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Winter presents many people with a great challenge. Here are the right tips for escaping the winter and enjoying even the dark hours.

Do you suffer from the cold and dark winter days and want to escape? Then you can either make the most of your time in your own four walls or take a short trip. Here’s how you can use a vacation, trip to a spa, or your own home to escape the winter.

1) A journey into the warm

When winter is in full swing and temperatures are below freezing, an easy solution to escaping this nasty weather is by booking a trip to a warmer country. Travel is often associated with high costs. But if you are only looking for a warmer travel destination, then there are cheap travel destinations for the winter even within Europe.

Portugal, for example, still has relatively pleasant temperatures even in winter. However, if you want to enjoy real warmth, then certain regions in Turkey or Egypt are ideal. The flight to these destinations takes only a few hours and the costs are relatively low. The places are regularly flown to and you can count on the fact that some German is also spoken at the holiday destination.
Even if you can’t get a vacation, you can still use the holidays to switch off and escape the winter.

2) A trip to the wellness oasis

Holidays abroad are certainly the best way to escape the winter in Germany. But there is not always enough time for this or the budget is not enough for the whole family. A visit to a wellness facility in the vicinity can give you a holiday feeling and help you get through the dark and cold days.
Whether you prefer to stay in the sauna, take a warm bath, or enjoy a massage. In winter it makes a lot of sense for your own well-being to spend a weekend in this warmer environment. Especially at Christmas time, many resorts offer vouchers to give away and reduced prices. As a gift idea, these are welcome and will probably make every recipient happy. Or make yourself a winter spa at home.

3) Experience the Christmas market

Winter can also present itself from a beautiful side. The Christmas market is one of the amenities that can only be admired in winter. You can immerse yourself in a fairytale world with your own children and, if the Christmas market offers it, also admire small animals.

In the evening you can meet up with friends for a mulled wine and warm your body a little from the inside. The Christmas market offers a variety of opportunities to spend some time with family and friends. Do you remember how you admired the big Christmas tree with warm cocoa as a child? Pass on some of this Christmas spirit and you will notice that winter can also have its beautiful sides.

4) Visit the solarium

Some people can hardly see anything positive about winter. Dark and cold days can quickly spoil the mood. Winter depression has become a real problem and poses an ever greater threat to the population. More and more people are tied to the office during the day or have to do household chores.

Lack of sunshine leads to decreased production of vitamin D. Studies have shown that this is a direct cause of poor mood. But if the sun hides behind the clouds and you hardly have the opportunity to use the few hours of sunshine a week, then going to the solarium is a way of stimulating the production of vitamin D. It’s not about looking as tanned as possible. A visit a week or every two weeks is enough to put some vitamin D back into the body. Your mood will rise noticeably and you will feel better.

5) Make yourself comfortable at home

You don’t always have to look far to escape the winter. Winter is a lovely time to curl up at home with family. Enjoy a relaxing movie night or do handicrafts with your children. Such moments are often neglected during the summer. After all, the children are out and about more often and spend a lot of time outside.

In winter you can get closer as a family again. There are some activities you can do at home during the dark season. Handicrafts, baking cookies, or making music can provide a short break from winter.
Of course, you can also spend time in nature. Walks or sleigh rides are also a nice change

Save money online with Cashback. The principle is great: get money back when shopping on the Internet. So you can save and shopping is much more fun. We explain how it works.

Get money back when shopping

Earn miles or points – you probably know the principle of getting points credited to your customer account for every purchase or booking. And if you have enough together, you can choose more or less great rewards for it. Or you can have this credited to the purchase of another product. Wouldn’t it be great if you were paid money instead of points? This works out. With so-called cashback.

What is Cash Back Shopping?

Cash is credited to the provider account for every purchase made on the Internet. You can then have the amount paid out to your free checking account. Of course, this makes online shopping really fun. The whole thing is called cashback, which means “get money back”. In some cases, you can get back up to 30% of the order amount.

Difference between bonus program and cashback

Cashback campaigns are a one-time purchase incentive to promote sales of certain products. In contrast, the bonus program is applied to every purchase to earn points. If you now combine both, you can really save money.

How does cashback shopping work?

