Some people feel that if they hire a nanny, they will miss out on a lot with their children, but this is simply not true. By having someone to take some of the responsibility off your shoulders from time to time, you are able to be more productive and quite honesty, perhaps even a better parent. Now when you make time to spend the day together, you will be more likely to do something exciting rather than pop in a movie for them to watch.
If you have projects to take care of around the house, it can be tempting to give your child a new toy or put in a movie so they stay out of the way, but kids love to be involved. Why not make use of this eagerness to help? Especially considering in a few years you will barely be able to get them to do anything! Believe it or not, there are small projects that they can help with around the house that will allow them to feel part of something special while also empowering you to create good memories together.
Chalkboard
This is a super fun project for kids, especially if the chalkboard is going in their room or a play room! They can hold on to the end of the measuring tape and help you decide where the chalkboard will go and then depending on age, they may be able to help you paint the chalkboard on the wall. Whether they help paint or just supervise, they will be thrilled to get at the chalk and create on it for the first time!
Outdoor Furniture
Outdoor furniture can almost always use sprucing up. If you do not have any old furniture, you can always pick up a few pieces at a yard sale just so they have something fun to do. If you hire a nanny, you can shop for supplies and hit up a few yard sales on your own. Kids can help wash the furniture and then paint it. If it is a special chair for them then they can be creative with designs and color. When shopping for paint, be sure to look for low-VOC formulations.
Storage Solutions
Does your garage or mudroom always look like a tornado went through it? Pick up some wood or plastic crates or even a few heavy duty boxes as well as paint, fabric or anything else you want to use to decorate and label them. You can create storage for everyone so everything will have a home.
Paint Your Mailbox
Why have the same dull mailbox that everyone else has on the street? You and your child can paint yours and they will have the satisfaction of seeing it as you come and go from the driveway. You could use stencils and paint butterflies or lady bugs on it or just make your own unique and fun design.
Stenciling
Have you been wanting to create a stenciled vine crawling up a wall? Perhaps you want to add a little design to the mirrors in the bathroom or to your ?kitchen windows. Stenciling is easy. You hold the stencil in place, and they can paint. You might want to practice on cardboard a few times first.
Tree Swing
Adults and kids alike love a good swing from a tree from time-to-time. The two of you can locate a supportive branch and then create a swing with a tire, plywood or anything else that is sturdy. You can always let them paint the swing too. This is something that is sure to get used.
Install Solar Lights
Children are amazed by the simplest things. Let them help you put the solar lights along the driveway or in the flower beds and then at night, take the outside and let them see the lights illuminated. They helped make that magic happen!
Weeding
Whether you call them e or invasive plants, there is certainly never a shortage of them. If you don?t trust your child pulling the weeds from the garden, there are likely sidewalk or driveway cracks that are full of them. You don?t even have to be home to get this project done. If you hire a nanny, they can supervise this task any time. Your kids will feel more involved and needed, and you will be weed-free!
Author Bio: At nanny.net, we encourage families to do things together!
As a practical matter, there is simply no way to have an institution of ?pet? ownership that is consistent with a sound theory of animal rights. ?Pets? are property and, as such, their valuation will ultimately be a matter of what their ?owners? decide.
But you might ask: ?What if it were possible? If, as a hypothetical matter, we changed the legal status of dogs and cats so that they were no longer property and they had a legal status closer to that of human children, would our continued production of dogs and cats (or other nonhumans) and our keeping of ?pets? be morally justified??
My answer to this purely hypothetical question is ?no.? We cannot justify the perpetuation of domestication for the purpose of keeping ?pets.?
Domesticated animals are dependent on us for everything that is important in their lives: when and whether they eat or drink, when and where they sleep or relieve themselves, whether they get any affection or exercise, etc. Although one could say the same thing about human children, the overwhelming number of human children mature to become autonomous, independent beings.
