Category: Tips and Tools

As children become more and more exposed to the internet and digital media at an early age, it is more important than ever to begin educating them about the dangers of the internet and how to stay safe online as early as possible.

The internet can be a helpful place for children – they can use it to keep busy with games, access online learning resources such as Frog Street, and more. It can also expose them to potential dangers, however, so it is more important than ever to teach them how to be safe online.

Here are a few tips for talking to your child about internet safety.

Start the Conversation ASAP

If your child is one of many who will be using the internet on their own tablet or computer device, it’s important to begin conversations about keeping them safe as early as possible. The younger your child is when you begin teaching them about protecting their privacy and safety online, the more likely it is that this conversation will stick with them and shape the way they use the internet as they grow up.

Include Your Child in Decisions

Unfortunately, when parents tell their children what they can and cannot do, children oftentimes are more likely to do the opposite. Allowing your child to be included in the decision making process when it comes to rules and big decisions can help. Set firm rules and let your child know what is and is not okay to do online, but also hear their input and allow them to make decisions as appropriate.

Be a Good Role Model

The best way to ensure that your kids are staying safe online is leading by example. Show your child that you are able to follow the rules you have set for them; for example, if there are certain times in the day that they are not allowed to be online (during homework time, before bed, etc), you should also refrain from using your phone or personal computer at this time.

Maintaining open and honest communication with your child as they begin navigating the digital world is the key to ensuring that they will stay safe. Talking to your child about internet safety and being a good role model for them will ensure that they are protected.

Image by Marc Thele from Pixabay

Hardworking employees are the reason small businesses succeed. Without the dedication and time commitment from your team, your business would likely not be a reality. There are many ways to thank your employees for the work they do and the ways they contribute to your business, but creating a positive work environment for them to work in permanently is the most effective way to show your appreciation and keep everyone feeling happy.

Here are a few tips for managing your small business.

1. Reward Hard Work

When your company is doing well, be sure to give an extra big thank you to your team members who have made that possible. When the budget allows for it, be sure to give your employees a pay raise. This is the best way to show that you appreciate their work while incentivizing them to keep it up since harder work could mean more money.

If your company’s budget does not allow for pay raises yet, simply acknowledging a job well done when necessary is another way to recognize your team’s hard work and allow them to feel rewarded and appreciated for it.

2. Evaluate Employee Needs

What makes one feel appreciated might not work for another. Develop a personal connection with each member of your team and communicate with them about their specific needs to determine where you can make improvements that work for everyone. Maybe one employee would benefit from more work from home days, and another would like some specialized training from hsi.com. Or, maybe your employees would all work better if they could have more control over the projects they are taking on. Whatever the case may be, listen to employee needs and do your best to fulfill them whenever you are able in order to show your appreciation for your team, which will lead to higher productivity rates and better quality of work.

3. Listen to Feedback

Set up a system of regularly receiving feedback (both positive and negative) from your team in order to evaluate what is and is not working in your office so that you can make improvements as needed. Try sending out an email each week that encourages your team to reply with specific or general feedback. If you’d rather receive feedback face to face and have a conversation about potentially necessary changes, consider eating lunch with your team one day a week or hosting another type of frequent meeting to discuss how things are going around the office. This will keep you aware of how your team is feeling and how to improve things around the office.

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Incorporating health and fitness into your life can be challenging. Many adults struggle to fit time for a workout into their busy daily schedule – this is especially true for working moms. When it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything to need to, it can be easy to make exercise your last priority. Let’s be honest: although it might not be your favorite way to spend your already limited free time, working out and staying in shape is essential for your physical and mental health. Whether you’re following a medical weight loss diet from ThriveMD vand want to increase results or just want to stay active enough to keep up with your kids, staying on top of workouts can be easy for even the busiest moms once you find a routine that works for you.

Here are a few mom-approved tips for incorporating fitness into your daily life.

Workout in the Morning

Oftentimes, people will decide to hit the gym after work and then talk themselves out of it as the long workday drags on. Working out in the morning will help you make it to the gym before you even have time to talk yourself out of it. Plus, working out in the morning is a great way to relieve stress and boost your mood, which means you’ll always get your day off to a great start.

 Schedule Workouts in Advance

If you follow a strict schedule each day and are in the good habit of blocking out appointments or events on your calendar, add workout days to your schedule in advance, and treat them as a non-negotiable appointment. This will also let your spouse or family know exactly when you will be busy with a workout, so you won’t have to worry about making arrangements for your children or any other obligations that could hinder your ability to work out.

