Trails Carolina Can Help Children Heal - Find Out How!

Introduction

Mental health issues are challenging for anyone to deal with, and often, it’s hard to know where to start when it comes to recovering. If your child or teenager has been suffering from mental health problems, you might have heard of Trails Carolina, and you may be wondering how this company can help.

Trails Carolina is focused upon how wilderness therapy can help young people build their communication skills, their confidence, and their coping mechanisms to deal with mental problems. The program is about stepping away from the negative influences of everyday life and starting to find ways to heal.

What Does The Company Do?

This company provides participants with a focus and helps them to regain control and balance in their lives. It gives children a new environment, away from the distractions of phones and social expectations, and outside of the pressures of everyday life.

With a therapeutic environment, the classes help kids to build their confidence and learn some skills that will help them return to daily life with more resilience and trust in themselves. The company focuses on adolescents and is tailored to help with a wide range of mental problems, including:

• ADHD

• Autism

• School refusal

• Attachment issues

• Substance abuse

• Low self-esteem

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Learning difficulties

Families are encouraged to participate too and will enjoy weekly calls with other families. They will also do some workshops together. This ensures everyone is embarking on a journey of healing, and increases the sense of cooperation, especially for the child engaging in the activities.

What Activities Are Offered?

So, how does Trails Carolina actually help? Let’s look at the elements of the program that your child will benefit from.

Teaching Self Care

Often, children who are struggling with mental health issues will neglect to care for themselves, perhaps because they don’t feel they are worthy of care, or because they lack the motivation, or for other reasons. One of the top things that Trails Carolina focuses on is changing this.

The programs all put an emphasis on looking after yourself and enhancing confidence. They show your child that they can overcome challenges, and they are worth investing in.

The experience will cover all kinds of wellness topics, which include good nutrition, sleep, hygiene techniques, and the responsible use of medicine. 

Self-care runs through every element of the program, encouraging your child to prioritize their well-being and health at all moments.

Yoga

When it comes to bringing the mind and the body together, Trails Carolina has turned to yoga. It offers both mental and physical benefits and will provide your child with a long-lasting method to help themselves feel calmer.

As a means of releasing tension, the program covers therapeutic yoga, creating a great habit for your child to continue long after the program has ended.

With deep breathing techniques and the experience of feeling taller and being more aware of their bodies, children will be empowered and feel more comfortable about who they are. A key skill, this can be carried well beyond the confines of the program, and will make a difference to every aspect of your child’s life.

Adventuring

It has been proven that exercise is good for the mind, and once your child has spent some time at the Trails Carolina base camp, they will launch into some amazing outdoor activities. These will work on honing their team-building and cooperation skills and improving their self-esteem.

Activities include things like canoeing and rock climbing. Away from the discomfort and stiffness of a traditional therapy room, your child may find that they are able to think more clearly about their challenges and address the things that are holding them back.

There are plenty of opportunities to form positive friendships via cooperation, and trained staff are on hand to help students work through the emotions that may result from the stimulating environment. Children will be able to see how their mental problems have an impact on their lives and will have a chance to try and work around these handicaps and overcome them.

Academia

The child’s studying will not be neglected, and Trails Carolina provides an excellent classroom environment, helping to build skills your child will need in order to return to regular schooling. This helps to integrate lessons learned while at Trails Carolina with the everyday life they will return to.

The teacher is certified and familiar with helping students with various learning difficulties. Trails Carolina believes academia is crucial to the long-term success of the child. Helping your child to feel motivated by their education will set them on the path to success and self-empowerment.

The academic aspect also encourages your child to understand what learning techniques work well for them, helping them to take control of their education and make a stand for what they need. It motivates, encourages, and builds confidence.

Summary

Trails Carolina looks at all the different aspects of mental health and interacts with the challenges that are posed by mental problems in many different ways. Away from the normal setting, children can relax and start to open up about their challenges, as well as learn new skills that will help them going forward.

