8 Helpful Tips To Encourage Your Kids To Learn More At Home

Learning is something that we typically associate with schools and educational facilities. However, that
doesn’t mean that the learning process should stop immediately once your child comes home. Most
children are given homework to do but in most cases, these are just repetitive tasks that no one enjoys
doing. Sure, it can help your child study concepts and grow accustomed to what they learn at school,
but it’s also awfully boring and not a fun experience.

So in order to remedy that, it’s important to encourage your kids to learn more at home so that they
associate study with positive things instead of it being a dull and uninteresting way to spend their time.

Source: Unsplash

1. Give your child control

Let your child pick how they want to learn and also the subjects they want to learn. If there’s anything
children hate, it’s being told what to do all the time especially when it comes to study.

2. Get different learning styles involved

Whether it’s reading a book, listening to an audiobook or learning through a practical experiment,
introduce different learning styles to your child so that they can

3. Learn alongside your child

Learning can be a solitary activity but it’s always more fun when more people are involved. Consider
learning alongside your child to encourage and motivate them along the way.

4. Help your child organize their learning materials

Keep learning materials organized so that your children can access them at any time. This could be
putting together a folder of learning materials or it could be having a neatly-packed bookshelf with all
of their favourite reference materials.

Source: Unsplash

5. Focus on what’s being studied, not progress

Don’t always chalk up your child’s studies to progress. Don’t ask them how far they’ve read a book;
instead, focus on what they’ve learned up to that point and what they’re about to learn in the next
section.

6. Use technology when appropriate

There are plenty of ways to use technology to study something. Instead of just books, use websites
like https://www.cazoommaths.com/maths-worksheets/equivalent-fractions/ to study more advanced
topics for your child or consider getting programs on smartphones and tablets which can give your
child new and unique ways to studying.

7. Embed learning into everyday activities

Study materials and related technologies can be very expensive. A great way to save money is to
embed learning into your everyday activities with your children, such as explaining how things work
when you’re out for a walk or challenging your kids when you’re shopping at a supermarket.

8. Studying should be fun

Lastly, do keep in mind that studying should always be an enjoyable experience for your children.
Don’t force them to study something that they just don’t enjoy and always find fun ways to explain
concepts so that they’re more engaged.

Hopefully, these ideas have given you some inspiration on how you can encourage your child to learn
more. As parents, we should be more flexible with how we teach our kids and how we encourage
them to learn so that they’re motivated to do so on their own instead of causing your kids to relate
study with boring school activities.

Excellent Techniques for Relieving Financial Stress

Excellent Techniques for Relieving Financial Stress

Personal finance comes with a lot of stresses and uncertainties. After all, money is one of the most sensitive
topics in our lives. It’s really quite astounding how many people are living every day with serious financial
problems. Ask anyone and they’ll likely say that they would take a raise in pay or that they’d like to win the
lottery — who wouldn’t?

But what is the cause of all of this financial stress? Why is it such a difficult thing to manage? You might have
found yourself in a situation where money is already stretched thin and then a sudden financial emergency
catches you off guard. In those instances, it can be a huge relief to know where to get money when you need it
in a flash, such as from a short-term online loan provider.

Payday loans can be a quick, reliable, and easy way to tide you over until your next paycheque, but you don’t
want to be relying on loans forever. To help get a better grasp on your finances, it can help to understand what’s
causing your financial stress so that you can best know how to deal with it.

Your Debt Is Stressing You Out

Debt levels among Canadians are at a notable high, and it’s easy to accumulate more debt as you try to handle
what’s already on your plate. Credit card debt, the mortgage, student loans, and lines of credit can all add up
quickly and start to overwhelm you.

Without a plan of action for repayment or an honest analysis of your spending habits, the problem won’t
resolve itself. To address your credit, you should consult with a credit professional who can help you see the
bigger picture for debt repayment.

Confide in your partner or family and get support from those who you trust, they can help keep you
accountable. You might have to make changes to your spending habits, but it’ll be well worth it for the
valuable shift in thinking that comes with knowing you’re on the path to financial recovery.

Savings Goals

Do you have hopes and dreams that you just can’t see yourself reaching any time soon because of financial
barriers? You can set savings goals for yourself and break it down into manageable chunks across a reasonable
timeline that you can realistically commit to working with.

Set up a separate bank account for your saving goal so you can very visibly see at a glance how you’re doing in
reaching your goal. You can improve your chances of success with bank automation like automatic savings
deposits and by using a cash diet for daily expenses.

