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Help Your Child Do Well in Math

March 15, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Uncategorized No Comments →

Here are some Homework Help Strategies to Help Your Child Do Well in Math. Math is a subject that many kids find difficult. It seems for a lot of children you either have a natural knack for math or you don’t. However, even a child that is struggling in this area can make very good progress with the right strategies in place. For some children it’s not a matter of “being bad at math” but simply more of needing a flexible teaching approach to the subject.

Here are a few tips to help your child develop their math skills:

#1 – Don’t push too hard. It’s worth keeping in mind that some children can create an inner mental block when it comes to math. If they believe they just “don’t get it” it will be difficult to help them learn and understand the basic concepts.

Help your child relax by offering a lot of praise and letting them know that they will eventually understand the subject; it’s just a matter of practicing and applying. Try to avoid negative language such as “you won’t get into college unless you pass your math exam.” While this may be true, it can be a very daunting and frightening thought for children.

Instead concentrate on positive approaches such as explaining to your child that there’s a set formula to understanding math and that it’s not really a mystery – simply a matter of getting the formula right. Then let them know you’ll help them until they “crack the code.” By giving your child the confidence to believe that they will eventually understand the topic, you take a lot of pressure off them. In turn they may just surprise you with their progress.

#2 – Little and often. With math, as with may other subjects, an approach of little and often works best. For many children the thought of sitting down for even 30 minutes to work on math is daunting. A better option may be to practice their skills in five or ten minute bursts. Studies have shown that the ideal retention time for any new or difficult subject is eight minutes.

By practicing little and often your child may be able to develop their skills better. Another good “trick” is to write basic formulas or times tables on flash cards and let your child practice them several times throughout the days. It may only take three or four minutes but doing this regularly can really make a difference to their skills.

#3 – Use “real life” concepts. One of the best ways to develop math skills early on is to simply get a basic “real life” concept of numbers. You can easily do this by letting your child count coins or money from a young age. Did you know that because much of our money is electronic nowadays, children often can’t even recognize coins or actual money? Help your child get to grips with money by exposing them to counting and handling money early on.

Another fun and fantastic option for developing number skills is by playing games. Games like bingo, monopoly and even puzzles really develop critical skills that help with number skills. It’s a great opportunity for families to spend time together and learn. The children will simply think they’re having fun (and they will be) but they will also be learning valuable number concepts.

Helping your child with math can seem like a daunting prospect, but with these simple but effective tips you can make a big difference to your child’s skills.

Additional Help

101 Easy Science Projects - Downloadable e-book with step by step instructions for 101 easy science projects for kids in grades K-12. 

How To Help Your Child With Homework - The Complete Guide To Encouraging Good Study Habits And Ending The Homework Wars.

The Household Helper’s Guide To Home Organization

March 12, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Uncategorized No Comments →

Product Review
Seems like the words “busy” and “mom” just go together much too well. With everything we have to do as moms it seems like the word “organized” and “mom” don’t go together. But to the contrary, Home Organization for Busy Moms by Cara Mirabella can make the words “organized busy mom” a reality for you.

I was really impressed with Home Organization for Busy Moms. It’s not one of the books that makes everything just peachy keen. It’s a realistic look at what clutter is, how being disorganized affects our lives and our health and then it provides the exactly steps to helping you get your life, home and family in order and keep it that way.

Most people fail at being organized, it’s true but if you why that happens and that answer is provided then you can overcome it knowing what it is. Cara takes you through each and every room of your home including the garage and your car and gives you practical tips you can use to get your life, your home and your family organized. She’s motivating and just reading through Home Organization for Busy Mom gave me not only ideas on how to achieve that goal of organization but it also made me want to get up and start now!

If your life isn’t as organized as you’d like it to be don’t worry, it can be with the tips Cara Mirabella sets out in her eBook – The Household Helper’s Guide To Home Organization.

How To Succeed At Becoming Organized

March 05, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Uncategorized No Comments →

It can be very hard to actually succeed in becoming organized. If it were easy, then everyone would naturally be organized and no one would talk about it, magazines and newspapers wouldn’t include stories about it, and you probably wouldn’t even be reading this article.

