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Both puppies and babies are a big responsibility. But which is truly tougher to look after – a baby or a baby? Ask any sleep-deprived new parent with a colicky newborn and they’re certain to vote for babies. Ask any first-time puppy owner cleaning poop off the carpet for the third time and they’re likely to vote for puppies. 

The truth is that both can be equally challenging and both require a lot of mental and physical preparation. Below are just some of the challenges compared – as well as a few tips on how to make things easier in both cases. 

Which is more tiring?

Both puppies and babies can keep parents up at night. However, raising a baby typically leads to a greater amount of sleep deprivation. 

Puppies may spend the first few nights howling and may need to be regularly taken out to use the toilet. However, after a few nights, many will stop crying and may be able to hold their bladder longer. A toilet break 4 to 5 hours after your puppy has gone to sleep at night could still be necessary up until 4 months. However, beyond this, most puppies will sleep through the night.

Newborn babies typically sleep for no more than two to four hours at a time before needing to be fed. Once awake, some babies can take an hour or more to settle. This can result in a much more heavily interrupted sleep. Most babies do not start sleeping through the night until at least 6 months, with some still regularly waking up at night for feeds until they are 1 year old. 

Both puppies and newborns spend most of the day asleep – it is worth catching up on sleep during the day if you can while they nap. Being able to take night feeds/toilet trips in turns with a partner or other person can also reduce interrupted sleep. It’s typically easier to adopt a wake-up routine with puppies than it is with babies. Check out some of these tips at Todays Parent on how to encourage a sleep schedule with babies. 

Which is messier?

Both puppies and babies can create a mess. However, puppies are generally bigger mess-makers.

Babies do poop and puke but this can be contained by making sure diapers are the right fit and by using bibs or muslin blankets while feeding/winding. Once babies start crawling and eating solid food, the mess can intensify. You may be able to reduce food mess by encouraging babies to eat in a high chair or floor seat with a splash mat underneath. Splash mats can also be used under potties when potty training. Make sure to monitor babies once they are crawling and walking and keep objects that can create a mess out of reach (such as drinks, pens or make-up).

Unlike babies that cannot move for the first few months, puppies are mobile from the moment you adopt them. As a result, you need to monitor them more closely. Puppies will instinctively chew on everything around them – out of boredom, frustration or simply to relieve teething discomfort. Fortunately, you can train out these instincts by supplying plenty of chew toys and by encouraging puppies to solely chew these toys instead of your sofa cushions and clothing. Potty training will require the most patience – your puppy will pee and poop in your home, but you can reduce the mess by laying down mats/sheets in mess-prone areas and by regularly taking your puppy outdoors to do their business. Puppy training programs such as Puppy Trained Right are useful for learning training tricks like positive reinforcement and disciplining, which can be used in potty training and when discouraging chewing.

Which needs more attention?

Both puppies and babies demand a lot of attention. However, the type of attention they require differs. 

Babies are born helpless and so you need to do everything for them, however you can put them down and not have to worry about them hurting themselves or causing destruction until they start rolling and crawling. You cannot leave babies alone at home, however you can take them with you to most places and you can easily keep an eye on them once they start crawling and walking. 

Puppies are immediately mobile and are much more likely to cause chaos/injure themselves if you don’t keep an eye on them. Many need regular playtime to keep them stimulated – otherwise they will act up out of boredom. You can only take puppies outdoors once they have their jabs and are typically limited as to where you can go as many places don’t allow dogs. You can leave puppies alone at home, although ideally this should not be any longer than 2 hours at a time. A benefit of puppies is that they are more independent when it comes to feed them – while you still need to get them their food, you do not have to physically feed it to them as you do with a baby, making the feeding process much faster.

All in all, you need to be more regularly hands-on with babies than you do with puppies. However, you can take babies out with you to more places. To feel less restricted with a baby, it’s worth learning a few tricks on how to multitask with a baby. In order to feel less housebound with a puppy, it’s worth exploring dog-friendly activities and places to go in your area. 

Which is more expensive?

Cost is an important factor to consider too. In this instance, it is a tie – both babies and puppies can be expensive. 

With puppies, you have to first consider the cost of adoption. This can vary depending on the breed and the breeder that you choose. Food and equipment aren’t too expensive compared to the supplies you need when having a baby, although you may still want to budget for a good quality crate. Vet bills are also a big cost to consider, although they generally aren’t too high in the first few years of a dog’s life – this is a cost that increases as your dog gets older. 

