EMBRACE YOUR INNER BOOKWORM 4 Secrets to Finding Time to Read as a Busy Parent
Make it a family affair. Sometimes parents feel guilty when they take time for themselves that could be spent with their
When you think of reading, you might conjure up an image of yourself curled up next to a cozy fireplace, sipping on coffee, and reading the day away. However, with the hustle and bustle of daily life and raising kids, it’s tough to find the time to truly dive into a good book. We know it’s important to read to our children, but we forget how valuable it is for them to see us reading, too.
children. If this sounds like you, make time to read together — the kids read their books, and you read yours! Some days, this may last 10 minutes, but other times, they may stay captivated longer. Either way, you are creating healthy habits for your kids while getting in a chapter for yourself, too! Swap out the movies for books. Once the kids are tucked in after a long day, it sounds so nice to park yourself in front of the television with a cozy blanket and mindlessly watch a good movie or an episode of your favorite show. However, instead of watching TV for an hour, dedicate some or all of that time to reading. This way, you’re still making progress in your book.
So, how can you fit it into your schedule?
Don’t leave the house without a book. Whether you are waiting in the pickup line at school, at the dentist’s office, for your order at the coffee shop, or at your kid’s soccer practice, this downtime could be spent reading a chapter of your book. Schedule reading time. This one sounds quite silly, but as parents know, if you don’t make time for something, it won’t get done. Plan out 30 minutes of reading time each day to allow yourself to get comfortable and read without distractions. The trick here is to make sure you don’t cancel on yourself!
No matter how you make the time to read, you will be glad you did. Good luck and happy reading!
2 DOCTOR-APPROVED ALTERNATIVES TO COTTON SWABS ARE YOU CLEANING YOUR EARS WRONG?
Okay, let’s get something straight once and for all: Exactly how risky is it to use a cotton swab to clean out earwax? You’ve probably heard rumors about the dangers of stuffing Q-tips into your ear canals for years, but most people dismiss them as fearmongering. Unfortunately, those fearmongers have it right.
Ear specialist Dr. Yu-Tyng Wong agrees. He told Cedars-Sinai Medical Center that not only can swabbing the ear canal cause hearing loss, but also “[i]n severe cases, the cotton swab can damage many sensitive structures behind the ear canal and cause complete deafness, prolonged vertigo with nausea and vomiting, loss of taste function, and even facial paralysis.” Yikes! A Better Way to Clean According to many doctors, the best way to clean out your ears is simply not to do it. Earwax is actually beneficial for our ear canals: It keeps out dust, and it protects us from fungi and bacteria! However, it is possible for too much earwax to build up, especially if you regularly use earplugs or headphones. Symptoms of excess earwax include hearing loss, tinnitus, earaches, or a strange feeling of fullness in the ear. If this happens, your best bet is to visit your doctor for a professional cleaning or pick up over-the-counter ear-cleaning drops that include hydrogen peroxide on the ingredient list. You can also use a bulb syringe to flush your ear with room-temperature water, mineral oil, or even olive oil in a pinch (visit Healthline.com for step-by-step instructions). However, only use this method if you have a healthy, intact eardrum and no signs of ear infection.
The Truth About Cotton Swabs There’s a reason boxes of cotton swabs almost always say, “DO NOT INSERT INTO EAR CANAL” right on the label. “A cotton swab acts like a ramrod in an old-style cannon. The tip pushes the earwax in deeper, so the more you use it, the more earwax you push in,” Dr. Nguyen-Huynh — an ear, nose, and throat specialist — explained to the
Cleveland Clinic. “Plus, you may rupture your eardrum if you push too far. Or if you scratch your ear canal, it can get infected because now dirt and bacteria can penetrate under your skin.”
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