Category Archives: Family Issues and Interpersonal Relationships

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Growing Old Gracefully: Bathroom Tricks To Help Your Parents Keep Their Dignity

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When we’re young, our parents do everything for us. They are the supports on which we lean. Which is why it can be confusing for everyone when the tables turn. Inevitably, we all end up caring for our parents at some stage. Sadly, that is the circle of life. But, when the time comes, it can be challenging to strike the right balance. You’ll want to offer the best care possible, without imposing or taking your parents freedom. Thus, you may find that you’re treading on eggshells, or failing to provide the care they need.

To help everyone move forward, it’s worth having a conversation about the part your parents would like you to play. They may try to hold onto their independence for as long as possible, and there’s nothing you can do about that. Or, they may accept that they need help, but express a desire to keep their dignity. If this is the case, it’s important to consider how you can provide dignified care, specifically when it comes to the bathroom. And, to help you settle on a plan which works, we’re going to consider some of your options.

A bathtub for ease

The most substantial issue to consider is that of bathing. When mobility starts to fail, your parents will find it difficult to get in and out of the bathtub. They may even do themselves an injury by trying it. But, they may be reluctant to let you lift them in and out. It would involve exposure that they may not be comfortable with.

So, find a compromise. By helping your parents choose a tub which opens at the side, you can ensure they can get in and out without worry. An option with a seat included would even allow you to rest easy that they can remain in an upright position. Or, if their mobility isn’t that bad yet, you may want to browse modern bathtubs which are freestanding. Options like these often dip in the middle, making them easier to get into. Plus, their freestanding nature will allow you ease of access once they’re already in the water. That way, you can help them wash, then leave them to it.

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Installed rails

It’s also worth installing grab rails in showers, and around the toilet. These will prove a huge support, and will mean that your parents can hold themselves up. Thus, you won’t need to lift them onto the toilet and so on. Again, these will go a massive way towards helping your parents keep their dignity. Often, toilet issues are the most embarrassing of all. Dealing with them in this way could be the best of both worlds.

Urinal in Hong-Kong on the Lung Fu Shai Fitness Trail, with handles for the elderly.

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An alarm by the toilet

Bear in mind, though, that an alarm chord by the toilet could be a huge help in ensuring your parents safety. That way, you can be on hand if they do need you for any reason. Without this, there’s a risk they’ll be stuck on the toilet for extended periods, which would undo your efforts at modesty. The chances are that they’ll never need to use it. But, it’s not worth the risk. When you know it’s there, you can rest easy. And, though they may not say it, your parents will also feel much better for its presence.

A sink with a seat

Standing by the sink could also become a real challenge for your parent’s. Even brushing their teeth for two minutes could prove too much. So, it’s worth getting a seat installed near their sink. If possible, you could have one built into the same cabinet that their sink is on. This will look like part of the decor and means they can have a quick sit down if they’re struggling.

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Or, you could carve a space underneath the sink, and slip a chair there, instead. To guests, this will look like a vanity-style sink setup. But, it could be a real dignity saver for your parents. Plus, this option has the benefit of allowing them to sit while they do what they need to.

A final word

As you can see, there are any number of ways to help your parents keep their bathroom dignity. While there may come a time when you’ll need to take a more active role, these steps will ensure that time is a long way off. Of course, you’ll need to check with your parents before putting anything in place. But, once you’ve explained, they’re sure to be on board.

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5 Simple Ways To Take Care Of Your Elders

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With today’s super fast-paced, digitally hyper-connected world at our fingertips 24/7, it’s easy to feel the generational gap more acutely than ever. Modern society is almost geared up to give us a laser focus on the self, and it’s no wonder that many younger people feel out of touch with their grandparents generation. But there’s so much that we can learn from our elders – life lessons that are just as relevant today as they ever were, even if the world outside looks very different. Many people find that once they put effort into developing a connection with their seniors, it enriches their lives in ways that they never imagined. So how can you best look after your older loved ones? Here are five ways to do just that:

Organise their medications

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One thing that usually happens as relatives age is that they take increasing amounts of medication or have more medical appointments. A real, practical way to take care of elders in your life is to make sure that these drugs are in order. It can be as simple as helping them set up reminder alarms on a cell phone specifically designed for senior use, or it could be making sure their pills are organized into a storage container clearly labeled by date. Ensuring nothing is missed helps reduce damage to health in the long run.  Helping them to stay on top of this area is essential to their health –and your peace of mind.

