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36 Good Habits - That Parents Must Teach Their Children
Children look up to their parents through their lives. Parents are always a point of reference for their children, someone they turn to for guidance whenever they run into trouble, and children pick up this habit early on in their lives. As they grow, children imitate their parents' behaviour and actions, and parents are the role models for their kids. Their wisdom and habits inevitably pass on to kids. Thus, it is important to teach the children to differentiate between good and bad habits, and choose the good ones.
Video: 10 Good Habits Parents Must Teach Their Kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpYvr2kIAUs
Must-Have Healthy Habits For Children
Inculcating the right manners and healthy habits for children can feel like an uphill battle. But you must be patient and lead them towards the right path. The points described below can be considered healthy habits which kids must have:
1. Healthy Eating
Pro Tip: Make food colourful.
Kids are mostly inclined towards demanding more fast food, chips, sweets, biscuits, and chocolates. You need to make them believe that even healthy food can taste equally good. They can be served a homemade version of noodles, pasta, cakes, cookies, and pizza too.
In order to make children develop this healthy habit, go the colourful way – make it a target to eat each colour of the rainbow once a week, which means eating foods of different colours in a meal. Not only does it have health benefits, but also ensures that the kids have fun eating. Parents should set a healthy example by eating regular, nutritious, and well-balanced food.
2. Physical Activity
Pro Tip: Don’t encourage sitting, move often.
Allowing your children to sit and get comfortable on the sofa and watching television would be a big mistake on your part as a parent. Do not let your kids get into a sedentary lifestyle. Encourage them to get them going, maybe for a walk or exercise or send them to play outdoors. Plan a family activity, make it something fun, and get your kids involved. Educate your kids that being a couch potato, has adverse effects on the health. Some of the health hazards a sedentary lifestyle poses are as follows:
Obesity
Trouble sleeping
Attention disorders
Emotional and social problems
3. Focus on Food-Nutrition Labels, Not Designer Ones
Pro Tip: Encourage children to read and understand food labels.
At a certain age, especially around their teenage years, your kids get interested in the labels of their clothes. Start educating your children about the more important labels that they should take notice of from a young age – food labels. Once they get into this habit, encourage them to learn about the nutritional value of food in the same way.
Show them their favourite packaged foods and point out the vital information on the nutrition labels. Make it a habit for them to read those labels, analyse the nutritional value, and then decide its worth. Advise them to focus on key ingredients such as the amount of saturated and unsaturated fats, sugar, calories, and carbs. Your conscious efforts will help develop healthy habits, which they will carry for their lifetime.
4. Enjoy Family Meals Together
Pro Tip: Make it a priority to enjoy dinner time together.
In the hectic life that we live today, there is hardly any quality time left to spend with family and elders. A busy work life could end up meaning you are unable to sit with children and listen to their stories and personal issues. Make it a priority to enjoy dinner time together with all your family members. You can discuss a number of things and share your views with each other; this will have a long-lasting impact on your children. Other benefits of eating together include the following:
Children start getting comfortable and adjust well in the family
Children develop good eating habits and avoid junk food when with elders
Bonds get stronger
5. Healthy Hydration
Pro Tip: Drink water, not soda.
Drinking soft drinks is the most common trait adopted by small children emulating elders. You need to guide your children and reinforce the importance of drinking water and avoiding soda.
Simply tell the kids that water is healthy and helps to get rid of a number of diseases; whereas soft drinks are unhealthy, as they have a lot of sugar content and add up calories, causing weight issues. Educate them that water is a vital resource, and should be taken in good amounts to maintain proper hydration. When your kids realise how important water is for their bodies, they are sure to choose it over unhealthy aerated drinks.
6. Cleaning Up The Mess
Pro Tip: Provide an organised environment for your growing children.
Cleanliness must be taught to children by default early on in life. Start by organising things properly around kids. When they get accustomed to seeing things in an orderly fashion, they will want to keep them that way too. Once they are old enough, you can assist them and allot time to clean up the mess and place them appropriately. By doing it regularly, they will soon learn and make an effort to organise their things themselves.
7. Be Responsible with Money
Pro Tip: Give them a budget.
As soon as your children become responsible enough to use money to go and buy things, you can start educating them about the value of your hard-earned money. You can get your children into the habit of saving money, by giving them pocket money once in a while, or keep a piggy bank with them.
Give them a budget and encourage them to manage their expenses and save money. This way, your children will learn the value of money and start saving.
8. Sharing is Caring
Pro Tip: Start by encouraging sharing at home.
Children should know the value of certain objects, learn to be grateful, and be modest enough to share it with those who cannot afford it. Also teach them about the intangible things that can be shared, such as emotions, feelings, and stories. Children will learn to share with their family first – parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, extended family, and then with other people. This attitude of sharing will make him or her a better person.
