Mommy Has to Work

How To Support Your Teen’s Mental Health

December 8, 2021 By Anne

Teenagers can often struggle with their mental health, whether it’s stress, depression or anxiety. As a parent you’ll want to do all that you can to support your child. Here are a few tips to help you on your way.

1 . Talk about emotions

Talking about how we feel is incredibly healthy, it can help us to address our worries, release tension, get support, and problem solve. Not all teenagers feel comfortable talking about their emotions, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t encourage them. Be patient, they may not open up right away. The main thing is that you try to create a safe space, where your teen feels comfortable to express their feelings.

Encourage exercise

Mental health and physical health are intrinsically linked, and so you should ensure that your teen gets enough regular exercise. Some teens get into bad habits, whether it’s playing video games 24/7, or binge-watching TV series! While there’s nothing wrong with video games and TV, it’s all about moderation. There are many ways that you can help your teen to be healthy, including:

Suggest family activities such as hiking or bike rides.
Encourage your teen to join a sports team.
Suggest that they try a new fitness class.
Talk to them about any extra curricular sports activities at school.

Provide self-care apps

To improve your teens mental health, purchase them a subscription to a self-care app. Not all apps are paid, in fact there are lots of self-care apps that offer a free version. A few examples of self-care apps include Sanvello and Inner Hour, these apps help users to work through feelings of depression and anxiety. There’s plenty of self-care content to work through, from quizzes and games to articles and digital journals. Using a self-care app your teen can express their feelings privately. For teenagers who are shy about opening up, this is a great option.

Know the red flags

If you’re teenager is struggling with depression or anxiety, you may notice a few of these key signs:

Your teenager appears sad much of the time.
They have lots of fears or worries.
They seem to have less of an appetite than usual.
You notice that they are struggling at school.
Your teenager is experiencing trouble sleeping.
They are displaying disobedient or aggressive behavior.
They appear to have issues coping, or general changes in behavior.

To learn more about the signs that your teenager is struggling, take a look at information from the Eva Carlston Academy. Once you understand the red flags, you can start helping your child.

Model a healthy routine

If you’d like to support your teen with their mental health you should model a healthy routine. Let your teenager see that you lead a healthy lifestyle, from your dietary choices to your sleep patterns, and your self-care. Your teen may seem pretty grown up, but teens still learn by example.

With the help of these five steps, you’ll help your teenager to improve their mental health. Common mental health problems take many forms, and so it’s important to understand the warning signs. From self-care apps to understanding the warning signs, there are lots of ways that you can offer support.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Are You Inviting Pests Into Your Home?

December 3, 2021 By Anne

Pexels. CCO Licensed.

Even if you’re an animal lover, there are likely to be certain critters that you’re not happy sharing your home with. Pests like mice, rats, ants and cockroaches can contaminate food – which could cause you to get ill. Certain pests like mice and termites may also cause structural damage to your home. And then of course there are certain animals that can leave a nasty bite or sting such as wasps or certain spiders.

Such pests are typically attracted into our homes by the light, warmth and smell of food. It’s possible that you could be inviting them into your home without realizing. By understanding why pests are attracted to your home, you can work out ways of keeping them out. Below are just a few ways in which many of us invite pests into our homes.

Open windows

Leaving windows open can be important for ventilating your home. However, you could be letting in various pests by doing this – particularly at night when most of these critters are active. Insects like mosquitoes are drawn to light and will fly through an open window to get to any light source. Spiders will meanwhile typically crawl into homes in fall to seek warmth.

Shutting your window at night could help to keep out critters. Alternatively, you could try looking into installing bug screens on windows – these allow air to flow through, while keeping critters out. These are particularly worth installing if you live in a mosquito-prone area such as near a lake or marsh.

Cracks and gaps

Many pests will get into your home through cracks and gaps in the walls. A crack that is a 4th of an inch wide is often enough for a mouse to enter. Pests like ants can meanwhile get through the tiniest of cracks.

If you’ve got an infestation, it could be worth hiring pest control experts such as these Terminix pest control professionals to inspect your property and locate all possible openings. You can then seal up any of these cracks and gaps to stop pests coming in. Sealing up cracks and gaps will also keep your home insulated and prevent leaks. Be wary that certain cracks may be a sign of a more serious problem such as subsidence and may require a home inspection to fully diagnose.

Crumbs and food spillages

By failing to clean up crumbs or food spillages, you could be attracting pests such as rodents and cockroaches looking for food.

Make sure that any food mess on the floor is cleaned up immediately. This can prevent your home from becoming a buffet for pests.

Dirty dishes

Do you often go to bed without washing the dishes? Leaving those dirty dishes on the side could be an invitation to rodents or ants.