Help them take control of finances

It’s an area that many of us don’t like to talk about, but helping our elders ensure that their financial affairs are in order can save a lot of confusion and stress for them, and their families. A typical state of affairs is that when an older woman becomes widowed, they suddenly find themselves dealing with all sorts of financial matters that had previously been handled by their husband. Elderly relatives may have little idea about modern banking procedures that could save time and money, like automatic direct debit payments, or even comparing energy suppliers to make sure they have the best deal on their utilities. A few minutes spent guiding them through a process online can be a beneficial gift of your time, in return for all the life experience they can give to you. The vital part is not to take over – involve them in the process too.

Look after their health

Whether its mental health or physical, younger relatives can do a lot by ensuring their older family members have good health in both respects. Are they taking part in enough social activities? Help them find clubs and societies in their local area to join in with. Do they take regular exercise? Invite them out for a walk at the weekend. Or, invest in exercise equipment for seniors that cater specifically to older age groups while still helping them to keep fit.  Tools like these help them stay motivated to exercise even when it becomes more arduous, as the resistance can be adjusted to account for their physical capabilities. 

It’s also vital to watch out that they stay clear of any illnesses that hit the elderly harder, such as kidney infections and pneumonia. Check out these tips from CaregiverConnection to see if they may be coming down with something. The earlier things like that are treated, the less overall impact they will have on health.

Find shared activities to do together

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One of the most significant joys that older people seem to provide is encouraging us to take it slower sometimes. When we step out of our busy lives and match ourselves to their pace for a while, it can make a world of difference to wellbeing. Instead of thinking about that their age limits them from doing, think about what you can do together. A sponsored walk to raise money for a favorite course can be enjoyable. Or is there a craft they are expert in that you’d like to learn? From crochet to jam-making, homespun skills are all the rage again now – and the older generation often have considerable talents in these areas!

Think about their environment

Relatively small changes in the home environment of an older adult can change their daily life for the better. So spend some time thinking about how to adapt their home to their changing needs, and you could help them out.Cluttered interiors with unused pieces of furniture can make navigating on their own harder – perhaps it’s time to introduce them to making money on eBay! Installing support bars in the bathroom is low-cost but can make elders a lot safer in their own homes – as can installing and monitoring new fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and helping them to prepare their home for winter. Even just purchasing a cable tidy to keep trailing electrical wires tucked away can prevent an accident.

It doesn’t take much to look after your loved ones, and simple ways to show you care can mean the world. We’ll all become elderly ourselves one day if we are lucky, so it only makes sense to have better relationships with our seniors and set an example to those younger than us.

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Caring For Your Elderly Parents: Don’t Get Overwhelmed

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The day will come when our parents will no longer be able to drive around. They won’t be able to climb the stairs, or walk the dog, or maybe even prepare their own food. As sad of a thought it is, it’s important to prepare yourself for it, because unfortunately, it’s inevitable – it’s just part of life.

It may become your job to make sure that they are looked after and comfortable for the last stages of their lives.

There are many things to consider, including options such as high quality in-home care, but here are some of the most important pieces of advice.

Love your health care services.

When you arrive at this phase of life, your best friends will be the ones who are helping you and your parents. Anyone from the social worker, physical therapist, cleaner, doctor, nurse, and even that caring neighbor that brings round that delicious peach pie. – Whoever is involved in your lives, you will want to make sure they are all uplifting and have positive thoughts, because that’s what’s needed at a time like this. So anyone that does enter your life for the better, keep hold of them. Let them know how much you appreciate them, and hope they stick around.