9. Don’t Litter Public Spaces
Pro Tip: Carry a plastic bag to collect your waste; bring it home and dispose it in your dustbin.
Raise your children to be civilised and responsible citizens. Explain that public spaces are not for littering and that one should throw waste into the nearest dustbin. Help them develop this simple habit, and ask them to follow it in all places, as it will help them develop into better people. Make it a habit not to litter, and your children are sure to follow your example. Always look for dustbins to throw things when outside the house. You can carry a small plastic bag with you when you step out of the house and collect all your waste in it – empty water bottles, paper napkins, etc. Bring it home and dispose it in the dustbin instead of simply leaving it at the table in the restaurant, or tossing it on the side of the road, or out the car window.
10. Be Courteous
Pro Tip: Treat people the way you would want your children to treat them – with respect, and courteously.
Being courteous is a virtue admired by everyone. Teach your kids to respect people, be it elders or young ones. Explain to them that even if they encounter someone they are not very fond of, they should be polite and part ways in a decent manner. They should be calm and cordial with everyone. These qualities will stay with them all their life, and they will be always looked upon with respect. Start by treating your children with respect first, and you will see they will pick up on this habit on their own. Be courteous with the maid. Children see, children do.
11. Be Unbiased
Pro Tip: Encourage and foster multicultural friendships.
Children are born innocent and unbiased, and the distinction is a part of social conditioning. As a parent, all you need to do is keep your children away from the tendency to discriminate. Guide them to be unbiased and treat all people equally, be it rich or poor, friend or enemy. You can encourage them to be friends with children of any religion or caste.
12. Do Not Harm Animals or Birds
Pro Tip: Show children documentaries and animal shows on TV.
Children usually get excited around animals and birds. Some feel attracted, some fear them, some get defensive, while some stay calm. They should be educated that animals and birds are living creatures that communicate in their own ways and can be friendly. They should learn to differentiate between creatures that are harmful and those which are not. Advise them to stay away from harmful ones and be kind and friendly to pets. You can educate them about the same by showing them documentaries and animal shows on TV.
13. Exercise Regularly
Pro Tip: Enroll your children for some sport.
Set a routine for yourself and your family to spend some time together for a physical activity such as walking, jogging, swimming, exercising, or doing yoga at home. Exercise will prove beneficial to the entire family in the long run. Starting it early in the children’s routine will keep them active, fit, and flexible. It will help set a healthy lifestyle for your children. Add some excitement to your workout by putting on music. The best way to do this is to enroll your child in some sport. It will teach them valuable life lessons too, the biggest being that of sportsmanship.
14. Do Not Criticise or Bully Anyone
Pro Tip: Always point out mistakes and flaws constructively.
Criticism can make or break young children. At a young age, not everyone is wise enough to take critical comments positively. Parents need to keep a watch and closely guide their children on their interaction and mannerisms. Children should be made to understand that criticism can hurt others, hence they should not speak ill about others. Unnecessary teasing or bullying someone you hardly know just for the sake of fun is wrong and not acceptable. Make it a point to never ever speak ill of family members in front of your child.
15. Be Honest
Pro Tip: Do not lie to your children. Even white lies are lies. Try and be as honest as possible, at all times.
Honesty is a very important virtue and needs to be enforced in kids from childhood. Being a parent, you are the role model for your children. Your actions and words have the greatest impact on them, positive as well as negative. Be honest at all times, especially in the presence of kids. Motivate them to speak the truth under all circumstances.
16. Patience and Perseverance
Pro Tip: Encourage them to take up gardening, or cooking.
It is rightly said ‘Patience is a virtue’, as those who are patient can be at peace, and in today's stressful world, peace is what everyone seeks. Inculcate the trait of being patient early in your children, so they will grow to be calm and peaceful. Teach them to relax, keep calm, and wait for their turn or for certain things to happen at their own pace. Assure them that patience certainly pays off, and any adverse situation can be dealt with at ease. Encourage them to take part in activities such as gardening, or cooking, where results are not instant, and patience is required.
17. Pay Gratitude
Pro Tip: Cultivate the habit of praying twice a day.
Foster a humble attitude in your children and teach them to be thankful for all things, big and small. Cultivate the habit of praying twice a day, after waking up in the morning and before going to bed at night. Follow it yourself, and your kids will learn from you
18. Wash Hands
Pro Tip: Teach them about germs and diseases that they can pick up due to unclean hands.