There are several reasons that people fail at becoming organized. For starters, they may have a lack of commitment. A person can easily clean their house and put everything away in a neat and orderly fashion. Once that is done, the real work begins.

In order to stay organized, a person needs to do a little bit of cleaning and “picking up” each day. This doesn’t mean you have to spend all day, every day cleaning and organizing the house. Once you have completed the initial cleaning, you may only need to spend a half hour each day picking things up and putting them away. But it is something that needs to be done each day.

Hand in hand with that comes the next reason people fail at becoming organized: procrastination. It is very easy to put something off today and say to yourself “I’ll do it tomorrow.” The sad fact is, that once you put something off one day, it becomes even easier to keep putting it off. That is how clutter builds up in the first place.

To increase your chances of becoming successful at being organized, take some time and create an organization plan. What areas of your home and life need to become organized and how will you organize them? Do you need to buy some organizational products to help you achieve your goals?

Once you have your plan ready, it is time to take action. If the task of becoming organized seems unattainable, start small and create mini-goals. Start by organizing one room in your home at a time. Even if you only manage to organize one or two rooms per week, within a month or two, you will be organized

An easy way to beat procrastination is to commit to spending fifteen minutes per day on tasks such as sorting the mail, picking up items around the house and putting them where they belong, and other little things.

After you get into a regular routine, you will find that being organized – and staying that way – is a natural habit.

For Step by Step directions on getting your home organized, check out Home Organization for Busy Moms.

Balancing Your Home and Business Life without Having Super Powers

February 17, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Uncategorized No Comments →

For moms who work from home, balancing the home and business sides of their lives can feel downright impossible, especially when the reason they began working from home was so they could spend more time with family.

However, many home businesses actually fail because moms don’t manage to balance business and home life. How can you juggle your family’s needs, your business needs and occasionally find some time for your needs without being a super hero?

The first thing any mom should do to achieve balance is to get the family involved. If your children and husband support you, you will find that they interrupt less often and are more likely to pitch in to get household chores done. You’re probably thinking that will happen the day the moon turns to blue cheese, right?

However, if you mention that you need to get a major project done and will be able to buy a pizza and rent a video when you are paid, you may be surprised at how quickly everyone pitches in to help out.

If you have young children, they may not be able to understand the concept of waiting for a reward. To get your younger children involved, try explaining what you are doing in very simple terms and having them help you.

Set up a small desk or table for your toddlers and add crayons and paper so they can help you with your work by drawing some pictures or writing a letter. Children that are a bit older can put stamps on envelopes and seal them, paperclip papers together or do other simple organizational tasks.

Of course, no matter how supportive your family and friends are, they are not going to be happy if you work 15 hours a day.

Make sure that you ask for uninterrupted time to do your job or run your business, but also make sure that you schedule time for your family and friends. While you are making up that schedule, don’t forget your significant other. If you sit at your computer all evening after the children are tucked away for the night, you may end up with some serious relationship issues!

Once your family and friends are involved and you’ve scheduled time for them in your life, it is time to consider a few ways to make the most of your valuable work time.

While you may be tempted to work non-stop during the time you have dedicated to your business, you should actually try to take some breaks. Taking a half-hour walk or having lunch away from your desk can really help you recharge your mind and keeps your body from growing stiff and tired. When you sit back down, you can do so with a clearer view of your goals and fresh energy and focus.

Also, don’t be afraid to make a “to do” list for your business. Write the four or five items you absolutely must do on your list and promise yourself that you will get them done before you visit your favorite forums or check your email. This can really help you get more work accomplished in less time.

So, although you may not have super powers, you can still have a home life, a business life and some time for yourself. The next time you are feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath, ask your family for some help and try out a few of these great ideas for balancing your life.

Get More Help:

Working at home can be extremely rewarding, but it’s challenging. Get the help you need with Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family. It’s your practical guide to tracking your time, setting priorities, learning to say no and achieving that balance you strive for.

