Winter family bonding: Activities to do for the holidays

 

It’s the season for giving and pure family fun. And Joseph Cianciotto notes that even if the world is still very much in the grips of a global health crisis, there are still some things that families can do to brighten up their holidays. He lists three of these activities below. 

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Snow ball fights 

For families who live in areas where there is an ample amount of snowfall and have their own yard, as soon as there’s enough snow, parents should grab their kids and begin choosing sides for an all-out war. Joseph Cianciotto has also learned that parents can prepare for it by wrapping old furniture in plastic and laying them out. These things make for great snow forts.

Snow forts

If there is more snow than needed, parents should build snow forts with their kids instead of using furniture. Not only is this a fun activity, but it’s also an all-day event. Joseph Cianciotto, however, mentions that this may only be applicable for families with yards since parks and playgrounds may still be too unsafe to play in.

Holiday movie nights

There is a very long list of family Christmas movies that the entire family can enjoy. Joseph Cianciotto explains that a holiday movie night is a great and relaxing way to cap off a day filled with many activities.

Long Island, New York, resident Joseph Cianciotto is a devoted family man. Read more about fatherhood and family life by subscribing to this blog.

A few more modern films the entire family will surely enjoy

 

When it comes to family-friendly films, Joseph Cianciotto is a massive fan of modern classics from the ‘80s and ‘90s. He has time and again mentioned the eras to be the best in terms of movies families can enjoy together. However, he also admits that the 2000s have had its share of amazing films as well. 

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Below are some of Joseph Cianciotto’s more recent favorites.

Finding Nemo: Disney’s collaboration with Pixar has produced some of the most memorable family films in the past two decades. “Finding Nemo” is a perfect example of this, especially seeing that the heart of the story rests a relationship between a father and son.

How to Train Your Dragon: Not to be outdone, Dreamworks has its own impressive lineup of CGI animated movies that are every bit as amusing as Disney’s. Joseph Cianciotto names the thrilling “How to Train Your Dragon” as his favorite among the bunch. 

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The Incredibles: What could be a more apt film for a family movie night than a movie about a family of superheroes? Disney’s “The Incredibles” is another masterful and rip-roaring effort that has captured the hearts of millions of fans everywhere.

What’s your favorite family-friendly film in the past 20 years? Share them with Joseph Cianciotto in the comments below.

Joseph Cianciotto has a degree in Visual Communications from Carnegie Mellon University. He currently resides in Long Island, New York with his family. For similar reads, visit this page.

Helping children cope well during difficult times

We might think kids live carefree lives, but children live in a world with their own sets of worries and stresses. It’s also safe to assume that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them mentally even if some or all of them had to stay off school for a while. Just because they’re young, it’s always not good to assume that they’re not carrying burdens of their own – sets of problems we might be imposing on them without us thinking. Here’s what you should do to help your children cope during tough times like these.

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First and foremost, you need to tell your kids it’s okay to express their emotions and that feelings are natural. Allowing them to be open about their feelings empowers them to deal with them out in the open rather than bottling them up. Keeping feelings to themselves may harm their emotional and mental well-being. It’s best they share what they feel with you so you can deal with them together.

Once they have a bead on their emotions, you should talk about what they are so they can acknowledge them and properly deal with them. Nothing is quite hard than working with an unknown emotion.

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After helping them identify their feelings, you should teach them ways to channel their emotions. You can teach them to draw or to paint so they have creative outlets. In case they like reading and writing, you should buy them a notebook so they can keep a journal. Emotions are energies we need to manage by letting them out in positive ways.

When things go tough, you should tell them to keep going through the process of opening up about their feelings, identifying them, and channeling them. Keep reminding them that although these things may not necessarily impact what’s happening, they can choose their reactions better and be able to find freedom to act even things aren’t going right. This will help them become resilient individuals growing up.

Joseph Cianciotto’s mix of creative guts and business acuity has landed him in high positions across several ad agencies in the United States. Learn more about Joseph Cianciottohere..

