3 Tips for Starting a Business When Welcoming Your New Baby

By Guest Writer, Kristin Louis

 If you’re welcoming a new baby into your home, you are feeling excited, but likely stressed as well. New parenthood, with its sleepless nights, dealing with cries for food and diaper changes, and overall feeling of exhaustion are not for the faint of heart — but what if you’re gearing up to start your new business, or even launching it, during the “fourth trimester” after you bring your new baby home? The below tips from What Every Parent Should Know may not completely erase the stress you feel while juggling parenthood and entrepreneurship, but they can certainly help.

1. Plan for Efficiency

Time blocking may change your life. If you tend to populate your to-do list with tasks and check them off one by one without thinking about how they’re tied to time, learning how to schedule tasks can dramatically raise your productivity. For example, if you have to make a spreadsheet, call a client on Zoom, and catalog invoices, you can schedule each task for a designated hour-long block during the day.

Use this technique to finish whatever legal paperwork you have to tie up before your baby’s birth and during the early days of parenthood. Make sure you have obtained an EIN for tax purposes and formed your business as a legal entity. Forming your business as a limited liability company can help you separate your business from your personal life. Using a formation service like ZenBusiness lets you avoid lawyer fees and ensures you follow your state's specific laws. Taking care of your business’s formation is the first step to running your business. 

You’ll also need to ensure your business is being operated efficiently. This includes choosing a bank for your business and utilizing bookkeeping software to stay on top of your business's finances. Make sure you allot enough time for these important tasks.

It’s also time to start thinking about some help you can hire to run your business. You can find the best mobile app developers, web designers, and virtual assistants through online job platforms. Simply look over candidates’ reviews, rates, and delivery times and make an offer. 

2. Hire a Trustworthy Sitter

Though you may have days when you feel very productive, other times you may feel like you can’t get anything done. Maybe your newborn is going through a growth spurt or fussy stage, or perhaps she didn’t sleep well the night before and needs extra comfort. Take the time to be with your baby when she needs you, complete whatever work you can, and call in reinforcements to watch her after she has calmed down.

Consider setting up a schedule with a sitter or a part- or full-time nanny; you can find one with experience and high client ratings from Care.com. If you’re trying to avoid daycare for your infant, having a trusted nanny in the home can help you and your partner shoulder the load of meeting your baby’s needs while also attending to your new business.

3. Use Apps to Track Your Baby’s Schedule

Adults and infants alike share a love of routine. Using a baby tracking app can help you understand when your baby likes to eat, sleep, and get a fresh diaper. By learning your baby’s natural rhythms, there may be fewer surprises when you're "on call" for infant care. Also learn more about infant sleep patterns to coordinate your client meetings and Zoom calls during the times your baby is more likely to be fast asleep.

Though no schedule is perfect and no app can fully predict your baby’s schedule, having a routine for working from home during the day and utilizing downtime to complete your most labor-intensive work can lower your stress levels. Welcoming a new baby into your home is a wonderful, special time. When you plan ahead, you will be able to enjoy both your baby’s first weeks and your new business while it is also in its infancy.

For more supportive advice for moms and dads, keep up with the blog at What Every Parent Should Know!

America Is Under Siege And Roxicodone Is On the Front Lin

 

The United States is smack dab in the middle of an opioid crisis – and Roxicodone is at center stage. Millions of people across the country are battling what seems like a hopeless addiction to this powerful narcotic. It’s taking out unsuspecting Americans one by one. If you’re abusing Roxies, you could be next.

Better known by its generic name, Oxycodone, Roxicodone is an opioid painkiller prescribed by doctors for extreme pain. However; many opioid addicts turn to the streets to score this prescription medication illegally. What’s worse is that many people start using heroin when they are unable to obtain it.

If you’re taking Roxicodone – also known “Blues,” “Thirties,” or “Roxies” – we don’t deny the stuff makes you feel fantastic. But, make no mistake about it. Blues are like wolves in sheep’s clothing. While they may feel warm and fuzzy inside, they are ravenous beasts that seek to kill you and have you for dinner.

