Parenting Archives - Kids Ain't Cheap

4 Things New Parents Should Stay On Top Of

October 13, 2022 | Leave a Comment

When you become a parent, there are so many things that you are now responsible for. You have to take care of a small person that is totally reliant on you. The stress of this situation can make it difficult to know what is important to remember and what isn’t. However, there are some things that might seem unimportant but can have a major impact in the future. Here are four things new parents should stay on top of.

1. Dental Appointments

As soon as your child begins to grow teeth, you should start bringing them to the dentist. Dental hygiene is extremely important and your influence in childhood will set your child’s habits for life. Make sure that your family goes to the dentist regularly. This will ensure that their teeth remain clean and that all problems are caught early. Going regularly will also allow you to get them orthodontic treatment as they get older. About 25% to 50% of children require orthodontics. This means there is a good chance your child will. If they are visiting the dentist regularly, their dentist will be able to refer them to an orthodontist as soon as they show signs of needing that treatment.

2. Vaccines

Your family needs to get their vaccinations on time. Generally, these vaccines are given at the pediatrician’s office during their annual wellness exam. This makes it easier to stay on top of the standard childhood vaccines. These injections help their bodies build up a defense against certain diseases. That way, if they’re exposed, your child has less of a chance of getting ill. Some vaccines are only required once while others have to be redone regularly. Make sure that you keep track of when your child needs vaccines and that you get them done. Their health depends on it.

3. Technology

As your child gets older, they are going to be more connected with the technology around them. If you are unaware of how that technology works, you won’t be able to supervise their use as well as you might want to. This can lead to a wide array of problems in the future. Do your best to stay current with technology. You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to know what your child is using. This has impacted parents before. When Napster was invented in 1999, P2P file sharing became a big deal and there were legal consequences. Parents who didn’t know how music downloads worked weren’t able to help their children avoid these consequences. If you have a basic understanding, you can help your family make good choices.

4. Digital Safety

You need to be careful with your digital life in order to protect your family. If you accidentally download malware onto your computer, people are able to access things like bank accounts and other personal information. They can use this to steal your money and your identity. Unfortunately, one in three home computers are infected with malware. In order to keep your family secure, you need to keep your computer secure. So invest in the technology and services you need in order to do this. That way, you can focus more on your children and less on the computer.

As a new parent, you might not be considering the future right now. But as you keep your young baby safe and healthy, remember these tips as well. They will help you to build a safer, healthier future for your whole family. Incorporate them into your routine early and they will become much more common and comfortable to do in your everyday life.

Simple Ways to Create Memories with Your Kids

September 22, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Sometimes when your kids are little, every day might seem so LONG. The kids have endless needs you have to meet, and they might fuss, cry, or have tantrums. However, smiling older women look at you in the store and compliment your beautiful family and reminisce about their now-grown children. People tell you, “The days are long, but the years are short.” Yet, while you try to enjoy the days, sometimes you struggle. As your kids grow older (and it happens so quickly!), you realize that the time you have with them is fleeting, and you want to create memories with them. Here are some suggestions to do just that.

Simple Ways to Create Memories with Your Kids

Creating memories with your kids doesn’t have to be expensive. You simply need to spend your undivided time with them.

Actively Watch Their Sports

How often have you gone to kids’ sporting events and seen parents not watching the game but instead giving all of their attention to their smartphones? Put the phone aside and watch your kids. They notice, and they’ll appreciate that you spend time on them, not on the internet.

Have a Dedicated Movie Night

One fun family tradition is to have a dedicated movie time. In our family, we watch a movie on Sunday afternoon. This activity may not seem like much, but your kids will likely enjoy this tradition and remember it fondly when looking back on their childhoods.

Play Board Games

Likewise, you can have a family game night. Or, if you can’t play board games with the family that often, make a habit of playing a board game with your child at least once every two weeks. Your kids will enjoy playing the game and the time you gave them.

Read Aloud to Them

This family tradition is best started when your kids are young, though you can begin any time they’re in elementary school. When my kids were babies, I started reading aloud to them, and we never stopped. My younger kids are now 13 and 12, and I still read aloud to them every day. I’m sure this is one activity they’ll cherish and hopefully repeat with their children.