Washing one’s hands before and after meals is the most common etiquette taught to students from kindergarten. Let them know that washing hands can prevent common diseases such as flu, cold, and other infections. You need to teach them the following basic rules:
Wash your hands before and after meals or after playing in sand
Use clean dry towels, or maybe tissues, to dry hands
Use antibacterial hand wash
19. Brushing Twice A Day
Pro Tip: Do it together – brush your teeth along with your child.
Oral hygiene is very important and requires to be taken good care from early childhood. The habits imparted early on will stay for a long time. Often kids get lazy when it comes to brushing their teeth, but this routine task should not be taken lightly. As a reward, you may occasionally treat them with their favourite sweets. Educate them about the proper ways of brushing:
Brush daily and twice a day
Gargle post meals – This helps avoid bad breath and cavities
Floss the teeth at appropriate times
Clean the tongue using a tongue cleaner
Do not share your toothbrush
20. Clean Ears
Pro Tip: Do it as part of drying up after a bath.
Ears are one of the most vital organs of your body. Neglecting the cleanliness of your ears may lead to a lot of discomfort and even infections. One must take extra care to clean the ears regularly right from infancy. The outer ear should be cleaned with water and wiped with dry towel daily. As children grow, you can teach them to clean their ears themselves.
21. Daily Showers
Pro Tip: Shower twice a day during summers.
Showering is a basic necessity and is recommended for people of all ages. It needs to be done the first thing in the morning after waking up. You can make your children shower twice during the hot days of summer. Alternatively, your kids should take a shower when they come home after playing outdoors. Showering rejuvenates the skin and makes them feel fresh, ready for the day, as well as for a good night’s sleep.
22. Keep Hair Clean
Pro Tip: Teach children the proper way of combing their hair.
Kids need to keep their hair clean. The scalp and hair often get dirty during travelling or playing outdoors. They should wash their hair often, minimum once in two or three days. This will keep them safe and away from lice infestations, dandruff, and excess hairfall. Make it a habit to apply oil on their scalp regularly before washing. Also make sure you use a comb that touches the scalp too while combing their hair. This improves blood circulation in the scalp, and promotes healthy hair growth.
23. Keeping Nails Short
Pro Tip: Explain to them how their nails can cause germs to enter the body
Babies often tend to put their fingers in their mouth, so it is necessary to keep the nails clean and free from dirt. As children grow, you can coach them about the necessity of keeping their nails short and clean. You can explain to them how their nails can cause germs to enter the body through scratching or through the mouth, thus making them sick.
As your children grow old enough to join school, you need to start coaching them about the value of good health and good habits. Apart from the above-listed healthy habits, here are some essential ones for school children to follow:
24. “Please”, “Thank You”, and “Sorry”
Pro Tip: Use these words as often as you can, with and in front of your children.
You should teach your children the three magical words “Please”, “Thank you” and “Sorry”, which will help them tackle many issues with ease. The habit of using these golden words also makes one respected and admired in society. Your children will come across as polite and warm-hearted people. Practise using these words with your kids often, and soon they will use these greetings frequently.
25. Helping Others
Pro Tip: Encourage children to help one person everyday.
Raise your kids to have a helpful nature. Show them the path of humility and generosity. Encourage them to provide a helping hand to those in need whenever and wherever possible. Do your part; help people, be it a friend or a stranger, in presence of your kids, but at the same time, caution them to be careful with strangers.
26. Having A Healthy and Positive Mind-Set
Pro Tip: Inculcate optimism.
Kids are very sensitive and get discouraged easily by small things or when things don’t go their way. It is very important that you get involved and talk to them so you are aware of what your children are going through and what they think about, so they don’t get into any negative self-talk. Avoid false praise; instead, ensure timely acknowledgement of their achievements and efforts. You can help kids develop self-esteem by assuring them of their capabilities and unique qualities and stress that they are loved no matter what. Try to develop their thinking to be logical and practical, so they can have a positive mindset and think accordingly when faced with challenging situations throughout their life.
27. Spend Time with Friends
Pro Tip: Organise play-dates on weekends.
It is said that friendships made in school stay for longer, maybe even for a lifetime. This is because children have innocent minds; they make friends without any selfish motives. And at a young age, friends play a very important role in the social development of your children. Children learn valuable life skills such as communication, socialising, cooperation, problem solving, and teamwork by being with friends.
During teenage and adulthood, good friends become a part of your kids’ support system. Encourage your children to make friends and spend time socialising and relaxing with them.
28. Don’t Skip Breakfast
Pro Tip: Ensure they have a nutritious, healthy start to the day.
