Enjoying a Beach Trip with Young Children

Posted on by Robert J. Reeves

Every parent knows, enjoying a beach trip with young children isn’t as easy as it sounds. Between cranky sunburned children, long drives, naps disrupted, and sand everywhere it can be a lot of work for parents. But with a little planning, you can have a great vacation. Make sure that you’re always cautious about water safety, no matter what age your children are. Bring snacks everywhere you go, and dress everyone appropriately for the activity. Don’t overpack your day with too many activities, and try to leave some down time. Finally, remember that no vacation goes perfectly. The more flexible you can be, the more relaxed you’ll keep the entire family. Try to roll with any changes and make the best of any situation.

Enjoying a Beach Trip with Young Children: Making the Most of Your Vacation

Water Safety

Whenever you’re around water with kids in tow, you need to be careful. When enjoying a beach trip with young children it’s especially important to keep in mind water safety. Never leave kids unattended near a pool or ocean. In the ocean, make sure that children wear life jackets or floaties, and keep a hand on them at all times. Be on the lookout for riptides or other dangers.

Bring Snacks…Everywhere

Another key to enjoying a beach trip with young children is to bring the right equipment everywhere you go. And usually, that means snacks. Plan to bring along snacks and water if you go to the beach, pool, for a bike ride, and for any long drives. Also plan to bring some toys for any rainy days or downtime while you pack up. Put the proper sun protection on children so they don’t get sunburned.

Don’t Overpack Your Day

Another thing that can help with enjoying a beach trip with young children is to avoid overfilling your days with too many activities. While bored children are destructive children, it’s also not great to over-tire them. Plan for a morning and afternoon activity, but try to maintain some quiet rest time during the hottest part of the day.

Be Flexible

Finally, remember that when enjoying a beach trip with young children or really any kind of vacation whatsoever, it’s best to be flexible. Things are going to go wrong, it’s inevitable. Instead of stressing about it, try to go with the flow. The more you stress, the more anxious your children will be. Instead, try to make a game of it. For example, if it rains, instead of being sad about the pool day, try a movie or a walk in the rain together.

Enjoying a beach trip with young children isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Traveling with youngsters can be a lot of work for parents and can leave them feeling like they need a vacation from their vacation. Try to make the most of your vacation by planning in advance and bringing along snacks everywhere you go. Pack some special toys or activities that will hold their attention. Don’t over-plan your days, and leave some room for down time. Be flexible when plans change and try to maintain a positive attitude. Finally, be mindful of water safety a

Keeping the Peace When Dealing with Financial Trouble

Posted on by Robert J. Reeves

Keeping the peace when dealing with financial trouble can be difficult as money is one of the most common stressors in a marriage. If you and your spouse are struggling with money, you aren’t alone. However, blaming one another or constantly focusing on the negative isn’t likely to do anything positive to get you into a better financial situation. Or marital situation. So instead, work together to create a realistic budget. Then, identify and hone in on fixing unhealthy spending habits. Finally, set financial goals together, both short and long-term to help you stay motivated. Hopefully, by working together towards a common goal, you can get yourselves into a place where you can pay off debt and begin saving.

Keeping the Peace When Dealing with Financial Trouble: Don’t Let Money Ruin Your Marriage

Don’t Place Blame

Keeping the peace when dealing with financial trouble is only achievable if you both agree not to play the blame game. Unless one of you has a serious spending issue, it’s likely that you both contributed to any financial woes you’re facing. There will be times in any marriage where partners must rely on each other. Not everything is always equal, but over the course of a relationship, you both likely will have times when you’re making more or less money. Try to see the bigger picture and avoid pointing fingers, as this isn’t going to achieve anything other than resentment.

Work Together to Create a Budget

Another thing that can be helpful with keeping the peace when dealing with financial trouble is to work together to create a realistic budget. First, work together to compile a list of your monthly income. Consider everything you make both at work or any side hustles. Then, figure out a realistic budget that takes into account all of your month to month spending. Also make sure you account for things like subscriptions or yearly bills. Give yourself a little spending money so that things aren’t too rigid, but most of your income should go to debt pay-off and savings at this point.

