Search Results for: weight

Managing trauma and behavioural issues in foster children can sometimes be one of the main challenges foster parents face. This may be especially true for those who are caring for foster children who have experienced difficult and traumatic situation such as abuse, abandonment, and neglect. As a foster parent, it’s important to understand the unique needs of your foster child in order to provide them with the support that they need to heal, grow, and thrive. 

Provide a Stable, Nurturing Environment

If you wish to become a foster parent with Orange Grove Foster Care, one of the most important things that you’ll need to be prepared for is managing trauma responses and challenging behaviour in your foster child. To do this successfully, you should provide a nurturing and stable environment. This may involve creating a physical space for the child that is comfortable and safe, for example, along with bringing a sense of routine and structure to their life. Children who experience difficulties with emotional regulation may benefit from a consistent and predictable routine. It’s also recommended to provide opportunities for your foster child to take part in activities that they joy and that help them improve their self-worth.  

Be Aware of Mental Health Challenges

It is crucial for foster parents to be aware of the mental health challenges that foster children may face and how these can manifest in everyday life. One of the most important things to be aware of is the potential for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in kids in the foster system. PTSD is common in children who have experienced trauma and comes with a range of symptoms, such as anxiety, flashbacks, panic attacks, nightmares, and even straight up avoiding certain situations. While not every child in foster care will suffer from PTSD, it is worth familiarising yourself with the signs of this condition and how to help kids manage and recover from it. 

Provide Emotional Support

As a foster parent, it’s important for you to be prepared to help your foster child cope with their emotional experiences. It’s important to understand that foster children may not always be able to regulate or express their emotions well, which can lead to challenging behaviours such as a lack of impulse control. If you want to be a foster parent, it’s important that you’re prepared to approach this in an understanding, empathetic, and non-judgemental way. 

Establish Clear Expectations and Rules

Many foster children who have come from traumatic situations have difficulties understanding boundaries and may benefit from an environment with clear, consistent rules and expectations. You should make sure that your foster child understands what is expected from them. Be clear on your household boundaries and have appropriate consequences for if these boundaries are crossed. 

Foster parenting can be a hugely rewarding experience, but often one of the toughest things about the process is helping a child through past trauma. Trauma in children can manifest in different ways, so the most important thing is to take a non-judgemental approach and be ready for a range of potential situations.  

Retirement planning remains the same over the years. You continue to work, keep saving, and then you are all set to retire. However, even if the mechanics are still the same currently, savers are encountering challenges that previously were not a cause of worry for earlier generations. According to Investopedia, retirement planning involves a multistep process known to evolve gradually over time. You may focus on building robust savings for a comfortable, fun, and secure retirement. Retirement planning begins with determining your retirement goals and the time you have to fulfill them. You should then consider the retirement account type that can assist you in raising the necessary money for funding your future.

 Determining How Much You Need to Save

Once you identify your retirement goals, you should do the calculations to know how much all this will cost. Here are some of the factors to consider arriving at accurate figures.

• Housing expenses, including mortgage or rent, water, maintenance, and heating
• Everyday living, like clothing, food, and transportation
• Healthcare expenses (According to Fidelity, a couple will require $295,000 on average for medical costs in retirement. This excludes long-term care)
• Entertainment that may include movies, plays, and restaurants
• Life insurance
• Travel expenses, including hotels, flights, and gas in case you go for a drive

Retirement Savings Tips

Chalk out a Budget

It is your present budget that considers your current income, expenses, and savings. You should determine how much money you require to save every month depending on your retirement goals. You may ensure that you have the required amount to save. It is best to consider retirement savings as an integral part of your budget just like food and housing expenses. You may keep the retirement savings in a separate account.

Depend on Automatic Transfers

You may consider setting up automatic transfers to your retirement savings account from your checking account. It should be set on the same date every month so that the funds you want to set aside for your retirement days are secured investments. 

Retirement Savings with Traditional 401(K) Plans & Solo 401(K)

You may grow your savings for retirement by investing in a 401(k) retirement account that is provided by your organization for all its employees. All 401(k) contributions are pre-tax which implies that they can keep growing on essentially a tax-deferred basis. Moreover, in case you are a solo entrepreneur owning a small business, you may invest in a Solo 401(k) account. Self-employed people can contribute to this account as both an employer and employee thus, boosting the overall savings potential. You may visit the official website to learn more about your contribution limits in 2022.