In order to benefit from cashback payments, you need a provider who can show a corresponding number of partner shops and who also has the technical solution ready. And this is how it works:

  1. You register for free on the website of a program provider and create your account.
  2. Confirm the customer account with the confirmation link from the email.
  3. Access the partner shop from the vendor list, then shop as usual.
  4. After purchase, it takes up to 72 hours for the amount to appear in your customer account.
  5. Payments are made from a minimum amount of €5 after approval by the retailer.

Procedure at the cashback provider

How does the money get back after registration? In principle, it is very simple. Because you can shop as usual. You should only make sure that you let the respective cashback portal redirect you to the partner site so that the purchase can be registered. Thus, the online shopping brings nice advantages. Accordingly, proceed as follows:

  1. Select from the provider in partner shops.
  2. Shop in this online shop as usual.
  3. The purchase is recorded and saved as a cashback credit.

Earning opportunities with cashback

Active members earn an average of 20-40 EUR per month. Even higher earnings are possible through bargains and the redemption of vouchers. Because you can choose from hundreds of well-known and well-known online shops where you receive a refund for internet orders that you would have ordered anyway. You can earn even more by referring friends. So this can be a clever way to make money on the internet.

Do I really get money or is there a catch?

You don’t have to expect a catch. Because the operator of the cashback platform gets a commission if he puts you in touch with an internet retailer and you buy something there. Then he shares the commission according to the principle of profit-sharing. Because this is worthwhile for a large number of customers and can therefore be regarded as a serious model. In addition, this is common practice in e-commerce. Consequently, every large Internet retailer either has its own so-called affiliate program or operates an affiliate program through a specialized affiliate service.

What do I have to consider with cashback?

The conditions of the partner shop apply to the cashback. For example, no cashback will be given on purchases that you have returned as a customer. Usually, only one bonus program per purchase is used. However, you can read the respective conditions in advance so that there are no ambiguities here. And from a technical point of view, it only matters that your browser accepts cookies. This is the only way the purchases can be assigned to your account.

The summer holidays can get pretty long when you don’t know how to keep the kids and yourself busy. With our leisure activities with children and great ideas for the summer, the possibilities are endless and make everyday fun.

Spending the summer holidays with children

Every year the children look forward to the summer holidays. Then it’s time to meet friends and have fun. But for many families, it also means a little stress. After all, the children want to be employed. Although children can usually keep themselves busy on their own or like to play with siblings and friends, it is never wrong to have one or two leisure ideas for the long summer holidays. Therefore we have collected some activities for the holidays:

1) Play board games

Board games are and will always be classics. Because they do not lose their appeal despite technological advances and numerous games available on the Internet. On the contrary: They are ideal for children and adults. This allows the whole family to play together. In addition to the most popular board games listed below, there are numerous new board games that are fun to play. You can also invent your own board game. This also encourages children’s creativity.

  • Cluedo
  • Man don’t fret
  • monopoly
  • risk
  • Mill

2) Water fun during the summer holidays

In the summer holidays, it can get pretty hot in some places. Then children want to go outside and they love to swim. So it is a good leisure activity to take children to the outdoor pool or to the nearest lake. Even a day at the sea or in an aqua park can keep the kids busy for hours thanks to the many slides and pools.

3) Bake cakes or cookies during the summer holidays

If the kids are too young to bake alone, you can make this a family affair. So look for a delicious cake recipe together with your children, buy the ingredients, and off you go. Kids will have fun weighing, mixing, icing, and decorating ingredients. The children feel particularly useful and will enjoy their homemade cake with even more joy.

4) Enroll the child in a vacation program

During the summer holidays, the range of holiday programs and holiday camps is particularly wide. There is the right offer for every child. As a result, you can encourage your child to participate in a program that interests them. Then, on the one hand, it will learn new skills, increasing its self-confidence. On the other hand, they will spend their day in a fulfilling way and make new friends. The rule here is that the more participants, the better.