Top Reasons Why Rattle Toys are Best for Your Baby

Baby with Estella organic baby rattle toy

As a new parent, you might be thinking through all of how you want to engage your baby. You might have thought of social interaction and even whether leaving the television on for noise is a good idea or not. But of all the ways that you can help your baby, the simple rattle toy is still considered by many to be the best option. These kinds of toys have unique benefits, so that you will start to see the beautiful effects on your baby.

Why the Rattle Toy is the Best Option for Your Baby

There are a lot of toys that can get the attention of your baby. The rattle toy is one of the best options for you to choose from. To help you know the benefits of a toy, here are some of the ways the toy will help your baby as they grow.

• The first thing a rattle toy will do is help teach your baby about movement and sound. They will learn that a sound will come from the toy when they move their arm or hand. This concept is crucial because it will help your child focus on things as they grow up.
• The toy will also be able to help your baby zero in on sounds. They can direct their attention to the direction of the sound.
• You will find that it can help with motor skills. Your child will learn that a sound can be generated that is pleasing to their ears through movement.
• You will also find that your baby will want to grab the toy and hold it for dear life. It is an easy option for them to have to teach them how to use their hands and grab items. Simply place the rattle just out of reach of your baby and watch how they move towards the toy. You will find that your baby will quickly learn how to roll and crawl towards the new toy.
• You can also use the toy as an incentive to promote advanced motor skills.
• Your baby will also get to work on hand and eye coordination. As your baby rattles the toy, they will want to focus on the sound.
• The toy can also help your baby learn to play by themselves. The rattle will encourage your baby to move the toy to hear the sound. And as they grow, you may even find them producing rhythmic motions with it.
• You can use the rattle to help your crawling baby learn to locate sounds and objects by hiding the rattle and making sounds with it. Your baby will start to move towards the sound until they find the rattle.

There are a lot of toys that you can use to help your baby grow, but the rattle is the one that they will hold onto for a long time. It can be used in a wide variety of ways to help your baby develop skills that they will use to build their life on.

Why Most People Never Reach Their Fitness Goals

Every year, a new wave of aspiring fitness students set a New Year’s resolution to finally get healthy – but the vast majority of them never reach their fitness goals. In 2020, 75 percent of people listed weight loss as a goal for the upcoming year, yet only 7 percent of people stick fully to their resolutions.

We can also see the effects of this by looking at obesity patterns in the United States. Currently, 73.6 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, and that number is consistently increasing.

Why is it that so few people ever reach their fitness goals? What’s stopping them from living a healthier lifespan?

Inadequate Mental Preparation

Arguably, the biggest issue is inadequate mental preparation. It's easy to say to yourself that you want to lose weight, but it's much harder to put forth the habits and practices that will actually lead you there. If you want a better chance at losing weight, you need to look at the situation rationally and reasonably.

Many people are guilty of at least one of the following when setting a new fitness goal:

·       Underestimating the challenge. Let's say you live a sedentary lifestyle and you haven't exercised consistently in the past 2 years. You've gained 50 pounds in those 2 years and you get out of breath walking up the stairs. You set a goal to run a mile a day, every day until you lose the weight. Day 1, you'll be motivated to complete the mile, but day 2, you're going to be sore. You might not feel better until day 4, at which point, your motivation may be broken. If you want to be successful, you need to understand that most fitness goals are very challenging, and they may not go according to your plan.

·       Optimizing for the short term. Some people fail because they only optimize for the short term. They have a weight loss goal, but their only real objective is to get to a target weight – not to stay at that weight indefinitely. With this short-term mindset, it’s easy to lose focus and allow your eating and exercise habits to slip.

·       Failing to prepare for hard moments. In planning mode, people are optimists. They think about how much fun they're going to have working out and how proud of their choices they'll be when getting a salad for lunch – but they fail to prepare for the hard moments. They don't think about dessert temptations, sore muscles, embarrassing gym moments, and setbacks, so when negative experiences inevitably arise, they feel devastating.

