When to Update Your Last Will and Testament

Do you have a Last Will and Testament? Excellent! It is an essential part of your estate plan, and will make things clearer and easier for those you leave behind. “I’m not rich, I don’t have an estate, so I don’t need a will,” you might think. An “estate” in this situation is considered as, “a person’s belongings, physical and intangible assets, land and real estate, investments, collectibles, and furnishings.” You don’t need to be a bazillionaire to have an estate.

Your will does need updating from time to time. Estate lawyers recommend updating your will every three to five years, or any time you have a major life event. Read on for situations when you should update your will.

Wills

Gift Guide for Adults and Kids With ADHD

More than 6 million children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with ADHD, while the prevalence of ADHD in adults is estimated at 4.4-8.1%. Chances are, someone in your circle of friends and family has ADHD. If you are giving them a present this holiday season, you may be brainstorming for practical, useful, or fun gifts. We’ve got a list of some fantastic ideas to get you started!

ADHD, gifts, Holidays

Common Thanksgiving Challenges for Kids With ADHD

by Lexi Walters Wright
from Understood.org

As enjoyable as Thanksgiving is for some families, it can often be a difficult time for kids with ADHD to manage. That’s especially true if the holiday involves gatherings and long sit-down meals. Here are some typical trouble spots and what you can do to help.

Interrupted routines

The problem: If you’re traveling for Thanksgiving, your child may be sleeping in a strange place and following an unfamiliar schedule. Even if you’re hosting, your family’s routines may be disrupted. That’s rough for kids with ADHD.

ADHD, Thanksgiving

10 Shortcuts to Keep Kids Organized This School Year

With only a few weeks left before school starts, it’s time to start preparing for the new school year. Starting the year off with an organizational plan will definitely get your whole family off to a great start. This means less stress, calmer mornings, efficient evenings, and less tardiness. Get the whole family on the same page so your school day routines will be even better. We’ve got some A+ shortcuts to getting organized!

1. Prep for the next day the night before

This eliminates a lot of the “where is…” and “what should I…” questions that can make a morning frantic. Clothes and accessories should be laid out and ready to wear. Backpacks should have everything needed for the next day, including homework that is due and forms that have been filled out. Devices should be charging overnight, ready to unplug and put in their backpack. Prep their lunch as well.

from SafetyDetectives.com
June 2, 2021

Keeping kids away from inappropriate YouTube content can feel overwhelming. There are several billion YouTube videos (500+ hours of video are uploaded every minute), and 2 billion users log into YouTube every month — so how do we filter out all of the violent, sexual, manipulative, hateful, and otherwise unsuitable content that our kids find on YouTube (frequently on accident)?

YouTube has a couple of solutions — including “Restricted Mode” on conventional YouTube and also the curated YouTube Kids app, both of which are meant to filter out adult content. But dozens of reports have been published showing the staggering amount of vulgar, violent, and disturbing content that YouTube’s automated filters fail to catch.

What’s even more worrying is that a lot of these videos are actually targeted at young children, using popular characters, misleading titles, and search-engine-optimized language to maximize views from young children who don’t know any better.

That’s why relying on YouTube’s filters isn’t good enough. But there are some pretty simple techniques that you can use to ensure your kids don’t stumble across the millions of hours of inappropriate content on YouTube in 2021.

Read the rest on SafetyDetectives.com

ADHD, Kids

Back-to-School Organization Ideas for an A+ School Year

You’ve downloaded the school supply lists and bought everything your kiddos will need (and likely more!). High-five, parents! To get this school year off to a sweet start, get their school items organized and systems set up ahead of time. The first week of school will be less chaotic and more streamlined when everyone knows where everything is located and where items are to be deposited, taken from, and found.

A Place for Backpacks

Use wall hooks in the entryway or mudroom to store these items—make sure they are secure enough to hold heavy backpacks. Best location is the kids’ first point of entry and last point of exit! Don’t let them get in the habit of just leaving their backpacks all over the house. One, it cuts down on floor clutter; two, it lessens the chances of school stuff getting lost or misplaced. Once they get home, encourage them to empty their backpacks of lunch and homework items. When leaving for school, it will be the reverse order.

Lunch Bags

These should also not be strewn all over the house. Nobody wants to find a half-filled silicone sandwich bag two weeks later in the back of the closet! Once they empty their backpacks, have a spot in the kitchen for them to deposit their lunch bags so everything can be emptied, washed, and readied for the next day.