Have a Yes Day

Too often, we parents say no because it’s more convenient than saying yes. Challenge yourself to say yes one day and see how different the day will be. “Mom, can we go to the park?” Yes. “Can I bake a cake?” Yes. If the activity the children propose isn’t dangerous or out of your budget, try saying yes and see what happens.

Take Them on Vacation

Finally, if you have the means, take your children on vacation. Getting out of your element and exploring new places leads to family bonding, especially when you reminisce about your adventures years later.

Final Thoughts

Kids grow up too quickly. The older women in the stores are right—the days are long, but the years are short. Cherish the time you have by utilizing simple ways to create memories with your kids. You’ll be glad you did.

5 Ways We Inspire a Love of Reading in Our Kids

4 Road Trip Tips When Traveling with Tweens

Melissa Batai

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.

Important Advice for New Parents

September 19, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Nothing ever prepares you for starting a new family and becoming a parent. There are thousands of books that can provide you with information, but this still would not be enough to know how to be a successful parent. Fortunately, these tips below are common sense and can help you by providing important, practical advice when starting a family.

Save for Medical Expenses

Did you know that over 3.5 million American kids and teenagers wear braces every year? If your child has braces, this means they will need to visit the dentist on an almost monthly basis, if not more. It’s best to save now for future medical expenses such as dental work, medical emergencies, and special treatments.

While you might not want to think about your child becoming sick, it’s best to save for medical expenses in case of an emergency. Add your child to your family health insurance plan, or consider starting a medical savings fund. You can use your savings for medical-related and out-of-pocket expenses.

Plan a Custody Agreement That Works

If you feel you will need to divorce your spouse, you should prepare beforehand by creating the best custody agreement for your family. Consider that, in divorce cases, the non-custodial parent will usually have around 88 days with the child in a year. Speak with your spouse and try to work on a co-parenting plan that helps you both have access to your child the same amount of days out of the year.

Consider An IB School

If your child is exceptionally gifted or you want to expose them to better educational opportunities, consider enrolling them in a school that offers an IB program. Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programs. These programs include the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), and the Career-related Programme (CP). While a school might have a candidate status, it gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted for an IB program.

Thus, when looking for an IB school, look for a fully accredited program in your area. Evidence suggests that children who enroll in an IB program perform better in school than children who are not enrolled in an IB program.

Save For School Events

It’s important to save for school events such as field trips, prom dances, and other school-related activities. These events are incredibly beneficial for your child to develop social skills and create life-long memories with their friends. Consider creating a savings account to save for school events.

In addition, many schools require parents to pay a fee if there are overnight school events such as camping trips, trips abroad, or other special festivals. Saving for these school events can also help teach your children a valuable lesson about the importance of creating a fund for themselves. You can ask your child to save a portion of their allowance to go towards school events as well.

Always Offer Mental Health Help

Both adults and children might struggle with the effects of mental health disorders. If your child is experiencing symptoms such as depression, anxiety, or trauma, it’s always best to offer mental health help. Remind your child that you can offer them therapy to help them heal and will not judge them on their decision to seek help.

Children’s brains develop quickly, and it’s essential they get the mental health treatment they need to prevent mental health issues from escalating further. Talk to your child about the importance of treatment, and offer them treatment options such as therapy, inpatient treatment, and medication.

Follow these tips above to help prepare you for parenthood. These tips can help you keep your family safe and cared for. Whether it’s creating a savings fund, preparing for medical emergencies, or finding a talented school, create the best life for your family using these tips above.

How Video Games Can Actually Help Your Child’s Social Skills

August 25, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Video games have a bad reputation in society. People tend to associate players with lazy nerds who haven’t showered in days. Video games get blamed for the violence. Adults are seen as losers for enjoying their hobbies. Everyone is always trashing video games just because. However, video games can actually benefit the players in the long run. Did you know that a family can become closer when they play together? Believe it or not, video games can actually help a young player with building their social skills.

Child Players Can Find Common Interests

Not every child is a social butterfly. Some children are shy and would rather keep to themselves. It is not a good idea to force them to be social against their will. That can be really hard, especially when they are going through puberty. In the eyes of Texas law, a minor is aged from 10 years old to 17. One way you can help your kids make friends is to let them play video games. The easiest way to connect with people is to have common interests. Hobbies are the quickest way to do that. If your child plays games like Zelda or Donkey Kong, they will more than likely come across another kid who plays those games as well. From there, the children will have something to talk about. Maybe then, a relationship of some sort can be formed.