We’re not joking.

What Are These Little Blue Pills, Anyway? What Do They Do?

Roxicodone may come to you as a seemingly innocent little blue pill, but they pack a mean, powerful punch – a deadly one.

Roxies got the street name “Blues” because they are blue tablets. They are called “Thirties” because they are 30 milligram pills. They are referred to as “Roxy” because it’s easier to say than “Roxicodone.” What do they do? They make you feel sooooooooo good. There. That was easy.

What’s not so easy is explaining what Thirties do and how they work. But, of course, we’re going to do our best to uncomplicate a rather complicated chemical process.

Roxicodone are Classified as Semi-Synthetic Opioid Drugs

Blues are opioids. Opioids work by attaching to opioid receptor sites in the brain to block pain. This creates a euphoric feel-good sensation in the body known as the opioid high or the opioid buzz. It is this buzz that keeps Roxy users returning for more.

To be more specific, Roxies are semi-synthetic opioids, which are a classification of a certain kind of pain-killing drug.

What makes Roxicodone semi-synthetic is that it is partially derived from the opium poppy plant, making it sorta-kinda natural. The rest of it is chemically manufactured, making it sorta-kinda synthetic. Roxies contain basically the same chemical makeup as street heroin – minus all the junk dealers add as “the cut.”

For all intents and purposes, Roxies are actually a purer form of heroin. The only real difference between heroin and Blues is that Blues are legal and heroin is not. They both give you the same effect.

Side Effects of Roxicodone – What to Expect if You Take This Medication

Although doctors are notorious for overprescribing this stuff to people with minor aches and pains, it should really only be given to someone who has extreme, chronic pain. Many medical professionals argue that because the medication is so powerful, it should only be given to people who are in the advanced stages of a life-threatening illness.

If you take this medication as prescribed, you should expect certain side effects. Here are the common side effects of Roxicodone:

• If you are allergic to Roxy, you will get a skin rash, hives, or blistered, peeling skin; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing or talking; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Extreme dizziness (or loss of consciousness in extreme cases)
• Extreme drowsiness
• Mental confusion
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Fatigue or a feeling of weakness
• Difficulty breathing, slow breathing, or shallow breathing
• Difficulty urinating
• Rapid heartbeat
• Seizures (in extreme cases)
• Shakiness or tremors
• Change in vision
• Chest pains
• Hallucinations (in extreme cases)
• Mood swings
• Memory loss
• Trouble walking steadily
• Difficulty finding your words
• Slurred speech
• Swelling in the arms or legs
• Serotonin Syndrome – this is a very dangerous and often life-threatening condition that can develop if you mix Roxicodone with medications for depression or other mental health conditions.

These side effects alone are pretty frightening – but we haven’t even told you about the scariest side effect of Roxicodone yet. Thirties are extremely addictive and can trap you into a vicious cycle of tolerance, withdrawal, and addiction. This is the terrifying and deadly truth about Blues.

Let’s go there.  

Roxicodone Addiction – It’s Guaranteed to Happen if You Abuse the Stuff

One thing you absolutely need to know about Thirties is that they are highly (severely, seriously, incredibly, absolutely!) addictive. Only the strong survive. If you have been popping Blues for any length of time, chances are you are already hooked on the stuff – and you may not even know it.

The thing about Roxies is they create a thing in the brain called tolerance. This means whatever dosage you have been taking will stop working – and rather quickly. Before long, you will need more of drug to get the same effect that you used to get with a lower dose. So, you will take more. And more. And more. (And more and more and more!) Without realizing it, your body will become physically dependent on the drug to function.

As this happens, and tolerance develops, your body will crave more of the stuff. If you don’t feed your cravings, and you attempt to lower the dosage your body has become accustomed to, your body will go through withdrawal.

