Parenting Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Oh My Heartsie Girl

October 31, 2018

Post Baby: Snapping Back to Your Old Self

Becoming a mom is a wonderful experience, but sometimes you can lose yourself in the process. Once you give birth, everything is all about the baby, as it should be, of course, being that we are their protectors and nurturers, but getting back to your “pre-baby” self is just as important.

Maybe you enjoyed hot yoga or going to get your hair and nails done…just because you brought a wonderful human being into the world, doesn’t mean you have to stop doing what you enjoy or change what makes you, you.

The biggest change you experience post-baby is your body. It’s definitely an adjustment, to say the least, but it also doesn’t mean you’re defeated…in fact, the changes your body goes through after giving birth should be looked at as empowering.

Women are powerful beings and are capable of limitless things. So we are going to look at how to get our bodies back to how we looked before our bundles of joy.

Get Your Mind Right

We’ve all heard the saying “you can do it if you put your mind to it.” Well that saying is very true. We have to have it in our minds that we want to get back to our old selves…we are our biggest critic.

After having a baby, you’re of course going to be tired, sleep deprived, and probably cranky. Some perks are that your parents, friends, and family are all going to be there for you for support…a lot of times, they’ll be happy to babysit, even if it’s just for a couple of hours to give you a break for a nap.

There’s just something about babies that make people cater to your every need..take full advantage of that!

Remember, we are only talking about our mindset right now. Having the right, the positive mindset will be the motivational jumpstart you need on the road to new beginnings. This whole process starts with you. Your mind can defeat you before you even get started…if you let it.

Water Water Water

When trying to get your body to bounce back to what it once was, water is crucial. It provides the hydration you need without the added calories.

Being that our bodies are made mostly of water, it’s an essential part of our body’s functions and processes. Drinking water aids in the elimination process, flushing out wastes, as well as digestion.

If you’re having trouble with controlling your portions, a trick you can do is drink a glass of water before eating your meal; it will help you feel full faster. The goal is to eat untill you feel content, not necessarily full. A lot of times we’ll eat and say “I’m stuffed,” when really, we should eat to live, not live to eat.

Diet

It’s very important to make sure you’re eating, and eating enough. Skipping a meal is so easy to do when your dealing with the demands of a new baby.

Breakfast is a common meal people skip all the time. A trick you can do is eat when your baby eats. If you’re an on-the-go mom, then an on-the-go breakfast is more fitting for you.

For lunch and dinner, sometimes, it’s a lot easier to grab something quick, like chips, cookies, or ordering a pizza, but on the road to renewal, being aware of what we eat and how much we eat is key.

Don’t give up what you enjoy, just be mindful. Remember, we’ve already established the determination mentally, now we just have to apply the determination and be disciplined to eat right.

Exercise

Exercise is also a key component to your snapback body. You don’t have to go to a gym and kill yourself. The goal is to get your heart rate pumping.

Getting your heart rate up can take the forms of walking or jogging, riding a bike, or swimming. You can even include your little one in the mix. Pull out the stroller and take the baby on a morning stroll with you.

There’s really no perfect way to exercise. If you’re at home, put your favorite song on repeat and dance your heart out! Exercise in combination with eating right is truly the best way to snap back.

Exercising increases your metabolism, which in turn, boosts your energy levels. And energy is just the thing you need when adding another little human being to life…but with exercise, it’ll make the load a little lighter.

Go At Your Own Pace

Pace is one of the biggest causes of giving up and having feelings of defeat. You must know that there is no specific time frame you have to follow to get your pre-baby body back.

It can be hard to mentally stay positive when you see that it took Khloe Kardashian 3 weeks to get her body back post-baby, but you also have to consider these celebrities lifestyles too. Many of these celebrities have personal trainers that come and work them out. They also have personal nutritionists that will prepare their food…they don’t have to lift a finger.

