All too often I spend my evening hours tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. When I do finally fall asleep, it doesn’t feel like deep sleep at all. Busy moms can’t afford to function on little to no sleep, but that doesn’t mean we don’t do it. You may be surprised to find out that you are the reason you’re not getting enough sleep! Here are some tips to help you get a better night’s sleep.

How to sleep better as a busy parent.

Avoid bright lights during the night

• Darkness makes our brain secrete melatonin, which makes us feel sleepy. However, when light is present, it does just the opposite! It causes the body to wake up, not fall asleep. Lower your light an hour or two before bedtime, and if you need to get up during the night, look for a dim night-light.

No screen time before bed

• Using your computer or phone during the day is no problem, but getting immersed in social media channels or e-mail before bedtime can actually keep you from falling asleep. These are considered stimulating activities and may keep your mind from winding down right before bedtime. Avoid stimulating activity before bed such as TV, thrilling novels, or big issue discussion.

Skip the afternoon coffee

• Your heart may have skipped a beat after reading this one, but trust me. Caffeine during midday can ruin your chance of a good night’s sleep later. Teas, coffee ice cream, and even decaf coffee can even keep you awake. If you find yourself having trouble falling asleep, keep your caffeine intake to a minimum after noon if possible.

Don’t watch the clock

• I bet you didn’t expect to see this one. It’s true that the act of checking the time can ruin your sleep. Clock-watching will transition you from sleepy to a slightly awakened state. Your mind wakes up, and you prolong sleep. Should you wake up in the middle of the night, fight the urge to look at the clock. People who don’t check the time, fall asleep much faster.

Don’t skip exercise

• Daily workouts are likely a memory of the past, but skipping that workout is a mistake! It’s important to exercise during the day to not only keep you fit, but help you sleep! Working out in the afternoon will leave you sleepy at bedtime, and keep you happier and healthier throughout the day.

Everyone has sleepless nights, it’s part of being a parent. If your sleep problems are happening more than once in awhile, give a couple of these tips a try.

Here are some more articles you might love!

• 12 Things you Should Clean Right Now
• How to Stay Organized as a Stay at Home Mom
• How to be a Positive Parent when you are Exhausted 

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What to Do When Your Kid Hates Math

Does your child whine or complain when it’s time to do math homework? Is he getting lower grades in math than in other subjects at school? Math has a bad reputation among children, but there are a number of things you can do to help your child enjoy it a little more. Here are some tips on what to do when your kid hates math.

Help a Struggling Child

If your child is frustrated with math because she has a hard time understanding what she’s being taught, it may be ideal to consider ways to help her understand. You may need to spend more time helping her during homework hours. Helping her understand what she’s learning can make her dread the subject a little less. You may even want to see if her teacher can provide extra homework sheets to help her learn. Another option is to hire a tutor.

Make Math More Interesting

Many children hate math because they find it to be a boring subject. Think of new ways you can make math more interesting. Use fun examples to illustrate the lessons your child is learning. Using an actual pie or a pizza pie can help your child have more fun while doing fractions, for example. Computer games can also make the subject more fun.

Use Math in Real Life Settings

When you use math in real life settings, it can make it more fun for your child. It can also stress the importance of math. Think of ways to encourage your child to use math in the real world. If your child is learning about money in math class, why not take him to the store and have him count money to pay for the item? You can help your child learn more about measurements by cooking or baking together.

Set Realistic Expectations

Some children may feel like they are under a lot of pressure to do well in math. Unfortunately, no matter how hard your child tries, it may be a subject in which she will never earn straight A’s. If she does her homework and makes an effort to study but still does poorly on tests, it’s important to be understand that math simply isn’t her strongest subject. Be sure to praise and reward her for any positive improvements she makes to her grades.

While there’s no way to force your child to love math, there are steps you can take to help him not dread it quite as much. It may not ever be your child’s favorite subject in school, but making the subject more interesting and helping a struggling child understand math better may make the subject less dreaded.

Never miss a post of a Rockstar Mommy Tip!

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Here are five reasons to let go of “mom guilt” once and for all:

1. You’re not a Mombot – While it might feel some days like you’re operating at the speed of a robot, you’re not. You’re a human and while that fact may seem surprising sometimes, you are limited by your humanity. You can only do so much. Moms have a thing about holding themselves to too high a standard, one that not any human would be able to reach.

2. None of us are perfect – This ties in with number one. Not only are you not a robot, but you’re not perfect either and that’s okay because no one is perfect. Any parent who tries to act like they are is lying to themselves and you. Any parent who looks like they are from afar is only because you don’t know their inner struggle. We all mess up. We all get tired.

3. Being a mom is hard work – Allow yourself to recognize and accept that being a mom is a hard job. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a more difficult job in this world. Accept that for what it is and cut yourself a little slack on things.

4. Guilt isn’t productive – Guilt doesn’t help you in any way. It doesn’t make your more productive. It doesn’t make you a better mom. It doesn’t make you feel better. There’s nothing productive about it at all, meaning it’s a waste of time and energy. Instead, put those feelings into ideas on how you can improve things you are unhappy with.

5. Guilt holds you back – Hanging on to guilt for all the things you’re not doing as a mom will only hold you back from the things you can be doing.

Now that you have these five reasons to let go of your guilt and blame, it’s time to start putting it into action. If you’re especially prone to “mom guilt”, this might be difficult for you at first. It’s basically the same as breaking a bad habit. You need to retrain your brain and change your way of thinking. You can do it!

