Working Parent Stories
  • Home
  • Why
  • Stories
    • Index
    • Feedback
    • Submit >
      • Guidelines
      • Updates
    • Inspiration
    • Tips | Thoughts | Ideas
  • Book
    • Amazon-WW
    • Gifts
    • Borrow Book
    • Book Club
  • Store
  • Contact
    • Services
    • Connect
    • Subscribe
    • Metrics

Index of Stories

​3 Tips to Help Your Kids Make Healthy Choices (Without Breaking the Bank)

1/16/2021

0 Comments

 
Submitted by Amanda Henderson with Safe Children
Picture
You can lay the foundation for healthy habits that last a lifetime
If your children constantly beg for cookies or sugary fruit juices, it can be hard to figure out how to get them on a path to a healthier lifestyle. It all begins with you. The example you set about nutrition and exercise can help them grow into healthy adults, and the great news is that keeping your kids healthy doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here are three ways that you can help your kids make healthy choices while sticking to a budget.

  1. Be a Role Model
    As a parent, you lead by example, especially when it comes to a healthy diet. Whether your kids admit it or not, they're watching you. While your children are growing up, it’s very important for them to consume healthy foods that have the nutrients they need to develop properly. So, make sure you are eating healthy foods as well. Instead of cutting out certain foods, try to focus on an overall healthy diet. Limit processed foods like packaged crackers and chips, as well as sugary drinks like soda. Try to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets by adding pineapple chunks and strawberries to their school lunches or mashed-up carrots to sweet potato.

    It’s also important to be a role model for everyday healthy habits that range from washing your hands to brushing your teeth. Most parents know that regular hand washing helps prevent the spread of illness, but did you know that your oral health can affect everything from your heart health to your mental well-being? Help children connect healthy-eating habits to these two routine tasks so they stick with them. For example, tell them how much more they’ll savor every bite of their carrot sticks if they’re eating them with clean hands and that brushing their pearlies twice a day ensures there are no old, yucky food bits standing in the way of every delicious bite!

  2. Help Them Develop an Exercise Routine
    Sometimes it can be hard to get your child outside for exercise. Sometimes it seems like video games and computers have taken the place of playgrounds and other outdoor activities. Try to make exercise fun for the entire family. If you’re on a tight budget, you can go to a local park and throw a Frisbee around with your children or take the bikes out of the garage and go for a ride. If you don’t have time for these kinds of activities yourself, and you're able to set some money aside, sign them up for an after-school sport or another physical activity. Whether they’re interested in soccer, baseball, tennis, flag football, or gymnastics, an after-school sport will help them get the regular exercise they need to lead a healthy life. It will also help them make new friends and get them used to regularly working out, which is a great habit to learn early on.

  3. Learn How to Shop on a Budget
    When it comes to shopping on a family budget, it can become challenging to stick to healthy habits. It might be tempting to simply grab a frozen dinner, but there are some better ways to eat budget-friendly healthy meals. Many food bloggers have done the hard work to find ways to do this, so leverage the healthy and inexpensive recipes they post online. There are even ways to exercise in the latest workout attire, by taking advantage of online savings opportunities when you shop (like using Adidas promo codes).
 
It doesn’t take a lot of work to establish healthy habits, and practice always helps them stick. By being a role model for your children and keeping communication open about everything from how much something costs to why it’s good for you, you can lay the foundation for establishing healthy habits that last a lifetime. 
Picture
This story was submitted by Amanda Henderson with Safe Children
0 Comments

A (Funny) Pregnancy Story

11/12/2018

0 Comments

 
Pointer to a very funny story by Clay Heath
Picture
"... my wife feels a little off color, but so far I’m feeling fine."
New and expecting dads (and moms) are likely to enjoy this very funny take on being a supportive partner when pregnancy challenges arise in A Pregnancy Story. The author, Clay Heath, has a knack for seeing the humor during a time of great stress - at least in hindsight!
Picture
Clay Heath is a father and husband who works at tech start-ups and tweets as @JustAManStand.

​
0 Comments

Priority Check

11/7/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Many of us find it difficult to prioritize our own needs.
Recently, I spoke with several friends who are also mothers. It seemed like each one of them was complaining about the same thing: They were running around like headless chickens who were tired and worn out and they had no time for themselves.