Fix Unhealthy Spending Habits

It’s important to start identifying unhealthy spending habits if you’re already facing financial strain. For example, frivolous purchases, excessive eating out, or ordering in food. If there are subscriptions that you can cut out, do so. Additionally, if you are driving cars outside your means, see if you can find a better deal on one. Identifying places where you spend too much money and trying to come up with solutions together can save you more money than you realize.

Set Goals Together

Finally, keeping the peace when dealing with financial trouble is easier and more manageable if you set goals together for your finances. For example, set aside money for things that are fun like traveling, as well as the necessities. Make short-term and long-term goals, and keep things to small baby steps. That way, you won’t get overwhelmed. Focus on paying down debt little by little, then building an emergency fund of six month’s worth of income, and finally, creating a savings account and adding to it each month.

Money struggles can be incredibly difficult, but keeping the peace when you’re dealing with financial trouble is possible if you both commit to it. Firstly, you must both agree to avoid placing blame on one another. Likely, it’s a combination of both of your spending that has led you to this point. Next, make a list of all of your income and expenses for each month, and see if there are areas where you can cut down on things. Don’t forget those sneaky expenses like yearly renewals or subscriptions. Nip any problematic spending habits in the bud, like frivolous spending or going out to eat too often. Finally, create some goals together that will keep you both motivated to keep saving. Hopefully, if you work together and stay focused on the end goal of living without crushing debt or without being paycheck to paycheck, you can achieve your goals and some financial freedom along the way.

When Sole Custody is Necessary: Navigating Bitterness and Retaliation

Posted on by Robert J. Reeves

Navigated a divorce is difficult enough. When you add children to the situation, every decision gets more complicated. One thing you might be stressing over is whether or not to seek sole custody. In some situations, sole custody is necessary for various reasons. However, in some situations, the children and parents might be better off with a joint-custody situation. Just make sure you know what is driving the decision. Is it for retaliation against your ex? Or is it for the benefit of the children? If you find that you are acting out of bitterness, try to find another outlet for your anger. Every decision you make needs to be in the best interest of your kids.

Is Sole Custody Necessary: Navigating Bitterness and Retaliation

When is Sole Custody Necessary?

Sole custody is necessary for several situations. Sole legal custody means that only one parent is responsible for making decisions regarding the children. If your partner is unfit to do this, you might need to seek sole custody. For example, this could include mental health problems, or substance abuse issues. If there has been abandonment, then you’ll want to seek custody. And of course, if there are any concerns about abuse for you or your children. Another consideration is if your ex is currently in prison or jail.

And finally, if your ex is being relocated to another state or country, it might be that sole custody is necessary. Custody involves making important decisions for your kids. If it will be difficult for somebody to get in touch with your ex, then you might want to make sure it’s just you making the decisions. If they are relocating but will be easy to get in touch with and plan to visit often, then sole custody might not be required.

What is Your Motivation?

If you are considering whether or not sole custody is necessary, ask yourself a few questions. What is the reason why I feel like this is needed? Am I doing this just to get back at my ex? Is this overall, the best thing for my children? Divorce can leave you very bitter. Divorces bring out emotions between spouses that they never realized they would feel. Hurtful things are said, and insults are thrown. If you find that you want to seek sole custody mostly because it will hurt your partner, then you need to re-evaluate. If your ex-spouse is not an unfit parent, then really take a look at your motivations. Depriving children of the chance to have one of their parents involved in their life might not be best for them.

