Category Archives: Tips and tricks

Handy ideas on how to deal with everyday problems

February 15, 2022 · 1:36 pm

Family-Friendly Outings and Activities to Combat Nature-Deficit Disorder 

By Emma Grace Brown

Image via Pexels

If your kids spend much of their time cooped up indoors, you may be worried about nature-deficit disorder (NDD), a term that describes the physical, mental, and emotional effects of spending too little time in nature. To assist you in getting your children outside and teaching them to appreciate the great outdoors, we’ve put together the following list of backyard activities and nature-based outings for families. NannySavvy invites you to read on to get started! 

Unique Strategies for Getting Your Kids Outside

These days, it can be tough to pry those kids away from the television or iPad, but don’t worry. Here are lots of things you can try.

  • If your little one has a fondness for bugs, or you want to prevent them from developing an irrational fear of insects, Fatherly suggests you try sending them on a backyard bug hunt. And if they’re really ambitious, you could even challenge your little nature-lover to build a backyard bug hotel!
  • If you’re looking for something cheaper, how about installing an in-ground trampoline?
  • If you’re looking for some fresh air and fairly easy set-up, a badminton net is one idea that never gets old.
  • Ready to cool off from the hot sun? Then follow these instructions for building a backyard splash pad.
  • There’s more to camping than tents and s’mores, including this whole list of games and treats to get the most out of your backyard.
  • Keep in mind that any major changes you make to your home can have a huge impact on your home’s appraisal value if you decide to sell.
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Nature-Based Outings for the Whole Family

Looking to venture a little further than your own backyard? Well, we have you covered there, too!

Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on Pexels.com

There you have it: a variety of family-friendly activities to get you and your kids outdoors and exploring the natural world around you. Whether you build an outdoor basketball court or go mountain biking as a family, you’ll be exposing your children to the great outdoors while protecting them — and yourself — from nature-deficit disorder. 

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October 5, 2021 · 10:21 am

Unique Christmas Gifts for Caregivers in 2021

By Katie Tejada

Caregivers are the heart of many families and facilities. Most caregivers are responsible for both the physical and emotional care of their patients. From various illnesses, disabilities, or injuries to handling financial and legal affairs, caregivers do it all, often without much recognition. If you’re looking for meaningful gifts to give a caregiver, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look at 5 unique Christmas gifts that are perfect for caregivers in 2021. 

Custom Photo Prints

Memories can fade, but photos make a moment last a lifetime. Give a caregiver a custom photo print from a special moment that they treasure. Every time they look at the picture, it will trigger those fond memories that will stay with them for years to come.

Religious Trinkets

Being a caregiver is not always easy. Gifting a caregiver with a religious trinket may help them feel motivated and inspired throughout their day. If you know a caregiver who is dedicated to their faith or one who would appreciate a spiritual boost, this gift idea is definitely the way to go. 

Floor Cleaning Robot

Most caregivers are tired and exhausted at the end of the day. A floor cleaning robot is an exceptional gift choice. While they’re busy tending to the needs of others, their floor cleaning robot will be busy making their floors spotless. This gift is perfect for caregivers who move in and out of their homes quickly. 

Engraved Chairs

Engraved children’s chairs are great gifts for caregivers who enjoy spending time with their grandchildren, Godchildren, nieces, and nephews. Most people who love spending time with children like to ensure they have a comfortable space while they’re away from home. 

Engraved children’s chairs are beautifully handcrafted with solid maple. Allowing them to be comfortable and sturdy. This gift is not only unique but it is also timeless because it can literally last a lifetime. Add the family’s name to the chair and enjoy seeing it be passed down from generation to generation. 

Self-Care Basket

Self-care baskets are ideal gifts for all caregivers, although women may appreciate them just a tad bit more. Whether you’re searching for gifts for women or men, a self-care basket is a great choice. Here are a few items you can put in a homemade basket to encourage your favorite caregiver to pamper themselves every once in a while:

  • Bath bombs – Bath bombs are great for unwinding after a long day
  • Cocktail glasses – Perfect for solo wine nights at home or intimate date nights in the living room
  • Candles – The right scent, like lavender or eucalyptus, can provide excellent aromatherapy
  • Body oil – Most caregivers do not wear heavily scented fragrances while at work. Body oil is a great way to moisturize skin while also adding a subtle scent to the body that isn’t too strong
  • Snacks – You can’t go wrong with snacks! Add a few of your caregiver’s favorite snacks to their self-care basket, they’ll enjoy having something to munch on throughout the day

Wooden Sign

Coming home to an uplifting wooden sign in the perfect place is a great feeling. Gifting wooden home decor is tasteful, timeless, and appropriate. Because of their unique look, wooden signs can effortlessly be placed in any room – regardless of colors or themes. Help your favorite caregiver make their house feel like a home with a beautiful wooden sign this Christmas. 

