are often attracted to standing water. You should be wary of mosquitos because they can sometimes carry disease. Other bugs, such as water bugs, can also be unpleasant to encounter as they may bite y...

How to Get Your Kids Involved in Gardening

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Gardening is a very important skill that exposes you to many benefits. Not only are you spending time outside, but it also presents the opportunity to learn more about math and science, develop responsibility, and create healthy habits. It’s important to find ways to involve your kids in the garden so they can reap these benefits. Let Them Choose Plants If you want to get your kids involved in gardening , you need to give them a reason to be invested. One way of doing this is letting them pick out the plants. By giving them the choice, they feel more responsible for them and they will want to watch their progress. You can also guide your child’s plant choices. Talk to them about which plants will be the easiest to take care of, which will take the longest to grow, etc. If you plant vegetables, make sure they pick ones they will actually eat once it’s harvest time.   Teach Them About Plants As you engage your kids in gardening, make sure you teach them about the plants. You can star...

The Mental Health Benefits of Regular Recess

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Recess is such a fond memory for children all around the world, but it is a dying art. Many schools have downgraded from not two, but one recess, which gets increasingly shorter. The business model education platform is increasingly about demonstrable gains in standardized test scores, which leads to administrations thinking that more time studying is needed. However, the inverse is true! What are the mental health benefits of a regular recess, and how can you encourage your school to adopt healthy recess practices? Emotional Mastery One of the greatest benefits of the possibility of education is being around peers, whether in a public, private, charter, or homeschool setting. This is one of the reasons that pandemic education was so difficult for children! Communication skills and socialization are learned on playgrounds across the nation. According to Leader in Me , this can lead to greater emotional intelligence and mastery, as children learn to practice the art of friendship and pl...

How Do You Teach Your Children Personal Hygiene?

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Parenting is made up of a variety of small jobs that come together to help your children become well-developed adults. One of those important jobs is helping them with their personal hygiene. Hygiene is an essential part of dealing with society, but it can feel like a struggle to get your children to participate. Finding ways to make the process a little more enjoyable can make a world of difference for you and your children. Make it a Routine   Most things are easier to do and remember if they are a normal part of your routine. By making regular hygiene an obvious part of your routine , you can make life easier and help your kids to get used to doing hygienic activities at specific times. Having timers for specific activities can help you, especially as you are first working on developing these habits. Set reminders for yourself so that you can make sure your kids are taking care of their hygiene needs regularly and building up a strong habit.   Make it Fun   Everything ...

What Will It Take to Get Schools Back Open?

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The coronavirus pandemic has led to major changes in the daily lives of people across America and the world. One of those changes that are felt most severely by parents is the closing of schools. Getting back to school is a good sign that normalcy is returning, but several things need to happen before they can reopen safely. Here are a few things to look out for as signs that schools can open soon.   Vaccinate Teachers Vaccinations are one of the most important things we can do to protect teachers and students from the risks of coronavirus. Vaccinations are also our best bet at getting to a level of herd immunity while minimizing the number of people who have to suffer to make that happen. When teachers have been vaccinated, they are safer and in a better position to put their energy and attention into engaging students and teaching with the passion, we all know they have. Many state and local governments are focusing on vaccinating teachers first to help schools reopen as quickly...

Additions That Can Make Your Landscape Pop Out

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When it comes to spiffing up your yard, endless project ideas may flood your mind. You could add trees, transform your deck, or do several other things to give your outdoors a lift. These ideas can give you a place to start. Add Lights One of the best ways to give your landscape an instant facelift is to add lighting to the backyard. Draping strings of globe lights around or hanging over your patio area will make this seating space instantly more attractive. These gentle lights add warmth and coziness to your outdoor space at night.   You can also consider adding more functional lighting as well. Besides adding them to the patio, you could consider adding floodlights around your outdoor basketball hoop so that it’s still possible to play at night. These lights will also draw more attention to your home as people drove by. Use Decorative Items As you’re working to give your yard a makeover, think about different decorative items you can add. There are seasonal items that you should...