Declining Motivation

If you've failed to achieve your fitness goal in the past, it might have been due to declining motivation. After a few weeks at the gym, you might start stalling out, unable to add much weight to your lifts. After a few weeks of clean eating, you might start having tough cravings for the old junk foods you used to love. After a stressful day at work, you might want to watch TV on the couch after your shift, rather than hitting the gym.

Hiring a personal trainer could be a great way to keep yourself motivated. You’ll have a coach and mentor who can help you identify your biggest demotivators – and defeat them.

Bad Goals

Some people fail to reach their fitness goals because they set bad goals in the first place. It's good to set a challenging goal that forces you to break out of your comfort zone, but if your goal is literally unreachable, you're only going to set yourself up for disaster. For example, if you want to lose 100 pounds in 3 weeks and you only lose 8 pounds in week 1, you’ll feel incredibly disheartened – even though 8 pounds lost in a week is quite respectable.

Use SMART goal criteria to create better, more manageable goals for yourself. And make sure you set smaller “milestone” goals to achieve along the way.

Plateaus and Uncertainty

It’s common for even avid fitness enthusiasts to hit occasional plateaus. You might be unable to progress past a certain lifting weight, or you might fail to lose weight for a couple of weeks in a row. When this happens, some people take it as a sign that their hard work is for nothing – but plateaus are a natural part of the path to fitness. You have to keep working to get past them (and remember all the progress you’ve made so far).

It’s true that most people don’t reach their fitness goals, and that fact will likely remain true for the foreseeable future. But that’s not a death sentence for your fitness journey. As long as you understand the hardships that stand before you and you’re willing to remain adaptable, you can find a way forward.

Mixing the Generations – Why Your Baby Should Get to Know Your Elderly Relatives

Your baby is a precious bundle of intense delight and awe. When they are first born you want to show them off to the world. However, after the initial visit is over, you may feel a little nervous about taking your baby back to see your elderly relatives, especially if they are in an assisted living environment. What if your baby cries or needs a nappy change while you are there? What if your bundle of joy upsets the other residents? Will you be asked to leave? These may be things that worry you, but you shouldn’t let them. There are plenty of reasons why it is fantastic for the old and young to intermingle, regardless of whether they are related or not. Here are the top reasons why you should mix the generations. 

A Sense of Belonging 

Everyone needs a sense of belonging, whether they are young or old. Many assisted living facilities, such as the Mcknight Place assisted living facility, positively encourage family time and some facilities even promote this by holding baby groups in their facilities. The generations of your family can get to know each other and give each other a strong sense of belonging. 

Time 

The older generation tends to have a lot of time on their hands and although they may not be able to run after a toddler or change a nappy as well as they once could, the gift of time can help your baby’s development immensely. Studies have shown that when babies get lots of attention from elderly relatives, they are likely to develop quickly. Elderly people have more time to chat and read to babies and these activities don’t involve having to be physically active. This will help your baby to speak sooner, develop a more varied vocabulary, and become a better reader as they grow. 

Confidence 

Your baby will gain a lot of confidence from being taken to an assisted living facility as they will be able to meet and interact with new people. The chances are they will enjoy a lot of attention from all the residents who will look forward to seeing them. This will make the eventual transition to kindergarten and school a lot smoother for your child. 

Empathy 

Integration will give your child empathy and respect for the elderly that they might not develop elsewhere. They will understand the limitations and difficulties of people around them and this could lead them to have a very caring nature as they get older. 

Enjoyment 

Both the young and old will enjoy spending time together and getting to know each other. Older people love seeing their families, especially their young relatives as this helps them to stop feeling isolated and encourages them to feel useful. The chances are they can give you a lot of helpful advice about the baby too. Everyone can benefit from the wisdom of the older generation. Don’t be nervous about your baby upsetting your elderly relatives by being too loud or adventurous as they discover the world around them. The chances are your elders will be more upset if they don’t get to see the baby regularly.