Planning ahead for some great fall activities

 

For many reasons, Joseph Cianciotto loves autumn. It’s definitely the most beautiful and picturesque season in terms of colors and the weather is just right – not too hot and not too cold, yet. It also is the perfect time for families to get together to enjoy activities with each other. 

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For this blog, Joseph Cianciotto lists down a few more fall activities parents can enjoy with their kids.

Backyard camping
As mentioned earlier, weather in the fall is extremely pleasant. There may be times that it could a bit chilly. Before the temperature drops in the winter, families should take advantage of the fall weather. Camping at the backyard is always a great family activity. Kids and parents can even start their own little bonfire and roast their own smores. 

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Halloween decorating
Joseph Cianciotto already mentioned Halloween itself as one of the best activities in the fall. He says that this includes all the preparations leading up to one of the most fun nights of the year. Decorating the yard is definitely a fall activity worth looking forward to.

Thanksgiving dinner
Before the winter rolls in, we have Thanksgiving. Joseph Cianciotto has never missed Thanksgiving dinner not just with his wife and kids, but also with his other family members as well. And he has always had a great time.

Joseph Cianciotto currently resides in Long Island, New York with his wife Jen and two daughters. Visit this blog for more articles about family and parenthood.

Quarantine diaries: Positive lessons to learn as a family

 

Children have their parents around 24/7 as industries have been shut down for a few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents working from home can take this time to teach their children a few lessons about life, especially ones that instill positivity during these uncertain times. 

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The coronavirus has brought stress and anxiety among individuals, and parents are not exempt from this. Resilience is typically challenging to teach to children, but unprecedented times make them just the perfect lesson to impart. Parents can model positivity and hope among their children showing kids that while many factors in life cannot be controlled, people have perfect control over their own emotions.

Adaptability is not always instilled in children. However, these delicate times are teaching families the value of being prepared and having the capacity to approach change with positivity. Finding new ways to go on with life even with unmet expectations is a quality that families will find useful now and in the future. With limitations that are different from life before COVID-19, it can be difficult to be thankful. However, gratitude should start at home, with parents leading with the practice, says Joseph Cianciotto.

Hope teaches families that there is a way forward and that problems can be overcome. No problem can last a lifetime. Without hope for tomorrow, there will not be joy in the present. Parents can encourage their children to make plans for the future and approach it with joy even in this time of uncertainty.

Joseph Cianciotto has more recently served as executive creative director at Translation, where he oversees all things content-related within the agency. At present, he resides in Long Island, New York, with his wife, Jen, and daughters, Hannah and Sophie. For more updates, visit this page.

Social skills you need to teach your children

Children pick up educational knowledge through school. However, these aren’t the only skills they need to develop their personalities, and later on their whole being. While certain social skills are taught at kindergarten or preschool, Joseph Cianciotto believes that parents should be aware of cardinal skills that children should learn at a young age. Regardless if they are taught at school, parents should still take time to teach these social skills to their children.

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Cooperation

Achieving a goal with someone else might be a new concept to your child. This lesson goes well alongside teamwork. In this lesson, you can show your child that through cooperation, tasks can be done easier and faster. You can show how effective collaboration can be by timing specific tasks done individually and as a group, or you could also showcase the satisfaction of the group upon finishing a task together.

Sharing

Sharing can be a hard concept to learn if your child doesn’t have siblings to share their things with. In school, sharing is often equated to sharing one’s belonging with others. What they might fail to teach with regards to sharing is the reason why sharing is a good thing. Besides this, Joseph Cianciotto states that parents should also teach their children accountability, caring for other people’s properties, the idea of fairness, and when they should refuse.

Listening

Listening may come as naturally as walking to most children. However, critical listening is a skill that needs to be taught. While it is necessary for listening to be able to recall what was said, critical listening allows a child to absorb what was said, create mental notes on specific points of a conversation, and analyze what was said to a clear degree.