5) Allow children to play outdoors

Sometimes it doesn’t have to be unusual leisure activities with children. Because the often beautiful weather in summer invites you to spend time outside. The aim is to detach the children from the television and motivate them to spend the afternoons outdoors. Here the possibilities to play are numerous. Here are some ideas for you and your kids to enjoy time outdoors:

  • Collect strange objects that you find outside
  • Host a scavenger hunt
  • Send a message in a bottle
  • Race with balloons
  • Play sack race

6) Read a good book

Since children have very different interests, your child may enjoy reading. Then you and your child should look for new books that will immerse them in a new world. Not only will the days pass quickly, but the children’s imagination will also be stimulated. If your child likes stories but refuses to read, many books are available in audio versions. Or let your children write a story.

7) Plan a craft day

Crafting is fun and encourages creativity. And you can get by with just a few materials that you probably have in the household. Thus, it is one of the best leisure activities for children. So you might already be able to create homemade gifts for Christmas. Because Christmas often comes faster than you think.

A stressful everyday life demands a lot from people and families. These days the weeks are full of important tasks and appointments. You quickly lose track of things. Effective time management is required to ensure that everything runs smoothly in household and family life. Therefore use practical tips for organizing everyday life.

Organize stressful everyday life

Anyone who makes sure that everything runs smoothly in the household and garden and in family life on a daily basis has to cope with an enormous workload. The many small and large tasks and needs in everyday family life are usually taken care of seven days a week without long breaks. Then organizational talent is one of the core competencies.

Good planning is required to ensure that no important things are forgotten in the multitude of your tasks and appointments. Consequently, we have collected practical tips for effective time management. So you can organize your everyday life perfectly and survive stressful times. Because a permanently stressful everyday life blocks the view of beauty.

1) Effective time management relieves the head

A well-organized everyday family life initially requires some work. Ultimately, this helps you save valuable resources, relieve your head, and effectively reduce stress. There are various practical helpers for this, such as a family planner calendar. This helps to organize everyday life. There are many different types of family planners on the market. You can choose the number of columns, the layout, the size, and the design according to your needs. Ideally, the family planner offers enough space for entries and hangs in a central place, for example in the kitchen.

2) Use family planner apps

When everyday life is full of appointments and important tasks, a family planner is an indispensable aid for effective time management. Since the whole family is usually digitally networked via smartphone, you can also manage your family planner via an app. You can enter appointments immediately after the agreement and send them to the other family members. The computer magazine CHIP has tested some popular family planner apps.

Discipline is required for the family planner to serve its purpose. Consequently, every family member should enter important appointments as soon as possible, preferably with the time, place, and any important additional information, such as documents to be brought along. If long-term preparations are required, such as baking cakes for the kindergarten bazaar, you should enter the date early. In this way, you ensure effective time management in everyday life.

3) Write down important information

Countless pieces of information are processed in our heads every day. This includes meal planning, to-dos, or preparations for the next children’s birthday party. So that you don’t forget anything during a stressful day, you should always write down important information immediately. Use a notepad, sticky note, or chalkboard for this. In addition, highlight important information on the note with a highlighter. That way they catch your eye better. Also, get rid of notes that are no longer up-to-date. As a result, you can better deal with the challenges of household chores.

4) The three minute rule for effective time management

There are many small and large tasks that fill the day. What seems manageable at the beginning of the day all too often turns into stress because individual activities are postponed for too long. The three-minute rule helps. After this, you should immediately tackle all activities that can be completed within a maximum of three minutes. This includes quick house cleaning, such as putting away a dirty plate or taking out the rubbish. In contrast, move tasks that take longer to a more convenient time slot. Consequently, the three-minute rule helps you to prevent tasks from being postponed and to organize your everyday life perfectly.

5) Use paths in the household sensibly

Also, do tasks “on the fly” that are otherwise extra items on your to-do list. So if you run a cleaning rag over the railing when going from the first floor to the ground floor, you can already delete this detail from your own cleaning plan. Or use the empty laundry basket with the fresh laundry to carry the dirty laundry back to the washing machine. You can also transport other things that are in the wrong place. As a result, you can easily organize and save time. This is effective time management.

6) Organize everyday life and get tasks done early

When something unpredictable happens, everyday life becomes stressful. Therefore, you should do the foreseeable well in advance. The classic is getting Christmas presents, which is really no fun in December. Because as the year progresses, more gift seekers push through the crowded shops. So get those tasks done early.

