Raising a family is always going to be challenging. Yet being prepared ahead of time, and grasping how to deal with the situation at hand can make all the difference. The good news is you can find some of the most challenging family situations listed below, along with some ideas on how to deal with them effectively and calmly.
One of the kids gets sick
Wow, this one happens in our house on the regular. Indeed, we are often lucky if it’s just one of the kids and not, both or everyone else in the household as well. Of course, the level of illness matters here, as if it’s a cold then a few days snuggled under a blanket with some Calpol and Disney films will usually do the trick.
Picture located at Pixabay – License CC0
However, if it’s something more serious, then seeking immediate medical attention is usually the best course of action. This can be hard though, especially as a mum, as you don’t want to be the one overreacting. However, it’s worth remembering that no one knows your kids like you and if you feel something is wrong, you are within your rights to ask a medical professional to check them out for you.
You go into labour
While most people know they will go into labour at some point, the exact time isn’t so easy to predict. It can be a very emotional experience too with a combination of fear and excitement.
The good news is that you can make labour easier for you and everyone else involved by creating a plan beforehand. A labour plan is a document that details your preferences when it comes to drugs, surgery,
whether you will have a water birth, use a birthing ball, and so on. You can even write down the type of music you can play during your labour. In particular, a birth plan is useful because it provides a greater sense of agency over the process, something that many women report helps make the experience easier for them.
Although it is worth noting that your medical team will always try and follow your birth plan whenever possible. If you or the baby are in danger they may have to deviate from it. If it is better for your health.
A family member gets in trouble
No one likes to think of a family member getting arrested, but it is something that does happen. Indeed, many thousands of people that are 100% innocent are arrested every year. Of course, knowing where to turn if this challenge arises is the key to making the whole process much easier to deal with.
That is why it’s best to find and work with highly rated criminal defense attorneys as soon as possible after the arrest. These professional attorneys can then advise your loved ones while they are in custody, fight for their release, and help you deal with a criminal case if the authorities do decide to press charges.
You lose your job
Another situation that can seem like a huge disaster is if you lose your job. After all, most households are double income these days for a reason – that a single person’s salary can be tough to live on, especially when you have kids.
However, the most important thing to remember here is not to panic! The reason is that many people that have lost their jobs either through being redundant or being fired go on to get other perfectly good jobs, with adequate wage packets.
What I’m saying here is that while unpleasant at the time, losing your job doesn’t have to be a catastrophe. Instead be sure to keep your CV up to date, and hit up your industry contacts on social media and you should have a new job ASAP.
The washing machine breaks and floods your house
This last challenge might appear to be minor, but when your floors and cabinets are being ruined by errant soapy water, it can seem like a crisis, indeed!
Of course, the first step here is to turn off the electricity, and the water at the mains as they don’t mix well! Once that is done try to isolate the area the water can access by closing doors and stopping up gaps with towels. Then call your plumber, and get them to come out as an emergency.
Once the leak has been fixed you may also want to find someone that can help you with the cleaning up and the drying out of the damage it’s caused. The good news is that many plumbers and flood-related businesses offer industrial-strength fans that can help quickly dry out such damage before it begins warping your surface or encouraging rot and mold.
This is a collaborative post
The Coastal Mummy 