Child Players Can Build a Community

Video games have countless fanbases. It is not hard to find more than two people who are die-hard fans of a game. Even the Minecraft population keeps smashing new records every year. A new report shows that 400 million of the 600 million active players come from China alone. As stated before, your child will connect with others on and offline with other players. Some games have to be played with others. In these types of games, players have to learn how to work with others and practice teamwork. Children can even form another family in the game and in real life. Especially in the pandemic, children and adults found solace in their video game communities. A child needs a tribe to grow and develop. Video games are a modern way to do that.

Child Players Can Develop Problem-Solving Skills

Video games actually do have value in the real world.

Recent studies on screen time and child development have shown that children engaged in screen time are actually more likely to have better levels of social and emotional well-being than non-users.

They can help a child develop problem-solving skills. Not every video game has to be about shooting and killing things. Puzzles in video games are a good way to help a child use their brain to help them think about how to solve the game. Now, puzzles can be frustrating depending on the difficulty level. Some kids might give up when they find it too hard, while others will learn to keep trying until they solve it. Their skills in solving puzzles in games will transfer well to solving problems in the real world.

Another example of video games helping with problem-solving is real-life simulations. Games like The Sims and Animal Crossing put the player in a world where they have to create a family, get jobs, build relationships, etc. You are put in the position of making choices for your characters. Speaking of which, there are some games where the child’s choices will affect the outcome of the story and gameplay. They are going to have to learn how to make the right choices in their games.

People are not meant to be alone. Up to 63% of the human race have moved to a new community at least once or twice in their lives. Meanwhile, the remaining 37% will never leave their hometowns. That alone is enough to drive anyone crazy. Video games can help a child try and be a little bit more social. They can become a family activity. Video games don’t have to be a bad thing. They can actually do good for the world.

5 Ways We Inspire a Love of Reading in Our Kids

August 14, 2022 | Leave a Comment

As a child, one of my favorite activities was reading. This love of reading and later, writing, helped lead me to major in English in college, become a college English instructor, and learn more about the world than I ever could have without books. Because books enriched my life so heavily, when I had kids, I wanted them to love reading as much as I did. Luckily, most of them do. We inspire a love of reading in our kids using the following methods.

How We Inspire a Love of Reading in Our Kids

To help your kids fall in love with books and reading, you need to immerse them in the reading world.

Read Aloud to Them

From the time our kids were born, we read aloud to them. At first, we started with short board books like Goodnight Moon and The Going to Bed Book. (At this stage, don’t be surprised or annoyed if your child asks you to read the same book over, and over, and over again!) Then we expanded into longer stories until we were reading our kids chapter books when they were in preschool. I continued reading to them all through middle school.

Have a Home Library

To foster a love of reading, surround your kids with books. We always had bookshelves filled with books the kids could look through when they were little and read when they started school.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to do this. For example, we picked up most of our kids’ books at garage sales for 10 cents or less.

Take Them to Library Activities

The public library is a wonderful resource that we utilize frequently. We started by bringing our kids to the library to pick out their books and to join in on story hour. Because of these early experiences, our kids always associated the library with fun.

Participate in Reading Rewards Programs

In the summer, sign your kids up for reading rewards programs. For example, Pizza Hut has the Book It program. Your public library likely has a reading program, too. Our son was one of the top readers one summer in elementary school, so he got to join the other top readers for a bowling and pizza excursion compliments of the library. He still talks about how much fun that was.

Let Them See You Read

Kids learn best by watching your actions. You can tell them that reading is fun, but if they don’t ever see you reading, you’re not reinforcing that lesson. My kids see me read books and hear me listen to audiobooks in the car. I love to read, and they see me regularly taking time to do so.

Final Thoughts

We inspire a love of reading in our kids, which was one of the best things we could do. Today, they still read for fun and recreation, enjoy learning, and have an exceptional vocabulary.

Why Our Child Decided to Take a Gap Year

Top 10 Sandra Boynton Books

Melissa Batai

Tips for Entering the Workforce After Having Kids

June 20, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Starting a family is something that many adults do at some point in their lives. Due to the demanding nature of bringing up children, it’s sometimes necessary to take a break from work. If you did this and feel that you’re now ready to get back into the workforce, here are some tips that can help you out.