Balancing Work and Family

January 25, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Uncategorized No Comments →

As a mom you probably go through times in your life when you think you can’t possibly manage work and taking proper care of your family. In fact, there are probably times when you feel you’re not doing a good job at one or the other or maybe even both. Don’t despair! There is help for you whether you work from home or outside of the home, your family is large or small or you have other commitments like volunteer work.

Time Management - Knowing where and how you spend your time is key to balancing your life. Start by keeping a calendar of all your activities. You can do this online, on a paper calendar or in a journal. Track everything from showering, exercise, meal preparation, driving time, and so on. You will probably see areas where you can cut some time out by doing certain activities while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or riding in the car. There are lots of useful ways to spend idle time and you can figure those out as you fill out your calendar or journal.

Set Priorities - As women we often have a hard time saying “no” because it is in our nature to help others and want to be useful. However, you must know when to say “no” to those activities that don’t help you reach your family, personal or business goals. And even if the activity does in some way help you reach your goals, you will need to prioritize the activity according to its value or importance.

Don’t be Afraid to ask for Help - Another trap women tend to fall into is the “I can do it all” syndrome. For some reason society has taught women that they have to be “Super Mom” otherwise you’ll be seen as lazy or a bad mother. That is a lie! When you are feeling overwhelmed by work, family and kids, have a friend, relative or neighbor give you a hand by helping you clean your house, or taking the kids away for a couple of hours while you get some work done. Whatever the situation may be, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

These are just a few of the suggestions you’ll find in my report, Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family. The “Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family” report shows you how you can find a balance between work and family, without letting any of those balls you are juggling fall on the floor. This report gives you real life solutions, and the best part is that you can get started right now.

Not only are there tips for everyday life, but inside The “Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family” contains valuable insight for work at home moms and moms who work outside of the home.

In addition, I also show you how to get started and then keep the momentum! So don’t wait another second. Stop doing the juggling act and get your life in balance now with the Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family report.

Enjoy a Family Fun Night In

January 20, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Uncategorized No Comments →

It’s a common complaint of many families these days. Everyone is involved in so many activities that it’s hard to come together and enjoy time as a family. Consider some of these ideas on how to enjoy a family fun night in instead of everyone going their separate ways.

Scientifically it has been proven that families who eat meals together are more emotionally connected and more stable. And since everyone has to eat, why not start your family fun night in by cooking a meal together?

Family meals don’t have to be elaborate or tedious to prepare. They can be as simple as cooking hamburgers, having chips, and drinks. Of course, you may want to prepare something that will get everyone involved in the cooking process. Someone can cut up vegetables, someone else be in charge of cooking the dessert, and another person in charge of the main meal. Have everyone pitch in and the work will be completed quicker. You can also use the time to reconnect and talk about what’s happened in each person’s life since your last family fun night.

Once the meal is complete, take time to set a nice table and eat there rather than in front of the television. You can make clean-up a breeze by using disposable plates and napkins if you like, but you can also make the dinner seem more special by using nice place settings which are normally reserved for holidays.

After you’ve eaten dinner and cleaned up the dishes, continue your family night by playing board games. Have everyone choose one of their favorite games and then decide together which one you’ll play first. Games are meant to be fun and relaxing, so try to avoid becoming too competitive if that’s your personality. Depending upon the game you’ve chosen, you may be able to play more than one game; and don’t forget to play games even the little children of the family can enjoy.

If games aren’t your favorite things, you can also plan a movie night. Find a movie everyone will like, or at least tolerate, and pop some popcorn. Comedies are usually a good choice even though people have different senses of humor. Unless the humor is extremely dry, everyone in the family should at least get a chuckle out of the movie.

Pull out the family albums and take a stroll down memory lane. Remember the way the children were when they were young. Everyone loves to look at pictures of or hear stories about themselves even if they can be slightly embarrassing. Talk about some of the things your children did as babies or toddlers that you found so endearing.