Whether you need to lose weight or gain weight, only you know your body and what works for it. If it takes you 3 months to bounce back that great! If it takes you a year and a half to bounce back, that’s great too! The point is that you’re consistent and you keep pushing, so don’t limit yourself to anyone’s timeline.

Help Other Moms

Nobody really talks about the struggles moms go through everyday post-baby. There may be other moms out there experiencing the same kind of feelings as you, and it’s so helpful to communicate with others about it.

One thing that’s really helpful is starting a blog about it. The first step you want to take in starting a blog would be to pick and register a memorable and relevant domain name. Doing this will allow you to share your story and help other moms in the process.

A long time ago, they used to say that to raise a child, it takes a village, well that saying is true for the most part. The only difference now is that, that village, has now spread across the world wide web. That’s not a bad thing either. Helping other moms around the world by sharing your story and experiences is a wonderful thing.

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Related:
Tips for a Happy Pregnancy
Focusing On Your Health During Pregnancy
Things to Figure Out Before Having a Baby

September 20, 2018

Ten Things Every a Teen Needs to Know About Life

Adolescence is a bridge between childhood and adulthood. While as a teen you are always in a hurry to grow up and leave your parents’ house, there some life hacks that you need before you can start becoming an adult.

Life is about the choices that we make. The right decisions when formed as a teen can have a long-lasting impact when you become an adult. Navigating through life as a teenager can be challenging and difficult,but with the right tools, you should be able to make the right decisions.

It is okay to walk alone

The pressure to fit in is very real during the teen phase of life. To fit in, you will need to do stuff the other kids are doing. These can include drinking, smoking, having sex, violence, or watching porn. It is understandable to want to be loved and fit in but engaging in some of these habits can destroy your future. Engaging in meth abuse, for example, can cause you to have serious psychiatric problems and can lead you to early death. It is better you walk alone than be in the wrong company.

Your parents could be right

Teenagers will at some point clash with their parents. It is like they do not understand what you are going through. But, the truth is that they were in the same place you were in at some point in their lives. During this period they made both good and bad decisions; the reason they give you instructions every day is that they do not want you to make the same mistakes they made. When you are young, there are many things that you cannot see the whole picture. This can include the consequences of teenage pregnancy. Parents love you and want the best for you.

Internship will save you in your future job

Instead of clubbing and binge-watching on Netflix during the summer holidays, you can choose to find some internship in a company of your choice. The skills that you learn during this period will come in handy when you finish college and start job hunting. It is evident that employers will often select someone with experience and is acquainted with their culture as opposed to someone who is “green.” You also get to earn income, which you can learn how to manage.

Being in a healthy relationship

Toxic relationships cost you a lot. It is critical that you learn how to engage in healthy relationships. If you are in a relationship where your partner is controlling, overly possessive, abusive, hurtful or aggressive to get you to sleep with them, it could be the right time to break up. It is important that you know who you are as a teen and learns how to assert yourself in a relationship. Assertiveness includes the ability to express your opinions without fear of been judged. When you are assertive, you know when to say No to something that will ruin your life.

Not everything revolves around you

As a teen, you may get this idea that you are the center of the universe and everything and everybody should revolve around you. This makes some teens to be attention seekers. As a teen, you need to be mindful of the needs of other people. The teen mindset operates from the point of instant gratification. You want something now,and it cannot wait until another time. Parents are often confounded when they are asked to buy the latest games or phones without any due consideration to other pending bills.

Take care of your body

We live in a world that glorifies sex. We are confounded with sexual images in our living rooms – through the TV – magazines, games among others. The pressure to engage in premarital sex is very real for a teenager. It is equally important for parents to teach their teens about the consequences of risky sexual behavior. If you plan to engage in sex, then protect yourself from STDs, and early childhood pregnancy by using a condom. Abstinence, while not primarily promoted in our cultures, is an excellent way to have values and stick to them. You can also ask your parents to connect you with a doctor who should answer any questions that you have concerning your body.