Network Widely

Networking is the number one thing that you need to do when you’re ready to rejoin the workforce. Talk to your friends and family and get the word out there that you’re looking for a job. Share the details of what you want as well as the skills you have with them as well. This way, it may be easier for you to find an opportunity that fits you well. On average, job seekers spend about 11 hours every week looking for the ideal job. This should motivate you to keep at it even if you feel like it’s taking a long time to find something. With persistence, something will turn up.

Write Down the Most Important Qualities of the Job You Want

Everyone has different needs as far as their ideal job goes, so list down the things that are important to you specifically. One thing may be a job that offers enough flexibility for you to have time to play an active role in your family. Another thing may be getting a job that’s close enough to your home so that you can multitask effectively and not need to delegate errands to someone else. When you know what you need in a job, it will be easier for you to look for something that you want and you will be likely to enjoy the position that you get. You will also be able to sift through different job offerings and make applications only for those that meet your needs.

Don’t Be Afraid to Start from Scratch

After spending some time out of the job market, there’s a good chance that things have changed a bit from the way you left them. This may make you a bit less likely to start working at a top position. This should not demotivate you, however, because you can simply take the time you spend at an entry-level position to remind yourself of what your tasks and duties are and practice. As time goes by, you may be able to get promoted to higher levels and you will get more experience to boot. Simply think of it as a kind of paid refresher program where you will be paid a bit less to fine-tune your skills.

Refresh Your Knowledge

Finally, depending on the length of time that you’ve been out of the workforce, you may need to refresh your skills so you know how to work once you get the position you seek. You could take it a step further and add to your knowledge by taking a course or furthering your education. This will make you more sought-after, especially because, as mentioned, you already have experience working.

You could also switch careers to a faster-growing field if it’s associated closely enough with your current experience. In the healthcare industry, for example, employment is expected to grow by 14% between 2018 and 2028. This is a lot faster than the average for other occupations, and it adds around 1.9 million new jobs to the market. This is a career that you could step into to enjoy a higher likelihood of getting hired, especially if you’re passionate about it.

These tips should help make it easier for you to rejoin the workforce after having kids. It will be an amazing way for you to ensure you can support them through everything and provide a great life for them.

7 Free Activities to Do with Toddlers This Summer

May 19, 2022 | Leave a Comment

When my kids were toddlers, we tried to do something outside the house every day, especially on the weekend. Staying inside made me stir-crazy, and I wanted the toddlers to burn off some energy outdoors. Summertime was my favorite time because there are so many free activities to do with toddlers.

7 Free Activities to Do with Toddlers

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money keeping your toddler entertained, try these free activities that toddlers love.

Visit Bookstores

Our bookstore had a large wooden train frame and several different toy trains. My son LOVED the train table. He would play for an hour at the table, and he enjoyed watching and interacting with other kids who came to play there. Parents can sit nearby and browse books while their kids play.

If your book store doesn’t have something like this, I still would take the toddlers to a bookstore, sit in a chair, and read them a few board books.

Utilize the Library

The library was one of my and my kids’ favorite places to go because there’s so much for toddlers to do:

Attend Storytime

We were regulars at storytime. Our library had storytime four times a week, and we showed up for many weekly sessions. They even had bilingual story time in Spanish. Afterward, the librarians usually had a craft for the kids to do. These events were a big hit with all three of my kids, and today they are voracious readers, which I attribute partially to all of the storytimes they attended.

Attend Enrichment Events

Likewise, many libraries have enrichment events you can check out. Our library has had magic shows, wild animal presentations, theater presentations, puppet shows, and many more activities. Check out your local library’s calendar and surrounding areas to find these events.

Borrow Busy Bags/Games

Libraries aren’t just for reading! In the kids’ area, many libraries have games and busy bags that their youngest patrons can check out. We always utilized these; my kids loved having new activities to do at home.

Museum Passes

At some libraries, you can check out museum passes, which allow you and your child to get into various museums around town for free! You can utilize these a few times a year to expand the places you have access to for free.

Attend Free Community Events

If you live in a larger city, there may be free community events during the summer. We lived in the Chicago suburbs when my kids were little, and every Saturday, my husband took the kids downtown to an event that featured singing, dancing, and games.