Breakfast is the most important meal for all ages. It is especially mandatory for children and school-going kids, as it kick-starts the brain, metabolism, and body functions and provides energy throughout the day. You can provide your kids high-fibre cereals in their breakfast, as they help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart diseases. Getting used to breakfast will prove beneficial for them in their adulthood. Let them know the harmful consequences that skipping breakfast has, and reiterate that not eating in the morning increases the chances of getting obese.
29. Table Manners
Pro Tip: Start early, and encourage independence.
After a certain age, children insist on having meals themselves. Though they may like holding spoons and forks, they fail to do so properly and create a mess instead. They need to be trained to eat on their own in the right manner. You may treat them as grown-ups and start showing them the etiquette of having meals in an appropriate way.
30. Engaging in Regular Physical Activity
Pro Tip: Dedicate 40 minutes to some sort of physical activity everyday.
Children should be kept physically active by engaging them in activities they find interesting, be it playing sports, music instrument, swimming or gymnastics. This habit will enhance the growth of your children in every way. Kids will stay healthy and alert; they will learn to be strong and may likely continue these activities in later adulthood. If your children are not keen on sports or dread going to gym class, keep encouraging them to try new things and expose them to other activities. Sooner or later, they will definitely find something challenging, pleasurable, and fun.
31. Read Every Day
Pro Tip: Make it a part of your children’s bedtime routine.
The best way to inculcate the love for reading in your children is to make it a part of your children’s playtime and bedtime routine. Choose books which would make reading a treat for your children. Make it a daily habit and maintain it, as it will help build the children’s self-esteem, enhance their reading skills, and develop their imagination, vocabulary, and creativity. It proves beneficial in improving relationship and communication with parents.
32. Value Time
Pro Tip: Encourage punctuality.
We are aware of the phrase “Time is money” and know the value of time as well as money. Children need to be taught to make proper use of time, learn to get ready on time, follow daily schedules, and be punctual.
Make them understand the need of being on time to school, because they may be punished for not being punctual. As a family, you may attend several functions or parties. Make sure you reach before or on time for every occasion, and as the children grow, they will inculcate the same habit.
33. Sleep On Time
Pro Tip: Set a regular bed-time routine.
Sleep is most crucial for a growing infant as well as for a developing child. You need to instil the routine “Early to bed, early to rise” in your children early on during their infancy. School-going kids need to be active and energetic every day, for which they require adequate sleep. Sleep helps the body retain all the energy lost during the day. Sleeping early will help your children get enough rest, making the kids feel fresh and active the next day.
Put your children to sleep early and sleep along with them. Having you close will make your children feel secure and have a sound sleep
Go to sleep daily at the same time; this will help set the pattern for the children, and they will learn to sleep on their own
Avoid letting your kids sleep for more than the required time at a stretch. If needed, the children can have a short nap during the afternoon
34. Accept Defeat
Pro Tip: Support them through their failures.
Children are prone to feel upset if they fail. It is your responsibility as a parent to support them and motivate them to take the defeat in a positive way and give their best next time. They need to be informed about life’s ups and downs and made to understand that not every defeat is permanent. It is not always about winning or losing. The effort you put in and the progress you achieve are important too.
35. Work Hard
Pro Tip: Teach your children that there are no shortcuts in life!
Enlighten your kids with the importance of working hard. Cultivate the habit of putting in their best efforts in whatever they do, be it reading, writing, or any constructive work. They should learn the fact that good luck alone does not favour success; it requires strong determination and hard work. You may give your example to your kids explaining how hard you work to earn a living.
36. No Smoking, Drinking, and Drugs
Pro Tip: Quit these habits yourself, and your child will follow suit.
Habits such as drinking, smoking, and drugs largely depend on the family background and upbringing. Ensure that you are fully involved in your children's lives, knowing their shortcomings and supporting them at every stage, as neglect and a lack of communication leave the vulnerable to external influences. You need to educate your kids about such unhealthy habits and teach them to keep away under all circumstances. Also, warn the kids against coming under the influence of peers. As a parent, you can help by firstly not drinking and smoking yourself.
You may teach your children discipline, but whether your child implements it or not will depend on how well you, as a parent, inculcate it in day-to-day life. Show them the right path and encourage them to stay on it, with positive reinforcement and praise.
Also Read:
Toddler Behaviour Problems & Their Solutions
20 Good Manners To Teach Your Kids Read more
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Baby Kicking During Pregnancy
Your pregnancy may seem surreal till the time you begin to feel your baby's movements. Till then, the main symptoms that help you realise that you are pregnant are related to discomforts, such as nausea and morning sickness. However, once your baby is big enough to make movements that you can feel, your pregnancy starts feeling more real than ever! This is a very exciting phase for every mother-to-be.