If you’ve noticed pests in your kitchen, it could be worth getting into a habit of washing up all dishes or putting them in a dishwasher before you go to bed. It’s at night that most pests will come out – with no food sources out in the open, they may not have a reason to enter your home.

Unsealed food

Pests like ants and cockroaches are often attracted to sugary snacks that are left unsealed – especially in hotter weather. Starchy foods like pasta and cereal can also attract pests like mice and cockroaches.

Avoid leaving a cake on the kitchen side or a bowl of fruit out on a warm day as it will likely become a target for critters. When it comes to opened packets of pasta and cereal, consider transferring them into plastic containers where they cannot be easily accessed by pests.

Unsealed garbage

Bluebottles love to nest in garbage. Animals like foxes and opossums will also raid garbage cans and bins if they are given the chance.

Make sure that garbage is always sealed in a bag and that cans and bins are shut. You can buy pest-proof bins which are much harder for animals to get into.

Untreated leaks

Some pests like cockroaches love moisture. An untreated rainwater leak or plumbing leak could entice a cockroach to make their nest there.

If you’ve got leaks in your home, patch them up immediately to stop them becoming a magnet for pests. This will also prevent issues such as mold from occurring.

Undisturbed clutter

Cluttered garages, attics and sheds are a popular place for pests to make a nest. Animals will quickly realize that they can nest here without being disturbed.

If you’re a hoarder and you’re looking for another reason to cull your clutter, this could be it. Getting rid of clutter zones in your home and regularly accessing every part of your home will prevent pests from settling in.

Anne

5 Tips to Keep Young Children Safe this Christmas

December 1, 2021 By Anne

Pixabay

Christmas is an occasion of joy and celebration for everyone. It is a wonderful time for people of all ages, from your elderly grandparents to your beautiful newborn baby. But despite the jubilation and coziness of the festive period, it can be a dangerous time if you’re not careful.

The lead-up to Christmas is often a stressful time with lots of activity. Your regular routine changes and there will be new people and unfamiliar objects all around your house. For young children it can be overwhelming and confusing, with plenty of perils afoot for unwary parents.

If you are a new parent or have relatives with young children visiting this winter, there are some steps you’ll need to take to ensure your home is kid-friendly. To guarantee a disaster-free Christmas, here are a few tips to keep little ones safe and happy.

Fire safety

If you are lucky enough to have a home with a fireplace, Christmas is probably the only time of year it gets used. There is nothing cozier than sitting around the roaring flames with your loved ones, drinking hot chocolate and playing board games. But fire and young children do not mix, and the last thing you want is your cozy evening to end in disaster. Ensure your fireplace is securely protected with a good-quality fireguard to prevent curious children from getting too close. Don’t get too inebriated when handling fire, and keep candles away from flammable objects like decorations and Christmas trees.

Choking hazards

When buying presents for little children, ensure they are from a reputable retailer and conform to safety requirements. Check the age rating on games and toys and make sure there are no small parts that could pose a choking hazard. Christmas crackers and decorations always feature tiny objects that could easily get lodged in a child’s airway, so keep these safely out of reach or eliminate them altogether.

Falling

For a young child, Christmas is an unbearably exciting time. They will be rushing around to open presents, chat to visitors, and play with their new toys. With a home full of clutter and people, this is a recipe for disaster. Keep floors and stairs free from mess, and keep children out of harm’s way.

The kitchen

Christmas dinner is one of the most stressful parts of the big day. You have to prepare numerous different ingredients and stick to exact timings, all while keeping your guests happy and entertained. The kitchen will be a chaos of food, heat, and sharp objects. Keep your kids well away from the food preparations to avoid cuts, burns, and scalds.

Dangerous substances

One of the best things about Christmas for many adults is the large quantities of alcohol lying around the house. But it’s easy to become careless with the booze and let it end up in the hands of a wandering child. Alcohol can be poisonous to infants, even in small amounts, so be vigilant in clearing away bottles and glasses at all times.

Anne

How You Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint In Everyday Life

November 29, 2021 By Anne

With the world as it is more people need to start doing something to rescue their carbon footprint and become more eco-friendly to help reduce the damage that is being done to the planet. For a lot of people, they are already doing something to help be more eco-friendly and reduce their carbon footprint but for others, they may not know where to start or what can actually be done to make a difference. The first thing you should know is that you can have an impact, many people think they won’t have an impact but this collective mindset is the problem, if you can start then someone else may notice and also try and so on.

If you are looking to rescue your carbon footprint but you are unsure where to start or you are looking for more ideas, then hopefully, these tips will help you to understand what you can do to be more eco-aware and reduce the impact that you are having on the planet.