As working parents we are often pulled in many directions and bombarded with multiple demands at the same time: Your boss wants the report in ten minutes, a child wants a treat now, the laundry basket is overflowing, and we badly need a haircut. The list goes on and on.

Whether you are a working parent with one, two, three or more children, or even the parent of a special needs child, the demands on you and your time seem endless.
 
Many of us find it difficult to prioritize our own needs above those of others. And sometimes it feels like we are losing ourselves in the process.
 
While it is important to take care of others, it is essential to take good care of ourselves first. Like the airlines remind us: "Put the oxygen mask onto your own face before helping small children and others". If we can't breathe or function, it's impossible for us to help others.

Taking good care of ourselves has to be a priority! Whether this means going for a run, doing yoga, meeting with friends, or just taking a few minutes to sit down and relax. 

Make these rituals ruthless priorities! They help us feel better and stay sane. Plus, your children will benefit by learning and appreciating that taking good care of oneself benefits everyone. Remember: It is not selfish, it is self care.
Picture
The author of this story is a hard working mother whose ruthless priorities are Yoga and Nordic Walking.
0 Comments

And Then I Got Sick

5/31/2018

0 Comments

 
Submitted by Zoe Withers
Picture
"It turned out to be a good opportunity for our kids ..."
I had so many plans, but they all went by the wayside when I got sick (and I mean really sick) recently. As a co-founder at ThinkBaby.org, I regularily devote time to writing and cultivating articles for our readers on a wide variety of topics related to children including baby gear, feeding babies, and recipes. Readers appreciate that we provide thoughts about a lot of things which you can see when you scan some of our most recent stories which included thoughts on things like healthy toddler sleep habits, toddler play, and comparing free-style vs. forced parenting. 

Being sick was no fun, and I hope I'm never that sick again, but some unexpected good did come from it. 

​It turned out to be a good opportunity for our kids to bond and interact with both sets of grandparents who were nice enough to swoop in and take care of them whilst I was completely out of action, and my husband was working. I'm grateful that they were willing to keep our house together and our kids fed, bathed, nurtured and loved during the last weeks.  

Thankfully I'm feeling great again and am back at it; managing the kids, the house, the web site, and the work. Check out my latest story:  
Infertility & TTC: Why Self-Love is the Most Important Thing.
Picture
Zoe Withers is a mother, wife, and co-founder of ThinkBaby.org. She is also an author and bookkeeper.
Picture
0 Comments

Some Days I Really Dislike Facebook

10/14/2017

0 Comments

 
Submitted by Maggie
Picture
Thankfully my husband was willing to sacrifice his career to help our son, and I was capable of taking on the role of breadwinner.
I love Facebook. It lets me catch up with old friends, share news, and learn more about the world - even fake news. But Facebook becomes the enemy when I read about the accomplishments of my friends’ children. Though I delight in their news and smile at their many accomplishments, I feel envy and a touch of exasperation - this could have been my child.

Our son Daniel is on the autism spectrum. At age two he was diagnosed for PDD/autism and began a long road of intensive therapy and development. This forced a decision on my husband and me; who would stay at home to become his full time caregiver, therapy administrator, and advocate? My husband, Dave, volunteered to take on that role. It's a role that all the training in the world never prepares you for; staying home with a special needs child. I continued working, and thankfully I was capable of taking on the role of breadwinner.

Daniel is now 21 years old and has very limited communication skills. When he is able to connect daily events and report back on a day’s activities, I want to post about it and sing his praises. But I fear that his stories about stocking candies at Walgreens and spotting rainbows, which are delivered in one-two word sentences, might sound trivial and banal to the average Facebook friend even though we know the effort required for him might be equivalent to another child making the honor roll. When he's able to make a connection and tell us about it, it brings a level of joy I wish I could share with others, but I get that most wouldn't understand or appreciate it.

There is a poem that I keep close and read often. It’s called Welcome to Holland, and it speaks about raising a special needs child and the different experiences you discover along the way. The experiences are different than what you probably expected, but not at all bad.