Pikler Furniture: Innovations In The World Of Children's Fittings

Amy Pikler was convinced that every child could, and should, learn the basic types of movements from the inside on their own, their specific types of activities, in their own time. She saw that children do not need any encouragement or exceptional support for this, but that loving, attentive supervision and guidance from adults and a safe and child-friendly environment are prerequisites for the healthy development and maturation of the child's personality.

Play equipment according to Emmy Pikler: whether it's climbing arches, bouncing boards, a climbing triangle, a bench, or Pikler's maze and a crawling box: every play equipment in Emmy Pikler's understanding is designed in terms of construction and size, so even small kids can use it on their own and explore.

The game material, and the entire game environment, are adjusted so that additional interventions and help from adults are practically unnecessary. In the case of little kids, this can also be done, for example, by limiting the play area with a playing net. Moreover, wood is used almost exclusively as a material for all pikler furniture — it is stable and durable and gives children a unique tactile sensation.

Best furniture for games

Here is a list of the best Pikler furniture:

• The Pikler triangle is the perfect solution for developing motor skills in babies from around ten months of age, and is also known as the so-called triangle stand. With the Pikler triangle, even young children can develop their motor skills according to their age — without parental intervention. The triangle is used for climbing and playing.

  
  

• The Pikler arch is an arch that is excellent for climbing, gymnastics, and games. Most climbing arches can be used shortly after birth. It is also suitable for a child's first attempts to stand up. It is accessible in various shapes, sizes, and variations, so kids can swing or roll with it, depending on the model.

  
  

• A balance board is a particular type of arch. For this, only a unique design is characteristic. The rainbow swing has multi-colored panels in rainbow colors.

Pikler's Philosophy

The kid's room plays a central role in Amy Pikler's pedagogy. This ambiance educates kids. It should be designed in such a way that, on the one hand, parents or educators should not need to constantly intervene to protect a child from a risky situation, or even free him from it. The prepared space must be adapted to a child's abilities, i.e., it must also be constantly changing as the child's abilities develop.

Peaceful Parenting Community

How to Make Your Next Home Purchase with Children

There are a few things to consider when you make your purchase of a new home with your children.

The first thing that you should do is ensure that you have enough space for your children. You don't want to be cramped and unable to provide them with the space that they need. It's also important to make sure that it has adequate space to play in the back and front yards.

Next, look at the area. Does it have the right environment? Will there be any safety concerns? For instance, if it's a small town in the mountains and there are mountain lions and bears around you may not want to move there. It is important that your children can go about their day without feeling uncomfortable about anything.

Although you might find it more convenient to talk to real estate agents and homeowners on your own, without also assuming the role of a parent, it's not just about having a good home for your children, but also ensuring that they love the place you decide on.

How Will You Get There?

If you’re buying a home close to where you now live, then transportation isn't much of a problem. You can simply drive to a home you’re interested in buying with your children.

But what if you're buying your home in another state? Say, you've decided to move to Denver, Colorado, from Anchorage, Alaska. Driving there with children could be exhausting for everyone. It’s more convenient to fly.

Still, that’s only half the solution. Suppose, too, you want to see several homes while you’re in Denver, not just one. You will need your car to get around the city and its surrounding areas. Who knows, you might even want to live in the mountains, in a small town like Evergreen, which is about 39 minutes away from the city.

One solution is to fly to Denver with your children and use a car transportation service that specializes in Alaska auto transport, to ship your car to Denver.

Buying the Right Home

Homeownership is an investment that can be rewarding but also comes with risks. Be sure to think about whether this is the right choice for you and your family before deciding that it is the best option.

To make sure that you are making an informed decision before buying a home, three things to consider are location, price, and size.

1. Location

Buying a new home can be difficult when you know nothing about the area and how good the schools are. Luckily, there are many resources that provide information on these.

Some resources you can use, include:

• Area statistics

• Realtor websites

• City websites

• Local newspapers

• Schools website

  
  

There are a few things to consider before buying a new home. Let’s start with location. It's always a good idea to visit the area you are considering before deciding on where to buy.

