Another key element of finding your voice is using language that feels natural to you. Don’t try to emulate another writer or use words that you don’t know how to spell. The more authentic your writing sounds, the more readers will connect with it.

Finally, be patient. It can take time to find your voice and develop your own style. Don’t get discouraged if your work doesn’t seem perfect at first. With practice, you’ll eventually find the right approach for you. If you need to have more free time you can use Movies to Inspire Creative Writing.

10 ways to push through writer’s block

• Don’t wait for inspiration – start writing and it will come
• Set aside time every day to write, even if it’s just for a few minutes
• Write about things you’re passionate about
• Brainstorm ideas before you start writing
• Take breaks, but don’t let yourself get too distracted
• Write in a different location or at a different time of day
• Use prompts to get started
• Read your work out loud to catch mistakes and make sure it sounds good
• Edit and revise as you go
• Find a writing buddy or join a writers’ group for support and accountability.

If you’re experiencing writer’s block, don’t despair. These tips will help you push through and get your creative juices flowing again.

How to make your writing more interesting

In order to make your writing more interesting, you need to first understand what makes writing interesting in the first place. 

There are three primary elements that make up any story: plot, character, and setting. Each of these elements can be used to make your writing more interesting. 

Plot is what happens in the story. It’s the sequence of events that take place. To make your writing more interesting, you can add more suspense, tension, and conflict to your plot. You can also add more twists and turns to keep readers engaged. 

Character is who the story is about. The better you develop your characters, the more interesting your story will be. You can give your characters depth and complexity by giving them unique personalities, motivations, and backstories. 

Setting is where the story takes place. You can use setting to create a sense of mood and atmosphere in your story. You can also use it to set the stage for dramatic scenes or create a sense of location for readers. 

By understanding and utilizing these three elements, you can make your writing more interesting and engaging for readers.

5 tools every writer should use

There are many tools that writers can use to improve their craft. In this essay, I will discuss five of the most important ones.

1. Word Processor: A word processor is essential for writers because it allows them to easily format and revise their work. It also makes it easy to track changes, insert comments, and create backups.
2. Dictionary: A dictionary is a must-have for any writer because it provides definitions of words and helps you spell them correctly. It also includes usage examples so you can see how a word is used in context.
3. Thesaurus: A thesaurus is another valuable tool for writers because it gives you synonyms and antonyms of words so you can choose the best one for your needs. It also provides definitions and usage examples just like a dictionary does.
4. Grammar Checker: A grammar checker is an important tool for writers because it helps you find errors in your writing and correct them quickly and easily. It also teaches you about common mistakes people make so you can avoid making them yourself.
5. Style Guide: A style guide is a great resource for writers because it tells you how to format your writing according to certain style guidelines. This is important for writers who need to submit their work to publications or other outlets that require specific formats.

These are just a few of the many tools that writers can use to improve their craft. By using these tools, you can become a better writer and produce high-quality work that will impress your readers.

The post How to find your creative writing voice when caring a baby appeared first on Young Mommy.

1. File Taxes Early Rather Than Wait Until the Last Minute

Single moms should file their taxes early instead of waiting until the last minute. Obviously, if you’re expecting a refund, it’s money in your pocket sooner rather than later. 

Rushed returns completed at the last minute result in more errors or overlooked credits and deductions than those carefully prepared. For those who owe money to the IRS, filing early gives you more time to plan for the payment. Also, it’s much easier to get an appointment with a tax specialist early on rather than at the last minute.

Another reason you may not be aware of is that filing early is a proactive approach to avoiding tax fraud. Tax fraud occurs when social security numbers are stolen to create fake returns to file early. The return is processed, and the refund is issued. Then when the actual taxpayer goes to file, the return is rejected.

2. Change Your W-4

Single moms should review their withholding annually to make sure you’re not having too little or too much federal tax withheld. This review should be done sooner rather than later since withholding occurs throughout the year.

In general, withholding should be decreased if you are eligible for credits or deductions outside the standard annual deduction.

3. Update Your Filing Status

To file as head of the household, you must pay over 50% of the household expenses, not be married on December 31st of the tax year, and have to have lived together for over six months during that tax year. Filing head of the household reduces the single mom’s taxable income due to the higher standard income deduction.

4. Use a Cash-Back Credit Card

Generally, the IRS views cash-back rewards like discounts and not income. Discounts aren’t taxable. Some taxpayers earn hundreds of cashback dollars, points, or miles a year that result in revenue that is not taxable.

5. Start Saving For Your Child’s College Now

With the 529 College Savings Plan, interest earned is tax-free when distributions are used to pay for your child’s higher education. Some states also offer these income tax deductions or credits.