Just as it is with every aspect of pregnancy, there are many exciting facts about your baby’s kicks in the womb too. When your baby is really small, he has enough room in your womb to move around. He can be rather restless and active in this phase without you having any inkling of it. However, as he grows bigger, the constraints of space will limit his freedom of movement. Nonetheless, don't expect your baby to stay still despite this. Prepare yourself for plenty of activity at this time too.
Although every baby has his or her own personality and activity levels that make every pregnancy unique, there are certain facts that mothers can use to determine whether everything is progressing as it should. To be able to read the signs, let us look at the different factors that are closely associated with baby kicking in womb during pregnancy.
Video: Baby Kicking During Pregnancy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNwPcWndYgE
Exciting Facts About Feeling the Baby Kicks
1. Kicks Indicate That The Baby is Not in Distress
One of the best things about feeling your baby's kicks is that it is a clear indication that your baby is fine and not in distress. Hence, it is a way to identify if all is well with your baby. The movements will build up over time. However, once your baby is big and fills most of your womb, the movements will be slower due to lack of space. Nonetheless, they will be strong and should usually follow a definite pattern.
2. There is No Fixed Time for Baby Kicking to Start
Once your pregnancy is confirmed and you are past the initial discomfort, one of the questions in your mind is in which month of pregnancy baby starts kicking? You may even be perplexed when others around you seem to relentlessly ask you the same question. So, in what month do you feel your baby kick, or rather, by when should you feel your baby kick? One fact to remember is that every pregnancy is different. There is no hard and fast rule as to when you will feel your baby move. Some women feel it early on in their pregnancy, while it is much later for others. This can also vary in each of your pregnancies, if you have had children before.
3. Most Moms-to-be Feel Baby Kicks Between 16-25 Weeks
Normally, baby kicks can be felt between 16 and 25 weeks of pregnancy. If you are a first-time mom, expect to feel the movements closer to the twenty-fifth week mark. If you are concerned that there is no evident movement even after you cross this mark, you should consult your medical practitioner. There are also several instances when your baby has been kicking all along, but you haven't been able to associate the feeling you experience with the baby's kicking. This is because the baby's kicking may not really feel like a real kick in the initial stages. It is a soft and barely discernible movement that gathers strength as time progresses and then becomes evident.
4. It is Recommended to Track Baby Kicks
Experts suggest that mothers should keep track of their baby's movements to ensure all is well. You do not have to do this constantly. You can fix a certain time of the day, when you dedicate a few moments to simply observing the movements of your baby. Make a journal if required, and observe how long it takes for you to record a certain number of kicks. Although there may be variations over the day, this should help you associate a pattern to determine when your baby is active and when he sleeps or rests.
5. Baby Kicks Can Get More Pronounced at Night
One of the questions that many pregnant women ask doctors is why do babies kick in the womb at night? In fact, many mothers lose sleep due to the continuous activity of the babies at night. The reason for this is that your baby tends to be alert and active when you are resting and there isn't much chaos around. It is also because you may not notice the baby's movements during the day, when you yourself are rather active. However, the movements tend to be more pronounced during the night when your body is resting.
6. Baby Kicks Don’t Indicate Hyperactivity
As your pregnancy nears full-term, you may also wonder - was the baby kicking too much during pregnancy? Although you may be concerned that your unborn child is hyperactive and if it is a sign to worry, it is rarely the case. It just means that your baby is fine and active, and if anything, it is a good sign.
7. Baby Kicks Get Affected by The Mother’s Diet
Baby movements are also related to the things you consume. You may observe that your baby becomes excited and shows active movement following a meal. This is because of the sudden surge of energy from the food you consume. Stimulants like caffeine can also cause bursts of activity for your baby. If you think your baby is being too active for your own benefit, consider cutting down on sugary stuff and caffeinated drinks, and you should be able to see a positive difference. If baby makes sleep time disturbing for you, try to stand up and walk around for a short while. This may coax him to relax and settle down, and allow you to sleep better.
8. Track Your Baby’s Kicks After Consuming a Meal
The initial feeling of baby kicks is often comparable to bubbles popping or butterflies fluttering in your stomach, rather than evident kicks. You can identify if it is actually your baby by observing the pattern and keeping watch for when it occurs. Since babies prefer to increase their activity levels after their jolt of energy from a meal, it is a good idea to spend some time observing the activity after you finish a meal. You should be able to identify it then.
9. Baby Kicks May Be Felt Sooner in Second Pregnancy
Many second-time mothers wonder - when does baby start kicking in second pregnancy? The fact is that these mothers usually find it easier than first-timers to identify baby movements. Since your body adjusts to this consecutive pregnancy better, it is also likely that you feel your baby movements earlier than in your first pregnancy. However, this will also depend on the activity levels of your baby.
