January 5, 2016 / como / 0 Comments
Even adult children returning home to a blended family benefit from some rules and boundaries. Adult stepchildren graduating from college today face a tough job market in which to succeed. College kids are returning home, for a place to stay until they can launch their careers. Even tougher, are the kids who return to a blended family, one with a new step parent and step siblings.
Boundaries and rules established and agreed upon, before adult stepchildren return to the nest, are essential for the successful blended family. Adult stepchildren can function well living at home with stepparents when presented with clear expectations.
Focus on the positive in your blended family
Focus on the positive when adult children ask to return home. Adult children, in most cases, don’t want to ask biological parents if they can move in with a stepfamily, and you might consider it a compliment to your successful remarriage when they do. Clearly, your adult child feels comfortable living with the stepparent, and that is flattering. Stepmom or stepdad needs to acknowledge the compliment, and make sure to let the adult stepchild know you are eager to spend more time with him.
As well, after the biological parent and stepparent agree upon a set of rules and boundaries, biological parents should lead a discussion about them with the adult stepchild in advance of the move-in date. Adult stepchildren are often willing to comply with rules when they know biological parents and stepparents are happy to have them around.
Rules and boundaries should be reasonable and consistent
Adult stepchildren are, technically, adults, and should be treated as such. However, the adult stepchild who has returned home and is dependent upon the biological parent and stepmom or stepdad, should obey and respect parental authority. Rules and boundaries agreed upon in advance could include guidelines for
o dining and laundry
o a discussion of career plans
o an agreement to actively search and find a job by within a set period
o housekeeping chores
o an agreement to pay rent after six months
o an agreement to a raise in rent after 12 months
o guidelines for guests
o an expectation of quiet after a designated time or else a curfew will be established
o and an expectation that adults will be treated with respect.
Other discussion topics could include the use of an auto as well as guidelines for gas, insurance, and upkeep; smoking, drinking and girlfriend or boyfriend visits; as well as private time for parent and stepparent. Adult stepchildren who bend or even break established rules should be held accountable with another scheduled family meeting.
Road to independence should be paved with love and encouragement for your adult child
Adult stepchildren moving home is not unusual in light of the job market, and he or she should not be made to feel as if they have failed at adulthood. This won’t help a stepchild and it certainly won’t bode well for the blended family. Once rules and boundaries have been agreed upon in a stepfamily, welcome and encourage your adult stepchild into the remarriage. Make sure he spends individual time with his biological parent and offer positive support in his job search.
Stepchildren, especially adult stepchildren, need their own space, and should be afforded privacy and respect of their belongings by other stepkids. Adult stepchildren who return to the home may need extra help on the road to independence; stepmoms and stepdads who are part of that journey pave the way to a smooth stepfamily existence.
Adult stepchildren who return home are an unfortunate result of the economic downturn, but it doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. Biological and stepparents have to discuss and agree upon rules, before the adult stepchild moves in. An adult stepchild is usually amenable to parental guidelines when the discussion is led by the biological parent and assisted by the stepparent.
Adult children who return home to a blended family can find success and independence within a remarriage when expectations are clear and rules are well planned.
January 4, 2016 / como / 0 Comments
Health insurance is extremely important when it comes to your well-being, as well as the well-being of your family. Good health is vital, and there comes a time when everybody will eventually need a doctor, medication, or maybe even a trip to the emergency room. Without medical insurance you may see medical bills piling up to the ceiling.
If you do not have a health insurance policy to cover your family’s medical expenses, the consequences can cost you a small fortune, but more importantly it can be detrimental to your family’s health. Without medical insurance, any trips made to the doctor are carefully considered based on the financial cost that is likely to be incurred. As a result of this, minor ailments like sore throats or a fever are often left to self-resolve. This leads to individuals having to suffer more, and for a longer period of time. With health insurance all you would have to pay is a deductible, and your insurance will take care of the rest.
There are many types of health insurance policies that you can take out after carefully considering how much you can afford to pay and which benefits would best suit the needs of your family. The first step you will have to take is research. There are many health insurance companies around and the last thing you want to do is settle on the first one that you come across. After you have determined what your family needs coverage for, find out what policies are available. Do not be afraid to ask prospective insurers for a quote, after all they are there to help you.
If huge medical bills are your biggest concern, and you can afford to pay for visits to the doctor, you can opt for a health insurance plan that has a lower monthly premium. Another way to lower your monthly premium is to opt for a high deductible. A deductible is basically the set amount you would have to pay with each visit to the doctor, before the medical insurance will pay out the rest to cover the costs of medical services rendered. A deductible that costs several thousand dollars is more effective in decreasing your premiums than one costing a few hundred dollars.
Taking out a insurance policy for health for your family will not only protect your family, but it will save you hundreds, even thousand of dollars in the long run.
January 4, 2016 / como / 0 Comments
By the mid nineteenth century the Bible was regarded as being a lot more than just teachings inspired by the light of God.
They became objects of devotion in their own right, and given a special place in the house and often containing letters and memories in the form of dried flowers.
The family bible evolved into the religious hub of the house.
