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The way a home is run is as important as how the members of a family communicate with one another. Trivial aspects of keeping a home healthy include cleaning, shopping, daily chores and schedules. The home should be smoothly run so that everybody shares responsibilities in a loving way. All members of a family are equal partners when it comes to creating a healthy home, but what to do when problems arise? (more…)

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Despite its bad reputation, step-parenting can actually be very rewarding for both you and your step child. Although a relationship with a step child can have a rough start, it can improve with time and patience. Step families are no longer uncommon and there are many facilities that offer counselling to families experiencing change. It is important to talk to your partner and keep an honest relationship with the children. (more…)

Photo: Jason DeRusha / Flickr

Caring for your children is not easy. It is more than a full-time job and requires as much assistance as you can get. If you go it ‘alone’, you should definitely be sure of your support network which may include your partner, your parents and other extended family. It really does take a community to raise a child. If you can afford it and choose to hire a nanny, there are a number of important things to keep in mind. After all, you are trusting a complete stranger, qualified though she may be, with the safety and well-being of your children. Mary Poppins is not easy to find. You might end up with someone resembling Fran Drescher’s character in The Nanny. (more…)

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People make ridiculously difficult commitments every calendar year. Resolutions that are doomed to fail before they even start. While they’re built on good intentions, the difficulty curve of a long-term goal is far steeper than short to-dos you can do in short order. (more…)

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As we grow more mature, the allure of being out at all hours of the night fades in favour of understated affairs with great company and fantastic meals take preference. That’s why lunch dates become so common, and more importantly, why throwing the perfect dinner party has become essential. Below are tips on making your gathering a great success. (more…)

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As your relationship with your partner develops, you might find the two of you wanting to have children. You’ll think of how many kids to have, what to name them, where to take them to school and so on. The problem with most advice on the subject is it takes too much of a razor focus on how to go about it, as opposed to guiding you from a general framework, so you can let the rest take it’s own course. Below is an example of the latter. (more…)

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While this might sound a little far-fetched, an American study recently showed that kids whose families regularly ate meals together are consistently less likely to use drugs and alcohol. Conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, the study observed the behaviour of children and teenagers over a ten-year period and has found a link between the frequency of meals shared with parents and the likelihood of trying marijuana, alcohol, and cigarettes. (more…)

Every year thousands of people plan to move or relocate due to numerous reasons, such as a transfer in the job, moving to a new house and many more. We usually think about ourselves, the challenges we have to go through in the entire moving process and kind of forget about our children. As we all know, but generally tend to overlook, children always thrive in an environment of familiarity and habit. Our moving can really get tough for our children and give them a hard time which they may not be able to express. (more…)

Picnic times are such a relief to all of us. They provide the ideal solution for moving away from our daily routine of professional and family pressures and allows us to recharge our batteries. You for can indulge in a variety of high calorie foods without having to worry about your weight, and have a go at your favourite sport. You can also improve the bonding with your near and dear ones, as a close knit family affair creates a friendly atmosphere that dissolves any barriers that might have crept up among certain members. (more…)

Do you remember the last time you had a meeting with your insurance agent to discuss about a policy for your home or family? Was it confusing and messy? Though insurance is a modern life need, people mostly find it difficult to choose the right insurance plan to protect their home and family against unforeseen financial losses. We generally tend to go for an insurance policy and insurance company suggested by friends or else we are carried away by the exaggerated promises made by the agents or representatives. There is a better way to go about designing a proper plan for insurance which requires only a little bit of your time and attention for research and decision making. All you need to do is to consider the following factors: (more…)