Helping your child with their homework doesn’t have to require you spending hours of your free time hunched over a desk — all you need to do is support your child and set them on the right path with regards to what they are being asked to do. You shouldn’t be passive in the experience, though. Studies have shown that the more involved a parent is with homework, the better their child will perform academically.

 To find the perfect balance when it comes to your child’s homework and to really support them with regards to it, you should put the advice laid out below into practice.

 

 

Always have the tools and supplies they need at hand

One of your most important jobs in this instance is to harbour a focused environment in which your child can study and learn. They will only ever become distracted and detached from their homework tasks, however, if they haven’t got the tools and supplies they need to complete their work at hand at all times. This means that you have to go out there and invest in everything they need — from pencils to printers, they need it all. With regards to the latter, you can find a wide variety of printing supplies online — amongst a great deal of many other products, they stock HP 302 ink cartridge packs.

 

If you want to make distraction a thing of the past, you have to ensure that your child has everything they need to complete every homework task they are set.

 

Get to know your child’s teachers 

Knowing your child’s teachers – more to the point, getting to know what their teachers are looking for — is half the battle won. This allows you to push your child towards giving answers that you know their teacher will value.

 

The best time to find out a little bit more about your child’s teacher is at parent-teacher conferences. At such events, you should make sure to ask questions about homework policies,and you should ask how you can be better involved with your child’s learning.

 

 

Set a good example

No matter how old he or she is, your child will always look to you as their number one role model. You should set them a good example when it comes to their homework tasks, then, by being proactive with regards to facing them. If you express a keen interest in the work that they are being asked to do, chances are, they will follow suit.

No matter what side of the fence you stand on with regards to whether or not homework should be handed out, you need to be involved and lead by example. Sit down with them and be there to answer any questions they may have.

 

If you feel that your child is continuing to struggle with their homework no matter how much support you offer, don’t be afraid to seek additional assistance for them. This could mean taking to their teacher, or it could mean hiring them a tutor.

 

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.

Do you have a spare room that you currently aren’t using for anything in particular? Maybe it’s a bedroom set up for guests that only gets used once in a while, or you’ve been using it for storage and it now looks like a dumping ground. All the space in your home is precious, so if you’re not making use of the spare room, have a ponder on how you could get more out of it.

Home office

Even if you don’t work from home, it’s always useful to have a space where you can keep your desk, PC, and all your documents and files. It gives you somewhere peaceful to work on balancing your bank account or dealing with household admin tasks, and if you have kids, they could use it as a study space too. Having a home office enables you to keep all the paperwork and functional bits and pieces out of your living space so that you can keep the rest of your home tidier and more comfortable.

Hobbies room

If you have a hobby, having all your equipment in one place makes it much easier to spend time enjoying yourself with your model trains, decoupage, painting, or whatever else you like doing. If you’re a keep fit enthusiast, you could create a home gym, or if you’re more of a book worm, then a library with all your books and somewhere comfortable to read in peace would be heavenly.

Storage

If you’re wondering what to do with all the belongings you’ve been keeping in the spare room, you can get everything organised by using modern storage solutions that make the most of the space available overcrowding the room. Have a look at the variety of storage units, and you’ll be amazed at what you can fit into even the smallest space to keep everything neat and tidy.

Dual purpose rooms

You might be feeling enthusiastic about these ideas, but still, want to retain the ability to use the room for guests who might be staying over. If you have a large room or your office or hobbies don’t take up much room, you can split the room into zones, so one area is still a bedroom, and the remainder is taken up with your gym equipment or desk.

If your room is smaller, or you want to use the whole space for your hobbies room or office, then wall beds are the perfect solution. These are full-sizebeds that are hidden in recesses in the wall when not in use, and that you can pull out when they’re needed. Look for the types of wall bed that are hidden behind a false wall, as you can have shelving on the wall and make use of the space, which revolves into the cavity where the bed is storedwhen you need to get the bedout.

Don’t waste the spare bedroom; it’sa valuable part of your home that you could be making far better use of, so start decluttering now and planning how you can use the space to improve your home.

 

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.

I thought I understood advertising as a teenager but then I took a semester module in advertising as part of my business degree; my mind was blown a just how much goes into how a brand communicates with both its target market and audience. As with everything, practices evolve and it’s great to see how some big brands and developing new ways to support and engage teens.

