Tips to get your family emergency plan in place
When faced with an emergency, it is important to have a family emergency plan in place. Here are some tips to help you get started: Choose an out-of-area contact – someone each member of the family can call or e-mail in case of an emergency. This person can help family members stay in touch and get back together if they are...
Children’s Bedtime Rituals
More than thirty percent of all kids have a difficult time going to bed or keeping a standard bed time. Kids will be inventive to stay up late. Much of this has to do with fear of separation from their parents. Regular bedtime rituals can help alleviate some of their insecurity. Bedtime is important and parents should spend twenty minutes or...
The Nightmare of Losing Your Wedding Ring
It’s every married couple’s worst nightmare. An expensive piece of jewelry that is small and you take just about everywhere you go. It is estimated that 13% of men lose their wedding ring within the first 3 months of getting married. That means that millions of black tungsten wedding bands are probably sitting on the side of the road or deep in the couch cushion somewhere. It’s tough to think about a beautiful princess cut diamond that cost thousands of dollars just gone, but unfortunately it happens. Hopefully it never happens to you, but chances are pretty good that either you or your spouse will lose their wedding ring at some point in your marriage.
So what can you do to help? Well first, if you haven’t lost your ring yet, consider getting insurance. They will replace or fix your ring if you lose it, it’s stolen, or it’s damaged. For a reasonable price you can insure your rings (mens rings can be as low as $5 per year depending on the value of the ring–it usually comes to about $10 of insurance cost per $1000 value of the ring, so if you have a ring worth about $3,000 you will pay about $30 per year of insurance.
It is important to get in the habit of putting your ring in the same place every time you take it off. If you take it off at night then have a
designated place to put your items when you get home such as your phone or keys, put your ring there also. This will help you get into a good habit and not put your ring somewhere that you’ll forget later.
If you’ve already lost your ring there are a couple of tips. First, don’t delay looking for it. If you realize that you aren’t sure where it is immediately think about the last place you had it and start looking. Think about things that were different from your normal routine and where you might have put your ring if you took it off during the out of the ordinary event. If you can’t remember the last time you had it you can review recent pictures and see if you can tell whether or not you had your ring on. That can help you pinpoint a time that you may have lost it, then think about things that you were doing at the time and see if that helps you narrow down where it might be.
If you haven’t been able to find it right after you lost it, wait a few weeks before you look at replacing your ring. Often it will turn up in a pocket in a piece of clothing you don’t wear too often or in the laundry or a random place in your house or car.
If all else fails and you still can’t find it consider a cheaper alternative to buy you more time. You can buy inexpensive rings online—especially men’s rings that are good quality if you know where to look. For women, a cubic zirconium ring can look like an authentic wedding ring for cheap giving yourself more time to find the ring. Hopefully you can take precautions before something happens, but remember that while your ring symbolizes your love for your spouse, it can’t be taken away just by losing your ring. Get a cheap alternative until you can replace the real deal and then make sure to get insurance!
Tips to get your family emergency plan in place
When faced with an emergency, it is important to have a family emergency plan in place. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Choose an out-of-area contact – someone each member of the family can call or e-mail in case of an emergency. This person can help family members stay in touch and get back together if they are separated. Be sure to pick someone who is far enough away so as not to be affected by the same situation.
- Decide on temporary accommodation – such as a friend’s place or hotel, where you can stay for a few days in case you are evacuated. This may also be where you will meet if you are separated during a disaster. When choosing your shelter, remember that bridges may be out and roads may be blocked. (Don’t forget to plan for your pets – they are not always welcome in emergency shelters or hotels).
- Use a template to prepare your own family emergency plan. Give a copy to each member of your family, your out-of-area contact, your children’s school (possibly their usual sports facilities as well — arena, pool, etc.) If you live in a residential facility or an apartment building, an emergency plan should be available on-site. Learn the procedures to follow and your role in case of an emergency.
- Post important numbers near your telephone or program them into your cell phone.
- Check emergency plans at your children’s school or daycare. In case of emergency, you should know if the school will keep your children until an authorized adult comes to get them or if they need to find their way home by themselves. Determine what kind of authorization the school requires to release your child to your representative if you cannot get there yourself. Ensure that the school knows your current contact information and that of the people authorized to collect your children for you. Give them a copy of your family emergency plan. Find out about the emergency plans of your children’s schools. Help your children understand all that they must do when an alarm goes off.
- Check emergency plans at work. Find out about the emergency plan at your workplace. Ask questions: What would be your role in case of a disaster? What are the evacuation procedures? Is there an alternate work site in case of emergency? Keep important numbers — including fire, police, ambulance — near your telephone.
- Practice your emergency plan as a family at least once a year. Practice often helps people feel less disoriented and better organized in case of a disaster — even in the middle of the night or the middle of winter.
Children’s Bedtime Rituals
More than thirty percent of all kids have a difficult time going to bed or keeping a standard bed time. Kids will be inventive to stay up late. Much of this has to do with fear of separation from their parents. Regular bedtime rituals can help alleviate some of their insecurity.
Bedtime is important and parents should spend twenty minutes or half an hour each night connecting with their children at bedtime. This is a perfect time for the kids to share their day and unwind. Small children look forward to this uninterrupted time with Mom and Dad.
Keeping a standard schedule will help with getting kids to go to bed without a fight. When at all possible put the kids to bed at the same time every day. Consistency builds security in children. They like to count on things being the same.
Bath time before bed is an excellent way to get the kids to settle down and get ready for sleep. This can be included in the time set aside for bedtime rituals. A nice warm bath will help children relax and unwind before bed.
After bath time, if the child is young, read a story or a chapter of a longer story. If age appropriate, have the child read to you, or take turns reading pages. Stories can be soothing and relaxing. Stories also excite the imagination and give happy thoughts to fall asleep to. Leave time to discuss the story and get your child’s input. Not only with this show you value them, it will keep them excited about reading.
Take time to rub their back and let them talk as the fall asleep. This lets them get anything out that might be bothering them or making them fearful. A teddy bed or doll may help as the child transitions to sleep. Some kids are afraid of sleeping alone, having a bedtime buddy can help ease their fears.
End the evening with a prayer. Give your child an opportunity to talk with God and build relationship with you. At the end of the prayer, tell your child you love them, hug and kiss them goodnight and leave them to fall asleep. Have a phrase like, “Sweet dreams, I love you”, be the last words you say each and every night.
Building a consistent routine will help keep peace in your house and help your child respect boundaries in other areas of their lives as well. If they have a schedule that is enforced, it will make bedtime less hectic and stressful. Remember, it is your responsibility to set the tone for bedtime and alleviate any fears your child may have going to bed.
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