10. Your Partner Will Be Able to Feel the Baby Kicking in Third Trimester
What begins as fluttering movements in your stomach will soon quicken and become obvious signs that your baby is in action. As your pregnancy progresses into the third trimester, the baby's movements may even be visible from the outside. It won't be that long before someone who places their hand on your stomach can feel the kicks of your baby.
An important indicator of the baby’s health, kicks are not only the first communication you have with your baby but also a parameter you should track. An even pattern is a reassurance that the baby is doing well. If you find any changes to the regular pattern, it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor about it. Read more
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5 Tips to Keep your Garden Evergreen!
Raising children and managing a house all at once can be difficult; it's important to take a break, even if just for a few minutes. A well-kept garden can serve as a soothing retreat, especially when it's well-groomed and bloomed!
Seasonal Gardening Ideas You Can Try
1. Pick plans wisely
Don't be tempted by the prettiest flower in the nursery; it may not always be a good choice. When picking seeds or saplings, find out whether they're low-maintainance and will be able to survive the elements reasonably well. Native plants and flowers can be easier to take care of -although if you do want exotic plants, ask the nursery for details on how to nurture them.
2. Soil plays an important role
Different plants thrive in different types of soil. Select plants that'll floursh in the soil in your garden. Find out what type of soil you have by conducting a simple test - take a handful of earth and feel its consistency. Is it sticky and a little slick? It's probably clay soil. If it's gritty, it's very likely sandy soil. Peaty soil feels spongy while loamy soil feels very smooth. You can ask a professional for help if you have difficulty determining the type.
3. Give plants enough sunlight and water
Once you've planted your lot, you need to make sure you take good care of them. Besides adding fertiliser, water them when needed and let them get adequate sunlight. Different plants need different amounts of water and shade so do the needful by asking the nursery. An additional seasonal gardening tip- you can water your plants without wastage! Simply save the unsalted water in which you boil your vegetables and sprinkle it on your plants!
4. Control invasive plants
Some plants are invasive and if left unchecked, they can force existing plants to compete for resources. They can also take up a lot of space in the garden as they multiply very quickly. If you do happen to grow invasive plants, control the growth by cutting deep plastic pots from the bottom and burying them inside the ground so that they surround the plants on all four sides.
5. Keep it pest-free
In order to keep your garden healthy, you need to keep pests at bay. Slugs, snails and armyworms may seem tiny and harmless but they aren't to your garden. Do away with decaying leaves and weeds and check the garden regularly for them. If they do happen to set up home, you can use home remedies such as salt, vinegar and dishwashing soap to get rid of them. If this doesn't work, shop for a good herbicide or pesticide.
These seasonal gardening tips will help you keep your garden healthy and colourful. Let it be your perfect escape when things get chaotic. You can even have impromptu botany lessons with your kids amidst the blooms, accompanied by a scrumptious picnic! Read more
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How to Overcome Self Doubt - Follow These Easy Tips to Boost Your Confidence
Every one of us goes through a time when they doubt themselves or question every decision they make. No phase in our life is without a tinge of self-doubt. It creeps into the little things in one’s life and makes us hold on to heavy and unnecessary baggage that you could easily do without. You cling on to sad memorabilia, dead-end jobs, and energy-sapping relationships because you fear that you cannot do better than this. If left unchecked, this doubt could take over your entire life and have you doing the bidding of everyone else because you don’t believe in yourself. Before you know it you have become a miserable and hollow shell that is living somebody else’s life. Understand how and why self-doubt affects a person and what you can do to overcome this.
Why and How Self-Doubt Keeps You Stuck?
There are a plethora of reasons why self-doubt creeps into your life. Past mistakes, your environment and upbringing, constant comparisons with others, or a fear of failure could amount to one doubting themselves at every step. Being told that you are good at nothing or being called ‘slow’, ‘dunce’ etc. as a child could shroud your confidence levels and set you up for failure from a very young age.
Self-doubt can be limiting and self-belittling in many ways. It compels you to believe that intelligence is a trait that is fixed and that you cannot do anything to change that. This coupled with fear of underperforming can lead to you refusing new responsibilities, downplaying large achievements, or even telling yourself that you are not good enough for the job. You start attributing any success to external factors like a good boss, or an excellent teacher rather than credit yourself with the win. This is known as the imposter syndrome were successful and deserving people have felt that they do not deserve their accolades. Over time this can lead to a toxic feeling of reduced self-worth and creates a cycle of poor performance and further failure.
Tips to Deal with Self-Doubt and Trust Yourself Again
Health and wellness require a stress-free mind. It is important to break the cycle of self-doubt and failure and nurture positive thoughts for a healthy and well-balanced life. Here are a few things that you could do to overcome self-doubt.