6. Check New Credits and Deductions

Not only are there credits and deductions for higher-education expenses, but there are also additional tax credits for single parents.

• Child Tax Credit. This tax credit is as much as $2,000 per child under 17. Up to $1,400 is refundable per child. A nonrefundable $500 tax credit is available for those who can not claim the Child Tax Credit. The phase-out for the upper limit of income for this single mom tax credit is $200,000.
• Earned Income Tax Credit. Some single moms may be eligible for the Earned Income Credit. Moms with income below specified amounts who file as single or head of the household can earn credits from $3,584 for one child who qualifies to $6,660 for three or more qualifying children.
• Child and Dependent Care Credit. You might be able to take advantage of the Child and Dependent Care Credit if care was provided for your 13-year-old or under while you searched for work or worked. The tax credit is based on 20% to 35% of a maximum of $3,000.
• Adoption Credit. The Adoption Credit allows the adoptive parent a maximum of $14,300 per child for qualified costs. If the credit exceeds what you owe in taxes, you can take the remaining credit over the next five years.

Some of these credits or a combination of credits can have a significant impact on your taxes.

Should You Talk With Professionals?

To take advantage of these savings, you have to know the qualifications for eligibility. These deductions, credits, and amounts change from year to year, and some of these tax credits for single mothers, along with deductions, are complicated. Unless you are a tax expert, it’s difficult to understand and stay on top of the IRS rules and regulations from year to year. That’s why it is to your advantage to consult with someone who is well-trained and has plenty of experience.

Contact local tax expert for financial advice to see if we can lower your taxable income and make the most out of credits and deductions as a single mother.

The post Best Tax Tips for Single Moms appeared first on Young Mommy.

Your parenting journey will be refreshed as you go through these top blogs for young moms. They will give you experiences of other young moms around the globe. They will ignite your energy in the parenting journey.

Rookie Moms

Are you a new mom and don’t know where to start? Filled with anxiety and questions that you do not know the answers to; then Rookie Moms is the blog for you. This blog will give you everything you need to know about new motherhood, from birth to when your child gets to pre-school. It answers any question a new mom would have concerning feeding, dressing, handling breathing issues, and so much more. 

This blog will also give you tips to improve on post Partum and also on baby products.

A Little Bit of Lacquer

A little bit of lacquer is a blog written by a mom raising three daughters. She is Laura Scott, a medical doctor (a dermatologist). As you go through this blog, you will find every inspiration from a mother and a doctor. She manages to make parenting not only look fun but also achievable. 

In this blog, Scott shares beautiful things about her life and her family. She also shares about the food they eat, the trips they take, and even their clothes. Additionally, she shares tips on success in raising kids and going through medical school as she has written about her school life at the University of Miami.

Motherly

This is a blog written by not only one but a team of experts in motherhood. They will take you through the challenges of motherhood and how to smoothly get over them. They have seen it all; start with forgetting a snack on the road, terrible two tantrums, diaper blow out and the like. This blog gives real-life situations that are highly relational and educative too.

Momastery 

This is a blog written by Glennon Doyle Melton, a mother of 3 who is also a motivational speaker. Therefore if you feel discouraged about motherhood, she will uplift your spirit and keep you motivated.

Honest Mum

This blog is essentially vital for moms who feel alone. It will provide essential and more so entertaining advice for lonely mothers. It is written by a TV broadcaster Vicki Broadbent who has won multiple awards on lifestyle blogging. The main topics she has covered in this blog are food, lifestyle, and parenting. She guides mums on how to live a real mum life and survive and thrive at home and work.

Your Modern Family

Becky, a mother of four, is the author of this blog. She mainly focuses on marriage and motherhood. She also gives tips on saving money, recipes, ideas on organizing your home, and much more.

Mama Natural

This blog by Genevieve focuses more on pregnancy and postpartum. She is very educative besides having a huge following on youtube. Genevieve gives  directions to young moms who ;

• Are excited about getting pregnant
• Have just had a baby and are wondering what next
• Want to be more natural themselves
• And want to raise natural kids

Expectant and young mothers would find her very informative, besides other moms faced with these life questions.

Alpha Mom

Alpha Mom is a blog filled with powerful content. It covers a wide range of topics from pregnancy, parenting, family fun, and more. The blog is enjoyable for young mothers and also quite educative.

Working Mother

This blog is best suited for a young mom struggling to balance work and home life, in this case, between work and honest motherhood. Most mums struggle with this, and they will indeed find informative information on a magazine and websites. It is written by Vicki Broadbent, who has written informative blogs like honest mum.