You may also find outdoor concerts, plays, and festivals. Fourth of July parades are usually a hit with the toddler crowd, too.

Swim

Free Activities to Do with Toddlers This Summer

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

If you have a lake or public pool nearby, take your kids swimming. It’s never too early to learn to swim, and most toddlers love playing in the water and with the sand on the shore.

Final Thoughts

Entertaining your little one and getting her out and about in the community doesn’t have to cost a lot. These are just a few of the many free activities to do with toddlers this summer.

Interesting Ways to Keep Your Toddler Busy

Cheap, Fun Ways to Stay Cool This Summer

P.s. I found some great DIY playroom ideas on savedbythecents.com, recommend you check them out => here.

Melissa Batai

4 Steps to Make a Move Smoother for You and Your Kids

April 21, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Gone are the days when people lived all their lives in the same small community in which they grew up. Now, people move frequently and across vast distances. On average, Americans move 11 times in their lifetimes. I’ve moved many times, the most recent a 2000-mile move occurring nearly eight years ago. My husband and I are preparing to move our family again, but this time we’ll utilize four steps to make the move smoother for us and our kids.

Find a Realtor Before You Move

If you plan to buy a house in your new locale, find a realtor before you move. When we moved cross-country, we found a realtor and worked with her long-distance. She was essential in helping us understand the lay of the land and what suburbs would be the best fit for our family.

Visit Before You Move

I highly recommend visiting the new area before you move. My husband and I did this about two months before we moved. He was able to meet and talk with his new co-workers. We also were able to meet with the realtor and see potential houses. Though we didn’t buy a house at that time, the realtor had a much better idea of what house layout we were looking for, and we were able to narrow down the specific neighborhood we wanted to live in.

Once we moved, we bought a house and were able to move in within a month.

Research, Research, Research Before You Go

When we moved previously, I put a lot of time and energy into finding a house but nothing else. However, as we prepare to move again eight years later, I am still researching homes, but I’m also researching more.

Now, I’m researching potential dentists, orthodontists, doctors, and extracurricular activities for my kids. When we move, we want to be able to get started immediately with our new life in a new location. Last time we moved, finding these services took a few months. This time, because I’ve done the research ahead of time, I’m hoping that we’ll be able to jump right into our new life. I would like to have the kids enrolled in their extracurriculars within the first few weeks of relocating.

Join Local Facebook Groups

Finally, before you move, join local Facebook groups in the new area to ask questions and get a feel for the community.

We homeschool, so I’ve joined several homeschool groups. I ask about homeschool co-ops and available activities, what suburbs people prefer to live in, etc. When we move, the kids will already have groups they can join.

I’ve also joined some mom groups specific to the area.

Another fun group to join is a bucket list or scenic group for the area. You’ll learn about the best places to visit, hike, and explore in your new state.

Final Thoughts

Moving to a new location can be exciting and nerve-wracking. Reduce your nervousness by taking these steps to make a move smoother for you and your kids. In no time, you’ll fit into your new location, and it will feel like home.

Read More

4 Tips for Saving When Moving Abroad

Things to Consider Before Moving

Can You Homeschool and Work from Home?

Melissa Batai

Why I Decided to Teach My Teen to Drive

March 10, 2022 | Leave a Comment

When I was a teen, my high school offered driver’s ed as a four-week class during the summer. We sat in an air-conditioned classroom during the morning and watched driver’s training videos. Then, in the afternoon, we went out to the parking lot to practice driving a car. Later, we made our way onto the roads. The instructor had a car equipped with pedals on his side to override any mistakes we made when braking or accelerating. However, now, thanks to budget cuts, many schools no longer offer driver’s training. Instead, parents must choose between teaching their kids to drive or paying for a driving school. For our family, there were several reasons why I decided to teach my teen to drive.

Why I Decided to Teach My Teen to Drive

Our family picked this option for a few reasons.

Driving School Is Expensive!

In our area, driving school is expensive! The cheapest package includes two hours of driver’s ed and two one-hour driving sessions for $189. Their mid-level package includes 10 one-hour driving sessions for $699. Their elite package includes 30 one-hour driving sessions for $1799.

If I picked the cheapest session, I would still have to go out with my teen for many hours of driving, so why not just do it myself?

We ended up buying a home-based driver’s ed program. We watch that for a few lessons. Then we hit the road. So far, our teen has about 10 hours of driving under his belt.