Talk About the Future

Your finances are a key piece in the comfort and stability of your future self. In delaying dealing with debt or
avoiding important financial talks, you are only doing a disservice to yourself down the line. What are your goals
for retirement? What do you want to have achieved in old age, financially?

Many times, these big-picture items are overwhelming and too large to conceptualize in the present. However,
studies have shown that people who are presented with age-enhanced images of themselves are
more likely to put money aside for the future. You can tackle financial stress and start to develop a healthy
financial mindset. Start by setting goals and being candid with those close to you. The dialogue will help relieve
your financial stresses and set you on the path towards achieving your long-term financial goals.  

Surprise Your Kid with a Custom T Shirt

Geek culture is a huge thing nowadays, especially because geeky merchandise has become so readily available.
This is especially great for adults in their 30s who are experiencing a nostalgia trip and have the money to
spend on items inspired by the TV shows, movies, and games that they loved growing up.

Custom t shirt designs have especially grown in popularity as everyone wants to show off their favourite bands,
TV shows, movies, video games, and even memes. But custom printed t shirts don’t have to be limited to being
just for adults – have you considered what a custom-designed t shirt could mean for your kid?

Screen printed clothes for kids are a great way to get your kids excited about getting dressed in the morning,
especially when they’re being moody about the clothes that their parents picked out for them. It’s also a great
way to share your interests with your kids. For example, if you are both Star Wars fans then you could get
yourself matching t shirts that say “Padawan” (for your kid) and “Jedi” (for you) – how cute would that be?

For your younger ones, some of them might even like seeing their own name screen printed on their favourite
colour shirt. It’s also a great way to help them learn how to spell their name and proudly show off to other kids
at school that they have their very own t shirt that no one else has.

Show off Your Kid’s Art

Another neat idea you can do with screen printing is get your kid’s drawings printed on a t shirt. It would be a
cute idea for when they draw you a picture and you want to show it off as a proud parent. Your kid may also
just want to design their own t shirt as a fun project and way that they can creatively express themselves.

Especially if your kid is really into design and art, this could be a great way to get them motivated to create
something that they can proudly display to their friends and family.

Perfect for Birthday Parties

Have you been looking for ways to make your kids birthday party more fun? Custom tees are a great idea for a
themed birthday party, especially if the event is taking place somewhere in public. With everyone outfitted in
the same t shirt you’ll be able to keep track of your guests and also create a special feeling of togetherness
among the kids.

You could also get creative and design the t shirts to look like your kid’s favourite animal. For example, your
design could be shaped to look like the torso of a panda! Then you will have little pandas running all around
your party, which would be absolutely adorable.

And if the kids end up liking the shirts then that’s a huge bonus – they can take it home and wear it again,
showing off the souvenir they got from that great birthday party they went to.

After a Long Winter, Throw a Spring Team Building Party

Whatever industry you are in, chances are the winter was a rough one. Not only are there holiday-specific stresses like Christmas sales and New Year’s slumps, but also the season itself can be a real morale deflator. The frigid winds and slushy roads make going to work just that much more difficult.

It’s important therefore, to celebrate the beginning of better things. The sun is just start to peak out from beneath the clouds, and the snow has all but melted from the roads and sidewalks. What better time to express your gratitude and reward your employees with a fun team building exercise.

Team building exercises don’t need to be corny; they don’t need to be the old “trust fall” or “sharing circle” of yesteryear. In fact, they definitely shouldn’t be. A team building party should bring people together in a fun and constructive way, to celebrate a job well done and look ahead to a productive summer.

Why You Need a Team Building Party

Team building isn’t just about rewarding your employees – it’s also a smart investment. Employees who feel they are part of a fun culture, one that takes care of them and rewards them for their hard work, are more likely to stick around. They’re also more likely to remain productive. Expressed another way, if you neglect to focus on team building, you risk employee turnover and reduced productivity, both of which will cost your business way more than a simple party.

Spring is the Perfect Time for Team Building

As mentioned, you have to look for the times at which morale might be the lowest – the times at which a party is most needed. Sure, Christmas parties and mid-summer parties are great, but they don’t address low morale directly. Throwing a team building party just as the weather starts to improve means you get ahead of low morale, and ensure a more productive – and positive – second and third quarter.