Conclusion

Motherhood should be a fun, and enjoyable journey despite the challenges it comes with. For young moms out there trying to crack the journey should not feel overwhelmed or defeated. With the above blogs, your experience as a mom will change as you will relate to the stories of other young moms out there. Enjoy your read!

The post Top Blogs To Read For Young Moms appeared first on Young Mommy.

“In any case, the manager, after his employee went to work immediately after giving birth, should sit down at the negotiating table and establish new arrangements. For example, reduce the number of requirements for the woman, allow her to work with a free schedule, help her prioritize her work, and maybe even redistribute functionality (leave the employee the functions she does best with),” the expert comments.

“We use virtual office for interaction of remote employees and corporate portal for control and accounting of tasks performed. Our staff turnover is very low – no more than 5% per year. Several mothers have given birth to children and continue to work, performing the bulk of their duties remotely. I think the future is in this kind of maternity leave, when the mother is not physically away from home, and not wasting time on the road, has time to work, which allows not to lose qualifications, to continue to move up the career ladder and build professionalism.

Our expert advises women who want to combine motherhood and work to offer the boss to transfer them to a “remote location. Yes, at first there may be a slight decrease in wages, but it is compensated by the free schedule and the opportunity to devote more time to the baby.

“Remotely can continue to work PR, accountants, appraisers, marketers, brokers, consultants, realtors, programmers, designers – in general, almost all office workers. Virtual offices, CRM systems, data security solutions can all help you”.

Problems of working moms and ways to solve them.

It’s happening! Mom went to work. Now you can enjoy interaction with your colleagues, take part in the corporate life, improve your professional skills and not feel isolated from the civilized world. However, many working moms continue to be depressed. Let’s look into the reasons.

“As for the difficulties and some myths about women after maternity – there are a lot of them, and some of them, of course, have ground. Some find it hard to focus on work because they only think about the baby and feel guilty. Other ladies after a maternity leave, especially a long one, change their speech quite seriously, as all the time in maternity was occupied only with baby issues and the level of communication decreased significantly. Many really launch the appearance, as they stop thinking about themselves.

At the same time, the expert focuses on the other side of slow: “I am convinced that the birth of a child – a huge motivator for women. She can set the right priorities, build her schedule, get more efficiency. Time spent in maternity is the perfect training for her.”

To keep up her skills while on maternity leave, the mom recommends reading more, adding to her vocabulary, which quickly dries up. You should also try to maintain an active social life, communicate with colleagues and friends, not to shut yourself away. It is not superfluous to keep track of changes in your professional sphere.

“Does maternity leave affect career growth? Everything is very individual. There are ladies who immediately after maternity and thanks to it quickly enough reached professional heights due to their self-esteem, goals and desire. And there are opposite cases, when after the maternity leave, the employees stayed in the same positions for another 10 years.

So if you don’t want to drag out your maternity leave and lose your professional acumen, work at your own pleasure! The main thing is to have the support of your relatives, set your priorities correctly and agree the schedule with your superiors.

The post Working mom and bosses appeared first on Young Mommy.

Not an easy choice

“A child needs a mother’s warmth and attention. Also very important is a harmonious emotional state of the mother: her satisfaction with herself, her life and her self-fulfillment. And if a woman feels the need to fulfill in the profession, it is not necessary to give it up completely. If a woman goes to work, it does not mean that she is a bad mother, provided that she finds the strength to give the child warmth and affection.

According to the psychologist, it is much worse if a woman devotes her whole life to the child, periodically reminding herself of missed opportunities and at an unconscious level cultivating a sense of duty in the child. “I have sacrificed a lot for him, and therefore he must live up to my expectations,” is the mistaken reasoning of mothers.

There is no guarantee that a parent who is with her child 24 hours a day will give her maximum care and love.

“The role of the mother for such a woman becomes the leader, she adjusts her whole life to the child. The negative side is that interest is lost, there is lack of confidence in themselves in a professional context, there is no desire to look after myself.

Nobody cancelled the risks of short-term maternity leave. New mothers want to sit on two chairs: to raise a child and work productively. Unfortunately, not always both of these goals are achievable.

Usually “fix” with maternity rush business leaders and those who have no memory in love with their work, or those who suffer from hyperresponsibility. In order to avoid the consequences of maximum load psychologist Nadezhda Safyan advises to harmoniously combine the roles of mother, wife, employee and hostess.

“It is important to allocate your time wisely and prioritize. Also, you need to turn off perfectionism to some extent, to lower the bar, always find time to relax and do not feel guilty about it.