Focus on Paying Down Debt

One crucial goal for everybody should be to be debt-free by his or her 65th birthday. It should include your credit card debt, student loans, mortgage, car loans, etc. It is best to enter your non-earning phase of life without any debt baggage.

Conclusion

You may experience setbacks in your life. In case you are stressed about income reduction, or lose your employment, you may consider reviewing your budget and making necessary reductions, wherever possible to avoid a financial crisis. However, try your best to leave your retirement savings unaffected.

Meet EpicLight, the beauty brand that’s finally putting Gen Xers in the spotlight they deserve.  As women 35+ largely remain underestimated and unseen by the beauty industry, founders Patricia Gallardo and Saima Rathor, inspired by their respective Latina and Pakistani cultures, sought to change things by building a brand that offers hardworking, hybrid beauty products with real results — and, of course, built-in skincare benefits.

EpicLight is embarking on this mission with their inaugural product, the Never Settle Radiant Cheek + Lip Blush, which makes it possible to achieve a sheer wash of color alongside proven skincare benefits.  Not only is blush in general enjoying an overdue comeback, but few things convey health and happiness quite like a flush of color on the cheeks.  The magic of a multi-purpose product is that it offers a variety of benefits in a single formula.  In the form of a blush, a hybrid formula can make it that much easier to add a pop of color to the cheeks, eyes, and lips — working as hard as you do.

The Never Settle Radiant Cheek + Lip Blush features an innovative cream-to-powder formula that’s buildable, long wearing, and yet easy to blend — and similarly simple to apply.  Just use your fingers and sweep it onto the lids, lips, or cheeks.

The EpicLight blushes come in four shades to suit every skin tone and personal preference: Fig Pink (a rosy pink), Whispering Peach (a sun kissed peach), Raspberry Truffle (a deeper berry), and First Date (a warm nude).

This level of versatility and ingenuity are only to be expected for the brand, which ensures women can enjoy a clean, straightforward, inclusive makeup brand that works for everyone, no matter their age, skin tone, or skin type.

The Never Settle Radiant Cheek + Lip Blush ($30) is available at EpicLightBeauty.com.

Celebrate the magic of the season with Merle Norman Cosmetics’ (Rakuten affiliate friendly) NEW Magical Color Collection.  The prestigious, 91-year-old iconic brand – acclaimed for creating innovative and high-quality color cosmetics and skincare products – introduces enchanting shades of rosé and ruby that sparkle like holiday stars… perfect stocking stuffers for the beauty lover on your list, and for the season’s hottest makeup looks.

Starry Rosé Shadow Palette ($70)

Rosé all day with 12 stunning matte to metallic eye shadows! This limited-edition palette is perfect for creating countless day-to-night looks and will leave them starry-eyed.

Plush Lip Gloss ($24)

Inspired by light-catching lips, shine on and on this holiday season with four new luminous shades of this fan-favorite lip gloss – Luster, Bubbly, Sparkling and Glowing! Infused with hydrating Hyaluronic Acid and nourishing Jojoba Shine, these feature a lightweight, non-sticky formula for a smooth wash of glossy color and buildable shine. They also contain Vitamin F Forte to condition lips and a fresh vanilla spearmint scent.

Magical Gift Sets

Fill your season with joy, sparkle, and gifts for enviable holiday looks with the following NEW Magical Gift Sets, special limited-edition sets perfect for holiday travel:

• Magical Lips Sets ($34): limited-edition Plush Lip Color Duos with coordinating Plush Lip Liner and Plush Lipstick; available in three color sets: Precious Pinks, Sparkling Berries and Mystical Reds
• Magical Cheeks Set ($48): includes Double-Ended Cheek & Highlight Blush with Ultra Glow Powder Highlighter and two shades of Lasting Cheekcolor (Sugar Melon and Bare Mauve)
• Magical Skin Set ($84): limited-edition curation for ageless skin includes Anti-Aging Complex Dry Oil Serum, Anti-Aging Complex Emulsion Broad Spectrum SPF 30, Anti-Aging Complex Eye Treatment Broad Spectrum SPF 15, and Exfoliating Charcoal Scrub

Merle Norman Cosmetics products are available online at www.merlenorman.com

and at Merle Norman Studios nationwide.