Domestic animals are neither a real or full part of our world or of the nonhuman world. They exist forever in a netherworld of vulnerability, dependent on us for everything and at risk of harm from an environment that they do not really understand. We have bred them to be compliant and servile, or to have characteristics that are actually harmful to them but are pleasing to us. We may make them happy in one sense, but the relationship can never be ?natural? or ?normal.? They do not belong stuck in our world irrespective of how well we treat them.
We cannot justify such an institution, even if it looked very different from the situation that now exists. My partner and I live with five rescued dogs, including dogs who had health problems when we adopted them. We love them very much and try very hard to provide them the best of care and treatment. (And before anyone asks, all seven of us are vegans!) You would probably not find two people on the planet who enjoy living with dogs more than we do.
And we both encourage anyone who can to adopt or foster as many animals (of whatever species) they can responsibly have.
But if there were two dogs left in the universe and it were up to us as to whether they were allowed to breed so that we could continue to live with dogs, and even if we could guarantee that all dogs would have homes as loving as the one that we provide, we would not hesitate for a second to bring the whole institution of ?pet? ownership to an end.
We regard the dogs who live with us as refugees of sorts, and although we enjoy caring for them, it is clear that humans have no business continuing to bring these creatures into a world in which they simply do not fit.
I understand that many people will be bewildered by my argument about the inherent problems with domestication. But that is because we live in a world in which we kill and eat 56 billion animals a year (not counting fish) and where our best justification for that practice is that we enjoy the taste of animal flesh and animal products. Most of you who are reading this right now are probably not vegans. As long as you think it is acceptable to kill and eat animals, the more abstract argument about domesticating animals to use as ?pets? is not likely to resonate. I understand that.
So take a few minutes to read some of the many other essays on this site that discuss veganism, such as Why Veganism Must Be the Baseline.
And then reconsider the issue of ?pets.? I also discuss the issue of ?pets? in two podcasts: Commentary #2: ?Pets? and Commentary #4: Follow-Up to ?Pets? Commentary: Non-Vegan Cats.
*****
If you are not vegan, please go vegan. Veganism is about nonviolence. First and foremost, it?s about nonviolence to other sentient beings. But it?s also about nonviolence to the earth and nonviolence to yourself.
If you are able to adopt or foster any nonhuman animals, please do. Domestication is morally wrong but they are here now and they need our care. Their lives are as important to them as our lives are to us.
The World is Vegan! If you want it.
Gary L. Francione Professor, Rutgers University
?2012 Gary L. Francione
Related posts:
The Four Problems of Animal Welfare: In a Nutshell
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 31st, 2012 at 11:10 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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[unable to retrieve full-text content]An obscure branch of the Bureau of Land Management wields great influence on local land-use decisions in the state, usually to the benefit of the energy industry.
burberry sale Almost simultaneously, the U.S. team's jersey officially released. The surgeon is still an old friend of the U.S. team, Ralph Lauren. Men to the navy blue double four button suit with a white Polo shirt, white trousers with red and blue striped tie; women are navy blue single row Twill suit with a white Polo shirt, white Skirt with red, white and blue tri-color scarf. Speaking of inspiration, naturally flag.? Continue
The magical thing about lessons in life is that you learn something new every day.
Some of these lessons you learn are small.
And some others, well, they can help you change your life forever.
With every failure or heartbreak that you experience, there?s a lesson to learn from it.
Most of us are so distraught by the failures of everyday life, that we fail to see the bright side of our own failures.
How can a failure ever have a bright side, you may ask.
But if you think deeper, every moment of pain, suffering or ecstatic happiness always leaves you with something to learn.
From the first time you burnt your finger on a flame to your last romance, every moment has taught you something new that you won?t forget.
[Read: Easy steps to stop a selfish person from hurting you]
Life lessons from everyday life
While there may be many lessons that you?ve learnt every day in your life, in all probability, you would have forgotten most of them as soon as the moment passes.
And when you forget an important lesson in life, it has a way of coming right back into your life to teach you the same lesson all over again, until you don?t ever forget it.
But will you learn from that lesson? Or will you get distracted and overlook the lessons each time?