Activities for Spring Team Building

When you think spring, think fun. More specifically, think of something that’s trendy, unconventional and exciting – axe throwing is an awesome group event for this reason, since it combines the edginess (no pun intended) of an extreme sport with the baseline likeability of something like bowling. Your employees are forced to learn a new skill, which teaches them to act on their toes, and they get to compete with one another in a safe, acceptable atmosphere. There’s a reason why the new sport has caught on like wildfire.

Another activity worth trying, one that really celebrates the season, is a scavenger hunt. Weather permitting, you hide various goodies across town, or in a designated park, and your employees have to work in teams to track everything down. Again, there’s a light atmosphere of competition, but you’re also getting outdoors and rewarding employees with earned prizes. There are a number of premade scavenger hunt ideas online, just be sure to search specifically for teambuilding exercises.

The winter is finally over, and the sun is out. To boost morale, show your appreciation, build camaraderie and boost productivity, throw a fun team building party this spring.

4 Easy Ways Any Family Can Save Money

Raising a family and balancing a budget don’t have to be mutually exclusive goals. It’s possible to provide the
very best for your children while managing your money as well. Here are four simple ways you can cut down
spending without sacrificing fun with your family.

1. Go to the library more often

It’s easy to forget about the library. As long as you have a phone or tablet, the latest books, movies, albums,
and comics are just a few swipes away. You can download whatever you want to read or watch without ever
leaving your home.

But with each download usually comes a fee. Although a single download is negligible on its own, the price
starts to add up once you count everyone in the family. Soon enough, you can spend a fortune on these
purchases.

Luckily, you don’t have to stop reading or watching to save the family budget. You can have the latest book or
movie without the cost simply by visiting the library.

You won’t even have to put down your phone or tablet to take advantage of the library’s catalogue. Check to
see if your branch has partnered with OverDrive, a digital media app that makes it easy to borrow books, audio,
and video online. You’ll be able to read, watch, or listen without leaving your home. Best of all, you’ll avoid late
fees as OverDrive will automatically return your digital copy when it’s due.

2. Know the different lending alternatives

When it comes to your budget, it’s a good idea to be a realist. You can hope for the best with this mindset, but
you’ll be prepared in case things go wrong.

Part of being prepared is running through possible scenarios. Let’s say your child made several in-app purchases
on your profile the same month they forgot the home Wi-Fi network. The addition of data overage charges and
their shopping spree means you owe more than you can pay on your own.

In the heat of the moment, you might end up taking the first payday loan available to pay off this expense —
and miss out on other options that may be better suited for your financial situation.

By researching lending alternatives proactively, you’ll give yourself some breathing room. You’ll be able to learn
about the differences between installment and payday loans without feeling pressured to find an answer right
away.

It also gives you time to discuss money management and personal loans with your children. Although you don’t
have to include them in all the details of your finances, you can use this as an opportunity to talk about bills,
budgets, and online loans in general.

3. Screen movies in a home theater

Between How to Train Your Dragon, Mary Poppins, and the upcoming Avengers movie, there are a lot of
family-friendly flicks in theaters. Unfortunately, it’s never been more expensive to take your kids to go see a
movie at the cinema. On average, tickets for a family of four add up to more than $35.

And let’s not forget the tab at concessions because what’s a movie without popcorn and soda? Snacks at a
theater are often more expensive than the tickets. Once you get everyone outfitted with a drink and a treat,
you can drop around $100 on the latest movie.

Rather than purging this fun family tradition altogether, just try moving it to a new location — your home! You
can create a home theater experience by upgrading your streaming membership and stocking up on everyone’s
favorite snacks for a fraction of the price of concessions.

4. Declutter your closets

The decluttering method KonMari is sweeping the nation as millions of Americans get rid of clothes. Under the
guidance of Marie Kondo, a world-famous organizing expert, you and your family can declutter duplicate,
damaged, and unused clothing from all your closets.

This group activity does more than tidy your home. You can earn a lot of money by selling the stuff you don’t
want anymore. Take pictures of any clothes that are still in good shape and post them to any of
these online consignment apps. You might entice a buyer sooner than you realize.

You’ll also save money when you keep things organized. If you take the KonMari philosophy to heart, you’ll
commit to a more minimalist way of life, so you won’t rush out to the mall to fill your closets back up.

Managing your family budget and raising your kids can feel like you’re working two separate full-time jobs. But
there’s no need to separate them like Church and State. As long as you spend your time together as a family
wisely, you can manage your money wisely, too.