The Protestant faith of the time, held sacred the living Word, and placed more value on sermons rather than ritual, so it is not surprising that the Holy Bible became seen as such iconic objects.
The Bible publishers of the day served to the market by making massive family Bibles, complete with explanatory articles, special pages for births, deaths and marriages, and that owed much in style to the ancient book.
So the family Bible became the altar of domestic spirituality, somewhere where the sacred life of the household met the sacred life of the church founders, apostles & prophets.
As bookbinders we were housed in the grounds of an active monastery, perhaps for that reason we had far more than our fair share of family bibles to repair. Looking at our receipts I see we restored about twenty large format bibles a year
Unfortunately the structure of most of these family Bibles lacked the integrity of the contents.
In terms of design, many of these Family Bibles harked back to medieval examples of binding, at least in appearance.
The Family Bibles often had very heavy boards, often half an inch thick.
In further imitation of the early codex, they often came with clasps and fancy engraved corners. Some had brass edging around the sides of the boards.
Of course these fittings added a great deal to the boards’ weight
Attempting to keep within a tight budget, most of these Family Bibles were bound in thin sheepskin leather.
This thin skiver leather was just not up to the task of supporting the massive and heavy boards, that is why so many unrepaired Family Bibles can be found with one or more boards detached from the binding.
It is of course possible to repair these books, though they do represent a considerable investment, usually of several hundred pounds.
By Richard Edward Norman
Expert Repair of Family Bibles By Post
For over 30 years I ran a bookbinding studio within a Catholic community. In this time I became expert In the repair of large format Family Bibles. I am now a specialist in the repair of these books. I am also a qualified paper conservator.
January 3, 2016 / como / 0 Comments
Are you looking for a fun and practical Christmas tradition for your family? Consider buying your family matching footed pajamas. Wearing matching footed pajamas might seem very strange when you first consider it. However, many families are now wearing matching footed pajamas. If you consider why, it really does make sense.
For a very long time, many families have shared the tradition of wearing normal matching pajamas for the holidays. Wearing matching pajamas makes everyone in the family feel closer together, much like wearing a family uniform. But it was often the case that the smaller members of the family would wear footed pajamas while the bigger members of the family would wear the non-footed type of pajamas. Why? Until recently, footed pajamas were only offered in sizes for children. Since some members of the family members were dressing in footed pajamas and others were wearing non-footed pajamas the pajamas were similar but not really matching.
About ten years ago, several companies started making matching footed pajamas in sizes for youths as well as adults. With that development, it became possible to dress the whole family in footed pajamas. Families began to switch from non-footed matching pajamas to matching footie pajamas.
At first, many families switched to matching footed pjs just for laughs. Children enjoyed seeing parents wearing pajamas which were normally worn only by kids. But once parents actually owned footed pajamas, many of them realized why they loved footed pjs so much as children. Footed pajamas are the warmest pajamas available. The warmth and the originality make footie pjs not only fun but practical too.
Why are matching footed pjs practical? Nearly 10% of the population have problems with circulation and complain about cold feet. People with cold feet are unhappy and many people with circulatory problems endlessly seek a solution for it. Many adults with circulatory problems find that they are more comfortable sleeping in adult footed pajamas. The warmth generated by the rest of the body moves to the feet and brings the temperature of the feet to the same level as the rest of the body. Further families discover that when the whole family is dressed in matching footie pajamas they can turn down the heat and save some money. Dressed in exactly the same pjs as the children, parents understand how warm their children are since if the parents are warm, then it is likely that the kids are warm too.
Matching pajamas may have begun as a fun family gift idea. But once adults buy footed pajamas for themselves and their families, many parents decide to make matching footie pjs a tradition that the whole family can enjoy forever.
January 2, 2016 / como / 0 Comments
Family reunion can be described as an event or a function in which most family members gather at a certain venue and share their experiences. Family reunion normally comprises of things like having some meals and discussing the past and the future. For kids, most family reunions normally have games and some other fun activities. Family reunions help in staying in touch with the extended family members. Family reunions can also be used as a social networking platform for making new connections and strengthening the older ones. Theses new connections will not only help you emotionally but also can help you professionally as well.
The main reason why family reunions should be taken seriously is because human beings are social in nature, interacting with others and sharing ideas will benefit childrens and help them in becoming a good citizen and contribute to the society in a positive way. Kids will also get to know about their other family members and their family history. Knowing their family history is very important for each member of the family because it tells them about their background and helps them in understanding their heritage. As far as its scientific value is concerned, it helps in maintaining the accurate family tree. Family reunions also help in rejuvenating old relations that have become strained and lifeless due to absolute lack of communication. Kids also get the chance to meet with their cousins and bond with them.
Family reunions should be organized in such a way that each and every member of the family attending the reunion should find something that he or she can enjoy. While planning for reunion weather should also be taken into account. Extreme weather conditions like very high temperature during summer, low temperature during winter and wet and windy monsoons can mar the occasion. Pleasant weather during the family reunion will make everyone happy. Another thing worth mentioning is the location of the reunion. Location may not be very important for young family members but it is very important for old ones, it should be very carefully chosen so that each member of the family can easily attend the family reunion. Keeping all these things in mind will make your family reunion unforgettable.