Get a list of the schools in the area, and then visit them with your children to see which one would be best for them. Also, plan out how you and your kids will commute to school and take part in extracurricular activities as well. If a future home is too far from these destinations, it might not be worth it.

To find out what areas might be best for you, consider your commute time as well as schools and proximity to shops, restaurants, and parks. Also, consider your budget, the cost of living, and the available amenities before deciding on which property to buy.

Assuming you find a property you like and the area has everything you desire for your family, then the location box is checked off.

2. Price

The housing market can be a tricky one to navigate. If you're in the market for a new home, it's important to know what other homes are selling for in your area. The best way to do this is by using the MLS system which stands for Multiple Listing Service. It's important to use this system because it will allow you to have access to information about all the homes in an area.

Also, when evaluating if you’re getting a good deal, pay attention to how much a house costs per square foot, not just its total price.

3. Size

Consider if the house is the right size for your family. Do you have a clear idea of how much space your family needs? If not, it's time to research different housing options to find the right fit for your family.

In closing, after you find your perfect home, it's important to get a professional inspection of the property and check for any damages that may exist before signing a contract with the seller.

Focusing on Positive and Nurturing Parenting While Looking After Older Relatives

Taking care of older relatives can be challenging at any time, and when you have children to parent and nurture as well, it can all feel a bit too much. The pressure put on you by others and by yourself can be testing and can push you to limits you never even knew existed before. So, the key question you have to ask yourself is – Can you parent in a positive and nurturing manner while looking after older relatives? Or, do you have to make large compromises’ and sacrifices in order to achieve a balance?

Putting Your Children’s Needs and Wants First Every time

Above everything else, your children, their needs, and their wants should come ahead and above anything else that you do. When you put your children’s needs first, you establish what they need in their life and what they can do without. Emotionally it can be hard sharing your time and splitting your time and energy between your children and your older relatives that need you now more than ever, but, realistically if you do not put your children’s wants and needs at the top of your list, you will notice problems and issues further down the line.

Nurturing Your Children at All Times

As well as putting your children first, you need to ensure that you nurture them at every given opportunity, especially if they are young. When children are raised in a nurturing environment, they realize that there is plenty of love, time, and patience to go around, they adopt a more selfless attitude and approach, and they see why you need to look after an older relative, which is obviously good for you, especially if you have no alternative options. Nurturing is not just about giving them what they need now; it is about planning ahead and thinking about what they will need in the future. A supported and nurtured child will be able to deal with you splitting your time and sharing your attention better than a child who lacks that supportive and nurtured background.

Listening to What Your Children are Telling You 

Quite often, actions speak louder than words, and it is because of this that you should really listen to what your children are saying and what they are telling you. Verbal and non-verbal communication is essential in forming and building a strong relationship. Without a strong relationship, you will not be able to focus your attention and time on looking after your older relatives, so ensure that you have a strong bond and relationship with your children, and always make sure you listen to what they are saying.

Being There for Both Your Children and Your Older Relatives – Keeping a Balance

Juggling two different sets of requirements and needs can be challenging even for a professional healthcare assistant, but if you can establish and maintain a balance that is healthy and equal, then there should be no reason why you could not fulfill both the emotional and physical needs of both the younger and the older generation. Of course, finding a balance may be difficult, but with persistence, time, and patience, you will get there.

Focusing on the Positive Moments and Embracing Them

When you are looking after older and younger generations, it can feel very draining, both emotionally, mentally, and physically. There is so much going on all the time that you may find it difficult to maintain a positive attitude and approach. When you are struggling or you are finding things tough, it is essential that you focus on and embrace the positivity around you. Remembering positive moments and memories that were shared between you, your children, and your older relatives will get you through the more challenging times that may lie ahead.

Seeking Respite 

Caregiving and looking after your children and older relatives can really take its toll on you, your health, and your well-being. Seeking respite at Brandywine Living for your older relatives is a positive step to take as it gives you a much-needed rest. It gives your older relatives a chance to experience something new and interact with people they might not have got the chance to interact with before. When it comes to finding appropriate respite or finding a center, you need to look at somewhere that focuses on high quality, somewhere like Brandywine Living at Haddonfield, which focuses on community, individuals, and good care. If you do not go for the right center, or if you do not find somewhere that genuinely cares, you will not get the respite or peace of mind that you need.

