There are lots of useful skills that children learn through schedules, routines and programs, and even more that they are able to learn through structured lessons in school. However, there are some life skills which children can’t just be taught, as they have to be given the opportunity to learn them for themselves. Self confidence is something which children have to develop in their own time, but that doesn’t mean that, as their parent, there aren’t things that you can do to help them along the way. So, with that in mind, here are six ways that you can help your children in their journey towards becoming more self-confident. 

Avoid over-praising

It may seem like the easiest way to boost your child’s self esteem would be to keep on praising them all of the time, but this can actually become counterproductive if you overdo it. In order to start feeling more confident within themselves, your children must learn to develop self efficacy and the ability to self affirm. That means giving them the space to provide themselves with praise and appreciation, rather than constantly seeking it from other people. 

Allow them to take risks

Children have to try and fail in order to learn new things, whether that means trying to climb a tree and scraping their knees, or trying a new hobby and finding that they aren’t as good at it as they would have liked. 

However, when children are overprotected, they often lose their ability to explore their curiosity and approach the world with the fearlessness that they need to discover new skills and abilities. Over time, this can often lead to anxiety and a lack of self esteem, so it is important that you allow your children to take reasonable risks every now and then.

Practice what you preach

In order for your children to understand self confidence, they need to be provided with a clear model of what it means to be confident within yourself, and the best person to provide that example is a parent or caregiver. If you want your children to develop good self esteem, then it is important to find ways to develop your own too. If you are someone who isn’t naturally self confident, then there are a number of things that you can do to improve on your self perception. 

For instance, you might decide to start doing more active hobbies that you enjoy, start pursuing more independent activities, or make some changes to your lifestyle or appearance that will help you feel happier within yourself. For example, if you are uncomfortable with your hair, you might decide to get a new hairstyle, or consider potential cosmetic procedures, such as by looking into trusted hair transplant reviews. 

Offer praise when appropriate

Although praise can often be misused or overused, when it is used in an appropriate manner it is very important for building self esteem. For example, if your child has accomplished something especially impressive, or if they are having a particularly bad day, then you can help to reaffirm their self confidence by pointing out their achievements, or by telling them something good to counteract some of the bad so that it doesn’t knock their confidence as much. 

Let them make their own way

As a parent, it can be tempting to want to protect your children from ever feeling or experiencing anything negative in their lives, but sometimes they have to go through their own battles in order to learn their own lessons and grow in confidence. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t still be there for them, but you have to accept you can’t always be the one to step in and fix everything for them. 

You can also help your children to learn on the go by giving them more responsibilities, as this will not only show that you trust them, but it will also give them a sense of accomplishment and show them what they are capable of achieving on their own. 

Support their dreams and goals

All parents want their children to be successful, which is absolutely understandable. However, this is unfortunately why a lot of children are told to pursue different careers to the things that they really want to do, as their parents are worried that their ideal careers might be impractical. 

If you want your children to be more confident in their abilities, it is important to be supportive of their dreams and goals, even if it is just as a hobby. 

We all want happy, bright smiles for our family, but keeping those smiles healthy can sometimes be a little bit of a challenge, especially when trying to get younger ones on board. Family dental health is absolutely essential, especially when you’re trying to avoid the stress and hassle of an unwanted dentist’s trips with a painful toothache or worse.

So how can you keep your family’s teeth nice and clean? Here are some simple tips to keep everyone’s smiles in top shape.

Start dental care early

You should start thinking about dental hygiene as soon as those first cute little teeth begin to pop out – this means around six months, when milk teeth first start to show. 

Starting early means that you can prevent any dental issues from developing, and it also sets a positive habit in place. Create a routine of cleaning your baby’s teeth for two minutes twice a day, and make sure that you use a special children’s toothpaste, which contains less fluoride.

Enjoy a healthy diet

The health of your family’s teeth starts in the kitchen, especially the snack cupboard, and the food that you eat can help encourage stronger, healthier gums and teeth overall. Try and keep sugary snacks and drinks to a minimum, especially avoiding fizzy drinks, sweets and breakfast cereals that are high in added sugars. While you don’t need to cut them out completely, cutting them down to one or two servings a day can help improve you whole family’s diet.