I Can Keep My Cool

Another reason why I decided to teach my teen to drive is that I can keep my cool. If he does something erratic like accidentally pushing the gas instead of the brake (it’s happened!) I can quickly and calmly tell him to hit the other pedal.

If you don’t think you can keep your cool with your teen, I don’t recommend teaching them to drive. My mom went out driving with me just twice before I got my license. Once, I was learning to drive stick shift, and I stalled the car in an intersection when I tried to go from a stop. My mom panicked and started saying, “Go, go! We’re going to get hit!” Let me tell you, that did not help me get the car moving.

We Have a Vehicle to Use

We have two vehicles, one we bought 17 years ago when our teen was just an infant. Of course, I don’t want my son to have an accident, but if he does have a fender bender, this vehicle can take it. If I had a brand-new car, I might not decide to teach my teen to drive.

Final Thoughts

Should you teach your teen to drive? As you can see, that depends on many factors. For our family, I decided to teach my teen to drive because we could save money, I stay calm, and we have a vehicle he can use. However, other families may have to consider other factors and make the decision that is right for their families.

4 Tips to Save on Car Insurance for Teens

Your Teen and Their First Car

Melissa Batai

Everything You Need to Know About Driving During Pregnancy

March 3, 2022 | Leave a Comment

You’d be surprised to learn that there are more than 5 million motor vehicle accidents that take place on American roads. The fate of your life rests on the millions of drivers that you share these roads with. When you’re pregnant, there’s a lot more caution that you should take to ensure that you and your precious baby bump are safe at all times while you’re driving.

While you can’t control every little thing that happens on the road, there are some important things that you should be aware of. Maintaining a healthy pregnancy means taking care of how you do certain things. This includes changing how you eat all the way to taking extra precautions when driving. Read on to learn everything you need to know about driving during your pregnancy.

Safety Precautions

First thing first, you should understand that there are more concerns that you have now since you have another life to consider while you’re driving. Since statistical data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shows that there are nearly 6 million commercial drivers that operate on American soil, you ought to be extra careful. Knowing how to prevent risks that are associated with driving while pregnant should prepare you for a healthy journey.

The following are some of the key precautions that you should take to improve keeping your unborn child safer.

Avoid driving when you have nausea.
Ensure that you can maintain a consistently safe driving position.
Drive along a familiar route.
Don’t drive when you’re experiencing any minor or severe pregnancy complications.
Avoid driving when there are obvious distractions such as moderate signs of being in labor.

Risks of Driving When Pregnant

The fact of the matter is that driving while you’re pregnant isn’t necessarily a bad idea. The majority of the time, it’s fine to do so. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about pregnancy being a driving disqualifier in this lifetime.

But, when you’re pregnant you should be more cautious than when you aren’t. Not only to ensure that your baby is risk-free. Moreover, this is due to studies suggesting that a pregnant woman’s chances of being involved in a fatal accident increase by more than 40% when she’s in her second trimester. Your second trimester is more prone to hormonal effects that can cause various ills, such as the following.

Nausea
Fatigue
Sleep deprivation

4 Tips to Improve Driving While Pregnant

1. Plan for your trip

If you’re going to be traveling for a long period, planning beforehand is crucial. You should have a clear idea of when your next stop will be. This gives you adequate time to stretch and to have bathroom breaks when you need to.

2. Avoid distractions

The thing about pregnancy brain is that it can be dangerous for you. Making sure that you avoid distractions as much as possible can help you drive with more ease.

3. Assess your car

Inspecting your car before you leave is a recommended safety precaution. This means checking your wheels, airbags, spark plugs, and any other parts that can affect your driving is essential.

4. Update your healthcare provider

Depending on how far along your pregnancy is, you might not be able to travel at all. If your doctor gives you the okay, you should take additional measures towards a smooth drive. If anything happens, even if it’s a minor fender bender, contact your OB/GYN immediately. In this scenario, it’s always better for you to be safe than sorry.

In summary, driving while pregnant is a lot different than doing it completely alone. In this case, knowing that you have to be responsible for the health of your unborn child can be stressful. It should send everyone into panic mode.

However, it’s always a great idea to know what the risks are before you decide to go on a long drive with your baby bump. This should help you prevent a potentially fatal accident for you and your new family.