Joseph Cianciotto, a resident of Long Island, New York, represents an equal mix of creative chops complemented by a strong business acumen. He has most recently served as executive creative director at Translation, overseeing content related matters within the agency. For similar reads, visit this blog.

Five tips to acing quarantining with kids

Even when no one is keeping track of one’s parenting achievement during the global pandemic, it still feels good to be doing this the right way. And while parenting will never be a smooth sailing gig, learning a few tips on how to get by matters.

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With kids by your side 24/7, not to forget the sudden homeschooling situation, quarantining with kids can be draining for any parent. Parents and guardians who work from home may find it hard to focus on their job with kids around. Make a routine and stick to it. Kids need structure. It would be helpful for parents to develop a school-like routine for their children, shares Joseph Cianciotto. 

Things can get rough at home, especially when everyone’s present and coping in different ways and timelines. Parents remember to keep calm and carry on. Keeping calm requires a parent to be in tune with how they and their kids feel. To keep the atmosphere positive and loving, use positive affirmations daily. Let your kids know they are loved and cared for. Now more than ever, kids need reassurance from their parents.

As schools are shut down, encourage literacy at home and limit screen time. Your kids’ eyes need to rest from all the screen time both for school and play. Teach them to drop everything and read. Set a time where they will only focus on reading a book and writing their reflection about it. Not only will this give their eyes a break, but also encourage learning and love for literature, reckons Joseph Cianciotto.

Joseph Cianciotto is a digital media native representing an equal mix of creative chaos complemented by a strong business acumen and a loving husband and a dedicated father to his daughters. Head over to this page for similar reads.

Safety measures while working on the family home

Joseph Cianciotto is a father who, like so many in the country, has had to stay home the past few months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, being in lockdown has not completely cut him off from the world. As a public service, he has released a series of blogs wherein he shares helpful advice for people in quarantine, from family-oriented activities to how to stay safe always.

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Still staying in touch with family, friends, and colleagues, Joseph has found that many fathers have actually used their free time wisely and have taken to fixing up their homestead. And while this is a worthwhile endeavor, fathers will be working with all sorts of tools. As such, they should always consider safety to be the most important thing.

The most basic safety measures come in the form of safety gear such as gloves and goggles. When dealing with paint, dads should never forget to wear a mask to protect their lungs from the fumes. While working with heavy objects such as wooden boards, they should wear heavy-duty boots to protect their feet in case of an accident. Overalls are not a bad idea as well.

It goes without saying that fathers should have, at the very least basic knowledge in DIY construction to save themselves a whole lot of trouble in the future. This knowledge also prevents dads from wasting money and effort doing the wrong things.

Finally, Joseph Cianciotto urges dads to work on one area at a time. Working on multiple areas at home increases the chances of the kids bumping into something.

Joseph Cianciotto is a digital media native and family man from Long Island, New York. For more articles like this, visit this blog.

How to keep family members safe during a health crisis

With the world currently in the grip of a health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments are gradually implementing country-wide quarantines. Millions of families all over the world find themselves staying indoors to avoid getting infected by the virus.

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As a public service, Joseph Cianciotto shares several tips from experts on how to keep family members safe during a health crisis.

Wash hands: While washing hands should have always been a widespread practice, today, it has become an act of survival. Parents should require their children to wash their hands every single time they go home after playing outdoors or even just staying in their front porch and after touching anything that comes from the outside, such as groceries and food.

Disinfection room: Parents can set up a “disinfection room,” which can serve as the first place at home that they head to after being outside. Inside the room is a clean set of clothes, flip-flops, hand soap, and everything else that can ensure a person is germ-free for the most part.

Clean handles: Joseph Cianciotto says parents should always spray doorknobs with disinfectants after coming home. Parents should also be wary of what they touch before they wash their hands and disinfect these areas of the house and wipe them clean as well.