Blues Will Give You The Blues – It’s Called Withdrawal

When you abuse Blues, you will most assuredly get the blues. This is known as withdrawal. Withdrawal is what happens when you don’t give your body the Roxy dosage it requires to function at its “normal level.” This is the painful process of removing the toxins from your body – and believe us when we tell you that withdrawal (no matter what the drug) is a very unpleasant experience.

Opioid withdrawal in particular is especially gruesome. People who have tried to detox from Roxicodone without undergoing a professional medical detoxification have said they felt like they were being attacked by demons, or that they were in the fiery flames of hell, or that they wished they were dead.

Here are just a few of the symptoms of Roxicodone withdrawal, which is very much like withdrawing from heroin:

• Fever
• Sweats
• Chills
• Extreme head-to-toe body aches
• Insomnia
• Tremors
• Nightmares
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Inability to eat
• Flu-like symptoms
• Seizures
• Death

Here is one person’s experience withdrawing from heroin, which is what you can expect if you try and withdraw from Roxies on your own.

How You Can Stop the Cycle of Addiction and Get Help For Your Roxy Habit

The first 90 days of recovery from Roxicodone are critical. We do not recommend that you try and stop using Blues without professional help. Stopping the use of Roxies can be deadly. You can have a seizure, you can go into a coma, or your heart can stop beating.

If you want to quit Thirties, we suggest that you go through a professional medical detox. This happens at a medical facility or an in-patient treatment center.

With a detox program, you will be given medication so that you can safely and comfortably remove Roxicodone from your system without having to go through the hellacious experience of withdrawal.

You will be monitored and evaluated around-the-clock to make sure that your detox from Blues is safe and effective. The detoxification process usually lasts from three to seven days. A stay at an in-patient treatment facility for one month is typically recommended after a short-term detox.

Long-term Opioid Replacement Therapy (ORT) is another option. With ORT, you take an opioid replacement drug like Suboxone to avoid withdrawal and help with cravings. You can get Suboxone from a certified Suboxone doctor who will supervise the slow removal of the drug over a period of six months to a year.

How to Tell if Someone is Abusing Roxicodone

Maybe you’re not addicted to Roxicodone, but you’re reading this article to research the topic because you believe someone you love has a problem with Thirties.

People who abuse Blues think they are highly skilled at hiding their addiction, but the fact is – you can’t hide the high from Roxies. Once you know what to look for, you can spot someone who’s on the Blues from a mile away.

• People who are high on Roxicodone have a certain look about them. Their eyes glaze over and their eyelids become very heavy. They also roll their eyes upward into the backs of their heads.
• Roxy users “nod out.” Their heads will slowly fall forward as if they are falling asleep. Once they realize they are having this experience, they will quickly snap their head back and open their eyes very quickly. When they do this, they think no one noticed the nod – although it is very obvious. Sometimes, Roxy users will nod all the way forward until their head is touching a table or other surface before they realize what they are doing.
• People on Blues have slurred speech. They will speak very slowly and mumble a lot. You might confuse someone who is on Roxicodone for being drunk. However; the opioid high and the alcoholic buzz are very different and you can tell the difference between the two.
• Someone buzzing on Blues will have a loss of balance. They will not be able to walk a straight line and they will stumble around aimlessly. They will have a loss of direction and seem disoriented.   

These are all tell-tale signs of someone who is under the influence of Roxies.

Some Surprising Statistics About the U.S. Opioid Crisis

We mentioned the opioid crisis at the beginning of this article. We want to talk a little bit more about it.

Because opioids are ravaging the nation and causing death and devastation to our people, in September 2017, President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency. The government is supposed to be taking swift action to correct the situation. Already, the Center for Disease Control has awarded $28.6 billion to help fight the opioid overdose.

You’ll be hearing a lot more about this crisis – also called America’s opioid epidemic – in the coming months. It’s important for you to understand the scope of the situation because if you are addicted to Roxicodone or some other type of opioid, you have been affected by the opioid epidemic.