Photo by Giftpundits.com on Pexels.com

If the gifts on our list didn’t particularly catch your eye, there’s no need to worry. Regardless of whether you’re choosing a gift on this list or not, the top two things you can keep in mind are:

  • Pampering gifts – Everyone needs to take care of themselves, but especially those who work tirelessly to take care of others.
  • Gifts that make life easier – Gifts that make life easier are a dream for most caregivers. Imagine not having to worry about a clean floor at home after spending the day cleaning up after others or instantly feeling encouraged when you enter your home

We hope this list is helpful and you have a wonderful time Christmas shopping for a caregiver who has impacted your life. 

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September 28, 2021 · 12:33 pm

5 Ways to Teach Mathematics to Your Young Toddler

By Annabelle Fee

Mathematics is a key subject at the school level and a vital one to understand for everyday life. However, it can be tricky to bring a toddler’s attention to it and help them to grasp how interesting it can be. Here are a few tips and tricks you can use every day to teach mathematics to a young toddler without them getting bored.

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1. Make It A Shared And Fun Activity

Toddlers can easily start learning the shapes and meanings of numbers by the time they are 2 so there is no such thing as too early. Make counting and recognizing numbers a daily activity and you can always make it fun by using music (or even musical counting videos on Youtube) or by aligning it with a fun outdoor activity. Using musical numerical rhymes such as one-two buckles my shoes is also a way to get them to retain numbers better.

Practice counting forwards and backward and encourage children to apply this knowledge to their own daily routine such as counting toys or building blocks. This number sense can then be applied to adding and subtracting albeit on a minor level; for example, if you had 5 dolls but I took 3 away how many do you have left? These daily activates will mean they will pick up what is being taught in school very quickly because of its familiarity.

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2. Daily Tasks Can Be Mathematical Too

Encourage your toddler to do daily tasks like setting a table or setting cups but give directions like ‘there should be 3 plates for 3 people.’ This can also be done when they are role-playing in games such as with a doctor’s playset or a toy kitchen. Furthermore, get them to sort items or toys into groups and then count them. For example, certain toys like cars should be in one group and so on and you can get started on basic word problems from there.

As with any learning initiative involving very young children, patience is an essential virtue for a parent as any children’s tutor that specializes in math tuition will tell you. Your child may take his/her time to grasp concepts and even then the result might not be what you want but it is important to remember that the mind loves repetition and the best learning is the type done consistently with practice over a period of time.

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3. Encourage Spatial Skills

Mathematics is in part about measurements, directions, shapes, and sizes. Encourage your toddler to notice these aspects in his/her environment on a daily basis. ‘How high do you think that slide is?’ or ‘how fast do you think you were running?’ Direction, movement, positions are all geometric principles they will learn later in their school life but you can give them starters and a preliminary understanding.

Also allow your toddlers to use basic measurement tools such as a ruler or measuring tape. Let them measure objects around the house like tables or chairs and write down what they think the measurements are. It might be too early to teach them the units of measurement such as centimeters or inches but you can give them a primer and just let them follow the numbers on the tape or ruler.

Photo by Sam Lion on Pexels.com

4. Shapes And Sizes

Shapes such as a square table or a round plate or clock are easy shapes for a toddler to recognize and be familiar with. Teach them about the dynamics of shapes and sizes and tell them to point out these shapes as they see them when they are at home or walking around. Buy specific educational toys that inspire toddlers to recognize shapes such as Legos, puzzles, shape blocks (that give you shapes to fit inside a special cube), and so on. Online games on tablets and phones are also available but toddlers should be kept away from the blue light in devices as there is a great deal of research saying it impairs cognitive development at that age.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

5. Undertake A Project

Plan a collaborative project with your toddler such as creating a table from scratch or putting together a swing set and allow them to help you. During the process, point their attention towards various aspects like measurements, shapes, and sizes. Let them see that mathematics does not exist just in theory but has practical real-life daily applications that can be a ton of fun. Allow your toddler to undertake measurements or help put an item together and praise them, you can always correct it later! 

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July 12, 2021 · 1:33 pm

Productive Personality Development Activities You Can Do With Your Child This Summer.

By Samidha Raj

Photo by Tatiana Twinslol on Pexels.com

Summer is a great time to plan new activities with your children. With schools off, children have plenty of time for fun and learning activities that you can do together. You can choose from a plethora of activities that are fun for the whole family. Summer can also be a great time to engage in productive activities for a child’s personality development. Such activities are crucial to develop your child’s confidence, communication skills, and most importantly, to help parents understand their child’s dominant personality traits.

Personality development activities are great for parents and children to know each other better and bond with one another. This bonding can be essential for raising your child better while engaging your child in productive activities that don’t rely on technology. So go ahead and try the activities listed below to develop your child’s social and personality skills over the summer break – 

Get Artsy

Art is a beautiful form of expression that brings out the creativity in children. Asking your child to draw something that gives them joy or something they fear can give you insights into their creativity. Art is also an excellent way to stimulate your child’s imagination. Children who speak less find it easier to express their thoughts through art, and in turn, it can help you understand your child better. Art is a crucial part of personality development for children.

Photo by Allan Mas on Pexels.com

Reading Books

It may sound simple, but reading with your child from a young age can contribute significantly to your child’s personality development. Reading at bedtime can be a routine activity, but you can find more time to read with children in the summers. Experiment with new kinds of books that your child has never read before. New books can give your child food for thought and enhance their thinking. Introduce new concepts through storybooks and discuss them with your child. Reading for kids helps them develop a reading habit for life, builds vocabulary, and improves communication skills.

