DEAR HARRIETTE: I've a really inquisitive and talkative 8-year-old son. I'm at all times impressed by the questions he comes up with and his eagerness to study.
I attempt to feed his need to study new issues by giving him books to learn and discovering new locations for us to go to.
He has older teenage siblings who typically discover these actions boring.
How can I bridge the hole between my 8-year-old and his older siblings, who will not be taken with the identical issues?
Sibling Collective
DEAR SIBLING COLLECTIVE: Consider incentives that your youngsters may recognize, and provide them in the event that they promise to spend a sure period of time along with your youthful son.
Youngsters are sometimes obsessive about the small print of their evolving lives and don’t even discover their youthful siblings. Presenting a fascinating consequence to them in trade for optimistic high quality time along with your youthful little one may go.
In case your older youngsters will not be naturally inclined to take part within the actions that fascinate the infant of your loved ones, your incentives will solely work for thus lengthy. Look extra carefully at every of your older youngsters. Discover if there may be one factor that every is likely to be keen to supply to the 8-year-old. Encourage that and see what occurs.
Much more, you might must create play dates and different engagements along with your youthful boy’s friends.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm overwhelmed at work. It appears as if there will not be sufficient hours within the day to perform the whole lot that must be carried out.
I strive my finest, however I’m starting to understand it's actually unattainable to satisfy each deadline, full each activity and keep a wholesome work-life steadiness.
I take delight in my efficiency at work, so falling quick actually bums me out. What are some issues I can do to really feel much less overwhelmed and nonetheless be environment friendly within the office?
Office Blues
DEAR WORKPLACE BLUES: Step again and do your finest to arrange your obligations in clearly outlined methods which might be trackable. Make a plan every day with the intention to execute that plan and nonetheless have house for the flexibleness that's inevitably required because the day progresses.
Begin your day doing one thing for your self — easy workouts, meditation, ingesting water, consuming one thing wholesome. Set an hourly alarm so that you simply bear in mind to face up and stretch, take a stroll or simply breathe. Now that so many individuals work from home in entrance of a pc all day, that pure time when folks would stroll round and chat with co-workers has largely dissipated. Carve out a while for your self within the day, even whether it is only some minutes. Clearing your head will make you extra environment friendly.
Anticipate challenges to the very best of your skill and converse up when one thing is out of your attain. Talk along with your supervisor prematurely of missed deadlines every time attainable. Work to construct a partnership along with your supervisor in order that assembly expectations turns into extra of a shared dedication. Ask for assist while you want it. Ask for particular assist when it's clear that you simply won't be able to make time for a sure activity.
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founding father of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to assist folks entry and activate their goals. You may ship inquiries to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas Metropolis, MO 64106.