Parenting 101, Tips and Tricks

A Financial Checklist for Expectant Mums

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money talks, money matters, parenting 101, tips + tricks
Expecting a baby can be a mixed bag of emotions for many parents, especially with a few extra hormones in the mix. Although you are probably looking forward to seeing your little bundle of joy, extra financial worries can often creep into your pregnancy. By creating a checklist during this time, hopefully you can manage this extra burden and focus on the more positive things in life. Here is a little checklist with some pre-baby planning ideas to help get you started.

Free dental care

Several links have been made between poor dental health and our overall health. Several studies have found prominent links to gum disease and low birth weights as well as premature births. As an expectant mum, you are more prone to gum disease due to hormone changes. If you notice sore or bleeding gums, head to the dentist straight away. Due to these risks, your GP will offer you a card which will entitle you to free dental care which you can use during your pregnancy and up to one year after the birth of your baby.

Register your baby

In England and Wales, the law requires you to register the birth of your baby within 42 days. If this deadline is not met, you will be fined £200, which will feel like a huge amount with an extra mouth to feed. You can register either at a registry office or in the hospital before you leave. There is no fee and the process will only take around 30 minutes.

money talks, money matters, parenting 101, tips + tricks

Overspending

It is common for first time parents to overspend on basically everything. If you talk to parents with more than one child, they will often say that they spent too much on things for their first born. Although you want this time to be special and lovely, your main focus should be on practical must-haves and having enough money to feed and house your child. Your baby will probably spend more time playing with a cardboard box rather than an expensive toy. Join some online forums or a parenting group in your area for helpful advice and tips.

Childcare

Many mothers feel that they need to take on the role of a stay-at-home mum because of costly childcare fees. In a bid to get more mums back into work, the government are offering childcare tax credit. The HMRC sets out a rough guide in their child tax credit leaflet. It states that you ‘may get an award of tax credits’ if you have a household income up to £26,000 with one child or a total income of £32,000 with two children. Look at the HMRC website of the Citizen’s Advice Bureau for more information.

money talks, money matters, parenting 101, tips + tricks

Discount baby shopping

Annual baby bills can really take a chunk out of earnings. Sign up to some baby clubs to arm yourself with some hidden discounts on food, toys and other baby items next time you hit the shops. Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Boots all have their own baby clubs which offer discount vouchers on all your everyday items as well as free samples for you to try at home. Look out for some Asda baby discount events throughout the year either in store or online.

Some extra cash

It can be easy to get yourself into a spin when you are pregnant. With so many things to sort out, you may miss out on a HMRC tax refund and other payouts that you are entitled to. Why not head to https://www.riftuk.com/ to find out if you are eligible for some extra cash this year?

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Parenting 101, Tips and Tricks

Picking baby names: What Do You Really Need To Think About?

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tips + tricks, parenting 101, babies, baby names

Some people have their future baby names picked out from the moment they can push a doll around in a toy pushchair. For others, the process is a little more difficult.

It can be really daunting choosing a name for a new baby, especially because it will be the name they will most likely keep for the rest of their life. It can be easy to get a name wrong and a name that sounds adorable for a newborn might not be quite as cute as the child gets older. In fact, a recent study by domain name company Siteopia revealed that as much as one in three people are not happy with their given names. Not only that, but also one in five parents ended up regretting the name they gave to their child at birth.

The study said that this was sometimes because the name they chose ended up being too common or used by a celebrity they didn’t like. These figures are actually quite staggering and show important it is for parents to get it right. With this in mind, what are the things you should be thinking about when it comes to choosing a baby name?

Does the name fit with you and your lifestyle?

Of course, parents want to get creative and be unique, particularly as there are over 7 billion people in the world to compete with in the name stakes. However, it’s important to think about if your child’s chosen name fits with you and your lifestyle. Names play a big part of shaping an individual’s identity and creating a sense of belonging. For this reason, your child might feel alienated if your family has predominantly traditional names and you choose something much more uncommon. This isn’t a case of being conservative or boring when it comes to name choosing, it’s just recommended that you think about how the child will feel about their name.

Is there a ‘tease factor’ associated with the name?

This is a big worry for a lot of parents and there is a lot of debate as to whether it should be a criteria to consider when picking out names. It certainly should be something parents should be aware of, however it is a good idea not to go too overboard. Kids can be cruel, but they wont go out of their way to come up with unusually inventive name-calling. Whilst it’s worth keeping this in mind, you should also make sure you have ‘tease proofed’ your chosen name as much as possible. This simply means thinking about possible nasty nicknames, whether the initials spell something unpleasant (Peter Ian Goodwin, anyone?) and if it’s something too bizarre.

How will friends and family shorten it?

Lastly, simply think about how your friends and family are likely to shorten the name and if you are happy with that nickname. According to the Siteopia research, a third of people in Britain are known by a nickname, which really highlights the popularity of nicknames. So, if you love the name Charles, but can’t stand the nickname Charlie, you may want to reconsider your name choice.

These are just a few tips on what to think about when picking a new baby name. What is important to remember is not to pay too much attention to what is trendy or in fashion at the time. It goes without saying that fashionable names tend also to be common names, so if you are concerned about your chosen name being too ‘everyday’ then it’s best to simply think about what is right for you. At the end of the day, if you love a name and it feels like the perfect name…then it probably is.

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Parenting 101, Tips and Tricks

Five After School Jobs For Your Child To Try Out

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If your children are teenagers, then you may want to consider allowing them to have a job. Jobs not only help kids keep money in their pocket, but it also helps teach them responsibility. Below are some of the jobs that your children can get:

Babysitting

This is a great first-time job for teens because busy parents always need someone to watch their children. Before you allow your teenagers to babysit, you should enroll them in a babysitting course. Babysitting courses are taught by many non-profit organizations. It may be easier for your teenagers to find babysitting jobs because parents will feel more comfortable with leaving their children with someone who has received the proper training.

Waiter/Waitress

If your children enjoy interacting with other people, then a waiter or waitress job would be a good choice. Waiters and waitresses are not paid that much per hour, but they have the opportunity to make a lot of money in tips. However, it is important to note that waiters and waitresses may be required to work late at night and on the weekends.

Tutor

Tutoring is an excellent choice for teens who enjoy working with young children. One of the advantages that come along with being a tutor is that they have the opportunity to set their own schedule. There are also online tutoring jobs available. Additionally, tutoring can prepare an aspiring teacher for a future career.

Yard Work

Many busy homeowners need someone to do some yard work for them. They need someone to rake leaves during the fall, shovel snow during the winter, plant flowers during the spring and mow the lawn during the summer. Therefore, yard work can be a year-round job.

Your teenagers can find cashier jobs at grocery stores, fast food restaurants and department stores. The requirements needed to get a job as a cashier can vary, depending on the place of employment. Many places will hire a high school student, but others require that an interested candidate have a high school diploma. It is also important to note that some work experience may be required to get a job as a cashier. You want to make sure that you check the requirements before you encourage your teen to apply for a cashier job.

Getting a job is one of the first steps to becoming independent of one’s parents. Babysitting, waiter/waitress, tutoring yard work and cashier are just a few of the many jobs that are available for teens. Your teens will be able to grow into responsible adults if they start working early.

Author Bio: Nicole is a recruitment agent and has been for the past 5 years. She aims to help her clients find jobs and guide them in the right direction. She started writing blogs to share her knowledge to others who are looking for general help and ideas to get them started on their career.

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