Source: Pexels

Recycle and reuse

One of the easiest and best places to start with reducing your carbon footprint is with how you dispose of your waste. More and more people are trying to recycle which is a great start but you should look to reduce the waste you are creating, this can be done with reusable water bottles, using reusable straws etc. there are lots of things you can now get to rescue how much plastic and waste you are creating. If you cannot reuse things then make sure you are recycling them correctly, too much goes to landfills that could have just been recycled and this can have such a big impact on the planet. You should also look to try and donate items you no longer want instead of just tossing it out. If you can try to fix things too instead of replacing them this can help to cut down your waste and make sure you are recycling better.

Switch to sustainable energy

Renewable energy has a lot less impact on our planet than fossil fuels so switching to sustainable energy is going to help really make an impact on the world. This can be done in a few ways, you can find an energy provider that uses renewable energy for their power or you could make your home solar powered. Both choices will help to rescue your carbon footprint but both have different costs. As normal with paying for your power, you will be billed as normal for the power you use.

However, making your home solar powered is more of an investment, you can purchase the solar panels and get connected for an initial cost, then you are going to be only using your solar energy to power your home and batteries should you get them for backup. You can also make money off of the solar to help recoup costs, this is done by putting any energy not used back into the power grid for other providers to use who will actually pay you for doing so, which means you can make your money back and reduce your carbon footprint.

Switch things off

If you tend to leave appliances on or on standby they are still going to be drawing power unless switched off by the plug. Even if you have a phone charger plugged in and it isn’t being used it will still be drawing some power so make sure you switch off all your devices and appliances when you are not using them, and make sure you do not have things set to standby, although this can be convenient it will still be costing you money and increasing your carbon footprint. This goes for your lights as well, a lot of people tend to go room to room and just leave the lights on, try and turn them off when you leave a room and then back on if you reenter it, this may seem minor but can help reduce your bill and your carbon footprint.

If you struggle to remember to switch off plugs or devices then getting smart tech like some smart bulbs and plugs can really help with this as you can switch them off and on with your phone and see what lights are on giving you more control over them. You can also set timers up and things like that to help make sure that things are getting switched off when they need to be.

If you struggle to reduce your carbon footprint or you are unsure how you can reduce it or go greener in your daily life, then these tips should help you to understand what you can do to be more eco-friendly and reduce the impact you are having on the planet.

Anne

Top Ways To Reduce Stress This Christmas

November 29, 2021 By Anne

Image Credit: Daria Yakovleva from Pixabay.

Christmas is a magical time, but a lot of work goes into that. Between buying presents, planning out parties and other activities, and much more, it can often feel overwhelming. That could end up in a lot of stress.

Nobody wants to go through that, so you’ll want to get rid of this as much as possible. Planning things ahead of time will be the most recommended way of doing so. You should focus on a few particular areas when you’re doing so.

While you could still feel a little stressed, it should be minimal compared to what your stress levels otherwise would have.

Avoid Stressful Situations

You’ll know better than anyone what will cause you to start stressing. It’s worth avoiding these as much as you can. If you’re able to plan this in advance, then that could be recommended. Deciding not to host a party, for instance, will cut out a lot of stress.

The same can be said for multiple other things involved in the big day. That could also mean avoiding certain relatives or other people. While you’ll need to be tactful with this, it can be more than worth it.

Simplify As Much As Possible

One of the easiest ways to reduce stress this Christmas is to simplify whatever you can. You can focus on quite a few things with this. Dinner on the day itself could be one of the more important areas.

If you want to make sure everything’s high-quality but relatively low-effort, you could look up a few recipes online. Looking up how to make buttercream frosting from Preppy Kitchen, alongside a few other recipes, can cut down on your preparation and cooking time.

While you’ll still have to put in some effort, it’ll be much less than many other meals. The meal itself will be just as good, if not better.

Set Aside Time To Relax

When most people plan out their Christmas activities, they focus solely on what they need to get done. You’ve likely done the same thing before. If you have, you might’ve found that you’re still rushing around and don’t have much time to yourself.

Everyone will naturally want to avoid that. You could find yourself running around too much otherwise. That’s why it’s vital to set time aside for yourself. Taking the time to relax is more than recommended throughout the holiday season.

You might find that that’s easier said than done. It could be worth learning to say ‘no’ to some things. If you don’t, you could find yourself getting overbooked relatively quickly. Between that and running around to different activities, you’ll be much more stressed than you’d want.

Turning things down, provided they’re something you don’t have the time for or don’t want to go to, will avoid that. Combined with each of the tips above, that could reduce your stress levels quite significantly during the festive period.

Between that and the positive aspects of the holiday, there shouldn’t be anything stopping you from enjoying yourself.