1. Stop Constant Comparisons
Do not constantly compare yourself with the people around you. When you look at the accomplishments of a colleague or a friend and aren’t quite there yet, you start to feel inadequate. Someone will always have something better than you. Better cars, bigger houses, higher scores, leaner figures, more well-behaved children, countless medals, quicker promotions, or fancier vacations. But remember that we each have our own journey and everything has its own time to fall into place. Also remember that there are scores of less fortunate people out there whose lives may never change.
2. Take Action and Monitor Progress Along the Way
That seed of self-doubt will blossom if you let your ideas and thoughts fester. Convert your plan into action and make sure that you chart your progress along the way. If you hit a snag, find a way around and continue on your path until you have reached your goal. Do not let your mind play the devil’s advocate by pondering over and rethinking every idea. ‘What if’ will always remain a plan if you don’t implement it. Also remember that if you are waiting for yourself to change before taking action, then you should remember the adage- tomorrow never comes.
3. Remind Yourself of Past Successes
Psychologists believe that focusing on past wins can boost your confidence and improve how you feel in the present. When you focus on past successes, it is important to remember the positive. If you dwell on negative feelings that you had during that success, you will be bound to fail in your current endeavour. Don’t always pass off credit for a win to external factors or the environment. Take pride in having persevered to succeed and recall the joy of succeeding.
4. Remember That What is Holding You Back Lives Inside Your Head
Fear is important because it prevents us from being over-confident and allows us to learn new things. But crippling self-doubt at work or fear of attempting something new can only hold you back and prevent you from ever discovering vast new possibilities. Acknowledge the fear but remind yourself that you can, and you will do what needs to be done. People achieve great things when they move past their fears.
5. Stay Positive and Choose to Be Surrounded by Positive
Surround yourself with believers. Talk to family and friends who always share positive reinforcement. This will help you remember that you are worth it and that you will do your best no matter the outcome. Think positive thoughts and talk positive words which bolster your confidence and your self-image.
6. Forgive Yourself for Your Perceived Failures
Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves for what we presume to be our failures. We beat ourselves down and don’t give ourselves another chance lest we fail again. Be brave enough to attempt once more what you didn’t succeed at. Be strong enough to accept that somethings can take more than just a single valiant attempt to crack. There are times when you are so close to success when you give up, but you wouldn’t know because you didn’t try again.
7. Meditate to Calm Your Mind
Meditation is a powerful tool that helps channelise your inner and outer energies. It can align the sub-conscious with what the conscious mind wants and help your body to be aligned to achieving it too. Use videos and podcasts specifically made for self-doubt meditation purposes to guide you until you can do it on your own.
8. Use Body language to Your Advantage
Thoughts, feelings and behaviours are deeply connected. If you slouch and frown, reading happy news could also be off-putting, and you will feel negative. Likewise, if you have a positive feeling, then the thoughts that accompany will be strong and healthy, and so will the consequent action or behaviour. So stand tall, straighten your shoulders and put those hands on your hips and say, I can do this.
9. Remember Each Adversity That You Lived through Successfully
Talk to yourself about all your lowest points in life and how you managed to sail through them. Remind yourself that you are a survivor and that you have managed to get past severe adversities to make it up to now and you will surely power through anything else that life throws at you.
10. Have a Learning Mindset
It is easy to have a mindset that is put off easily. It is much easier to give in that stay strong and fight. Remember, however, that if you switch to a learning mindset, then you will take feedback from every fall, not failure. You will give yourself credit for trying, working hard, and being in the game.
11. Reframe Your Confidence
Doubt is good, because it helps you ask the right questions and arrive at answers. Suspicion about your abilities is bad because it leads to sickness. Doubt yourself a little, but attempt everything anyway. Let not your self-doubt anxiety take away your confidence and charisma.
12. Read and Watch Powerful and Positive Material
Inspire yourself with success stories of common people. Surround yourself with books and videos that tell tales of ordinary people who achieved extraordinary feats. Such material can give you a positive boost and get your adrenaline rushing to conquer your fears.
It is easy to create a self-imposed prison through fear and lack of confidence. What is tough is, breaking out of your shackles and reaching for the stars. You may fall in the process, but dust the mud off and fly again.
Also Read:
How to Develop a Positive Attitude
Simple Ways to Love Yourself
Ways to Forgive Yourself and Move Ahead Read more
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6 Mistakes to Avoid When You're Shopping for Sofa-beds
The best thing about a sofa-bed is that you can use it any way you want. You can flip it open to turn the room into a bedroom or you can flip it back for your guests to use. Sofa-beds are the most effective and versatile pieces of furniture that one could own. From being one of the most uncomfortable furniture pieces to becoming one of the most reliable and easy-to-use pieces of furniture in the market, sofa-beds have come a long way in terms of experimentation and up-gradation. Yet there are people who make common mistakes while shopping for sofa-beds online.