As the director for recruitment and business development SQ-Team Ksenia Gorbunova emphasizes, early retirement from maternity leave may be due to external factors – the possibility of losing the job or the urgent need for money, and the desire of the woman.

“If a woman is not 100% ready to devote herself to the child, she has someone to leave the baby with and she is not tormented by guilt, then she quickly enough joins the workplace, even in the presence of a huge hormonal failure. If the early exit from maternity leave is forced, then, of course, there may be difficulties. It is very important that the young mother is supported by loved ones at home and colleagues at work.

Advice from a psychologist:

• Do an internal revision of your needs, desires and priorities. After the birth of a child, life will not be the same as before. A woman will have to give part of her energy to her baby.
• With the birth of a child, some responsibilities (cleaning, work, housekeeping) will have to be given less time than before. Perhaps the rest of the family should be involved in resolving this issue.
• If a woman decides to go to work, you should consider who will take care of the baby in her absence.
• A working mother should find time to rest, because the greatest risks are associated with a high workload. Rest is also important because there is a hormonal change in a woman’s body, which can affect her ability to work.

The post Going to work right after giving birth appeared first on Young Mommy.

A woman’s breasts swell and enlarge, producing colostrum and then milk. Breastfeeding stimulates the production of oxytocin, which helps the uterus to contract, which, by the way, mom can even feel during feeding – when the lower abdomen feels like contractions.

During contractions, the damaged surface on the uterine wall, which appeared after the placenta was rejected, begins to heal. Postpartum secretions consisting of blood, tissue particles and blood secretions emerge from the wound.

Immediately after delivery, the uterus weighs 1 kg. Over the next six weeks it returns to its normal weight of 50-60 grams. The bloody discharge goes away after a few days. They can be quite active and even more abundant than in the first days of your period, but over time they become less intense. Postpartum discharge – lochia lasts for 5-6 weeks after delivery until the uterus contracts completely and returns to its normal size. This period is called the postpartum period.

Until the uterus contracted, it is important for a woman to be very careful with physical activity, exercise – not all of it will benefit you. In the first postpartum weeks should not throw all the power to return to its former slimness. At this stage of the young mother and her body a different problem.

For the postpartum period, nature has set aside 6 weeks. This includes the psychological phase – a time when a woman needs to think about what happened, to adapt to new feelings and sensations. It is a multi-stage and complicated process, the “quality” of the passage of which depends on the psycho-emotional stability of the mother. Her condition, in turn, affects the adaptation and development of the baby. Thus, some psychotherapists believe that certain areas of our brain are formed during the first six months of life and directly depend on the emotional relationship with the mother during these months.

The post Recovery after childbirth appeared first on Young Mommy.

The emotional lift and euphoria that occur immediately after birth is replaced by a decline in mood, sadness, uncertainty, confusion, and emotional discomfort for most women by the 2nd or 3rd day after birth. A mother may experience an inexplicable desire to cry, depression, and even irritation. The cause of this condition after childbirth is not reliably known, but there are versions of its occurrence. First, the rapid and powerful change in hormonal background in the last weeks of pregnancy and especially after childbirth can not help but affect the mood of the woman. “Hormonal shock” is a biological factor in the emergence of an anxious state. Secondly, for women who become mothers for the first time, the new role of “mom” brings a lot of anxiety and worry. In addition, after the long months of pregnancy have been passed, and the mother-to-be is used to her condition, after childbirth there is even a feeling of losing something important and dear. Third, the cause of tension can be physical fatigue. Constant lack of sleep, caused by the baby’s regimen and household chores, can take a woman out of her psychological equilibrium. Fourthly, an unhappy family environment (conflict and discord in a married couple, lack of support from loved ones and a sense of “family happiness” or a serious illness of a family member) can exacerbate a woman’s stress and lead to depression.

Psychologists also note that typological features of a woman’s personality and age aggravate her emotional state in the postpartum period:

• In the “risk group” of women-mothers under the age of 18 and over 35.
• Emotionally unstable type (excitable, spontaneous, impulsive).
• Anxious personality type with heightened sensitivity and mistrustfulness (heightened sensitivity to influences from outside).
• Emotionally immature, women with infantile traits who cannot withstand life’s blows.
• Rigid, straightforward, over-responsive women with hypernormative attitudes.

An unfavorable obstetrical and gynecological history, unwillingness to have a child or the severity of the child’s condition (for example, a pathology discovered or features in the baby’s health) also set the stage for postpartum depression.