A mother once told me that the secret to parenting is to be long on patience while maintaining a sense of humor. Special needs parents also need to persevere in a way that most parents can't understand. This means looking for the "honor roll accomplishment" in everything that their special needs child does. It may not be Facebook material, but it certainly is wonderful for me,
Picture
Maggie is a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and marketing manager. She earned master's degrees in business and English literature.
​Related stories:
  • You Are A Superhero
  • The Rainbow Child ! (blog post)
  • Precisous son, I'm your father 
    ​(The Hindu, India's National Newspaper)
Read More Stories
Don't Miss a Story
0 Comments

Avoid Back-to-School Bugs

8/18/2017

0 Comments

 
Submitted by Jim Haselmaier
Picture
Our daycare provider, who was also a nurse, taught us a lot about how to avoid sharing viruses among family members.
Managing personal and professional obligations is a challenge on a good day. When unexpected complications pop up it gets even harder to keep everything and everyone on track. You probably know what I mean; a meeting that runs late, a call from the school, realizing that you've got two different colored socks on as you prepare to meet with your customer, or, a family member that gets sick.

When someone gets sick at home, the challenges can mushroom into even more problems if other family members end up with the bug. And being sick yourself is often the worst because, in addition to feeling lousy, you start to fall behind at work and at home as the ratio of "doers" (aka "parents") to those needing attention (aka "kids") gets out of whack.

Read More
0 Comments

Stress Test

8/6/2017

2 Comments

 
Submitted by Jim Haselmaier
Picture
"... I was too stressed out to return to the Stress Management class."
When our first child was about six months old and we were in the throes of being new parents, I started feeling weird. I didn't exactly feel sick, it was more like I was feeling really stressed out and anxious. I was pretty worried that there was something seriously wrong, so I went to see a doctor.

Based on the doctor's questions, it became apparent that my "illness" was stress; we had a new baby and my job was intense. The doctor also helped me recognize that my coffee consumption had gone way up. His suggested remedy: Cut down on the coffee; Try to get more sleep; And take a stress management class.

So a couple of weeks later, I'm in a large conference room at the local hospital attending my first stress management class. As I'm contemplating the info the instructor is sharing, the phone on the wall rings. (There were no cell phones back then.) The instructor stops instructing the class, answers the phone, and the room quiets as everyone listens to her end of the conversation. Then she turns to the class and asks, "Is Jim Haselmaier here?" I raised my hand. She says "Your wife and daughter are in the emergency room downstairs."

Read More
2 Comments

    The Stories

    Picture
    Paperback | Kindle | Audible
    Read More Stories
    Don't Miss a Story
    WorkingParentStory

    Archives

    March 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017

    Categories

    All
    Authors
    Balance
    Book Review
    Childcare
    Children
    Choices
    Compensation
    COVID 19
    COVID-19
    Crisis
    Culture
    Depression
    Eldercare
    Encouraging
    Fathers
    Finance
    Flexibility
    Fulfillment
    Funny
    Goals
    Guilt
    Health
    Independence
    Inspiring
    Kids: 5 12
    Kids: 5-12
    Kids: All Ages
    Kids: Babies
    Kids: Teens
    Kids: Toddlers
    Laundry
    Meals
    Medical
    Mornings
    Most Popular
    Mothers
    Parental Leave
    Perceptions
    Pregnancy
    Provacative
    School
    Self Esteem
    Self-esteem
    Stamina
    Stress
    Teachers
    TED Talks
    Telecommuting
    Tenacity
    Thought Provoking
    Time
    Tips
    Travel
    Videos
    Wage Gap

    RSS Feed

Working Parent Stories

Copyright © 2022  |  Working Parent Stories  |  Colorado, USA  
Photos used under Creative Commons from barnimages.com, marcoverch, truewonder, donnierayjones, shixart1985, Gustavo Devito, edenpictures, nan palmero, quapan, The Pumpkin Theory, bark, opassande, Semtrio, Didriks, shawnzrossi, madprime, marksmorton, CT Arzneimittel GmbH, NwongPR, franchiseopportunitiesphotos
  • Home
  • Why
  • Stories
    • Index
    • Feedback
    • Submit >
      • Guidelines
      • Updates
    • Inspiration
    • Tips | Thoughts | Ideas
  • Book
    • Amazon-WW
    • Gifts
    • Borrow Book
    • Book Club
  • Store
  • Contact
    • Services
    • Connect
    • Subscribe
    • Metrics