1. Buying Without Looking at the Frame
The frame of the sofa should be strong and durable as it has to handle the weight of your body not only when you are sitting but also when you are lying on the bed. Sofa-beds which are made of hardwood which are kiln-dried or plywood which is furniture-grade or a combination of both are considered to be the most reliable ones. Sofa-beds made out of soft wood like pine needs to be avoided. You can easily search for the best sofa-bed designs online and get the right furniture for your space.
2. The Swift Mechanism is Left Unchecked
Before buying a sofa-bed, make sure that it has a swift mechanism to open and fold. When you feel sleepy, you wouldn't want to put a lot of effort and strength into opening the sofa and losing all your sleep over this task. Hence, check carefully whether the mechanism to operate the sofa-bed is smooth.
3. Not Checking for Rough Edges
Usually, people see the outside part of the sofa-bed and decide to buy it. When the time comes to spread the bedsheet over it, people see that it has rough edges and that the bedsheet is going to rip from the sides. Thus, it becomes important that the edges are smooth so that no bedsheet gets damaged.
4. The Quality of the Mattress is Usually Neglected
To get good and sound sleep, the quality of the mattress tops the priority list. Having a thick mattress is not always a good choice. For sofa-beds, normally a thin and better-built sofa that offers good support is considered to be the best.
5. Buying a Sofa-bed Without Measuring It
Another important aspect that is ignored is the measurement. Before looking for furniture stores near you to buy a sofa bed, make sure that you have proper measurements of the space where you will place it, and of the doors as well so that you do not have to face trouble when installing the sofa.
6. Buying Without Testing
People usually buy sofa beds online without asking for free testing. Just because the sofa bed has the right measurements and mattress does not necessarily mean that it is going to provide comfort in all forms. There are different aspects too that you need to look closely. So choose the company which offers a free trial service with an easy return policy and then decide on buying the sofa-bed.
Sofa-beds are primarily used for seating purposes. Hence, look for all the features that you would normally look for when buying a sofa. The only change would be in the type of mattress and its mechanism. So go ahead and buy the best sofa-bed and have a wonderful experience of using it.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her. Read more
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 4 months
1 hour ago
Q. #asktheexpert
why are my vomitings not stopping even in 5th month of my pregnancy. and constant headaches.
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
1 hour ago
A. this is seen in some people which my continue in second trimester also. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
1 hour ago
Q. is it normal to have 2 dominant follicles in Right ovary? Today is my D8 and the size of both the follicles are 20x18mm and 19x18 mm Is it normal.
and left ovary follicles 12x18mm.and ET size 7.89
pls advice
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
1 hour ago
A. if it is induced one then there can be chances. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
POOJA KOTHARI has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
1 hour ago
Q. what should I eat for a healthy baby in my 3rd month of pregnancy.kindly suggest a healthy diet routine
POOJA KOTHARI
Mom of a 7 yr 1 m old boy
1 hour ago
A. Whole grains — like brown rice, millet, oatmeal, bulgur, and whole-wheat bread. Proteins — like lean meats and chicken, eggs, seafood, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, and tofu. Low-fat or fat-free dairy — like milk, yogurt, cheese, lactose-free dairy, and fortified soy beverages (soy milk) or soy yogurt.
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
1 hour ago
Q. in which month of pregnancy we should start excercising for normal delivery
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
54 mins ago
A. no exercises vigorously only moderate walking ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
1 hour ago
Q. #asktheexpert
I am 28 weeks pregnant and feeling breathlessness and Always tired ... is this normal ?
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
53 mins ago
A. this cannot be normal always better to see the doctor once. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
5 mins ago
Q. My 4 year baby have always complaint of abdomen pain.
Dr Vandan H Kumar
Paediatrician
3 mins ago
A. if the child is having abdominal pain give syrup colicaid or syrup cyclopam 5 ml to the child for now
then you have to meet the doctor to find the cause of abdominal pain because it can be either due to gas or due to worms or some other abdominal pathology or gastroenteritis, constipation, digestive issues.
in the meantime it is advisable to give only easily digestible food to the child and water andx buttermilk curd rice and dal.
can give poha upma daliya and fruits.
avoid milk products , packet foods and fried items and heavy diet.
you can continue anti-colicx medicines and your doctor may add antacids for the child for few days it will help in decreasing the gas as well as bloating.
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