Joseph Cianciotto has a degree in Visual Communications from Carnegie Mellon University. He currently resides in Long Island, New York with his family. For similar reads, visit this page.

Parental requirement: Getting the finances straight for the children’s future

It’s Joseph Cianciotto’s firm belief that two of the main responsibilities of parents are to guide their children and prepare them for the life ahead. To achieve this, parents have to consider a swath of factors, including finances. This is why Joseph urges parents everywhere to get their finances straight for their children’s future.

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While it’s never Joseph’s habit of pointing fingers, he’s noticed that a lot of adults today are struggling because their parents never really took the time to be aware of their financial situation. According to most, if not all financial advisors, financial awareness is key to a stable future.

Spending for children is both okay and inevitable. There will be countless occasions in the life of children before they become adults wherein parents will have to shell out money. And that’s fine as long as it’s within reason and, more importantly, within the budget.

Take, for example, birthday parties. Truth be told, birthday parties are really for the people celebrating their birthdays. It’s easy to make children excited and happy. An intimate party with the immediate family and grandparents, a trip to the nearest mini-golf or go-kart park, and a few gifts will more than make for an unforgettable birthday.

While there are other ways parents can get their finances straight, Joseph Cianciotto recommends that parents schedule an appointment with a financial consultant or advisor.

Joseph Cianciotto works as an executive creative director and lives in Long Island, NY with his wife and two daughters. Read more about this family-oriented man by visiting this website.

Teaching children how to treat stray animals

As a family man, Joseph Cianciotto has always emphasized the importance of teaching children the right thing and training them to make a habit of it. One of the most important lessons parents can impart to their children is how to take care of nature. From cleaning up after themselves to conserving water and energy, children need to know that they, too, are responsible for the future of the planet.

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And part of children’s responsibility to nature is how they treat animals, and not just domesticated ones, but also wild animals and strays. Children have to learn to coexist with every living thing, especially animals, peacefully.

The first thing children must always remember, Joseph Cianciotto notes, is to handle animals with care – to safeguard not only the animals but themselves as well. Being careful means being safe always. Stray animals may have bacteria or viruses that could end up being dangerous to children, which is why safety should always be practiced.

Now, if children find stray animals near even inside their home, they should first bring it to the attention of their parents or any adult, who, in turn, should call animal control.

If a squirrel or rat is found in the home, children should keep exit points open as well, so these animals may leave in peace. Parents should also teach children how to lead animals to these exit points using a trail of food.

Children should also know that it’s mostly okay to feed animals they see in parks – as long as they practice safety at all times, Joseph Cianciotto adds.

Joseph Cianciotto is a digital media native and family man from Long Island, New York. For more articles like this, visit this blog.

The overlooked significance of sleep for children

Joseph Cianciotto finds it disturbing how so many parents have no idea about the sleeping habits of their children. It seems that very few households know how vital a good night’s sleep is for a person. Lack of sleep has been associated with many health issues, both physically and mentally, and recently, it has been discovered to contribute hugely to the development of behavioral problems such as depression in children.

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In a study that involved children below 12 years of age, it was shown that those who complain about not having enough sleep went on to develop symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, and other disorders as they grew older.

An overwhelming amount of researchers, doctors, scientists, and mental health professionals have come to believe that a good night’s rest is key in keeping the mental and emotional well-being of a child stable. It is also this mental and emotional well-being that becomes a crucial foundation in the child’s development later.

It was found that children who experience sleep problems exhibit early signs of mental disorders. They become irritable, lethargic, and even combative. And what’s more is that while developing these disorders, children find it difficult to sleep as well, which only worsens the condition even more.

Joseph Cianciotto suggests that parents need to be observant of their child’s sleeping habits. If they notice something wrong, they should act on it as soon as possible.

Joseph Cianciotto is a resident of Long Island, New York and a digital media native whose creative chops are complemented by a strong business acumen. For more on Joseph, click here.