When the last few years of your life have mostly consisted of cleaning up an endless trail of mess, cleverly diffusing tantrums, strategically planning the best approach to potty training and trying to cater meals to satisfy the fussiest of appetites, the idea of going back to a professional environment can seem a little daunting. However, there are a few things you can do the make the transition a little easier for both you and your family.

Define what’s important to you

The first step to a successful transition back to the workforce is to clearly define what is important to you, starting with your key motivations for returning to work. Do you have a desire to break the glass ceiling and climb to the top of the corporate ladder, or do you just want some extra work to help pay the bills?

It’s also important to think about how you want your work to fit into your lifestyle. We all want to achieve the elusive ideal of the perfect ‘work-life balance’, but this can mean different things for everyone.

For some, work-life balance could mean part-time work or the flexibility to work from home. For others, it could mean working close to home so you’re not spending a significant amount of time each day commuting to and from the office. Or it could be a job that won’t impose a high level of pressure so you don’t take stress home with you.

Ultimately, the first step when planning your return to work is to clearly define what is going to best satisfy your career aspirations, family, lifestyle and financial circumstances, then you can start to better define the type of role you want.

Update your skills

We live in a fast-paced world where even a few years out of the workforce could leave you a little behind when it comes to changes in technology, culture or industry best-practice.

If you want to return to the same industry you previously worked in, it could be a good idea to arrange a coffee catch-up with some of your old work colleagues who can give you the low-down on any changes that have happened since you left, so you can start to build a picture of what the current environment and industry culture is like.

It could be a good move to investigate if it could be worthwhile doing a short course or two to update your skills, so you can hit the ground running from your first day back. There are a range of online and face-to-face training organisations that offer refresher courses in computing, business or administration which could prove to be valuable.

Reskill in a new industry

If your old career path is no longer a good fit for your aspirations or lifestyle, reskilling in a different industry could be a great move—and it may not be as difficult as you think!

The best place to start is by working out what your preferred industry is, then completing a short course or qualification in your chosen field. Whether you’re most interested in a career in hospitality, fitness (check out these fitness courses in Melbourne), interior decoration or healthcare, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Then you’ll need to focus on getting some experience in the field. If it’s a high-demand industry, you may be lucky enough to secure paid work straight away, however if it’s a little more competitive, you may want to investigate if there are any volunteering options that could help you build up some experience to make you more competitive when you start to apply for paid-roles.

Ultimately, whatever you want to achieve is possible—with a little planning, effort and determination you’ll be able to return to the workforce in an industry and role that works for both you and your family.

If you are having a hard time making the decision or transitioning back into the workplace you might want to consider talking to a therapist in person or seeking advice from through online therapy.

Video games are perhaps more prevalent right now than ever before. So this can create challenges for parents, grandparents and carers of children. What should you do about this issue? Are games safe for your children to play as much as they like or not? It’s something that a lot of people worry about, but that worry is often handled in the wrong way. So let’s break down the problem and look at what this means for children.

Games Can be Educational and Improve Coordination

There are some games out there that can actually teach your kids a lot. They can teach them about culture, about sports, about cooperation and many other things too. And I’m not just talking about the games that are specifically designed as educational games. It’s also thought that many games can improve the hand-eye coordination of many young people too, so that’s something to keep in mind.

Some Games Offer Harmless Fun

As well as being educational in various ways, the vast majority of games offer simple and harmless fun that passes the time. As long as children don’t spend all day playing games, there is nothing with them having fun in their down time. Whether it’s Super Mario Odyssey on Switch of the Final Fantasy 15 mobile app, there are many ways to have fun. It’s not something that people should overreact about.

Be Careful With In-Game Payments

One thing that has become more common in games over the last few years is in-game purchasing. This is when the game gives the user the chance to buy extra content within the game that’s already been purchased. If you have young children with access to your card details, this should be monitored carefully. Some kids have spent a lot of money this way without really knowing what they’re doing.

Control is Possible for Parents and Grandparents

Banning games never really works because kids find other ways of playing, and it simply makes gaming more attractive to them because it’s something they’re not allows to do. Instead, you should aim for control, which is now more than possible for the vast majority of parents and grandparents. There are parental control settings on all the major consoles and devices, so make use of them.

It’s All About Achieving the Right Balance

In the end, what it all comes down to is balance. If you can encourage your kids to spend some time outside doing active and social things with other people, there’s nothing wrong with them also playing some video games when they’re at home. A healthy balance like that will end up being very positive for most children.

Video games, in many ways, are a natural force. The hype and bluster on either side of the debate can usually be ignored. Video games aren’t going to save the world and they aren’t going to cause any major problems. As ever, the real issue here is parenting and how best we can all deal with that challenge.

Many kids get introduced to mobile devices when they’re young. Go to any airport and you’ll see toddlers and other young children entertaining themselves with smartphone videos and games.

Letting your children own smartphones, however, is different from letting them use your phone on occasion. Try following the suggestions below when you’re thinking about when to give your kids smartphones.