The cost of having a baby can vary depending on various factors. Many moms have birth costs covered by Medicaid and are able to rely on hand-me-downs when it comes to baby essentials like strollers and cribs. Other parents can spend huge amounts of money on treatments like IVF and may have no choice but to buy all the equipment themselves. Not all women can or want to breastfeed – formula milk isn’t cheap and the cost of it can add up. Diapers and wipes are not too expensive, but it depends on the brand you opt for.

Both babies and kids get more expensive as they get older, however kids will cost you more. Most Americans spend $5,000 to $20,000 on their dog over the course of their lifetime. The average cost of raising a child up until the age of 18 is meanwhile a whopping $310,605!

Which is harder long-term?

The puppy phase is shorter than the baby phase, and the level of responsibility becomes less much more rapidly. While you usually don’t have to worry about puppies chewing things they shouldn’t by the age of 6 months, kids will only just be starting to put things in their mouths at this age and may continue to do so up until 2 years old. This is something that you do need to consider.

Obviously, kids are much longer-term and should outlive you, whereas you’re more likely to outlive a dog. While this does mean that dogs are less of a commitment, it does mean that you have to be prepared for the loss of a dog – which can be emotionally tough if you’ve raised it from a puppy. A child should always be in your life, but of course you need to raise them right to make sure that they make the right choices – which can provide a lot of pressure compared to raising a dog.

It’s no secret that the world is changing faster than ever before. With new technologies and innovations emerging every day, it can be hard to know what the future holds. Many people are skeptical about planning for the future, because they believe that it’s no longer possible to predict what will happen. However, we believe that planning for the future is still a very important thing to do. In this blog post, we will discuss why planning for the future is still feasible, and how you can go about doing it!

Photo by Tetiana SHYSHKINA on Unsplash

Take Advantage of New Technologies

Innovations in technology are making it easier than ever to gain insights into the future. From predictive analytics to artificial intelligence, there are now tools that can give you a better understanding of what’s coming down the road. By leveraging these technologies, you can make more informed decisions about where you want to be years from now.

Set Realistic Goals

When planning for the future, it’s important to set realistic goals. It’s easy to get caught up in daydreaming and wishful thinking, but if your goals aren’t attainable then they won’t help you achieve success. Create a plan for yourself that has achievable goals, and work towards them one step at a time.

Prepare for Unexpected Changes

No matter how far ahead you plan, there will always be unexpected changes that could drastically alter your trajectory. It’s important to be prepared for these circumstances and have a contingency plan in place. This way, when the unexpected does occur, you won’t be left scrambling to figure out what to do next

Invest in Yourself

Investing in yourself is one of the best ways to prepare for the future. Take opportunities to learn new skills and advance your education so that you have a better chance of succeeding down the road. The more knowledge and experience you possess, the better positioned you’ll be no matter what happens in the future

Important Things to Plan For

It’s important to remember that the future isn’t an empty void. There are certain key areas of life that you should be planning for, such as retirement, health care costs, and estate planning. You need to know which retirement community or health care plan will work best for you, and make sure that your estate is in order so it’s distributed properly. By making plans in these areas now, you can ensure a brighter tomorrow for yourself and your loved ones.

Don’t Be Afraid to Take Risks

Finally, it’s important to remember that planning for the future doesn’t mean playing it safe. Taking calculated risks can often lead to unexpected rewards and opportunities. So don’t be afraid to take a few chances and see what happens!

Overall, planning for the future is still very much feasible. By taking advantage of new technologies, setting realistic goals, being prepared for unexpected changes, investing in yourself and preparing for important life events – you can create a bright future for yourself! With a bit of foresight and dedication, anything is possible!

Pregnancy is an incredible experience. But it can also be hard on your body. The physical changes that come with carrying and delivering a baby can leave you feeling less than confident in your body’s appearance. Fortunately, various options are available to help you restore your body after pregnancy. Whether you’re looking for non-invasive or surgical solutions, treatments are available to help you regain your pre-pregnancy shape and feel your best.

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Non-Invasive Treatments:

If you’re looking to restore your body without surgery, non-invasive treatments like laser skin tightening may be right for you. Laser skin tightening works by using heat energy to stimulate collagen production in the treatment area, resulting in tighter skin and improved texture. It’s an excellent option for those who have loose abdominal skin after giving birth or who want to reduce the appearance of stretch marks. It typically requires multiple treatments over several weeks and is considered safe for use on pregnant women as well as breastfeeding mothers.