25 life lessons that can make a positive difference in your life
A lesson well learnt can help you in every aspect of your life. It can help you be more successful, more wary, and most importantly, more happy.
But if you want a list of great lessons that can truly help you change your life for the better, here are 25 real life lessons that you always need to remember. [Read: I have no idea on what to do with my life]
Keep these 25 lessons in mind, and really, you won?t be the one looking back at your life many years from now, and wondering ?what if???
#1 Trust your instincts. Your instincts don?t always involve a sixth sense. Sometimes, it?s your subconscious mind that picks signs your conscious mind can?t see. So if you feel like something?s not right, big chances are, your subconscious mind has learnt a few lessons from previous experiences that can help you make a better judgment in that moment.
#2 Your life is nothing but a collection of memories. One of the things that constantly bother older people is the fact that they believe they haven?t achieved enough in life. Very few people ever feel like they?ve achieved everything they wanted to before they have to move on.
Time flies and you won?t even know it. After all, time doesn?t stop for anyone. So instead of wasting away your years staring at a big bucket list and waiting for the perfect life, create yearly milestones and try to pursue everything you want, be it in love or in life. If you looked back at your life so far and feel like you?ve achieved nothing of significance yet, you?ll feel the same way many decades later too.
#3 Coincidences happen all the time. Successful and happy people are extremely lucky people. Somehow, happy coincidences cross their path all the time.
And you know what, you can have all those coincidences too. But a coincidence means nothing unless you?re prepared for it. Work towards your happiness with determination. When you?re ready for it, your personal lucky coincidence will cross your path sooner than you think. [Read: How to take that first step and be successful in life]
#4 Relationships are a barter system. This may seem difficult to digest, but every single relationship in your mortal life is a barter of give and take. Even unconditional love will fade if it?s not reciprocated over time.
If you give, you will receive. If you receive, you need to give. If that balance shifts, you?ll experience unhappiness. [Read: 25 relationship rules for successful love]
#5 It?s very easy to give your heart way. Giving a piece of your heart away by loving someone is very easy and effortless. But if the person you love doesn?t care about that piece of your heart you?ve given or doesn?t want it, you?d get hurt pretty badly. Don?t waste your thoughts and time on someone who doesn?t make you happy. Take time to fall in love and protect your heart. [Read: 10 reasons why saying 'I love you' too soon sucks!]
#6 No person is good or bad. Humans aren?t good or bad. It?s only your perspective that makes a person good or bad. Even a really good person could turn out to be your worst enemy. And even your worst enemy has their own best friends. So don?t be judgmental when someone opposes you, learn to think from their perspective.
#7 Persistence is courageous. But even the boldest person should know when to give up. Always remember that giving up is never a bad thing, just as long as you know you?ve tried your best.
#8 Hard work is good, smart work is better. A farmer could use his hands to dig his field and he may take a year to complete it even if he works from dawn to dusk every day. But by using a plowing machine, he could probably do the same job in a day.
Hard work pays all the time, no matter what you do. But smart work always beats hard work hands down.
#9 Enjoy your present. It?s the little moments you experience everyday that come together to make your life. But don?t forget to plan your daily activities keeping your future in mind. [Read: How to stop being jealous of someone else's success]
#10 Positive thinking is happiness. Positive thinking makes you feel good about yourself. It makes you feel more confident and gives you the strength to face any hurdle in life. As long as you fill your mind with positivity, it will help you achieve your dreams and will keep you happy every day.
#11 Negative thinking will make you a failure. A person who fills their mind with nothing but negative thoughts will never be happy, because they?re too obsessed with thoughts on how bad the world is.
When you think about someone or something with negativity, it drains your energy and fills you with negativity, which will repel happy people away from you. And most importantly, you need to remember that the grudge, anger or hate you hold against someone will never affect that person. It will only affect you and hurt you. [Read: Signs your negative thinking is ruining your life]
#12 It?s never the end of the world. It?s never too late to start afresh, and it?s never too late to be what you might have been. It doesn?t matter how many times you?ve failed or how deep in the pits you are today. All it takes is the determination and the effort to put one foot in front of the other. Before you know it, you?ll be exactly where you want to be.