Mood deterioration after childbirth should be distinguished from postpartum depression. Immediately after childbirth, against the background of hormonal restructuring, the woman’s mood worsens and “postnatal sadness” with the presence of depressive reactions – they are not as deep, short and reversible – occurs during the first two or three weeks to 1 month of the baby’s life. Such “postpartum moping” is manifested by a woman’s tearfulness, feelings of depression, insecurity, fear, insecurity.

Postpartum depression proper begins with 3-4 months of the baby’s life and lasts up to six months and more. The symptoms of postpartum depression include a constant, deep melancholy, inability to enjoy the baby and life in general, lack of interest in caring for the baby, decreased appetite, increased anxiety, insomnia.

While mood swings usually have little effect on overall health and pass fairly quickly, postpartum depression affects the entire body and may last a very long time. Anxiety, depression, fatigue, irritability, panic attacks, feelings of unreality of what is happening, poor sleep, loss of appetite and libido, helplessness in household chores, loss of love for your child – all these are signs of a fairly common postpartum depression. And its consequence is that the woman ceases to feel the joy of her own motherhood, stops taking care of her appearance, avoids communication and may even become addicted to drugs or alcohol.

The post Peculiarities of the psycho-emotional state of a woman after childbirth appeared first on Young Mommy.

Michelle used to be the deputy CEO of the dating network Badoo and decided to apply her knowledge to the world of motherhood. Thus was born the Peanut app, which allows mothers to connect with each other.

“Women today are told that we can get what we want, we just have to work hard,” Kennedy says. – “But with that comes a huge fear of failure, and you don’t want anyone to know that you’re having a hard time [with your baby]. So she’s created a comfortable space for an often-overlooked audience.

Get to know your clients

Kennedy knew how to build a social network and suddenly realized how much moms needed communication. “I had an idea, but I did what everyone else does: went back to work and implemented the idea,” Kennedy says.

Michelle knew her own needs, but wanted to hear from others. So she reached out to friends, and they asked their friends. Michelle tried to figure out what her audience needed, holding focus groups. “There was a lot of time, coffee and patience,” she recalls.

Don’t be afraid of the unknown

At first, Peanut wasn’t a major project for Michelle. At the time, she made her money through consulting services and board memberships at Bumble.

“I was running a big company and was an integral part of Bumble, so I saw something being built from the ground up. I knew what I had to do,” she says. “It got to the point where failing to test the app didn’t matter. I would have rather failed than become someone who talked about the same idea for months,” the woman said confidently. She was willing to dive in both financially and mentally.

“I had some savings, and I knew my life was going to change. I started working hard. No days off. It wasn’t an option,” Michelle believes.

Plan

There were some things Michelle was sure of. For example, the name of the app. “I always thought of Peanut because that’s what I called my tummy when I was pregnant,” she says. What would the app look like? It was already less clear. With the help of a former colleague, Michelle designed the layout. It took more than a week to create. In the midst of turning the idea into reality, she began to receive positive feedback.

“I was in New York for the Bumble event and told Bumble founder Whitney my plans,” Kennedy says. “She responded enthusiastically, which was great because she was the first person I talked to about it (besides friends),” Michelle added. So once again she made sure she was doing the right thing, even though she never doubted her decision. “The cost to mothers is $3 trillion,” she said. – This is no joke. I never worried about it because I did my research.”

Develop connections to find investors

Kennedy was constantly expanding her circle of acquaintances among mothers to research and understand her audience. In addition, she reached out to her old work acquaintances to find other connections and investors.

“Here’s what I used to say: “‘Can you introduce me to this person, do you know anybody who does that?’ I really believe that if you’re straightforward about what you want and pay for it, people will be willing to help,” Michelle states.

And it didn’t matter at all that Kennedy was already a well-known leader in his industry. “I knew I had earned my recognition. I didn’t feel like I was asking for something I shouldn’t be asking for. And if people said no, well, no problem!” she says.

Find a team The terms of her contract at her previous job prevented Kennedy from hiring former colleagues, so she urgently needed a new team. She already had a designer, but she needed a programmer. Michelle was introduced to him by a friend. At first they just discussed the idea, but later the programmer agreed to collaborate. So she hired a second person to join the team. “We started in September 2016, and by the following February we had a release,” Michelle recalls.

Release the product.

The team launched a beta version of Peanut – and lots of women started using the not-so-finished app. “It was a blessing and a curse,” Kennedy says. – We certainly wanted people to use it.”

“We were changing the product very quickly,” Kennedy says. – We were excited about a bunch of people downloading the beta version. But on the other hand, we wanted to cry because we just weren’t ready. But you have to accept the situation for what it is.”

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