Friday, May 21, 2021

Activities for Kids at Home during Lockdown

2020 was challenging for us. It seemed that the world stopped for a moment because we were unprepared. When the lockdown was first announced, I thought it would just be for a few days or weeks. But, more than a year has passed, and we still can't see the light out of this dark tunnel. 

When I think about the situation, I  only worry about my kids. However, they're really amazing. They easily adapt to things and I'm grateful that they don't complain about staying at home and doing routine activities.

The things we could make our kids do to keep their stay-at-home progressive is a constant topic between us at night. So far, I think we're successful. That's why I thought of writing about our activities here to give you ideas on what other activities you could make your child do at home.

Make a Schedule


We help our kids set their daily schedule and post in on their walls just to set what we expect them to do every morning. We told them that we don't want to hear them complain that they can't do anything because there are a lot of things we can do at home. That list is their guide when me and my husband are busy with our own thing.

Increase Typing Speed

When my kids' school announced that they'll be doing the online classes for the entire year, I was worried that they might not be able to catch up well because we don't allow our kids to use gadgets and computers that much. We started by letting them add a 1-hour typing practice to their daily routine. We use Typing.com. I like that it's free, interactive, has games and quizzes that my kids enjoy. My kids type fast now. Even my 6-year-old girl can type fast with two hands. She's now very ready for Grade 1. 


Music For Kids


Since my husband loves music, we took this opportunity so our kids can learn an instrument that they'll enjoy doing. For my 11 yo, we discovered that he likes playing bass. He only guided him for the first few lessons. Now, he's practicing on his own. Our only problem was our little girl. Since I don't know how to play any instrument, we downloaded Simply Piano. In just two months, she's able to classical music already. We imposed an hour a day practice to keep them busy. Of course, I still prefer a one-on-one teacher. But, at this time of pandemic, this is the best and safer option for us.




Art for Kids


My daughter loves to draw, paint, and color. I had no problem including this in her routine because she always grabs a pencil to draw whenever she's not doing anything. I studied how to paint properly so I could help her enhance her skill and love for art. Art is not limited to drawing and painting only. We explore other areas like origami, digital drawing, cloth folding, cutting, and making something out of the things we're going to throw away. As for my son, he's not interested in drawing or painting. I've tried to convince him, but he likes playing with his legos more. He's more inclined to learn how to edit photos using GIMP. What I do for now is give him small editing tasks which he has to finish in a certain time. We figured that he needs this skill so he could do his asynchronous activities in school all by himself next school year.





House Chores


Giving kids responsibilities at home makes them more responsible human beings. It's also an important skill we could teach our kids. My 11-year-old does the dishes and sweeps the floor every morning. While my little girl sets the table before eating, wipes our walls and door knobs, and fixes our bed in the morning. You'll be happy to see them so proud to show you what they've accomplished. Of course, there are days when they don't feel like doing it. We just explain to them that they should do their responsibilities and compare what they're doing to a real job. They get rewards if they do their jobs properly too.

Games

I know this is something that some parents may not agree. We allow our kids to have gadget time 2 hours a day (1 hour in the afternoon and at night time). Since they can't play with their friends right now, we want them to socialize a little. It's a great way to interact with their friends and cousins while playing in a virtual world. We also impose a family game night when we don't feel like watching tv at night. Games like Spot It, Uno Stacko, Sleeping Queens, Monopoly Deal and Exploding Kittens are the ones that we enjoy doing as a family. It's fun and interactive.






Daily Exercise


We're lucky to have a condo with a roofdeck. We go up so early in the morning to get our daily dose of Vitamin D and to sweat a little. We recognize the importance of letting the kids run in a bigger space and be active. We take this moment as a gadget break too. 





No matter how difficult this time is, it's how we look at things and make the most out of the things and time we have right now. We used to see our kids only after work or after school, but now we are with them 24/7. We get to know each other more and we're able to guide them thoroughly. We treat this as a blessing in our family. Of course, we want everything to be back to normal. However, the family time that we have right now is irreplaceable too.



Monday, May 17, 2021

Skills to Develop When You're a New Influencer

We're so blessed to live in this time where you can learn everything by just searching online, whatever you're interested in. When I started this blog, I just write everything that piqued my interest. I wasn't aware of what I should've done to properly start a career out of this. 

I've enjoyed my 10 years of blogging so much. At the start, I didn't expect to earn from this. However, my love for beauty and makeup products led me to a career that I'm still enjoying now (the work hiatus is temporary until the virus situation gets better). I also worked as a Social Manager because of the experience and knowledge from being an influencer.

If I'm going to get back to the year when I was still starting. There are things that I want to have known and materials that I should've discovered to get me started on the right path. So, I'm going to tell you the things that I've learned throughout my journey. 

Writing Ability

Improve your writing ability right now. I have to admit that this is not my greatest strength, but that's not a reason to be discouraged. Just keep on writing, and you'll soon develop your own style. I took short courses on Copywriting and Article Writing. So many effective marketing tag lines just require basic English skills. It takes experience and perseverance to get to the writing level that you want to have. 

Building Your Content

When you're starting, it's best to focus more on your interest and what you do best. You'll drive more audience if they see that you truly know what you're writing about. As for me, I've been interested in doing arts and crafts or anything where I could show my creativity. This gave me the interesting stuff to post every day. I'm still new, so I get inspiration from those who have been doing it for a long time. Seeing the works of DIY Experts like Julie helps me learn new techniques and build my own style from there. In addition, you'll get more content ideas from the things that you enjoy doing. Once you have many things on your notes, learn how to assemble and categorize them to keep things organized for you and your audience.

Creativity


It's one of the things that makes you different from the rest. Learn different styles that could make you more interesting. Stay relevant and be aware of everything new in this world. People will follow you because of what you have to offer. Every post must have a wow factor that could make your audience engage more with you.

Marketing


If you want to make an income from being an influencer. Marketing is one of the most vital skills that you have to develop. Learn effective marketing strategies from a resource person who has done a killer marketing campaign already. You shouldn't copy them exactly, but you have to familiarize yourself with how others made theirs a successful one. It's a trial and error of strategies. If your first plan didn't work, you should try a different one until you achieve your winning step.


Flexibility

Sticking to your niche is great. However, there might be a time that you'll feel a plateau in your growth as an influencer. You have to be open to the idea that people within your niche can be limited. Don't stop learning so you could open other opportunities yourself. Stay true and pursue until you can discover something that will make you shine more.

Excellent Communication


This does not only pertain to your writing ability. You have to constantly communicate with the people who follow you. Engagement is important to maintain in this field. That includes replying to their comments and messages. It's a challenge when you have a lot of things in your hands already. But, on the other hand, you'll get loyal followers when you build rapport with them. \


There are still a lot more things to tackle. But, as a beginner, don't be overwhelmed with all the things you have to put in your mind. I've stated the important basics on what you should focus on first to ensure success. Remember that in life, everything is achievable with faith and a proper mindset.