Do you find it difficult to get your family members to adhere to your house rules? Blogger and parent Vanessa Van Petten says that you can make your house rules stick by clearly explaining why these rules are in place. “Because I said so” is no longer a sufficient answer. Also, don’t cheat. If you’re going to create a rule that specifies that you cannot have a snack right before bedtime, don’t let your partner or child discover you noshing late at night. You need to abide by the rules too. Additionally, write the rules down on paper to make them be more permanent. Otherwise, they might be “forgotten.” Finally, reward those who follow the rules with positive reinforcement. Good behaviour deserves praise. Don’t always point out the negatives. Instead, focus on the positive. What are your favorite rule-enforcing strategies? Share your best approaches in the comments.
4 Seriously Underutilized Ways to Make Your House Rules Stick [Vanessa Van Petten]It happens sooner or later: our parents grow older and we’re challenged with the task of choosing the best care for our loved ones. The AGIS Carestation blog suggests a four-step plan to prepare for caregiving. First, understand your parent’s situation and take care of any immediate concerns. Prepare a checklist, especially if it’s difficult to focus during a health crisis. Second, educate yourself about care alternatives. During this time, you’ll likely discover many resources that can help with the care of your loved one. Third, implement a plan for care. The goal is to provide support and independence for your parent. Finally, prepare for the long term. Learn from every experience to plan for the future. To those who have experience in this area, how have you dealt with the issue of an aging parent? Let’s hear your thoughts and advice in the comments.
I Think I’m A Caregiver: What Now? [AGIS Carestation]Childrens’ goods sharing website Zwaggle isn’t just an eBay clone with a focus on cribs, toys, and other kid-specific gear. No money trades hands between “buyers” and “sellers,” but points are distributed for giving away unnecessary stuff (as well as signing up other members) that can be used later to get items that are needed, for only the cost of shipping. The site has a green-friendly focus, and it makes sense—new parents always tend to over-buy or get far more gifts than their child can possibly use. Zwaggle might be a money-saving way for parents to save a few items from hitting the landfill or, just as importantly, cluttering up storage space they’ll definitely need later.
Zwaggle [via CNET News]In response to the recent wildfires in Southern California, Wired’s How To Wiki details how to protect your home and family in the event of a wildfire, from what precautions you should take before a fire to what you should do in the event of one. Keep in mind that—according to the post—strong winds and heat like we’ve seen in Southern California can tear through almost any security measure you take, but following a few of these precautions could still give you and your loved ones the time you’d need to get a safe distance from the flames before they hit your home.
Protect Your House and Family in Case of a Wildfire [Wired]Web-based application Famundu is a one-stop calendar, to-do list, contact management solution and more with a focus on family. With it you and your family members can collaboratively schedule everything from soccer practice to family fun night or build to-do lists and shopping lists from the comfort of your browser (be sure to check out their video demo for more). Famundo is free to use, but a premium account with a few more features is also available. If you’ve been looking for a centralised way to organise your family’s schedules and beyond, Famundo looks like a promising solution. Then again, if shared calendaring is all you want, Google Calendar would work nicely. Thanks Nancy!
FamundoHow do you get ready for an onslaught of people staying at your house and eating your food? Financial blog The Simple Dollar has three suggestions to address this problem. First, it’s all about prep. The more you can do ahead of time (i.e., freezing), the better. Second, use cooking methods that don’t require a lot of input from you—the crock pot works well for this. Last, focus on food and recipes that are simple to prepare, simple to eat, and simple to clean up after. You don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen preparing the latest gourmet repast while all your friends are chattering away in the other room, after all.
Preparing Food in Advance for a House Full of People [The Simple Dollar]