Finding an Outlet

If you debate whether sole custody is necessary and find that perhaps you are acting out of bitterness, try to find other ways to address your feelings. You could try an outlet for your frustration like journaling or a new hobby. Or you could also really sit down with your ex and discuss your feelings. You might even enlist the help of a therapist. If your ex is an able and willing caregiver for your children, then try not to let your bitterness decide your custody

When you are debating whether or not sole custody is necessary, try to figure out your motivation. If you’re concerned at all for the wellbeing of your kids while in your ex’s care, then consider sole custody. And if they are unfit for any reason, it might be necessary. If you are only seeking it to hurt your ex-partner, it might not be the healthiest thing for your kids. Try to find other ways to vent your frustrations. Always try to remember that your children don’t know all the details of your divorce. Your partner may have done hurtful things to you, But your children will probably benefit from having both parents in their lives as long as both of you are supportive and caring.

Dividing Time Equally Between Parents and In-Laws

Posted on by Robert J. Reeves

Many people feel conflicted about dividing time equally between parents and in-laws. This can be particularly difficult when you are spending your first holidays together, newly married, or have children. It’s normal for each of your families to want to spend their time with you and carry on those holiday traditions that mean so much to them with your children. However, sometimes families have to make compromises. If everybody gets along and if you have the space, you might consider hosting them all at your own house. You might also consider sharing the day if they live within easy driving distance. For families that live further away, you might need to alternate holidays throughout the year, or alternate years. However, it’s important for you and your spouse to create your own traditions as well. If being torn between your two families ends up causing you more stress than enjoyment, it might be time to come up with a new plan that allows you both to enjoy this time together. Hopefully, you can come to an agreement that works for you two and your families so that you aren’t dealing with drama during the holiday season.

Dividing Time Equally Between Parents and In-Laws During the Holidays

Host Them All

One option when you’re struggling with dividing time equally between parents and in-laws is to simply opt to host them all together. However, this requires you to have the space for them as well as the energy to host. And your parents and in-laws should be able to get along in order for this to happen smoothly. However, this can be a great option to allow your families to get to know one another better and to each give them plenty of time with you and your children.

Share the Day

Another option you can choose when dividing time equally between parents and in-laws is to share the actual day of the holiday. This only works if your families live relatively close together. However, you can wake up Christmas morning and have lunch with your family and then drive to your in-laws for Christmas dinner. This allows both sets of families to celebrate with you all on the actual day of the holiday. However, the drawback of this option is that it can end up making your holidays feel rushed and frantic. And if your parents aren’t very close, it can feel like a lot of traveling.

Alternate Holidays

Some families choose to divvy up holidays throughout the year and alternate which family they spend time with. This works especially well if you have families that only care about specific holidays that don’t happen to overlap one another. You can also switch things up from year to year so that each year you swap which holidays you celebrate with them. It can be difficult for them to be away from you on the years when you are with the other set of family, but in all this tends to work best if your families do not live close to one another.

Make Your Own Traditions

Finally, if you’re stressing about dividing time equally between parents and in-laws, it might be time to create some new traditions of your own. The holidays are meant to be an enjoyable time. And if figuring all of this out creates more of a headache, you might just want to take a break from celebrating with family altogether. It’s perfectly fine for you and your spouse or your family to create your own tradition of just being together and spending some quality time with one another. This can end up creating friction with your family, but you ultimately have to do the best thing for your own mental health as well as the mental health of your spouse and children.

Dividing time equally between parents and in-laws is one of the first hurdles that many new serious relationships face. Your family have years of traditions with you that they might not want to give up. But this can leave you both feeling torn about who to spend your holidays with. You can opt to celebrate with both families on the day of the holiday if they live close together. Or if they live further apart, you can choose to alternate which families you visit throughout the year or from year to year. If your families all get along well and live relatively close together, you can choose to host them all at your house and establish a new tradition. However, this requires a lot of prep work, planning, and energy. If figuring out how to evenly split your time is causing you stress and impacting how much you even enjoy the holidays, it might be time to take a break from family altogether. While it’s nice to continue traditions that are important, you shouldn’t do that at the expense of your mental health. If arguing about which family to visit causes too much stress, you might opt for a quiet holiday at home with just your spouse and children.