No matter how busy your family may get, it’s vital to take time to reconnect as a family. You can use some of these ideas on how to enjoy a fun family night in or you can come up with some of your own. The important thing is to do something everyone, no matter what their age, will be able to enjoy and look forward to.

Mom, You Know Family is Important, but Where Do You Find the Time? Click here for instant help.

Advantages of Family Volunteering

January 14, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Uncategorized No Comments →

Listen in to the conversations you hear at the grocery store. You may hear one mother complain that her children often say “I want this” or “I want that.” Another parent may mention that they’re tired of how many different directions their family runs on a daily basis. Whether your family has the “I wants” or is rarely together, you may want to consider the advantages of family volunteering.

One of the many advantages of family volunteering is having your family work on a project together. Not only can you spend time with one another, but you help someone who is less fortunate than yourselves. If you look at it like that, it’s a win-win situation.

Perhaps your family is concerned about the environment. You can probably find environmental projects you can do in your own area. Call the local city park to see if they need help. They may ask you to help pick up litter, plant trees or flowers in flower beds, or place markers to identify the trees along a walking trail.

Another family volunteering activity you can do is to work at a soup kitchen or center for homeless people. They have to feed those staying at the shelter every day so they’d probably be thrilled to have someone come to the center to help cook, serve, or clean up after meals. Many people consider helping during the holidays but there are needs at these shelters and centers all year round.

Is anyone in your family handy with tools? You may want to volunteer as a family to work on a Habitat for Humanity home or some similar project. If you get involved when the project first starts and see it through completion, your family can feel proud of a job well done and see the joy on a deserving family’s face when they are handed the keys to their new home.

What are some other advantages to family volunteering?

* You’re teaching your children about giving to others rather than always asking for something.

* Volunteering allows children to become involved in their community in a tangible way.

* It teaches your family to become stronger, promotes positive values, and teaches them how to work as a team.

* Having your children volunteer while they’re young will probably encourage them to continue volunteering as an adult. They may even pass the volunteering tradition onto their own children.

* Family volunteering can be a lot of fun!

Bring your family together by volunteering. You can strengthen your family, have fun, and benefit others in the process.

Change your life by clearing clutter

January 07, 2010 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Uncategorized No Comments →

This article will give you a few different tips which you can choose to change her life by clearing clutter. It is amazing the amount of “stuff” which you can find in your life which has probably been t one here for some which you have never used.

The first tip, which will be given to help you change your life by clearing out clutter is that everything needs to have a spot. If you have bills spread out over several rooms, how will you know what bills are due when and what needs to be done?

Your bills should have a specific place somewhere within the house so that when you sort through your mail each day and find bills, you know that they go in one specific location.

A second tip, which will be given to help you change your life by clearing out clutter, is to go through your closets one at a time. It will be amazing to you how much “stuff” you put within each closet that you may not need.

Take the time to pull everything out of the closet and decide what needs to be kept and what could be donated. This will also allow you to further know the location for any items which you regularly use so that these particular items have a spot within this one closet.

A third tip, which will be given to help you change your life by clearing out clutter is to take those items which you never use and either donate them to charity or sell them on eBay.

This will help reduce the amount of “stuff” within your life so that you are working on clearing out your clutter. If you don’t use it, what is the reason for continuing to hold on to it? You probably have told yourself before that you will keep particular items in case you need them someday.

If you have not used that item in a year, it is probably likely a good time for you to get the item out of your house.

The final tip, which will be given to help you change your life by clearing out clutter, is to go through this process regularly.

Do not clean out your closets once a year but if you make this a weekly chore to look through one closet, you will find that it will not take you a great deal of time and you will not be overwhelmed by the amount of “stuff” within your life.

Hopefully this article on how to help you change your life by clearing out clutter has given you insights into what you can do to remove items from your house you don’t need and also to know where to find items.

This is something which you need to do regularly and you’ll find that you’ll be much happier knowing where things go.

Additional Resource

The Definitive Guide To Home Organization For Busy People - How To Quickly And Easily Clear Clutter And Organize Your Home…for Good! Learn The Exact Steps And Tricks Used By Professional Organizers To Get Your Home Organized & Clutter Free Today!