Ask for help.

As much as you may like to do everything yourself, especially as they’re your parents, sometimes it’s just no longer possible. The stress itself of having to be on the ball all the time while juggling your own life and responsibilities like work, can all become too much to deal with, and you may end up making yourself ill, and if that happens, you won’t be able to care for your parents anyway. It may be time to find an affordable home care where they will get all the care they need while taking the stress off yourself. There are plenty out there; you just need to find the right one that works for you both.

Depend upon your spouse.

Sometimes, your parent may seem to have more of a connection with your other half than you. This is never a nice feeling, and can hurt a little, but it’s never out of bitterness. Usually, this happens because your parents don’t want to put all of their baggage on you, or bring you down, or feel like a burden – even if you’d welcome it. If this is the case, let it happen. If your other half is happy to do so, use this to your advantage, and just be there with them.

Protect your emotions.

The only other people that know how to play on your emotions more than you, is your parents. It’s very wise to do all you can to protect these in as many ways as possible so your parents can’t find them. Of course, you may not be having any problems with your parents, but every now and then it can get rather heated because there’s a lot of anger and frustration up in the air, and sometimes your parents may push certain boundaries to cause a reaction. Don’t let this happen.

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Ensuring Your Parents’ Safety Behind The Wheel

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Parents worry about their kids. So, when you teenager passes their test, the first thing you think of is their safety. But, it isn’t only young and new drivers who need your attention. Older drivers need focusing on, too. Let’s face it; the elderly can turn into bad drivers. That’s not to say that every pensioner shouldn’t be on the roads because that isn’t true. However, they do put themselves in dangerous situations from time to time. Because you don’t want any elderly relatives involved in an accident, it’s better to ensure their safety.

The following are four ways to do that for your parents.

Make Sure They Have Their Glasses

People think that the elderly have a problem with driving because of their reactions. Usually, this is only half of the story because they drive responsibly. For the most part, it is down to their deteriorating eyesight. Because they struggle to see during the day and at night, they take risks which they shouldn’t. Pulling out in front of cars they don’t see, for instance, is something you’ll hear a lot. To help them, try and make sure they have their glasses at all times. They will forget, but you can’t if you want to keep them safe.

Turn Up Their Hearing Aid

It is easy to see why a pair of glasses is necessary, but a hearing aid isn’t as apparent. Surely they can get by without one? Maybe they can, but it’s a bit of a gamble. Driving is not just about eyesight; it requires all of the senses. If your parents can’t hear anything because the aid doesn’t work, they are in a vulnerable position. Anyone can beep to make them aware of their presence and they wouldn’t know. Firstly, they need to wear it just like their glasses. Secondly, they need a hearing aid repair service if it breaks. Finally, it should be on a high setting so that they can hear every sound.

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Check The Car

To be fair, their health might not tell the whole story. After all, the car plays a significant role in driver safety. When it isn’t up to scratch, anyone, healthy or not, is taking a risk by getting behind the wheel. It’s for this reason that the car needs regular checkups. The fact that a driver with no issues could have an accident is scary. But, it’s more frightening for a senior because the odds of an incident are higher due to their health problems. At least when a mechanic gives it a once over you know the car is road legal.

Retake Test

They won’t want to do it, but getting them to retake their test is a savvy move. As people age, they don’t realise they are a danger to other drivers. Only by getting an expert to evaluate their skills will they be aware. Also, if they pass, it’s a sign that they are okay to drive for a while longer. But, you’ll never know until they retake a practical assessment.

The bottom line is that you want to keep them safe on the roads. The advice above will help you do just that.