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Coffee is how they get their energy for the day and it is kind of crucial that they have it, considering they’ve got kids to look after. I mean you can’t really sleep on that job! Unless of course, your kids are taking a nap.

No matter why you drink coffee, though, you should try these top 10 coffee essentials, I promise you won’t be disappointed. I’ve got everything covered from french pressed to cold brew and even just the regular cup of jo. You may have seen or maybe even already own and use some of them or maybe you haven’t. Either way, these coffee essentials are here to help make things more efficient and easier for you. There are some that may change the way you drink coffee forever. Whatever it may be, these are some of the best out there, I mean they are called coffee essentials for a reason.

Top 10 Coffee Essentials for Mothers

Pour Over Coffee Filter

With this pour-over coffee filter, that is stainless steel. Your coffee will come out tasting great. This is good for making cold brew coffee and it is easy to clean up.

Kona French Press

The Kona french press is the best french press out there today. It has a unique, durable and sturdy. The clever design makes pouring your coffee effortless.

Manual Coffee Grinder

Everyone seems to love their automatic coffee grinders, but I assure you your coffee will taste much better when ground with this manual coffee grinder. It can grind any amount you want by just a quick adjustment of the nob.

Giant Coffee Mug

No need to go back for a second cup when you can just have the whole pot of coffee in this giant coffee mug!

Mug Warmer

There is nothing worse than when your cup of coffee gets cold. Unless it’s an iced coffee or cold brew of course. Keep your cup warm with this awesome mug warmer.

Zimbabwe Coffee Beans

These Zimbabwe coffee beans are the highest quality fresh roasted coffee beans you can find. You’ll never want another type of coffee again once you get a taste of this.

Ceramic One Cup Pour Over

If you are looking for just one cup of pour over coffee, nothing is better than this ceramic pour over. If you’ve never tried pour over coffee you should, it is the best for optimum flavor.

Takeya Cold Brew Coffee Maker

If you are a fan of cold brew coffee this is by far the best item for you. This cold brew coffee maker will make the process of making cold brew coffee a lot easier and makes four servings!

Reusable Cold Brew Filter Pouches

Again if you are looking for something that only makes one cup then these filter pouches are just for you. They work just like a tea bag and they are reusable.

I Love Coffee! Recipe Book

If you have enough time on your hands and you truly are a lover of coffee or if you just like trying new things, this coffee recipe book is packed full of easy and delicious coffee drinks.

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Emergency Tips on How to Save a Crappy Vacation

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff – Sometimes you just have to let things go. If there is a mixup, a delay or change in plans, or some other emergency, just follow the available options to fix it and then let it go. You can’t allow it to continue to ruin the rest of your vacation.
2. Keep calm, no matter what – This can sometimes feel like a tall order. Your kids are acting out, your partner’s getting frustrated, and you just want to call the whole vacation off. Stop, take a deep breath, and speak to everyone calmly.
3. Pay it forward – Doing something good for someone else can make you feel better when something has gone wrong in your trip. Take some time to do a good act for someone else and see if it helps you restore the mood.

Here are some things that can happen to ruin your vacation and what you can do to salvage it:

• Stolen wallet – If you’re on vacation and your wallet goes missing, the first step is to call your bank to freeze any transactions on your bank cards and credit cards. Then you also need to inform the police right away. If your ID was stolen along with the wallet, you may need this police documentation to help you get home.
• Missed flight – Missing a flight or a connection is not the end of the world. Usually the airline will give you the next flight with space, free of charge. So take this time to grab a bite to eat, a snack, or read a book.
• Wrecked the car/rental – A car wreck is bad enough but when it’s not even your vehicle or you’re in a strange place, it can be even more stressful. If you had rental car insurance, don’t sweat it. If your own insurance covers it, don’t sweat it. Just try to enjoy the rest of your vacation and put this mishap behind you.

You can always turn around even a crappy vacation. It’s about making the best of what you have. You don’t have to let a few (or a lot of) things going wrong ruin

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Is Your Child Ready for a Pet?

If these familiar words are ringing out in your household, you might be wondering whether or not your child is ready for a pet. When selecting a pet for your family, it’s important to take your child’s development stage into account. It’s not as simple as putting an age on it and saying, “At this age, your child could have a pet” because every child develops differently.

One 10-year-old might be ready for feeding and walking a dog, where another 12-year-old is just not ready for that kind of responsibility yet. So you also need to take into account how much care and what type of care the pet will need, and if you are going to have the time and energy needed to help out, if your child is unable to do it himself.

You also want to think of things like allergies, or if there is a family history of allergic reaction to animals. It might be a good idea to talk to your child’s doctor first before making a decision about getting a new pet. With all of this in mind, here are some signs your child might be ready for a pet.

• Your child has respect for animals. When you’ve visited with friends or been around other pets and animals, does your child show respect and proper behavior? If she does, then it’s a good sign she might be ready for a pet of her own.
• Your child is comfortable around animals. This one goes along with the previous point. Is your child skittish or does she feel comfortable around pets and animals? A child with fear is more likely to make a mistake with a pet.
• Your child is truly committed to getting a pet. Make sure this is not just a passing phase and that this is something your child is ready and willing to commit to.
• Your child is capable of handling household chores. Does he handle his current responsibilities without any issues? If so, then he might be ready for the responsibility of a pet. If you still have to remind him to brush his teeth every day, then you might not want to take the plunge to getting a pet just yet.

As we said before, every child is different and there’s no magic answer that guarantees you your child is ready for a pet. You know your own child better than anyone so at the end of the day, if you just don’t feel it’s the right time, then listen to your gut.

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