Work Life Balance: Help for Busy Moms

December 30, 2009 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Uncategorized No Comments →

As a mom you probably go through times in your life when you think you can’t possibly manage work and taking proper care of your family.  In fact, there are probably times when you feel you’re not doing a good job at one or the other or maybe even both. Don’t despair!  There is help for you whether you work from home or outside of the home, your family is large or small or you have other commitments like volunteer work.

Time Management - Knowing where and how you spend your time is key to balancing your life. Start by keeping a calendar of all your activities.  You can do this online, on a paper calendar or in a journal.  Track everything from showering, exercise, meal preparation, driving time, and so on.  You will probably see areas where you can cut some time out by doing certain activities while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or riding in the car.  There are lots of useful ways to spend idle time and you can figure those out as you fill out your calendar or journal.

Set Priorities - As women we often have a hard time saying “no” because it is in our nature to help others and want to be useful. However, you must know when to say “no” to those activities that don’t help you reach your family, personal or business goals.  And even if the activity does in some way help you reach your goals, you will need to prioritize the activity according to its value or importance.

Don’t be Afraid to ask for Help - Another trap women tend to fall into is the “I can do it all” syndrome.  For some reason society has taught women that they have to be “Super Mom” otherwise you’ll be seen as lazy or a bad mother.  That is a lie! When you are feeling overwhelmed by work, family and kids, have a friend, relative or neighbor give you a hand by helping you clean your house, or taking the kids away for a couple of hours while you get some work done.  Whatever the situation may be, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

These are just a few of the suggestions you’ll find in my report, Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family. The “Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family” report shows you how you can find a balance between work and family, without letting any of those balls you are juggling fall on the floor.  This report gives you real life solutions, and the best part is that you can get started right now.

Not only are there tips for everyday life, but inside The “Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family” contains valuable insight for work at home moms and moms who work outside of the home.

In addition, I also show you how to get started and then keep the momentum! So don’t wait another second.  Stop doing the juggling act and get your life in balance now with the Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family report.

Looking for tips to get your life in balance now. Get ‘em right now… 24/7! The Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family report is available for easy and instant download to your computer.

Also grab a free Personal Life coaching consultation at http://www.reallifecoaching.net/free-consultation/

Tips on Saving Money during the Holidays

December 01, 2009 By: Real Life Solutions Category: Uncategorized No Comments →

With the hype that holidays usually bring, people always have the tendency to buy more and spend more without taking into account the consequences that their actions can bring.

Hence, it does not necessarily mean that because it is the holidays you have all the reason in this world to buy whatever you want and spend how much you want. Some people contend that it’s just once a year, so better give what you have.

The problem is that giving something just for the spirit of the holidays does not mean you have to spend gold. You can still give something that will be deeply appreciated without having to spend more money.

Here’s how:

1. Make a budget and stick to it

The problem with most people is that they find making a budget relatively easy but sticking to it is doubly hard. So what’s the point of making a budget when you do not know how to conform to what you have stated in there?

Making and using your budget should always go hand in hand. Therefore, when you make your budget this holiday season, it is best that you follow the things that are written in it so that you would be able to save more money.

2. Live within your means

Of course, everybody would want to give gifts because that is what the holiday season calls for. However, it does not necessarily mean that you have to spend more than what you can afford.

The trick to saving more money is to always live within your means. Spending more than what you can afford will definitely bring more problems than you can afford to solve.

3. Personalize it!

As they say, it is the thought that counts. Hence, there are no better ways to show how much you have thought of those people this holiday season than making personalized gifts.

4. Shop and compare

It really pays to shop around and doubly better when you compare prices. You will never know which items are better priced than the others are when you do not compare their values.

The point here is that you should not be confined to one shopping portal. Try to look for other items, usually in thrift stores and consignment shops, where you can find the best items at a lower price.

Indeed, shopping for the holidays can be fun, but you don’t have to be spendthrift. Nowadays, you really just have to be practical.