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A Bitter Pill: The Effects Of Giving Your Children Tablets & Smartphones

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It’s a common part of society now, everyone has their smartphone glued to their hands, and people would rather flick of their finger back and forth on a small screen rather than engage the person next to them in conversation. But the biggest place where it’s having an impact is at home with your family, and, more specifically, your children. A lot of young children are already addicted to tablets. And it seems that by the age of two, most children already know how to use a smartphone or a tablet, so is this a little premature? But also what are the negative effects of your child having a smartphone or a tablet at such a young age?

 

It Becomes Their First Addiction

As we all know, it’s very difficult for us to put down or smartphone for any lengthy period of time anymore. Think about this in terms of an infant, where between the ages of 0 and 2 years old, their brain will triple in size. And if their brain space is taken up by an allegiance to this electronic device, not only do they become addicted to it, but it also doesn’t teach them how to control their impulses or to even challenge themselves, both of which are traits of an addictive personality.

 

Your Relationship With Your Child Can Be Fractured

If the tablet becomes their priority, this gets in the way of any young child developing proper personal bonds, which means they will struggle to utilize their emotions, and they will struggle to form bonds with other people down the years. In addition to this, any time you take away their tablet or smartphone, it will result in temper tantrums, which aren’t pleasant to deal with. We tend to think that we are keeping them quiet for 5 minutes by giving them a tablet. However this kind of behavior will self-perpetuate itself, and you may find that you have got into a desperate cycle of pacifying your child with a tablet for an excessive amount of time.

 

The Health And Safety Concerns

It has been widely spoken off that if you go to bed with your smartphone, it will suppress your melatonin, known as the sleep hormone, and therefore it becomes a struggle to have and maintain good quality sleep. Couple this with the all too real concern of mobile phones and tablets catching fire, this is something for every parent to be concerned about. If, heaven forbid, your child fell asleep with their tablet under their pillow, and it caught fire that would be a terrible thing to endure as a parent. There may be some sense of redemption in hiring accident lawyers to fight for a product liability claim, but this would be low on your list of priorities if your child were severely hurt by their tablet. We all think nothing of plugging in our phones to charge at night, but this is the time when you are most at risk.

 

It’s Incredibly Distracting

Children growing up with a smartphone are being distracted in many ways. It is argued that these devices can have an impact on the hands on approach to completing tasks. So, for children in school who are solely relying on their tablet or smartphone, their sensorimotor or visual motor skills may be very underdeveloped. By being distracted by their phones, there’s a high chance that they are not being as creative or imaginative as the average child used to be. In fact, with the wealth of information at your fingertips now, it means that there is less engaging with the brain, and the ability to recall information is not used as much as it used to. A good example is that instead of trying to remember a fact for the purposes of debate, they can simply look up the information. This can be argued as a good thing in one respect, but on the other side of the equation, this means that everyone, not just children, are not using their brain the way it was meant to be used.

 

It’s Stopping Interaction

This is all too obvious to everyone, but if we as adults are not interacting with people more, how is this affecting our children? And if you think back to the playground in school, you actually played; you didn’t sit in the corner on your phone. This lack of interaction and engagement with other people is showing in the increase in obesity in our children, but it’s also a critical signpost of how future generations may be ill-equipped to deal with basic human emotional processes.

 

You may have already given your children that smartphone or tablet, but with these, and many other dangerous symptoms of being glued to a screen, it’s time to take them back. It is, indeed, a bitter pill to swallow.

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Family Road Trip: 4 Tips For A Smooth Ride

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Family going on vacation

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Going on a break with the family is a must for most people. Taking time to seek out new terrains and get to know new horizons with the kids in tow is a big part of adding experience to life. Piling the family into the car and heading out is a great way to follow a trail to new adventures, but being stuck in a car with family at close quarters can cause squabbling to an extreme and make an adventure feel useless.