Drink plenty of water

We all know that we should be drinking more water, and adding extra hydration is a great way of keeping your whole family’s health in good shape. Unlike sweet drinks, tea or coffee, water is a simple and effective way of keeping your teeth clean. Encourage drinking more water by giving everyone their own reusable special water bottle that they can fill up easily by themselves.

Start flossing early on

It’s a good idea to start flossing as soon as your children’s teeth start to touch each other, as food and plaque can easily start to build up here.

Make sure that your kids learn proper technique and practice to understand how to clean between teeth properly, and keep your bathroom cabinet well stocked with floss. Keep the information of a handy dental suppliers to hand so that you can find everything you need for your family online, without a fuss.

Stay on top of dental visits

Regular dental visits for everyone in the family are a must. As well as keeping on top of any teeth or gum issues, going regularly also means you’re less likely to develop the dreaded dental fear, as children learn that a trip to the dentist is a safe and pleasant trip.

Taking care of your family’s dental health means looking after your own too, so don’t neglect your own visits to make sure that your own smile is in great shape.

Forget your financial income; your health is your true wealth. Without a clean bill of it, you can’t partake in the everyday activities that you enjoy, and you can’t even make the money you need to get by in life. Quite simply, everything comes back to your health, so you need to look after it if you’re to be the person you want to be and do the things that you want to do in life.

You don’t just have to hit the gym five times a week and diet for months on end in order to be healthy. There are a plethora of different ways to look after your health, and you can find a few of them listed below.

Stay Healthy Even While You’re Enjoying Yourself

When they embark on a bid to better their health, people often think that they are no longer allowed to enjoy themselves. They believe that they cannot go out with their friends of a weekend, and they think that they must opt for carrots and celery in favour of all the delicious foods that they love.

This, however, is a very common misconception. You can remain healthy, even while you’re enjoying yourself. A few things you can do to stay healthy while you enjoy yourself include:

• Only ever indulging in moderation
• Treating yourself to a cheat meal or activity at least once a week
• Embracing the social aspect of eating and drinking, and stop inducing out of boredom
• Making fulfilling meals out of healthy foods
• Taking reputable vitamins and nutritional supplements, the likes of which are distributed by swanson.co.uk
• Growing your own foods in your garden
• Taking your own drinks to parties

Fun is itself a great medicine. The more you enjoy yourself, the happier and healthier you will be. You shouldn’t, then, go through your whole life without making a bit of time for yourself. When you do decide to have a bit of fun, though, just be sure to take the above advice and so in moderation.

Look After Your Mental Health

Looking after your mental health is just as important a task as looking after your physical health. In fact, the two are so intrinsically linked that, to look after one, you have to tend to the other anyway.

If you continue to allow mental health issues plight your days, not only are you going to make everyday life ten times harder for yourself, but you could also end up heightening your stress levels. That could then lead to all manner of physical problems, such as heart attacks and strokes.

To look after your mental health in the best way possible, you should:

• Open up about your feelings
• Remain physically active
• Take breaks frequently throughout the day
• Practice mindfulness

As you now know, looking after yourself doesn’t have to mean slogging away at the gym or eating healthy foods that, quite frankly, make you heave. You can stay healthy while enjoying yourself, and there are ways to tend to your mental health and, in turn, your physical wellbeing.

The summer is always a great time of year and a good chance to have some fun with your kids. With no school to worry about, you can take them away and find fun things to do, which will bring you all closer together and create new memories together. You do not necessarily have to take them on a two-week summer vacation somewhere exotic, as there are lots of places in and around the UK where you can go for just a short trip. So, if you want this to be an unforgettable summer for your kids then read on for a few suggestions.

France

France is a great option for a short summer break because you get all the excitement of going overseas yet it is easy, cheap and stress-free. Hiring a home for a week in France where you can chill out by the pool and relax can be a holiday that everyone enjoys.