Here are some statistics that put the problem into perspective:

• The U.S. government estimates that approximately 124 people die in this country every day from an opioid overdose.
• Although the U.S. only accounts for approximately 5 percent of the world’s population, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimates that 81 percent of the world’s supply of Roxicodone is consumed in the United States.
• Opioids killed more than 33,000 people in 2015 – more than any other year on record.
• The number of opioid prescriptions in 1991 was approximately 76 million. In 2013, it was over 207 million.
• Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in America. Six out of ten of these deaths involves opioids.
• The number of opioid related deaths more than quadrupled from 1999 to 2015.
• There were more than 33,000 lethal opioid overdoses in 2015 – more than any year on record.
• It is estimated that in 2015, 12.1 million Americans over the age of 12 abused legal prescription opioids like Roxicodone.
• 56 percent of all Americans say they have been touched by the opioid epidemic in some way.
• Four in five new heroin users started out using prescription opioids like Roxy.
• Opioids cost the United States $78 billion in 2015 alone in healthcare costs and other expenses.
• Projections indicate prescription opioids will kill as many as a half a million people in the next decade.

These statistics are staggering and they ought to help you understand just how dangerous Roxicodone is.

Become a Success Story – With Help, Recovery from Roxicodone is Possible

If you are abusing Blues, we want you to ask yourself if you want to be a statistic or if you want to be a success story. We don’t want you to become a statistic. We want you to be a success story.

Keep in mind that the tens of thousands of people who die from opioid addiction every year thought they could handle it. They never thought their use of Thirties would put them in an early grave. But, one day they didn’t wake up.

We want you to choose life and stop the madness of the cycle of addiction. No matter hopeless things may seem, as long as you have breath in your body, there is hope. Help is available.

Everything you Need to know About Roxicodone: Blues Effects, Abuse and Withdrawal Symptoms (northpointrecovery.com)

RESOURCES

 

Support Groups

Al-Anon Family Groups
(520) 323-2229 | website
Opens in a new windowSelf support for the family and friends of alcoholics and adult children of alcoholics.

Alcoholics Anonymous
(520) 624-4183 | websiteOpens in a new window
840 S. Campbell Avenue.
Fellowship of men and women who maintain sobriety through sharing experience, strength, and hope.

CO-ANON
(480) 442-3869 | website
Opens in a new windowA fellowship for family and friends of someone who is chemically dependent on cocaine.

Cocaine Anonymous - AZ
(520) 326-2211 | websiteOpens in a new window
Co-Dependents Anonymous
Fellowship of men and women who maintain sobriety from cocaine.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CODA)
(888) 444-2359 | website
Opens in a new window12-step self-help group for people who are working on healthy relationships.

Debtors Anonymous
1-800-421-2383 | websiteOpens in a new window
12-step program for people who have debt and cannot stop spending.

Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance
(800) 826-3632 | websiteOpens in a new window
Offers education and support groups to people with depression and bi-polar disorder.

Gamblers Anonymous
570-7879 | websiteOpens in a new window
Self help group for compulsive gamblers.

Narcotics Anonymous
881-8381 | website
Opens in a new window12-step program where people manage their addiction to narcotics.

Nicotine Anonymous
(469) 737-9304 | website
Opens in a new window12-step support group for people wishing to stop using nicotine.

Overeaters Anonymous
(505) 891-2664| websiteOpens in a new window
A 12-step group for people who wish to stop compulsive eating.

Sex Addicts Anonymous
1-800-477-8191 | websiteOpens in a new window
12-step recovery program providing support for people with compulsive sexual behaviors.

Survivors of Incest Anonymous
websiteOpens in a new window
12-step program for non-offending adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Survivors of Suicide
emailOpens in a new window
Support group for family and friends of people who have committed suicide.

Mental Health Resources

Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance
(800) 826-3632 | websiteOpens in a new window
Offers education and support groups to people with depression and bi-polar disorder.