Back to School, parenting

A Parent’s Guide to Getting Your ADHD Student to Start School On Time

The key to starting school on time starts the night before. Since kids with ADHD may have sleep issues, a solid sleep routine can help your child be successful with their morning routine.

Begin the sleep ritual early. Turn off any electronic devices well ahead of bedtime, if possible. We know this is tough when kids’ laptops and netbooks are their a major point of connection to their learning environment. It’s also challenging if your student is up late studying, but aim for an early bedtime as much as you can. Try a non-electronic ritual—like reading together or setting out the next day’s outfit—to help ease your child’s transition towards bedtime. Taking a hot shower or bath before bed can help the body get into sleep mode. Some kids with ADHD like to settle down with a book on tape or on Audible, but if that is too stimulating a white noise machine can help your child tune out noise and settle into sleep easier. If possible, try to avoid evening sports or lessons as these may overstimulate your child, making it more difficult for them to fall asleep. Try different strategies until you come up with a sleep routine that works well for your child.

ADHD, students

When Your Empty Nest Refills

Has your empty nest been refilled in light of this year’s unprecedented events? Guess what, you are not alone! According to a recent survey by Country Financial, 1 in 5 parents have had adult kids move back home in 2020. For younger millennials (24-29 year olds), 39% of them are either planning to move back home or have already done so. In some cases a child who was supposed to move out is staying home instead because their university is currently still remote-only. Whatever the reason, having a kid or two at home when you were expecting to be an empty nester is probably a surprise. We’ve got some tips on how to keep things positive and harmonious while enjoying this extra time together.

Set Expectations

Your kiddo is now an adult, and not only should you treat them as such, but they should also behave accordingly. Let them do their own laundry, give them chores, take turns doing groceries and making dinner—you get the idea. Unless you want your house to feel like your adult children’s personal “bed & breakfast,” set these expectations early on. It’s easy for your relationship to regress to the parent-child dynamic, but really try not to let it. Instead, move it towards more of an adult-roommates dynamic.

Communicate Needs

Everyone will have specific needs and these should be addressed and agreed upon. For example, if you and your spouse are accustomed to having dinner at 6pm but your late-working daughter likes to eat at 9pm, work out a compromise involving cooking and heating up leftovers. If your son has a daily 8am call with his boss, move your daily morning treadmill date with Van Halen earlier or later (or get AirPods!). It’s also important to communicate about finances. If your child is working, do you want them to help pay for utilities and groceries? If not, do they need financial support, and how much? Talking about it and clarifying details will make it a bit less stressful for both of you.

empty nest

Where to Air Out The Kids Amidst Coronavirus Fears

Parentmap
March 2020

Our area is “ground zero” for coronavirus in the United States, and local families are rightly concerned. Some local schools have closed, health officials and Gov. Jay Inslee have cautioned people to avoid large gatherings, and many companies have instituted broad work-from-home policies.

In the spirit of avoiding big crowds and finding fresh air — alongside getting the wiggles out — we offer these outing ideas for families around Seattle, the Eastside and South Sound. These are places that aren’t typically full of people and there isn’t a lot to touch, though you’ll want to pack your hand sanitizer and practice good handwashing techniques with your kids wherever you go.

Read the entire article at Parentmap.

Kids, parenting

An Organized Playroom

Does your home have a designated playroom for the kiddos? Is it actually functioning as a room the kids can play in, or is it so full and cluttered that it’s more of a toy storage room? If your playroom fills you with dread, it’s time to get it organized and decluttered. With these tips and tricks, this room can be transformed into a space both you and the kids actually enjoy!

Clear the Room

This may be the most tedious part of your playroom revamp, but it will start your space with a clean slate. Go through all the toys, games, books, art supplies, and furniture. Donate items no longer used or that have been outgrown; toss or recycle broken, unsafe, or incomplete items. If your kids are loathe to say goodbye to any of their things, it would be best to do the first pass when they’re asleep or out of the house. Enlist the kids to help with the second pass. Be mindful of not accidentally getting rid of something beloved.

Group Items Together

If you have small or big piles of items—such as doll clothes, building sets, Zoobles, Hot Wheels, Polly Pockets—group them together so you can see how much space you’ll need to store them. Boxed items such as games and puzzles can be stacked on shelves. If your kiddo is super into something and they’ve got a lot of those items, like Barbies or LEGOs, consider setting up a corner for that particular interest. For instance, the Barbie house or LEGO table would be in the corner, along with small labeled bins to store related items.

home organizing, Kids, playroom

Kids and Students

When to Update Your Last Will and Testament

Gift Guide for Adults and Kids With ADHD