Learn how to save

It is essential that teens learn how to save from an early age. Saving is one way in which to grow wealthy and stay away from debt. Due to the principle of compounding money increases over time. If you start saving early, you will see your savings grow,and this can save you one day when you are in need. You can ask your parents to give you tasks like washing the car or mowing the lawn in exchange for an income. Get a cookie jar and start saving.

Learn how to cook

You are not going to eat mama’s food forever. It is essential that you learn some form of independence during adolescence and cooking is one useful skill that will come in handy during adulthood. This extends to washing your own clothes.

Body changes are normal

It can be scary when their changes going on in your body. Hair starts appearing in private areas, you suddenly have pimples, and for girls, you start menstruating. Learn that these are vital for the next step of adulthood. You are no longer a child,and your body is responding to the hormonal changes going in your body. Do not be ashamed of this. Talk to an adult you trust for advice.

It Ok to say NO

If you feel pressured to do something that you do not feel comfortable doing, learn that it is perfectly normal to say NO. No is a full sentence. Don’t let anyone pressure you to do something that you will later regret.

Conclusion

While teen years are marked by rebellion, confusion and at times promiscuity, it is a great time to learn more about yourself. You can take responsibility of your life and make the right decisions.

September 4, 2018

3 Ways That You Can Improve Your Wellbeing as a Parent

Parents are often expected to make the impossible happen on a daily basis, and on most days, they probably do. However, seeing as they’re half superhero and half human, there are days when they happen to fall short. If you’re a parent, you can likely relate with this and understand how challenging it can be to find a balance. For this reason, it’s important that when taking care of everyone else, you also remember the importance of your overall wellbeing. To help you find ways to do this, you’re going to find three ways you can improve your wellbeing as a parent in the following article.

Check on Your Health Regularly

Life can get extremely busy as a parent, seeing as it’s a fulltime job. For this reason, making sure you make the time to check on your healthy regularly is essential. You can do this by scheduling appointments to get a physical examination with your health provider on a regular basis. Some of the things that they’re likely to do include updating your health history, vital sign checks, visual exams, physical exams, as well as lab tests which require them to draw blood. These checks should ensure that everything is intact health-wise, and you shouldn’t need them more than once a year unless you’re experiencing anything abnormal.

Set Aside Time for You

Creating time for yourself is key, especially as a parent who no longer seems to own their time. It can seem like every minute you get is divided between your kids, domestics, and work but you’ve got to make time for yourself as well. A failure to do so could result in exhaustion, high levels of stress and in some cases, it could trigger depression. This could lead to things such as substance abuse and addiction as a means of coping, so try and find healthy ways to unwind. If you’ve struggled with an addiction before, you may have found ways to achieve adult sober living successfully, so avoiding things that could trigger a relapse is key. Ideas of things you can do in your alone time include going to the spa, yoga, meeting up with friends, catching a movie, or taking yourself out to eat your favorite meal.

Don’t Take on More Than You Can Handle

As a parent, you may feel as though you can handle everything but this isn’t usually the case. You should, therefore, be realistic about what you can handle and avoid taking on more than you can. Some ways to do this include avoiding trying to do everything in one day, being more organized, and learning to say no. For those who struggle with saying no, some tips to help include saying yes to something else, being firm, and not giving excuses.

As a parent, your wellbeing is just as important as everyone else around you. It is imperative that you take time out to pamper yourself, check how you’re feeling and ensure you’re in good health. Doing so ensures the many people that you love and nurture on a daily basis have a happy, healthy and whole mommy around them in years to come.

July 7, 2018

Potty Training 101

“When your child is finally ready to start the journey of potty training, it can be difficult to know where to begin, especially if it’s your first child. What equipment do you need? How can you ensure your child learns what to do in the best possible way? In this infographic all the basics of potty training are condensed into a clear and concise format to help guide and keep parents and tots stay on track.”

Source: Mom Bible