Mental Health Association of Arizona (MHAAZ)
480-982-5305 | websiteOpens in a new window
Provides information and advocacy concerning mental health resources.

National Alliance on Mental Illness of Southern Arizona (NAMI)
(520) 622-5582 | websiteOpens in a new window
Offers support groups for people diagnosed with mental illness and their families.

Community Resources

American Diabetes Association
(520) 795-3711 | websiteOpens in a new window
333 W. Ft. Lowell Rd., Suite 23
Provides educational resources on diabetes.

American Cancer Society
(800) 227-2345 | websiteOpens in a new window
333 W. Ft. Lowell Rd., Suite 23
Provides educational resources on cancer.

Arizona Poison & Drug Information Center
(520) 626-6016
Information and education on medications and preventing poisoning accidents.

Catholic Community Services
(520) 623-0344 | websiteOpens in a new window

DIRECT Center for Independence
(520) 624-6452 | websiteOpens in a new window
Offers information, referral and support services for individuals with disabilities.

Information & Referral Helpline
1-800-352-3792 | websiteOpens in a new window
Information on community resources.

Literacy Volunteers of Tucson
(520) 882-8006 | websiteOpens in a new window
Tutors people to improve reading and writing skills.

Sex Trafficking Help
websiteOpens in a new window
Offers a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Summer Sun Respite
Click hereOpens in a new window for resource guide.

Volunteer Southern Arizona
(520) 881-3300 | websiteOpens in a new window
Offers a variety of volunteer opportunities.

LGBTQIA+ Resources

A Place to Talk 
(520) 375-9039 | Email: aplacetotalkservices@hotmail.com
Counseling services for individuals who identify in the LGBTQ communities.

El Rio Health - Transgender Medicine
(520) 670-3909 | websiteOpens in a new window
Healthcare for pediatric and adult transgender and gender non-conforming communities. Care includes gender-confirming hormone therapy and referral to specialists.

Lighthouse Project AZ
(520) 909-0754 | Email: lighthouseproject.tucson@gmail.com
LGBTQI collaboration between the University of Arizona Southwest Institute for Research on Women, SAAF and Our Family Services to support unstably housed LGBTQ young adults.

Petersen HIV Clinic (Banner UMC)
(520) 626-8598 | websiteOpens in a new window
Provides specialty care, advocacy, counseling, early intervention, education, referrals, and prevention services related to HIV.

PFLAG Tucson - Parents, Friends, Families and Allies, United with LGBTQ People to Move Equality Forward
websiteOpens in a new window
Promotes the health and well-being of LGBTQ persons and their families and friends through support, education and advocacy.

Pride Guide - Tucson
websiteOpens in a new window
A resource list of services targeted to the LGBTQIA+ communities throughout Arizona.

Primavera
(520) 623-5111 | websiteOpens in a new window
LGBT-friendly shelter service.

Rainbow Churches

• Grace St. Paul's Episcopal ChurchOpens in a new window
• St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal ChurchOpens in a new window

Sister Jose Women's Center
(520) 909-3905 | websiteOpens in a new window
Trans-women friendly shelter.

Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF)
Crisis Line: (800) 553-9387 | Office Line: (520) 628-7223 | websiteOpens in a new window
HIV, AIDS and Hep C testing; resources and support for individuals living with HIV/AIDS; prevention and support for survivors of violence against LGBTQIA+ individuals; support groups; youth drop in center and more!

Southern Arizona Gender Alliance (SAGA)
Address: 2030 E. Broadway Blvd, Suite 106 | websiteOpens in a new window
Support, advocacy and information for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals.

Southern Arizona Senior Pride 
(520) 312-8923 | websiteOpens in a new window
LGBTQIA social meetings and support for 55+

Trans Lifeline
(877) 565-8860 | websiteOpens in a new window
Crisis hotline specific for transgender individuals.

Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN) 
(520) 299-6647 | websiteOpens in a new window
Brings together religious, secular, corporate and non-profit organizations to support people living with HIV as well as to raise awareness and build knowledge and understanding around HIV/AIDS.