Cornwall

Cornwall is a fantastic estimation for kids in the summer as it really comes to life during the warmer months and there are all kinds of things to see and do. Cornwall has beautiful beaches, water sports, cool towns, peaceful villages and amazing natural surroundings so it is hard to get bored on a trip here. You can hire a cottage from places like Portscatho Holidays which will give you a home away from home and a great base for exploring the area.

London

A day trip to London is a great idea during summer because the capital has so much to offer and there will always be special events happening so be sure to keep your eyes peeled. You can also chill out in the many great parks found throughout London and see all of the main tourist spots. London can, obviously, get busy during the summer so you need to plan your day in advance and think about how you will get around.

Portsmouth

There are many terrific coastal cities to take the kids to during their summer holidays and Portsmouth is certainly one of the best. In addition to the beach, Portsmouth also has a rich maritime history which can be fascinating to discover at places like the HMS Victory and the Mary Rose Museum as well as many other highlights.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is, unquestionably, one of the UK’s finest cities and a lovely place to explore during the summer on a short break. The hilly Scottish capital has many attractions to see, such as the Edinburgh Castle, Arthur’s Seat and the medieval Old Town. There is also a lovely atmosphere in Edinburgh which makes it a good place simply for strolling the streets and soaking up the atmosphere.

You will want to make the most out of the summer holidays and show the kids a good time during their time off school. You do not always have to jet off on a lengthy summer vacation and there are many great places to visit in and around the UK with the above are just a few options to consider.

Sick of the 9-5 slog? Tired of feeling like you are on a hamster wheel with the same routine day-in-day-out? When you are working hard to support your family, it can be easy to feel like life is slipping away, and you are not making the most of it. You have financial obligations, family obligations and demands on your time everywhere that you turn. There often feels like there is little time to enjoy life.

How can you inject some fun back into the mundane, and reconnect with the person that you are without the stresses and strains? They are still there; they just needs waking up!

Goal setting is not exclusive to the workplace. Goals are a great way to give you direction and the feeling that you are proactively working towards something. Without a goal, you will feel like a boat on the sea without a rudder – just floating wherever the tide takes you.

So, spend some time to set yourself realistic goals. A family holiday to a long-haul destination of your dreams, lose a set weight, or maybe you want to move to a larger house within two years? Set yourself a measurable goal and work backwards from it to identify the steps that you need to take to achieve it.  Here are three areas that you can set goals in.

• Work

Work takes up most of your working day, and so it is crucial that you do something that brings in the money but also makes you feel satisfied and fulfilled. When you are in the same role for some time, it can start to feel like double maths.

When was the last time that you had a serious conversation with your managers about career progression and other opportunities within the business? You need to be in control of your career path, and not just wait for prospects to find you.

If the conversation does not provide you with positive steps to take, it may be time to look for a new role with another company. A new position or job with another company will give you fresh challenges and spark your motivation.

• Education

You may have left education many moons ago, and thought that you’d seen the back of it, but learning something new is one of the best ways to transform your life. Plus, it can be an ideal opportunity to open the gateways to a new career.

There are so many subjects that are offered through online learning, that there will be something to interest you. OriGym Courses – https://origympersonaltrainercourses.co.uk/course/level-3-personal-trainer for personal trainers, counselling courses, health and safety, the list is endless, but first, you need to identify what interests you.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you want to learn for fun or for work?
• How much time can you devote each week to your studies?
• Do you want to develop a specific skill?

Your answers will shape the type of course that you should choose.

• Hobbies

You may feel that there are just not enough hours in the day to commit to another demand of your time, but having a goal focused hobby can benefit all other aspects of your life.

• Hobbies boost your confidence and self-esteem. When you see how you have progressed in a hobby and can feel improvement, you start to feel good about yourself.
• Hobbies expose you to new perceptions. Typically, hobbies are social, and when you meet new people, you are open to new and differing points of view. You’ll be challenged and agreed, both of which can change your world view.
• Hobbies make you interesting! You will have something else to talk and think about other than work and home life.
• Hobbies relieve stress. If you feel like life is a rat race and overwhelming, the chances are high that you are experiencing stress. When you are taking part in a hobby, you have the chance to relax and escape responsibilities, work and chores – even for just a short while. You will find that you are better equipped to deal with challenges and obstacles if you have this time to switch off. Your brain acts like a muscle and needs downtime too.