#13 Don?t worry. Worrying about something over which you have no control over will never help you. Remember this line, worry is interest paid on trouble before it?s due. It doesn?t matter whether you worry or not, when something has to happen, it will. So will you worrying about something change the outcome? Of course not! So really, why are you worrying?
#14 Accept failure. A big life lesson you need to learn is to learn to accept failure now and then. Failure doesn?t make you weak, in fact, it helps you understand the reasons behind your failure better. Every time you fail, try to learn something from it so you never repeat the same mistake ever again.
The stronger the breeze, the mightier the oak becomes. When you experience failure, your success will taste sweeter. After all, you can?t appreciate true happiness until you have known sadness, can you? [Read: 12 steps to be perfect in everything you do]
#15 Be happy in your life. There are many of us who are tireless naggers. Do you find yourself feeling miserable no matter what you do? Learn to appreciate life and try to be happy with what you have, because there are many others who are less fortunate than you.
Sometimes, it takes losing something to truly understand how special it was to you. Don?t learn that from a failed experience because it can hurt a lot. Instead, learn it by looking all around you. When you realize how lucky you are, you?ll be thankful for what you have and lead a happier life.
#16 Arguments and relationships. Immature people always want to win an argument even at the cost of a relationship. Mature people understand that it?s always better to lose an argument and win a relationship.
You may not realize this, but arguments are constructive only when it ends with a better understanding of each other?s minds. Winning counts for nothing, because you?d only make the other person feel more hurt or angry. [Read: How to fight fair in a relationship]
#17 The world is not unfair. If you think the world is unfair to you alone, then you?re a coward and a liar. It?s easy to look for excuses to dwell in your misery, and avoid moving on in your life. When you?re pushed to a corner, learn to push back and make your own space. Crap happens all the time, but what you do to move on makes all the difference between a strong minded person and a weak one.
#18 Money isn?t everything. Your pursuit of wealth and material happiness can definitely give you pleasure. But at the end of the day, relationships and inner satisfaction will give you more meaning to life than a fat bank balance. Ask a billionaire that question and they?ll say the same thing.
What kind of a paycheck do you think you need to experience financial freedom and happiness? Plan your life and work towards that goal. If you can do better than that, well, good for you. But when you achieve that monetary figure, instead of devoting your life to earning more, focus on your relationships. [Read: What should I do with my life to make it better?]
#19 Life is no fun unless you take chances. A life without a bit of risk isn?t a life worth living. You can?t go through life protecting yourself from everything just because you?re afraid of getting hurt. Sometimes, break free from your routine. It?ll give you more happiness than you think.
#20 You will never ever be satisfied in life. This is a life lesson you need to keep in mind because this is one you?ll forget most easily. As humans, we?re greedy and always want more, no matter what we already have.
If you truly want to feel satisfied in life, don?t let monetary goals define your life?s successes. Instead, focus on happy moments and the experiences you?ve had.
#21 Love yourself. If you hate yourself or feel like you?re no good, you?ll never truly achieve your true potential in your life. Don?t ever try to be someone you?re not just to fit in. Instead, work on your perceived flaws and be the best person you can be. When you love yourself, you?ll feel more confident about yourself and your abilities. [Read: How to love yourself and become a much better you]
#22 Your future is in your hands alone. This is a life lesson that should be ingrained deep within you. You control your own future. And what you do today can change your future forever.
Living each day like it?s your last may not be the best way to plan your future. Instead, make each day in your life feel like an achievement. You?ll achieve greatness in your life only when you make each day in your life count for something valuable.
#23 Take a decision. Postponing a decision will only make your life more worrisome and troubled. Remember, there are just two choices in every obstacle or confusion you face in life. You can either walk away, or you can pursue on.
So instead of letting your worries mount up and distract you all the time, make up your mind and move on with a firm decision.