Keep Gym Clothes Handy

If you have an unexpected early day at the office or find yourself with a surprising amount of free time, that could be the perfect opportunity to work out. Keeping a change of clothes and gym shoes in your car or office is the best way to ensure that you’ll always be ready, and gives you one less excuse for missing a workout.

Include the Kids

A consistent workout routine doesn’t always need to mean keeping your family life separate from your fitness goals. Let your kids be included in your routine by doing exercises that include them, such as going on a walk or hike together or playing a sport with your entire family. This can give you a break from hard days at the gym while still keeping you active.

Fitting exercise into your daily routine can be difficult, especially when you are a busy mom who is already short on time each day. These are just a few tips for remaining active, even during your busiest weeks, to ensure that you will meet your health and fitness goals no matter what.

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When it comes to working remotely, it can be challenging to find a balance between the business and your family matters. But doing so is absolutely essential if one is to complete their work on time while also giving their family the attention they deserve. Here are three ways to separate the two.

Avoid Household Distractions

Distractions are going to be inevitable when working from home, but it’s all about learning to deal with them and not let them dictate the state of your workflow. The dog barking outside? Drown him out with some headphones. The dust that’s been collecting in the living room? You don’t need to clean it now, you’re at work. What about heading to your newly remodeled kitchen, like the kind found at capitolkb.com, and getting dinner started for the night? Unless you’re preheating the oven, leave it until work is done. Avoid distractions at all costs, or you’ll never get done.

Create a Schedule and Stick to it

One great way to guarantee that your work gets done for the day and you don’t wander off in your house to start cleaning the bathroom or watching TV is to create a schedule for yourself and stick to it. What time do you want to start in the morning? When is a good time to stop? Sure, if you need to go preheat the oven or grab a package off the porch it probably won’t be the end of the world, but the more you deviate from your schedule and break the habit of logging in and out for the day, the harder it will be to balance your home and work life.

Close Up Shop and Don’t Look Back

Letting your personal tasks bleed into the workday isn’t the only thing you need to be careful of. When you work from home, it can often be difficult to leave work at your desk when closing time arrives. Maybe you’re expecting an email to come in at some point, or you think several hours after finishing that by getting a head start for tomorrow you’ll be able to get more done. However, once you call it quits for the day, you should treat it as though you’ve left the office until tomorrow. Assuming you stick to your schedule without distractions, the time after work is meant for family, household chores, and relaxation. It is vital for recharging your brain and maintaining relationships.

Balancing Work and Play

Getting your work done is extremely important, and doing that without getting distracted by household distractions can allow you to fly through the day, setting time aside for family and relaxation is equally as important. At the end of the day, it’s all about finding a balance between the two.

Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva

Jobs that require you to travel for work can be highly lucrative, whether you need to have meetings with executives across the world or you are traveling to improve your chances of making an important sale. However, if you have a family, you may wonder whether you can still live this kind of lifestyle for work while keeping your children and your partner happy.

Here are some considerations for people who travel for work and also have a family.

Take Your Family With You On a Private Jet

You may assume that your only options when it comes to traveling for work are to travel on commercial airlines. You may be willing to pay a bit extra for first-class to keep your family comfortable, but you probably never really thought about the option of a private jet. A private jet may make it more possible and convenient to take your family with you instead of leaving them at home.

Private jet service from companies like Access Global can take you anywhere, typically with direct flights that save you time as well as being a lot more comfortable and convenient. You are likely to find that your family enjoys traveling on a private jet considerably more than they would a commercial airline.

You can even plan stops in the midst of your travels to go to fun destinations to make it up to your kids for having to go with you to a boring business locale.

Set Aside Work for Important Family Occasions

You may work most of the time and usually say “yes” when travel is required for the advancement of your career. However, if you stay at home with your family during some of the most important events, your family may not mind your travel nearly as much.

Consider saying “no” to work travel opportunities when your kids have a birthday, during the holiday season, and during a vacation planned just for your family. It makes it a lot easier to balance family and work if you prioritize family during important times.

You Can Travel for Work and Enjoy Family Life

You don’t have to choose between having a family and traveling for work. It can be a little bit more challenging to make traveling for work a possibility when you are also trying to maintain your family, but by traveling on a private jet and setting aside work when you have imported family events, you can balance both family and travel for work successfully.

Image by Joshua Woroniecki from Pixabay