Hobbies are a great way to challenge yourself, learn to be patient, be resilient, and above all else, achieve what you set out to do. These are experiences that enrich all aspects of life. If your current hobby doesn’t challenge you, you will not be benefitting from it, so why not try something new? Explore different hobbies and find your tribe.

Goal setting is a great way to kick-start your life and give you purpose. Don’t fall into the trap of being unrealistic – acknowledge your weaknesses and play for your strengths and enjoy achieving your goals.

It’s not just bright orange super cars that need a bit of TLC

We put a lot of emphasis on safe motoring over the winter months because it’s dark, the weather is miserable and conditions are difficult. Some motorists who do more mileage than I do even go as far as changing to winter tyres.

Plenty of the high street tyre shops and garages even offer free winter check ups to make sure your cars not going to be a hazard caused by something you could have easily remedied.

It’s odd isn’t it that we don’t do the same come the summer? We’ve not had a great deal of rain recently but over the weekend we had a torrential downpour. Afterwards the roads were really greasy, dangerous even, especially with a rear wheel drive two-seater (I was in my wife’s Fiat 124, which doesn’t have a slip differential at the back). Likewise the multitude of insects I destroyed over the bank holiday weekend required as much screen wash as I used four months ago getting the salt they gritted the road with off.

What I’m saying basically is we probably should put just as much effort into making sure our cars are roadworthy when the weather takes a turn for the better. Fortunately when you take your car in for a service or an MOT they check the tyres to ensure that they’re road legal but that that doesn’t stop you for checking a few obvious things yourself. If your car doesn’t have swanky tire pressure sensors, you should regularly check the tyre pressure and check for any bulges or abnormalities in the tyres themselves.

You don’t need to have a super car to take an interest in the mechanical running of your car, and with only a few mm of the tyres in contact with the road surface at any one time, they’re sort of important! When I did my track day, which included the orange monster at the top of the post, it was at one of the sites Everyman Racing using just outside Northampton. As well as doing track days for super cars, a lot of these sites also do bring your own car days, which is exciting. The tyre squeal from a Civic going through a hairpin feels every bit as exciting as driving a Porsche (honest)! There are actually a lot of race tracks around Northampton, so it would probably make sense to get your tyres checked and maybe consider  getting robust tyres in Northampton at the best rates only from Calmac Tyres. Why not visit their autocentre today!

I had a rather dangerous issue with a tyre once, when I clipped a kerb in the Yorkshire Dales. It slightly cracked my plastic hubcap but more importantly it destroyed the tyre in a way that wasn’t obvious to me immediately but would have been immediately apparent to a trained tyre technician. All that was visible was a slight bulge in the sidewall of the tyre. Fortunately before I loaded the car and drove the 200+ miles home, I decided to take it up to cruising speed with just me in it. I say fortunately, because I suffered a blow out- the tyre literally exploded- on the motorway. I had a quick lesson (and a bit of a telling off!) from the breakdown cover chap who came to fix it about how tyres are made (there’s a lot more metal in there than I realised), which led me to an understanding of how much we need to look after our tyres.

One of the most important parts of a car is often the part that we pay little attention to. If the car’s making a funny noise or seems slow in acceleration, we tend to pop down to the garage and ensure that a mechanic runs his eye over it. If it’s in warranty, that’s a cheap fix (hopefully), if it’s an older car, well it still needs fixing. The one thing we don’t tend to spend an enormous amount of time thinking about is the tyres. It’s odd when you think of it though isn’t it? The tyres are the one point of contact our car actually has with the road and often it’s only when the MOT flags up an issue with the tread depth that we get excited enough to even think about them.

As parents though we have a bit more of a responsibility don’t we? For example there’s not much point in replacing worn out brake pads if the tyres aren’t going to give you much grip in the first instance.