Another popular option is radiofrequency (RF) therapy. This procedure uses high-frequency radio waves to heat the deeper layers of the skin, stimulating collagen production and promoting healthier skin cells. RF therapy is great for improving cellulite, reducing stubborn fat deposits, and contouring areas such as the arms and abdomen. Like laser skin tightening, RF therapy often requires multiple treatments over several weeks for optimal results and is safe for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

You also shouldn’t discard normal exercise as an option to restore your body after pregnancy. This can include activities like yoga, running, and weight training. By engaging in regular exercise, you improve circulation and tone the muscles of the abdominal area. It’s also a great way to reduce post-pregnancy stress and get back into shape! Alongside exercise, you could consider treatments like coolsculpting. You can learn more about coolsculpting and the procedure at elementbodylab.com. This is a great way to firm the skin and reduce fat in stubborn areas.

Surgical Treatments:

For many new moms, non-invasive treatments may not be enough to achieve their desired results, especially if they want dramatic changes or more significant improvements in certain areas of their bodies. If this sounds like you, then considering a surgical treatment might be worth it! Two very common procedures performed after pregnancy are tummy tucks (abdominoplasty) and breast lifts (mastopexy). Both procedures can provide dramatic results by tightening loose muscles and removing excess fat; however, it’s important to note that both require general anesthesia during surgery which must be taken into consideration when deciding if this type of procedure is right for you.

Tummy tucks involve making an incision along the lower abdomen where excess fat or loose skin can be removed before suturing the muscle layer back together tightly around the waistline area, creating a flatter stomach profile overall. Breast lifts are designed to reshape the breasts by removing excess tissue from beneath them while also lifting them up higher on the chest wall providing a firmer look overall with less sagging or drooping than before surgery was performed. Everyone is different, so it’s important to do your research and consult a specialist plastic surgeon before deciding if surgical treatment is right for you.

Conclusion:

There are a variety of non-invasive and surgical treatments available to help you restore your body after pregnancy. So whether you’re looking for a non-invasive option or considering a more invasive procedure, there are treatments that can help you regain your pre-pregnancy shape and feel confident in your body’s appearance.

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Bringing kids into the world comes with a level of responsibility for parents. Not only do we have to talk to them about the challenges of life, but we also have to reveal its darker sides, namely, crime. 

Kids’ TV and school don’t usually bring up subjects like these, so it’s up to parents to broach them with their kids. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do, but it’s necessary. After all, kids need to know the truth about the society we inhabit. 

In this post, we take a look at how to talk to kids about crime. Here’s what you need to say as a parent. 

Tell Them That Your Family Is Safe

If you have young children and something terrible happens, tell them that your family is safe. Make sure that they know they’re protected and that bad things are happening “out there” but not inside the home. 

Children under the age of 6 really can’t process crime or other terrible events so it is best to protect them from them. Exposure could lead to trauma and other problems in their lives in the future. If you do have to say anything because they ask, let them know that it’s not worth worrying about. Kids will often just follow your lead. 

Wait And See

If your children are a little older, you might want to try the wait-and-see approach. The idea here is to avoid assuming that they’re processing things they’ve seen in any particular way. If something is affecting a child, they will usually come forward and tell you about it soon after. If something is troubling them, there should be obvious signs that there is a problem. 

For parents, the trick is to simply wait until whatever trauma is inside expresses itself. If there is an issue, you can provide comfort and offer to take your child to counseling. 

Be Direct

For older kids, the best policy is to be honest and direct. Once they get past the age of 8 or so, they begin to have a better understanding of the world. They learn to expect bad things and for things to go wrong. 

If they see an ARS 28-662: Hit and Run, just tell them what it is. You don’t have to go into extreme detail, but you should alert them to the risks associated with such crimes. Often, children can handle the truth and process it (though it will make them grow up a little). However, if they appear traumatized, counseling or getting help from the local school is always an option. 

Explain The Context

The next step is to explain the context. Kids shouldn’t go away believing that crime is something that happens to them every day. Tell them that most people are trustworthy and law-abiding. Let them know that not all crimes affect them.

If they’ve seen something horrific, work through the emotions with them. Find ways to help your kids distance themselves from the events they’ve witnessed. Make sure that they continue to focus on their regular lives, such as school work, clubs, and hobbies. Try to avoid giving them time to ruminate. 

Discuss How The News Portrays Events

You should also cover the topic of media sensationalism with your kids. Point out how news companies regularly hype up stories to make them appear worse than they actually are. Remind them that newscasters have a job and that’s to sell more stories. If they always give people good news, they’ll go out of business. 

Get Them Talking

If you have teens who’ve witnessed a crime but aren’t able to process it, try to get them talking about it. Usually, they’ll push back against this idea, but it can help them tremendously. 