6 Places To See For True Nature Lovers

If you are someone who loves to spend a lot of time outdoors, you might also be keen to turn that into
a travelling excuse. This is easily done, and what it amounts to is one of the most enjoyable and
refreshing ways to see the world. Of course, there is plenty of beautiful nature in this world, and it can
be hard to know where to begin if you want to see as much of it as possible. But it’s good to start
somewhere, and that’s why it is beneficial to have in mind a few key places which you will therefore
be able to visit. To help you draw up such a list, we are going to look at some of the best places in the
world where you can hope to see some beautiful natural sights. Consider any of these for your next
natural destination.

Image Credit

Finland

If you love the cold, then it’s definitely a good idea to give the Nordics a try, and in particular you will
want to think about visiting the beautiful country of Finland. Not only can you expect to see a great
amount of snow and ice (if that is your thing), you might even get to see one of the planet’s truly most
incredible natural sight. We are talking, of course, about the Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the
Northern Lights. These well-known and immediately recognizable natural lights in the sky are not
always visible, but if you get lucky you might just see them. It’s known to be a breathtaking and
stunning sight, and it’s absolutely the kind of thing that you will want on your bucket list - especially
if you have a thing for the natural world in all its variations. What could be better than sitting in your
igloo and looking up at this marvellous sight?

Yellowstone

There are, of course, plenty of places in the US that you might consider if you are keen to get your
nature fix. The American terrain is wild and varied, and you won’t ever feel that there is a shortage
of beautiful natural things to see in this vast country. But one of the most renowned - and rightly so
- of the natural spots in the USA is Yellowstone, the beautiful national park which draws thousands
upon thousands of visitors every year. For such a popular site, it is incredibly well maintained, and
you will still be able to feel as though you are really in the genuine wilderness - because you are.
You can camp under the stars, take guided backpacking tours, or even just spend a day in one
corner of this vast park exploring its many wonders. However you do it, it’s a stunning place which
you can get a lot out of.

Image Credit

Scottish Highlands

The moody and colourful Highlands of Scotland are known the world over for being a well-trodden
romantic path, and that is definitely one of the best ways to enjoy this natural wonder. But whether
you are seeking a romantic couples’ weekend or just a long trek on your own, you will be surrounded
the whole time by some of the most devastatingly beautiful vista in the entire world. Scotland’s natural
scenery has a real breadth of character to it, and a misty historic feel which makes you feel as though
you are walking backwards in time. With many adorable and extremely old towns, cities and villages
to stay in, you will always have somewhere to sleep - and you will usually be able to find a log cabin
with a burning fire for a drink or two, too. It is a world apart from anything else, and is also home to the
Highland cattle - arguably the cutest form of cattle that the world has anywhere.

Image Credit

Corfu

Greece is going to offer you many natural highlights if you visit it at any time of year, but doing the
traditional tourist thing of visiting the islands in summer is absolutely a fantastic way to see as many
beautiful natural sights as possible. One area in particular which you might want to consider seeing
is Corfu, an incredibly beautiful island which has so many tourists returning year after year, and yet is
able to retain its own character and resist becoming a little Britain or similar. If you do want to see the
sights of Corfu, bear in mind that the best way to really get out in it is to go camping, so make sure
that you consider that if you want to see as much of its nature as you possibly can.

Canada

More or less all of Canada is incredible countryside, so we are going to look here at the country as a
whole rather than merely one part of it. Unless you find yourself in a city (which are worth visiting
when you want such an experience) you will almost always be steeped in some of the most
extraordinary natural vista that the world has to offer anywhere. The vast majority of Canada is so
natural and wild that it is not even inhabitable, but that does not mean that you can’t still visit it from
time to time and spend some time in the natural wilds there. You’ll be amazed at the kind of animals
you can come into contact with, and just how easily you can get lost - and, of course, there is a huge
amount of snowy climes should that be what you are seeking too.

Image Credit

Australia

Australia is a country the size of a continent, and because of its size you can be sure that there is a
huge amount of natural wonder to see. Of course, it is home to a few particularly well known
natural wonders, such as the Great Barrier Reef and the giant rock of Uluru. But it’s also home to
plenty of varied terrain, including the bush and rainforest, and of course an enormous number of
miles of stunning, breathless beaches. You could spend months in this country just wandering
around and seeing the natural sights, and you would find that to be a pretty enjoyable time.