I’m reaching the stage now where I’m looking to change my company car. My Honda Civic was good enough with three kids aged 4-9 when I got it three years ago but by the time it’s replacement is due to go back, the kids will be 10-15 and that needs something all together larger.

Earlier on today I was organising test drives for the three I’ve whittled it down to- the Peugeot 5008, the Citreon C5 Aircross and the Toyota Rav4. I’m veering towards the Peugeot at the moment because it has an extra row of pop up seats in the boot that I can stick whichever child needs a bit of peace and quiet. It obviously helps that it’s won the large SUV of the year award too.

We used to have a Rav4 years ago and it was like travelling in a big cosy armchair but it’s probably not going to be big enough, unlike the Peugeot which is plenty large enough. Of course when you get a bigger car with softer suspension it can be harder to spot if the tyres have degraded until it’s potentially too late. It is absolutely mandatory to have the right tyres fitted to your own vehicle type. There are many tyre garages who can do this for you. Let’s say If you choose Peugeot tyres from Point S you can be sure that the tyres are a good match for your car which is important when you’ve got kids in the back, each trying to incite the other two to nuclear war. It’s one less thing to worry about isn’t it?

Starting your own business in the UK has never been easier. Thanks to the digital world that we live in, you don’t even need to have a warehouse in which to store your products if you’re ready to start making sales. There are countless options to help you get your venture off the ground, including affiliates, drop shipping and more.

However, just because starting a business is easier than it once was, doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges to consider. For instance, one of the biggest things that people struggle with when it comes to launching their own company is merely taking the plunge and getting started. If you’ve had an amazing idea in mind for months now, but you still haven’t taken that next step, here’s how you can start your business today.

Speak to HMRC and Get Compliant

HMRC needs to know that you’re going to be self-employed. With that in mind, it’s worth logging onto their website and finding out everything you can about becoming a sole trader or working as a limited company. It’s also a good idea to look at the free online training available for HMRC, which will give you the basics on what you need to know about tax returns, record-keeping and more.

While you’re at it, make sure that you’re compliant with everything that the government expects from you when you become a business. This means that you may need to check whether you need any specific trading licenses or insurance before you begin working with customers.

Think about Your Finances

Cash flow is one of the most important parts of running a business. However, managing your money starts long before you launch your company. First of all, you’ll need to open a business bank account. This is where all of the cash moving in and out of your organisation will go. It’s also where you’ll be collecting statements from for your accountant.

With your bank account sorted out, you’ll also be able to start seeking out a loan. For some people, the best option will be to go with a specialist business loan. However, it might be difficult to get this kind of loan if your company isn’t pre-established. You can speak to your bank about the opportunities available and go from there. Remember to compare your loan options to get the lowest price.

Get Insured

We mentioned insurance in the compliance section above because it’s an essential part of running a safe business. If you want to stop yourself from going bankrupt the moment a client decides that they have a problem with you, then you need insurance straight away. There are plenty of different options out there, so make sure that you read up on the basics of policies and find out what kind of coverage you need.

For instance, if you run a company out of your home, but you don’t see clients at your property, then you don’t need to insure yourself against customers hurting themselves when they meet with you. Speak with an insurance or business professional if you’re not sure what you need.

Refine Your Business Plan

With a little luck, if you’ve been daydreaming about your business up to now, then you’ve probably already got the basics of a business plan in place. All you need to do now is start refining it. That means figuring out exactly how much money you’re going to dedicate to everything from employees, to marketing and more.

You can also put goals in place that will help to guide and motivate you when the going gets tough. If you know how much you plan to charge for your products and services, you can predict where you might like to be 6, 12, and 24 months from now.

Get Your Support Ready

Finally, remember that only you can take the plunge and start your own business, but that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. There’s plenty of support out there to help you too. You don’t have to run out and employ people straight away, but you can certainly work with freelancers if you need to access some special skills that you don’t have yourself. Or you can look into just working with people occasionally when you need them most. For instance, you might have to find an accountant once a year.

As well as professional support, don’t forget to consider emotional and personal support too. Running a business is a lot harder than it seems, and you’re going to need people around you to help you thrive.