Focusing on Too Many Areas or Tasks at Once

Trying to do too much all at once is not going to end well. So, when juggling the care of older relatives alongside your own children, don’t be afraid to utilize those around you. Other family members, friends, even work colleagues can help in their own way; whether it's offering to babysit, batch cooking, or just doing your grocery shopping, there are people who care, and they are just a call away.

Reaching Out to Others for Help, Support, and Guidance

Actually, making the call or deciding to reach out to others for help and assistance can be difficult, but the benefits you and your children get from having a strong support and guidance network around you will speak for themselves. You will be able to do what you want, you will be able to maintain a normal life, and you won’t have to feel so alone when you have a strong group of people around you.

Looking Forwards to the Future

At some point, you may need to start looking at other options for your older relatives. This may be due to their ill health, or it may be because you need to focus solely on your immediate family within your home, including your children. Whatever the reason change will happen, it is just a matter of when. Never run yourself or others into the ground just to keep things going the way they are at the moment, and never be afraid to ask yourself - Can I sustain what I am doing, and do I need to look at longer-term solutions? Asking yourself questions and getting answers will help you establish the best and the right way forward for you and your family.

5 Myths about Fertility

Fertility is a topic that’s massively intertwined with emotions, stress, and – sometimes – shame. Yet, it’s also a topic that’s filled with misconceptions. There are a huge number of us that like to think we know everything we need to about fertility after seeing friends and family go through certain struggles or successes. However, these case studies do people no good when they, themselves, are trying to conceive. This is why this post is going to dive into five misconceptions about fertility and potential treatments so that you have the complete information before worrying. 

Only women can be infertile 

As it’s the woman who provides the egg and the woman whose body does a lot of the hard work for the pregnancy, many believe that infertility is just a woman’s problem. 

This is a complete myth: Both men and women can have infertility, and it’s not just a heterosexual problem, either. Around one-third of men and women can be infertile. 

Infertility in the LGBTQ+ community is often situational, and people can choose surrogacy, sperm donation, or IVF treatments to combat this. 

Daily sex will get you pregnant 

Sex isn’t a numbers game. It’s more about timing than quantity. The fertility window comes around two weeks after a woman starts her menstrual cycle. Two days before and two days after are the peak times if you’re hoping to conceive naturally. Unless you’re within the ovulation window, there’s very little chance of you becoming pregnant. That’s not to say, however, that you should only be using contraception at these times. 

Only the woman’s age makes a difference 

When it comes to fertility, there are plenty of people that believe women have a body clock, while men don’t. Age matters for both the sperm and egg provider. Old sperm can actually be linked to infertility and can even lead to a lower success rate in IVF. Healthline report that men over the age of 39 have a lower sperm count, which can also lead to higher risk pregnancies. 

IUI Therapy is more successful with more growing follicles 

If you’ve already looked into different fertility treatments, you may have come across IUI. IUI is often recommended multiple times before IVF as it is a less invasive and cheaper treatment. However, there are a lot of myths regarding the number of follicles used and the success rates. Many believe that the chance of pregnancy with 2 mature follicles – or more than 2 follicles – is much higher than one. While some people do experience better chances, the process doesn’t actually change the per-attempt pregnancy rate. 

Older mothers can always use IVF

There are a huge number of women now looking to have their first child later in life. However, age is still a crucial factor in conception rates, and a lot of people think that they need not worry as they can always opt for IVF. 

The chances of a successful IVF treatment decrease with age, just like your natural fertility. According to the CDC, 33% of IVF treatments for women under 35 results in a live birth, while women aged between 38-49 have just a 17% success rate.

Conceiving is a completely different journey for everyone. With that in mind, you should speak to your doctor about your chances, as well as the best options for you and your partner.