7) Combine errands sensibly

You can also combine important errands and weekly shopping for effective time management in everyday life. Apps, such as a clever shopping app, can also help you here. If you use a shopping app, you can go to the store that sells the detergent on your way home – without having to travel extra.

When it gets cold in winter and they spend the time at home, it can quickly become boring. These activities will keep the kids entertained at home during the winter.

In winter, children spend more time at home and this means that they are at risk of being bored or just watching TV. But you can also spend the time in a meaningful way, for example, painting or doing handicrafts. Here you will find 5 pedagogically valuable tips on how you can use the wintertime together with your children at home without getting bored.

Use the winter for joint activities

Usually, your kids will spend most of their time outdoors and playing with other kids. In the morning you go to school and afterward you might meet to play football or explore the area. You hardly have the opportunity to spend much time with your child. After all, it also has to study for school and pursue other hobbies.

However, winter is a quieter time. If it gets dark and cold earlier, your children should no longer play outside alone. It is safer if you entertain them on your own four walls and spend the time together.

But how can you spend time with your children in a meaningful way without getting bored quickly? Here are the best tips that will be fun for both you and your kids. So you can use the winter for hours together.

1) painting

Children have very strong imaginations. As an adult, this children’s world may not always be comprehensible, but children are brimming with ideas. Painting can help children express these ideas and create their own fantasy world.

As a parent, you should therefore let the children’s imagination run wild in winter. If the children don’t have the opportunity to let off steam outdoors, you can do this at home with paper and pens.

You can also buy special learning books to encourage children’s painting skills. Perhaps your child has already shown a special interest or talent? Then encourage this by buying a coloring book that can improve your child’s skills. Perhaps the simple hobby will develop into a passion that will last a lifetime?

2) Crafting

Children like to be busy with practical things and love to design something themselves. With craft paper and suitable scissors, your children can create patterns, for example, and let their imagination run wild.
If there are still some autumn leaves lying on the streets, they can also be used as a craft idea. Leaves and flowers can be pressed into a book or used as a template.

During the Christmas season, you can also make beautiful Christmas decorations together with your children. Stars and other shapes can be hung on the windows or on Christmas trees. This gives your home a much more personal touch and your children will be happy to have helped design their own environment.

3) learn magic tricks

Children are always easily impressed by magic tricks. If you have small children in the household yourself, then you don’t have to be the best magician to impress your own children. Even small coins are enough to create illusions that are difficult for children to explain.

When the children are a bit older, you can also do card tricks. These are usually very easy to learn, but difficult to understand without explanation. Perhaps your children are interested in these magic tricks and would like to learn them themselves? Then a small magic box helps to learn a wide range of tricks. In this way, your children will soon be able to impress their classmates.

4) Conduct experiments

Do your children already go to school and are always curious to learn something new? Learning does not always have to be associated with boredom or work. There are also simple experiments that you can do at home and still teach your kids something.

With a simple experiment you can, for example, make peppers bounce. To do this, sprinkle some coarse-grained salt on the table and add finely ground pepper. A plastic spoon is rubbed on a wool cloth and then held over the mixture. The pepper is attracted by the electrical charging of the spoon. But the salt stays on the table. Or let your children write with secret ink.

In this way, your child can learn through play and be interested in physical or chemical experiments.

5) Appropriate game ideas

Of course, every child also likes to play. The handicrafts can even serve as a basis for the later game. Games can be made with simple home remedies.

For example, you can create various throwing games with paper plates and kitchen rolls. To do this, cut out the middle of the paper plate so that only the outer ring remains. The “hollow” paper plate can now be thrown onto the kitchen roll. Different targets at different distances can be rated with points. So you can combine handicrafts and games together with your child. Also, note our tips for childcare in the home office.

The holiday season has begun and the holiday trip with the family begins. Good planning is half the battle to ensure that the trip and the actual stay at the destination remain as free of complications as possible. Therefore note useful tips for traveling with children.

Relaxed travel with children

Long car, train, or plane journeys with children are usually exhausting for everyone. Because the children quickly get bored and a lack of activity ends in restlessness and constant nagging. So why not make your holiday trip exciting too? Because even in the smallest of spaces there are numerous ways to keep the children occupied in a playful way. The children can also train their ability to concentrate, logical thinking, and general knowledge.