Teens and tweens are a sizeable and important segment of the market, with more disposable income than ever but also with a greater voice on essentials, they’re now part of the purchase decision-making process.

One essential for girls and young women is sanitary products. Starting your period is an important time in your life, and should be celebrated but one that can bring worry and social pressure to fit in. I started my periods when I was ten years old – I was the first in my year and remember spending so much time trying to work out what products were best for me (they all looked SO BIG!) and trying to find a way of the products sticking out like a sore thumb in my desk or bag. These things may now seem really inconsequential but at the time they were a big deal.

Lil-Lets is a brand that is demonstrating that they’re not only listening but responding to young teens views and needs. They’ve created their own teen range which is perfect for breaking the stigma around periods.

The introduction of Lil-Lets period starter kits is a great offering, from pastel colours to love-heart style sketches on their packaging it’s designed to appeal to many young girls. whilst it would be great for no girl/young women to feel any embarrassment associated with periods until that time comes the discreet packaging allows individuals to carry around their products without any stigma or extra attention.

The teen pads in the Lil-Lets period starter kits are designed to be smaller and narrower, to reflect the size of their users (remember me saying just how big sanitary products were – this would have been brilliant). However, the smaller size is in no way a compromise when it comes to absorbency, great to know when the reliability of sanitary products is key.

I absolutely love this idea of supporting girls and young women as they approach menstruation. It’s all about reinforcing the message that periods are both natural and empowering, from the beginning, for every single woman regardless of their age.

 

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For many young people, prom, or school ball, seems like the biggest evening of their lives. A culmination of their achievements at high school and a last celebration with friends. It is an evening when dreams can come true and their handsome prince could arrive. For parents, however, your child’s prom night can be a stressful time: from preparing early to the cost.

The Dress

The dress is the major cause of agony for many young girls going to prom. From long, frilly ballgowns to clinging lace dresses, there are as many options as a wedding dress for your child to pick from. However, many gowns labelled as prom dresses have steep prices.

In many cases, you can find beautiful alternative outfits and dresses, and maybe even more beautiful dresses, in many shops’ normal range. This will enable your child to have a wide range to choose from while also sticking to whatever budget you set.

Additionally, do not discount charity shops for the perfect dress. Many people dispose of their prom dress after the night, leaving charity shops flooded with perfect, and almost brand-new products that will look just as good as any designer dress.

The Hair and Make-Up

When it comes to the night itself, their hair and makeup will be at the top of their priority list. Many young people decide that they would like their hair and make-up done professionally, in mermaid plaits and smoky eyes. If this is the case, it is best to encourage your child to go for a simpler and more subtle option such as neutral eyeshadow and loose hair with a few silver hair slides or a tiara. Adding lots of fake tan and eyelashes may detract from the overall look and ensure that your child looks back at their pictures with horror. Not only will this stop disasters on the night, but it will stop your child being caked in make-up.

Additionally, you may want to think about doing a practice run with the hair and make-up- if you are styling their hair at home, you should also run through before the night. Even if you choose to go for a simple hairstyle like a bun or high ponytail, this will prevent problems on the night or your child changing their mind at the last minute.

Tip: If you want to take this chance to teach your child about how to apply makeup properly, book an appointment with a professional makeup artist. Have the artist teach them their proper foundation colour, how to apply it properly, and how they can accentuate their natural beauty, rather than hide it.

School Ball Transportation

The cause of a lot of discussion within friendship circles is the prom transport: who will go with you, is it worth hiring a vehicle, and what type of vehicle would they like? If your child wishes to go for a traditional option, stretch limousines are an excellent option to make your child’s evening a night to remember and can fit many people inside, enabling you to split the cost with other parents. Companies such as Allure Limousines provide luxury transport for all manner of events and evenings out, making their service perfect for giving school balls that extra sparkle. Allure also offer a return school ball package so that parents don’t have to worry about picking up their children at midnight. They are safely dropped home at the end of the night.

Your child’s school ball should be a night to remember, and potential ball disasters should be keptto the movies. With these tips, you should be able to have a role in making your child’s night as special as possible while also staying within your budget.

 

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.