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Prepare Your Child For the Stage

Play pretend with your child as they are the star of the show on a stage, while you and the other family members are the audiences. Give your child a mic to play with or to sing into. A lot of children get stage fright just because they have never seen a mic before. Such activities will help your children overcome stage fright and encourage them to participate in school-stage activities.

Photo by Budgeron Bach on Pexels.com

Educational Games

Find new games that are not only fun but also help your child learn in the process. There are many games such as puzzles, quiz games, and word games like scrabble that the whole family can play together. Such games help in stimulating your child’s thinking and enhance their problem-solving abilities. If your child needs more practice in a particular subject, pick games that allow children to practice skills in that area, such as math games or science experiments. 

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Journaling

Maintaining a journal is an excellent habit for everyone to sort their thoughts and introspect. Start this habit early by encouraging your child to write a journal describing their day. Encourage them to write about anything new that they did or anything memorable. Journaling can help your child express thoughts that they are unable to say aloud and develop their writing skills. Writing a diary can also be an excellent way for children to unwind at the end of the day.

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Personality development for children is not a goal that can be attained overnight. Parents need to make continuous efforts throughout the child’s schooling years to help them attain the skills they need to become responsible adults. Summer is a great time to focus on other aspects of your child’s learning that are not taught in a classroom. Whatever activity you choose, think about how it can be productive and fun for your children.

Every child is different, and you may need to come up with new ideas that suit your child’s interests. Make sure to try some of the activities listed above and see the results.

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June 21, 2021 · 10:42 am

Last-Minute Shopping for the New Family Member

By Katie Tejada

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When your little one is about to come home for the first time, your to-do list for preparing can feel endless. You only really need clothes, food, and shelter for a new baby — but it’s the 21st century, and there are a variety of products available to make your life with your new bundle of joy so much easier!

Not sure where to start? We’ll discuss some must-have items for taking care of your new family member, as well as things you can get at the last minute that you may not have thought of before.

  1. Zip-Up Onesies

You can never have too many clothes for your newborn. These are the outfits your little one will be wearing most of the time, and chances are you’ll be going through them quickly. Babies seemingly double in size overnight, so you’ll want to have lots of options available in different colors and sizes.

When choosing a onesie for your newborn, you’ll inevitably have to decide between zippers and snap buttons. While snap buttons are the more common option, most parents will tell you that no one likes to wake up in the middle of the night and snap a bunch of buttons together when they’re half asleep. With zip-up onesies, you’ll have a much easier time dressing and undressing your baby, which you’ll be thankful for when you’re busy dealing with a thousand other things.

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  1. Plushies

Stuffed animals are a popular toy for children of all ages, and they’re guaranteed to become your baby’s favorite comfort object. They come in all different shapes and sizes, from licensed characters to adorable animals. Whether you want tutu-wearing rabbits or funky, rainbow-colored characters, the possibilities are truly endless and depend only on your personal taste.

These toys are seriously cute, entertaining, and will make a fun addition to any newborn’s nursery. Begin building your child’s collection of plushies today!

  1. Blankets and Rattles

Beyond stuffed animals and onesies, you’ll want to make sure your child has other comfort objects and sources of stimulation, like a baby blanket and rattle set. Rattles make noise to entertain your newborn and encourage their brain’s development. Tracking the sounds the rattle makes can help your child improve their hand-eye coordination while grasping and releasing it can strengthen their fine motor skills. Most rattles double as teething toys, as well, with textured edges that will soothe your baby’s aching gums as they grow.

By combining these rattles with an adorable, super-soft blanket, you’re sure to keep your newborn happy and entertained. They may even fall asleep curled up with their new, fuzzy blanket.

  1. Baby Bracelets

These baby bracelets aren’t an absolute necessity, but they would make a great last-minute present for any newborn. These delicate, beautiful pieces come in a variety of colors and feature unique charms. They’re a sweet gift that can be passed down for generations to come, and they’re perfect for baptisms, first birthdays, and other important events in your child’s life. Just be aware they can present a choking hazard so may be best displayed rather than worn for the first few years.

  1. Lots of Diapers

Last but certainly not least, you’ll want to make sure that you have the true essentials before bringing your little one home. Odds are you’ve already stocked up on diapers (or had others buy them for you), but if not, you’re going to need them! From sustainable diapers with colorful prints to classic disposable diapers from the grocery store, there are tons of options to choose from to keep your little one clean and dry. 

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Stay Prepared

No matter how prepared you think you are, there will always be something you’re missing when that magic moment finally arrives. Zip-up onesies and extra diapers are essential for keeping your little one looking fresh and feeling clean, while plushies, blankets, and rattles help them stay cozy and entertained throughout the day. To commemorate special occasions, like their first night at home, a delicate baby bracelet may be the perfect gift.

With this list, you’ll be one step closer to making sure your new baby has absolutely everything they need to feel safe, warm, and welcome in your home. Are there any items you think we’re missing? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below!

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