How To Celebrate National Bike Month With Your Kids

Ask just about anyone and they can usually –and vividly — remember when they first learned to ride a bike!

It’s just something you never forget…

No matter how long it’s been since you hopped on a bike, National Bike Month provides the perfect reason to get back out there and ride again!

Here’s how to celebrate that amazing invention, the bicycle, with your kids… and start a new, healthy habit as a family!

A little girl learning how to ride the bike.

Getting started

Begin by setting out the rules for safe biking. Even if your kids aren’t old enough to really remember everything you’re telling them, repeat the rules for safe biking to them every time you go out.

When they see you following the same rules you’re telling them to follow, it will encourage them to do the same.

Teach them the following tips for safe biking:

• Keep your tires well inflated – match the pressure that’s listed on the tire itself.
• Inspect your brakes before setting out to make sure they’re aligned and working properly
• Keep bolts, bearings, and chains greased
• Wear a helmet at all times, making sure it fits you well and isn’t too loose
• If you plan to ride at night, wear bright, reflective colors and use a light
• For trail riding, stay on the right side, pass to the left and use your voice or a horn to alert people and other riders that you’re planning to pass
• Use hand signals and obey traffic signals, always stopping at stop lights and stop signs
• Make eye contact with drivers to be sure they see you
• Ride with the traffic, not against it

Note: Before venturing out, add more reflectors to your bikes – and any clothes you’re wearing. And consider adding flashing reflectors to improve visibility

Set your course

To make National Bike Month a fun time for you and your kids, have a plan. Your activities will be determined, in large part, by the biking skills your kids have.

If, for example, you have young kids with little to no experience riding a bike, you’ll obviously be focused on teaching them how to ride a bike. Give them ample time to practice their new skill.

Older or more confident riders who may be up for a challenge might enjoy:

• setting up jumps in the backyard
• going “off-road” on nearby bike trails
• holding a “bike rodeo” with the neighborhood kids where they can take part in:
  • obstacle courses
  • jumps
  • a “balance beam” made from lines drawn on the ground that riders need to stay within
  • “paper boy” – riders toss rolled up newspapers into targets such as large trash cans, baskets, tubs, etc.
  • slow races – points deducted for each time their foot hits the ground before the finish line (builds up their balance and coordination)

Riding a bike is a childhood rite of passage that you don’t want your kids to miss… so get on out there and ride with them!

The post How To Celebrate National Bike Month With Your Kids appeared first on Creative Learning Academy.

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Tips for Better Work-Life Balance for Parents in Tampa

Being a full-time working parent is not easy. There are a lot of things and responsibilities to handle – waking up the kids in the morning, feeding them, cleaning them up, dropping them off to school, then heading to the office to work. With everything that parents have to juggle, it’s impossible not to feel exhausted and overwhelmed. This is the exact reason why achieving  work-life balance is crucial for any family. Your ability to balance a career and personal life is what you need to survive with your sanity intact despite all the responsibilities at home and work. To help master the art of balancing work and family time, here are some tips you could use.

Change bad work habits

To make sure your work doesn’t affect your personal life, make sure to change some bad  work habits. Start with the most challenging and difficult tasks as you begin your work day. Get them done one by one so you’ll soon only have the easier ones left at  the end of the day. This way, you won’t feel rushed at quitting time. This will also help you accomplish more work during your day. Also, try hard to avoid bringing your work home. It may be better to extend your day a little longer at the office than continue working at home.

Avoid distractions when in the office

Make sure to complete all work at the office and never bring work home

Setting boundaries between work and personal life is an excellent way to achieve the right work-life balance. When at work, avoid time wasters and limit distractions as much as possible. Have the discipline to set specific times to check your phone. Avoid other distractions that will make you less productive. Doing this will help you accomplish more so that you can finish on time at the end of your work day. And during the rare times when you have to bring work home, set boundaries on how much time you will spend working. Once you’re done, make sure to devote your time and energy on your family.

Find a quality daycare

Sending your child to a quality daycare in Tampa is also an excellent way to improve your work-life balance. Do your research and ask your network of friends and family for references for quality child care centers. Determine the most important factors you are looking for. Then schedule daycare tours and interview each center.Check their hours, the student-teacher ratio and take time learn about the experience and background of their employees.

Schedule family vacations and activities

Making time for your family and children is very important. And because you also need a break from your daily life at work, it would be great to plan some family vacations and fun activities. Your children would probably love to go on a vacation. It is a perfect opportunity to bond and nurture your relationship with your family. But if you can’t find a time that would fit everyone’s schedule, save  the weekend for some fun family activities. Have a Saturday night movie marathon or play board games. You can also spend Sunday in the park for a picnic. It doesn’t matter what activities you do, the important thing is to spend quality time with your kids and family. Also try to, avoid checking your phone and email when you’re out with them.

Spend quality time with your spouse

As a working parent, you probably think about your responsibilities at work and at home most of the time. However, it’s important not to forget about your spouse. Your spouse is your partner in everything that comes your way as a family. Spending quality time with them is something you must never take for granted. No matter how busy you are, make time for each other. Go on date nights and enjoy each other’s company. Foster your relationship with your partner. It will make balancing work and family time a lot easier.

Being a working mom or dad is never easy. But knowing how to achieve work and life balance is key. When you choose the right daycare for your child, you will be on your way to a better life where you and your family will benefit.

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