#24 Don?t blame another person. When you put the blame on someone else even though you were involved in the failure, you?re only limiting your own growth, especially in relationships. Learn to accept failure and mistakes gracefully instead of arguing about it. [Read: How to stop lying to yourself and others around you]
#25 Have principles in life. This is the most important lesson in life that you need to learn. Your principles in life give you your identity and define who you are. Sometimes, it?s easy to be judgmental or do something you?ll regret later. You may even cheat a friend or take advantage of someone else?s misfortune, and as thrilling as the idea may be at that moment, you may feel bad about what you did when the excitement dies down.
That?s where setting clear principles in life can make all the difference. When you have set principles and rules about what you feel is morally right and wrong, and follow it in everything you do, it?ll make you a better human being and give you a clean conscience. Just remember to be just in your principles though, and understand that the rules that you apply for everyone else around you has to be followed by you too.
[Read: The 10 types of love all of us experience in our lifetime]
Experience is the best teacher of important lessons in life. But if you keep these 25 life lessons in mind and use them every day, you can avoid the pain of bitter experiences and lead a happier and more fulfilling life sooner than you think.
We?re trying hard to create better relationships in the world. But we can?t do it without YOU!
Did this feature help you better yourself or your relationship? You can change someone else?s life too!
Like Lovepanky on Facebook and follow us @Lovepanky. Join our conversations and let?s create better love and relationships in the world.
Work continues on the Intermec building in downtown Cedar Rapids. A review and update of city building codes has improved commercial insurance ratings, which helps keep insurance premiums from increasing.
CEDAR RAPIDS ? When Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz learned an insurance organization was downgrading the city?s ?building code effectiveness? rating, he knew that change would mean higher insurance premiums from c businesses and residents unless the city did something
More than a year and plenty of meetings later, the city?s commercial building code effectiveness rating has been lowered to a 3, and the residential rating of 4 has been maintained.
Cedar Rapids is one of only eight Iowa cities with a commercial rating of 3. About 40 Iowa cities share Cedar Rapids? residential rating of 4.
Both ratings are set by the Insurance Services Organization, using a scale of 1 to 10.? Property insurance companies use the ratings, along with fire codes, to set premiums. The building code effectiveness rating, or BCE, covers such areas as building materials and fire suppression and detection requirements. If cities require higher standards, the rules can reduce insurance losses.
Cedar Rapids had skipped a review and update of its city building codes as it focused on recovery from the June 2008 flood, Pomeranz said.
The?Insurance Services Organization also cited the city?s staffing levels and training budget when it warned the city on April 27, 2011, of an effectiveness rating downgrade.
Kevin Ciabatti, the city?s new building services manager, oversaw the review and update of the building code.? He was asked to see not only if the old rating could be salvaged, but how the city could improve its ratings.
Ciabatti said the code upgrades required roughly one entire day of meetings per month with the city?s code boards, which include plumbing, electric and mechanical. He said the city received strong support from the various contractor and building trade representatives as they tried to understand and adapt the codes.
?We?ve seen a lot of communities adopt a code with no input whatsoever,? Ciabatti said.
Many of the code changes reflected acceptance of improved building materials now coming into use, according to Ciabatti.? Others reflected increased attention to energy efficiency, or improvements designed to reduce the spread of fire.
The city is adding a plan examiner staff position next year, Ciabatti said, which could further improve its building code effectiveness? ratings.
The Insurance Services Organization reevaluates communities every five years. The standards organization began evaluating communities in hurricane-prone areas years ago, then extended the program to seismic hazard areas and other areas.
Doug Laird, a real estate specialist with Skogman Commercial, is part of a group of business people who have met with Pomeranz monthly in an effort to create a more efficient and supportive environment for development in the city. He called the code revamp ?a great team effort.?
Pomeranz agrees that the process helped build rather than impede relations with the construction industry and building trades. He said the city is working to improve its permitting process for construction and building services from a time, clarity and consistency perspective.
?The faster you get projects through the process, the more it adds wealth in the community,? Pomeranz said.