Avoid lecturing them or telling them your opinions. Instead, just give them an opportunity to say how they feel about something. Keep the conversation light and short. Point out when they are just repeating what the news media is saying so that they can tell the difference between their own thoughts and that of the TV and social media feeds. 

Be Hopeful
Lastly, as an adult, you have enough experience of life to offer your child some hope when crimes happen. Even though they can be devastating, it helps to tell kids that it’s not all bad. They really can go back to their normal lives and continue with them. Bad things are always going to happen, but they rarely keep happening over and over. Life eventually returns to normal.

Your well-being is a way to determine how good your quality of life is. If you have a low sense of well-being, you are likely to be quite discontented and unhappy, and even suffer from one or a range of illnesses. Usually, the main player in these range of illnesses is your mental health. Your mind and the way you think control pretty much everything. So if you can find a way to change your thought patterns and think more positively, then you can find ways to improve your quality of life and, thus, your well-being. By focusing on well-being too, you can improve a lot of aspects of your life simultaneously, such as your health and contentment, etc. Okay, so here are a few ways you can do that:

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Out with the Old

A good purge of all your old and broken things can do wonders for your sense of well-being. Often old objects can have a negative emotional effect on us. This is because they keep us attached to a certain memory, and every time we see this object in some way, whether conscious or subconscious, we are reminded of the past, and this can prevent us from moving on in life. Old objects can also fill the house up with clutter, and this can make us feel unduly stressed and anxious. This can even prevent us from sleeping properly It can definitely stop us from thoroughly cleaning the home, leaving it as a breeding ground for dust, mold, and other things to accumulate. Over time these things can infect the air we breathe, and you or your children (who are more susceptible) may suffer from respiratory illnesses as a result. For a better sense of well-being, get rid of everything that is no longer needed.      

Fix Things

If you want to feel a lot better, then why don’tdon’t you start fixing things? Write a list of all the things that need repairing. Think about things in the home, such as a dodgy drawer or even the spare car. Having a lot of broken things around you can really get you down and frustrate you. What is worse than trying to use that light switch for the thousandth time only to remember all over again that it doesn’tdoesn’t work anymore? That sinking heart feeling emerges again. Well, it’s time you did something about it. There are numerous videos and how-to guides online, and you can easily get spare parts for your car from a parts catalog. The feeling that you will get from having everything repaired is great, but learning how to do it yourself will heighten the good feeling that you have. Who knows, you may start a hobby by doing this, and a hobby is a great way to improve your sense of well-being, as we will see below.

Start a Hobby

Starting a hobby can have a great effect on you. It can bring about positive change in your life both mentally and physically. You can use it to express yourself. Some of us may struggle with communication, for instance, a creative hobby can help you express what you struggle to make sense of in your own mind. Art is often used as a form of therapy. Creative writing, too, can help us make sense of what’s in our heads. Reading it back can often be illuminating as it somehow changes what was written and how you meant it at the time and makes you see more clearly. A creative hobby can help you release as well; it is a way of experimenting and unleashing. Another thing is that the process itself is a form of meditation. When you are creating something, whether it be music, art, or the written word, you are totally absorbed in the process. This is like meditation, as you are totally in the moment, and nothing else exists. One of the major problems in this world is anxiety, and meditation can help you with this. So, that means a hobby can also help you. A hobby is also a way you can connect with people. Most hobbies are social, even the seemingly antisocial ones, like writing. At some point, you will want to share your work and learn more about it, in terms of ideas, forms of art, the history of your particular art form or hobby, modes of expression, etc. This is how you meet like-minded people, some of whom you will learn a lot from.   

GratitudeCultivating a more positive mindset is paramount to our level of happiness and, therefore, our quality of life. It doesn’tdoesn’t matter how negatively you think right now or how hopeless you think it is; if you can muster up enough motivation to try practicing gratitude, you do not know where it can lead you. So, it is really simple to get started. All you need to do is think of three things in your life that you are grateful for. If you do this in the morning, it may set you up for the day. So, concentrate on these three things, say in your mind or out loud if you are brave enough, ”thank you for x, y and z.” Out loud is better as it projects the idea into the world. You can also write them down to make them more statements in the world too. Perhaps you could get a little book and write down three things a day. It doesn’t matter if it is the same three things every day or different things, just so long as you are genuinely grateful for them. Then concentrate on the good feeling that these things give you. Feel your emotions lifting, and harness that feeling. The longer you can attach to a good feeling, the better your overall sense of well-being. Additionally, when you find yourself in a negative thinking spiral, use gratitude to pull yourself out of it. Don’t let whatever it is depressing you control you. Take control back by using gratitude to lift you up.