 

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Planning is the key to the perfect family road trip and it’s got to start with how you travel. Some families love to hire a huge recreational vehicle like this one to get their family around. The space and comfort – not to mention, the toilet – can make such a difference to the journey. Not being confined to five seats and bags is a glorious feeling and an RV can change that. Alternatively, plan your mode of transport based on what you plan to do. If you’re heading into the mountains and valleys for hiking, paragliding and skiing fun, then getting into an off-road vehicle like a Ford Ranger is going to change the game and give you every comfort you need as you go off those regular roads and into new terrains. Road trips don’t have to be a stressful affair, and we’ve got four tips to make it work for your whole family.

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  1. Activities. Depending on the age of the kids, the fun they have in the car is going to differ. Teenagers may well be happy to sit back with their headphones in, watching the world go by as they listen to the latest tracks. Little children are a whole other kettle of fish. They need interaction and entertainment, from car games like these to portable DVD players to keep them entertained. Babies are always easier, as they tend to sleep on long car journeys and can make life easy!
  2. Time. As a family, you know that timing is going to matter the most. Trying to plan to get to school on time is hard enough, never mind a full road trip. Mark on a map all the toilets and rest stops, and mark down how long you want each stop to last. Once you’ve done that, stick to it! Allow extra time for traffic, but not for choosing candy on the road!
  3. Make It Interesting. Kids are easily bored on the road, and adults are, too! Making those rest stops interesting ones and not just the local gas station can make such a difference. Plan your journey to include interesting towns and tourist spots!
  4. Plan Surprises. Keep a bag with you in the front of the car full of little treats and goodies so that during car games, you have prizes. These little gifts can change the atmosphere in the car during boring periods and make it fun.

Your road trip doesn’t have to be a disaster; careful planning and treats see to that!

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A Life Filled With Love: The Options Of Working With Children

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Children are a gift. They’re the future generation, and as adults, we have the opportunity to guide them in the right direction. It’s an amazing feeling and one that manifests in most of our lives when we have children.

But, there’s no reason that those of us who don’t have kids around the place can’t enjoy the experience too. It may be that you don’t have a desire to have children, or that it’s not happened just yet. Whatever the reason, it’s possible to make a difference to future generations without a child of your own. There are plenty of career options out there which involve working with youngsters. As well as being some of the most satisfying jobs available, these are an amazing way to make a difference. To prove the point, we’re going to take a look at some of the top contenders.

Social work

If you want to dedicate your life to the cause, it’s worth looking into social work. If you go down this route, you’ll be working closely with troubled children. You’ll work with kids in their family homes, and those who have been removed from their parent’s care. It can be a harrowing job at times, but satisfaction doesn’t get much better than this. This is a fantastic option if you want to work in close collaboration with many kids. Often, you’ll become the only stable in these children’s lives. As such, it’s crucial you know that this is a job you can stick at.

It’s also important to note that you can’t jump straight into social work. You will need to either do on the job training, or look into something like these msw online programs. This amount of responsibility does require high levels of qualification. But, that might not be a bad thing. During your training, you’ll get a good idea of whether the job suits.

Foster care

If you want to care for kids, but don’t want to give up your job to do so, consider foster care. As a carer, you’ll offer your home to children in care while their social workers seek to find them a family. While all care centers have different foster requirements, the majority are keen for volunteers. To ensure you’re a good fit, you will probably need to attend a day course and undergo extensive checks.

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And, it’s important to consider whether you’re mentally prepared for a role like this. These children, some of them troubled, are going to come into your home, heart, and life. You need to ensure that you have what it takes to care for them. While not a full-time job, foster placements can really take it out of you if you aren’t prepared.

That said, this can be an amazing experience. Better than helping children is the opportunity to let them into your home. Yours may well be the first loving home these kids ever experience. Few others jobs offer the chance to make such a huge difference.

Childminding

If you have time to dedicate to the cause, childminding may be worth some consideration. Within this job role, you’ll be taking care of children, either throughout the day or for a few hours at a time. Most parents who use such services do so because of their work commitments, so the times of care will vary.

To become a childminder you’ll need to complete a short course, and get yourself registered. If you want people to put their trust in you, you need to ensure you have a seal of approval! It’s also worth completing a first aid course so that you have the know how if you need it.