Government Resources

Arizona Center for Disability Law
(520) 327-9547 | website
Opens in a new windowProvides protection and advocacy for people with psychiatric, cognitive, physical, mental and sensory disabilities.

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)
(520) 205-8600 | website
Opens in a new windowState’s health insurance program for people with a low income.

City of Tucson Parks and Recreation
(520) 791-4873 | websiteOpens in a new window
Conducts recreational classes and special events throughout the city.

Pima County Public Library Information Line
(520) 791-4010 | websiteOpens in a new window
Phone services which give short answers to reference questions.

Social Security Administration
1-800-722-1213 | websiteOpens in a new window
Oversees the Social Security System.

A special thanks to out guest writer Kristin Louis

 Thank you so much Kristin for the wonderful advice you have shared with our readers.  Looking forward to more guests posts in the future.  Best Wishes,

Jessica Lynn Hepner creator of What Every Parent Should Know

Guest Post By Kristin Louis - The Step By Step Guide To Raising Happy Healthy and Self Sufficient Kids

 Your Step-by-Step Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy, and Self-Sufficient Kids

 

  

Image via Pexels

 

As a parent, one of your many goals is to raise happy, healthy, and self-sufficient children who grow up to be emotionally strong, intelligent, and independent adults. To achieve this goal, you need to teach your children some important life skills as early on as possible—especially during the first few years of child development. What Every Parent Should Know offers some tips and resources that will help you to do just that, review the sections below.

1. Promote Physical, Emotional, and Social Development

During the first few years of life, sticking to a regular nap schedule, playing outside with your little one, and praising your child’s behavior can all help to promote physical, emotional, and social development. Check out the following resources to learn about the steps you can take to promote the positive development of your child.

 

Keep Your Child Up-to-Date on Their Vaccinations

5 Ways to Promote Social and Emotional Development in Young Children

Best Ways to Help Children Fall Asleep at Nap Time

Fun Activities that Boost Physical Development

2. Help Your Child to Feel Safe and Secure

As a parent, one of your many jobs is to help your child to feel safe and secure at home—as well as in his or her skin. By raising a child who feels safe and secure, you’ll ensure that your little one can build happy, healthy relationships with others later on in life.

 

Three Ways to Raise Secure Children

Helping Children Feel Safe in Stressful Times

Help Your Kids to Feel Safe at Home

3. Encourage Critical Thinking

As humans, we rely on our critical thinking skills to make important decisions that affect many aspects of our lives. By teaching your young child to think critically, your little one will obtain the essential skills he or she needs to solve problems throughout any life stage.

 

How to Help Your Child Develop Critical Thinking Skills

7 Educational and Entertaining Activities for Young Kids

Storm Spotting for Children: At-Home Meteorology

Teaching Your Teen Critical Thinking Skills

4. Teach Important Life Skills

To raise a happy, healthy, and self-sufficient child, you’ll need to teach your little one important skills that will help him or her to succeed throughout various walks of life. These life skills range from self-control and communication to good hygiene and smart money habits.

 

11 Life Skills You Should Teach Your Kids Early On

Personal Hygiene for Kids: Important Habits to Teach Kids

How to Teach Kids About Money, from Toddlers to Teens

5. Set Rules and Boundaries

As much as you’d love to give your child everything he or she wants and insists on having, rules and boundaries are essential to raising happy, healthy, and self-sufficient kids. Boundaries, for instance, teach children to respect others and control their impulses—while rules keep kids safe and prepare them for the real world.

 

Learn to Teach Kids About Boundaries

How to Set Fair Rules and Limits for Your Child

 

A great deal of time and effort goes into raising a happy, healthy, and self-sufficient child, but these tips and resources will help to guide you along the way. Before you know it, your little one will have all the essential life skills needed to apply to college, graduate from high school, and move onto the next big stage in his or her life.