Some Elementary School Students May Find Smartphones Useful

Image via Flickr by nikolys

Some parents may scoff at the idea of giving smartphones to their elementary school students. Depending on how busy your family is, however, you and your children may find smartphones useful.

For some parents, smartphones are a way to protect their children. As long as the kids have cell phones, the kids can contact their parents when they feel unsafe.

Middle School Students May Benefit From Smartphones

By the time children reach middle school, they can benefit from using educational apps. Apps such as MIT App Inventor and Lightbot teach middle and high school students how to write code. Get the Math and Mathalicious could give students the advantages they need to excel in mathematics classes.

Giving smartphones to children ages 12 to 14 can also help parents keep track of where their kids go. A GPS app enables parents to more closely control children who want to push boundaries. If your son says that he’s spending the night at his best friend’s house, you can check his phone’s location to make sure he follows through with those plans.

Parents who give preteens smartphones need to keep a close eye on their online activities. Some research shows that children will begin looking at pornography as young as 8 years old. 

High School Students Who Demonstrate Responsibility Could Receive a Phone

Many high school students take their smartphones for granted. Many parents seem to think that teens who have driver’s licenses can handle responsibilities of owning smartphones, too.

Indeed, high school students can benefit from owning smartphones. At this age, teens want to become more independent and form social groups. Smartphones make those tasks easier to do.

Of course, smartphones can also help high school students earn better grades, something that every parent wants to see.

Teenagers who work part-time jobs can use their smartphones to stay connected to their parents. Instead of sitting at home and worrying about your children, you can pick up your phone to find out how they are. You and your children can also make online schedules so that you can coordinate activities. Teens lead busy lives, so give them tools that simplify communication and planning.

As a bonus, working teens can pay for their part of an affordable family plan from a carrier like T-Mobile. T-Mobile has flexible plans that enable families to easily add devices to the plans for each member of the company. The company also has one of the fastest-growing 4G LTE networks in the country. Coverage has doubled over the last two years, making T-Mobile’s network one of the fastest options nationwide.

Even responsible students with good grades and jobs don’t always make smart choices with their mobile devices. Sexting has become a popular way for high schoolers to interact with each other sexually. To some extent, this behavior may seem like the type of harmless fun that curious teens explore. When they’re sending lewd images to each other, however, they could unintentionally break felony laws against underage pornography.

Set Rules for Smartphone Use

No matter how old your children are, you need to set rules about how they use their smartphones. Make sure they understand the danger of viewing inappropriate content, including sites about pornography and drugs. Children, including teenagers, also need to understand that adults can use chatrooms and apps to find kidnap and assault victims. Activities in the virtual world can have real-world consequences.

Your children should know that you have complete control over what they do with their smartphones. You can monitor their online activities, and you can see who they’ve called and texted. Don’t let your kids have any illusion of privacy. Until they are legal adults, you own their phones.

You may be tempted to minimize and exaggerate the risks of giving mobile devices to children. When you decide what’s right for your child, consider the pros and cons. Set rules that they must follow.

When it comes to our children, we will often try to ignore that they are growing up as much as we can as it happens so quickly. However, it is important to know the signs when your child is ready to start kindergarten so that they can start learning to interact with others, as well as start their academic careers. You can find some excellent advice on various parenting blogs explaining the signs to look for in your child of when they will be ready to start attending kindergarten. Although, these are just guidelines and it is important to appreciate that every child develops at a different rate, there is no need to panic if your child does not develop as quickly as others.

Communication & Following Instructions

A good indicator that your child is ready to start Kindergarten is that they have the ability to listen and follow basic instructions, such as take off your coat and sit down quietly. As well as being able to follow instructions, the capacity to communicate is also important and a sign that your child is growing and developing. Before your child starts kindergarten, they should be able to express their feelings, as well as their needs, such as wanting to go to the toilet, needing a drink, or that they do not feel very well.

Letters, Shapes, & Numbers

Another sign that your child is ready to take the next step in their development is being able to recognise letters, shapes, numbers, colours, and also animals. As well as this, if your child can already write their name and age, they are also ready to take the next step. If your child can recognise all of the different shapes, letters, numbers, and colours, you should also make sure that before you send them off for the first time that they know an emergency contact number, as well as their address.

A Little Independence

When your child starts to become a little more self-sufficient, this can also be a good indicator that they are ready to start kindergarten. A good sign is when a child can dress themselves, as well as tie their shoelaces, as well as go to the toilet alone. Also being able to feed them self properly is a sign that your little darling is growing up and ready to start their new adventure.  

Can Handle Emotions

Another good sign is when your child emotionally matures and can deal with different situations that may not always go their way. Some kids mature much quicker than others, but it is something that can be taught easily within groups of children where they will learn how to get along, communicate, and also deal with disappointments.

A Hunger For Learning

One of the best signs that your child is ready to attend kindergarten is that they have the hunger for learning which can be seen in children, especially when introduced to new experiences and situations for the first time. When your child wants to learn and experience new things, you know that they are on track to giving them the best possible start in life that you can.

These are just few of the signs that your child is ready for Kindergarten. If you notice any of these signs, start looking for a reliable kindergarten around your local area.