Much like with foster care, children will likely come to your home for the duration of your time together. But, you’ll get the relief of knowing that their parents will pick them up at the end of the day. Bear in mind that, while the other jobs mentioned allow you to work with kids of all ages, childminding puts you with children younger than school age. If you think you’d be comfortable with younger kids, give it a go. If not, this may not be the job for you.

Schools

Teaching requires extensive studying, which you may not want to undertake. But, that’s not the only school job available. You could opt for a teaching assistant position. This would involve working in the classroom, but with much less pressure. You’ll be there to help the kids, rather than teach them. And, their teacher will always be there to take over if need be. This can be a nice way to build relationships with the students. The teacher isn’t always the most popular person, but teaching assistants go down much better.

Or, if you’re looking for something with less commitment, you could work in the school kitchen. You don’t need to be a top chef to do this, as the meals are all pre-prepared elsewhere. For the most part, you’ll be a friendly face while the kids get their dinner. Bear in mind, though, that your interaction with the children would be minimal. If you want to build close relationships, this may not be the best option.

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Creche/Preschool

If you want the chance to work with younger kids, it’s worth considering a creche or preschool instead. The work and age group involved won’t be dissimilar to those in childminding, but there’s less pressure here. For one, the care won’t fall on you. In most cases, there will be at least two supervisors a class. Plus, you won’t have to take work home with you.

The best part about this work is that you normally do your training on the job. So, if this sounds like the ideal option for you, you can easily get stuck straight in. Another benefit to this option is that the hours are a stable nine to five, fitting in with those busy parents. So, you can be sure you’ll be earning a set amount each month.

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Your Family & Their Health: Making Those Vital Changes

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Everyone has the desire to ensure that they and their family ar as healthy as possible for as long as possible. But knowing how to make this a reality is often something of a challenge. If you have come to realise you could probably be doing more towards this end, then you might want to know what it is that you can do. In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the major changes you can make which are going to dramatically change how you approach the issue of health and happiness in your family forever. You might not have considered some of these changes, and they are not all for everyone – but each one of them is a powerful way to make your family much healthier effectively and swiftly.

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Prioritize It

 

Put simply, one of the best ways to ensure that your family remain as healthy as possible is to make it a priority within the family unit. Only then can you really be sure that your family are going to feel as looked after as possible, so it is essential that you get this right. Knowing how to make health a priority in the family is tricky in itself – but most of all it is just a matter of rearranging how you do things in order to place health at the top. If you find that you probably don’t eat as well as you could, then you could set up a plan to improve that fast. Or if nobody in your family really exercises very much, you might want to set that up as a priority by penciling in some workout sessions in your diary. However you do it, it is only by changing your approach to health that you can hope to make it work better for you.

 

Get Some Education

 

You don’t need to work in healthcare to benefit from some medicinal education; those who are concerned about their families might also find that there is much to be gained from taking a masters in nursing education or something similar. When you have at least a basic understanding of medicine and healthcare, you are much more likely to be able to properly look after your family in terms of their health, so this could be an extremely powerful thing to do here. Or it could just be a case of being trained in First Aid; that alone will make you and your family feel much more relaxed around the whole issue of health emergencies, which in turn leads to better practices. Consider getting a little education soon if you are serious about your family keeping strong and healthy.

 

Talk It Through

 

The best way to enact any real changes in a family unit is to talk about it as thoroughly as you possibly can. Getting it out in the open is always a powerful way to do this, and it just might be the best things that you do for your family this year. Start to talk about health and how to improve it, and everyone will get on board and change their ways for the better in no time.

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Aiding an Unproductive Employee

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We’ve all been there before. We’ve had a couple of employees or perhaps just a single one that is being problematic. It’s not that they aren’t willing to work, it’s not that they’re breaking the rules either, it’s simply just their productivity. Maybe they’re not working as quickly as they should, perhaps you’re unsure what kind of work to give them or maybe you’re stumped because you’re unsure how often you should be giving them a new task.

 

It’s usually not their fault or yours. Maybe there’s just a little break in your office right now and perhaps there’s no need for so many employees. You’ve considered telling them to take a holiday, but they don’t want to use their dates yet and you’re paying them a salary anyway, so why not make use of them? Unfortunately, this type of problem is fairly common in the world of business because there will always be ups and downs in your sales and there will always be quiet periods where almost no one does any work.

 

In order to straighten out this situation and help the unproductive members of your workforce, here are a couple of useful tips and tricks to keep in mind. The last thing you want to do is fire your employees, so use these as an alternative.

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Creating a work schedule

 

One of the most problematic things with unproductive employees is the feeling that they could be doing more. You’re unsure if they’re simply doing their work too quickly or if the work you’re assigning is just far too easy for them. Perhaps it’s the opposite and they’re taking way too long to finish a task that others can do in a matter of minutes. It’s hard to judge this without evidence or statistics, so here’s how to solve the issue.

 

Get an average of how long it takes to finish a task. It could be sorting mail, writing up an article or even responding to a certain amount of customer queries. Once you have this average, use it to judge whether an employee is being too slow or too fast. Then, take a look into their work and ensure they’re not being lazy or rushing it. Ideally, everyone should finish their tasks at the same time, but it’s understandable when a handful of people don’t meet the average and either go above or below it.

 

Another useful thing to have is a work schedule app. This can help your employees stay on track for when they’re doing their tasks, and it will give them a general sense of direction on what to do next without having to ask their colleagues or speak with you.

 

Allow them creative freedom

 

Something that tends to annoy employees is their ability to be autonomous in your business. Limiting employee creativity is a sin and it should never happen unless the job they have is strictly something logical that doesn’t require creativity. There aren’t many roles in the office that promote this, which is why there is almost never an excuse to not be creative.

 

If you know your business inside out, then there are undoubtedly some ways in the back of your mind that an employee can be more productive. Let’s say you have an employee that isn’t really working much because they always finish their work on time. Instead of limiting their talents, why not give them a new role in the office that involves design, such as website design or content creation? By stimulating their creative urges, you effectively give an employee a little more control over how they help your business.

 

Money usually isn’t the reason for people becoming unproductive and lazy at work. You can’t exactly throw money at someone and expect them to work harder or be more productive. Instead, what your staff really want is job security and a sense of belonging. They want to feel like they’re actually contributing to your business, not just following orders and acting as a small cog in a large machine. Offer them some autonomy and give them some creative freedom so that they may affect your business in their own way and feel a sense of accomplishment when your business succeeds in something.

 

Summary

 

In short, make sure that you’re making the most use out of every employee you have. Whether it’s by offering them more creative freedom in their tasks or monitoring what they do and optimising their working hours, it’s important to nurture every member and staff and turn them into staff that are proud to work for you.

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Want to Build and Keep Trust in Your Dealings? Don’t Forget These “Minor” Things!

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We’re pretty much aware that, when dealing with people, be it a business deal or casual plans with friends and family, that following through is important. If I sell you a product, I need to give you that product and you need to give me what you said you’d pay for it. If I say I’ll bring the cake to the party, I should bring the cake to the party.

But, something too many of us forget is, communication, particularly when there’s a potential that things may change or go wrong, being ethical, and yes, following through (and be sure you can follow through)!  These may seem minor, especially the communication part, but they can be just as important for building and keeping trust, as delivering the product itself. Below is an example of a business transaction that I was involved in where all of these things came into play.

Communicate when Things Change Unexpectedly and Be Ethical!

Recently, I was selling an air mattress online. A potential buyer, who we’ll call, ‘Jim‘, called me and said he wanted to buy it, but at $5 less than I was listing it for, which I agreed to. We agreed to meet at a certain time and I thought that this was fine.

I was then texted by a 2nd potential buyer we’ll call, ‘Karen‘. I told Karen that there was a potential buyer in front of her but that I’d let her know if the deal fell through, or if it did go through. In other words, I would let her know either way so she would know where she stood. I also gave her a date by which I would know for sure, just a few days away.

Well, I called Jim to confirm just before our meeting time and he said he was out of town on short notice from his work and couldn’t meet until the next Saturday, which was a day past the date I’d given Karen earlier.

So, I asked him if Saturday was definite and he told me he never works Saturdays and would definitely be available. I did let him know that I had a deadline to give an answer to another buyer so that Jim would know I was holding the item for him. He told me he would be buying the mattress for sure on Saturday.

Having sold things in the past, I knew well that something isn’t sold until the buyer actually and physically picks up the item and gives me the money!  As far as I was concerned, I wasn’t believing that Jim would be buying the mattress until I would actually meet with Jim and he would pick up the mattress and pay me the money he agreed to pay.

I then contacted Karen again to let her know that Saturday was the new deadline and that it was certain I’d have an answer for her, and I did apologize and explained the situation concerning the first potential buyer. Karen then offered me $5 more if I went ahead and bypassed Jim and sold it to her, but I told her that I couldn’t do that to Jim as I’d given him my word to wait until Saturday. To Karen’s credit, she said that was fine and she didn’t get mad or surly in any way as many other people would have.

On top of this, a third potential buyer we’ll call ‘Bill‘, texted me and I told him he had two potential buyers in front of him but that I’d let him know by a certain date or earlier for sure on where he stood and would keep him updated.

So, Saturday arrives and I decide to call and confirm again. (Not everyone has the message of this post or will learn from their own experiences, so, unless you know that the person you’re working with is truly reliable and will communicate when needed, confirmation of such things is advisable.)

And lo and behold, when I called him, he tells me he was called to work that Saturday! Now, to Jim’s credit, he did say to go ahead and sell it to someone else, and he did apologize to me.

What I wonder is, would he have told me at all, or would I have ended up at our meeting place, waiting and waiting for someone who never would have shown up?

When sudden changes come up that affect the other party, communicate, communicate, communicate!

Anyway, I contacted Karen and we agreed to a meeting place and she did show up and bought the air mattress, I let Bill know that it had been sold, and all was well.

Photos of my Motorola Moto-e 2nd generation 2015 phone. 4/30/2016

So, in your dealings, do keep everyone who’s supposedly in the loop, in the loop. Update everyone in the loop so you don’t hear later, “I never got the memo!”, or something to that effect. If you have a smart phone and you know that everyone else in the loop has one also, it’s even easier to keep everyone updated at any time!  (Just don’t text while driving. Pull over and park first!)

 

 

 

 

And, if you tell someone you’ll call them, call them! And if you do forget to call them (which we all do from time to time), and they bring it up to you that you didn’t call them when you said you would, please, don’t say to them, “So why didn’t you call me?”, when it was you who said you’d call them! It was your responsibility to call them!

And don’t reserve a time with someone and tell them it’s certain when you know it really isn’t, and if you do reserve a “guaranteed” block of time, for someone, try to keep that commitment! And if you can’t guarantee a time, then let the other party know that it’s not guaranteed, and agree to a limit as to how long or how many changes they’ll be before letting the other party know that it’s ok for them to move on.

And finally, speaking of ‘reservations’, it should be first come first serve, unless, in a business dealing, you’ve put the ‘deal’ up for bids and have let everyone concerned know. Otherwise, if you have a potential buyer and you’ve agreed to sell it to that buyer at a certain price, don’t dump them if the next potential buyer, who’s arrived after the first buyer, offers you a better price. And the same goes for if you are the buyer and have agreed with the seller to buy something at an agreed price. If another seller jumps in, after said agreement was made, and offers a better deal, go with the first, since you’ve already agreed to buy from the first seller. It’s just plain unethical to do otherwise.

So keep talking! And be ethical! It’s worth it in the long run!

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