1) Game ideas for vacation trips with the family

Even when playing in the car, boredom can set in quickly if children feel under or overwhelmed. Therefore, adapt the games to your children (age and ability).

  • The guessing classic “Who am I?”. Here a player thinks about a person or an animal and the others ask about it. The questions are only allowed. be answered with “yes” or “no”. Who or what it is about, for example, can be wonderfully adapted to all age groups. Very young children, choose people and animals they are constantly confronted with, such as grandma, grandpa, or a dog. Older people can then solve well-known personalities such as “Angela Merkel”.
  • “I can see what you can not see”. Of course, you can only choose things that are inside and don’t immediately disappear in front of the window.
  • You can play “I’m packing my suitcase” in different environment variants with different levels of difficulty. Or vary the course of the game by orienting the packed things to themes.
  • Card games are always a great way to keep yourself busy. You can also play different card games with one deck. So you ensure enough variety on your holiday trip with the family.

2) Provide variety when traveling with children

If the course of the game is always the same, the need for variety quickly arises. If you have already tried out some games on your holiday trip and are still bored, you can also paint. Older children can also read on the trip. So pack books or magazines. The “wagon rally” is also well suited for long train journeys. Think about suitable questions in advance that you can ask your children. For example, “How many trash cans are in our compartment and in the next?” or “How many passengers wear glasses?”. Then send your children on a little scavenger hunt and reward them with a small prize at the end.

3) Discuss the process in advance

If you are traveling with several children, it goes without saying that they have different ideas and wishes for the holiday. The larger the age difference between the children, the further the ideas drift apart. So that you take all wishes into account and don’t neglect anyone, it is important to talk about plans and make compromises before you go on vacation.

Accordingly, discuss beforehand which points and attractions are on your agenda. This prevents disputes at the holiday destination. So every family member gets their money’s worth and everyone knows what they can look forward to. To do this, learn to train your sense of direction and find your way back in unfamiliar surroundings.

4) Prepare for complications

Not only the actual vacation but also the arrival needs to be planned. Good preparation is essential, especially if you are traveling with children. If the trip lasts longer, it is advisable to keep the youngsters occupied with the games mentioned above or similar. If you are planning a flight, you should prepare the dear little ones for the inconveniences that may arise.

For example, the well-known pressure on the ears when taking off or landing the plane. This pressure isn’t a big deal because it’s only caused by a change in air pressure, but it can be felt to be quite uncomfortable or even painful. An important tip to pass on to your kids is to keep your mouth closed during starting and charging. This regulates the pressure in the inner ear better.

5) Provide UV protection when traveling with children

Especially during the summer vacation, one hopes for good weather and lots of sunshine. However, the sun’s rays can also trigger negative reactions, such as sunburn or even sunstroke. A sunscreen with a high sun protection factor is essential, but not the only measure you should take.

In addition, avoid direct sunlight, wear a sun hat, and don’t forget to protect your eyes from the sun’s rays that are too bright. Sunglasses have the positive side effect that they are not only useful but also a trendy accessory. You have to pay attention to the UV protection of the glasses so that your eyes are protected as best as possible.

Pets, especially young animals, who are experiencing Christmas for the first time can really mess up a celebration. Especially pet owners who do not have much experience with dogs or cats themselves are quickly overwhelmed. So here are a few useful tips.

Merry Christmas to pets

Pets hate Christmas, especially when you dress them up in tacky costumes and use them for family photos. But what can you do to make Christmas with pets relaxing and fun for everyone? We have the most important tips for your Christmas without stress.

1) Avoid toxic Christmas items

Since pets love to explore their surroundings, avoid toxic Christmas items or keep them in a safe place. Therefore, you should avoid the poisonous plants in the apartment. These include the poinsettia, which is popular at Christmas, and also the mistletoe. In addition, candles, cotton apples, and nuts with gold varnish are extremely indigestible to animal stomachs. Also, the pets should not get a piece of the Christmas roast.

2) Stable Christmas decorations for pets

Likewise, a Christmas tree with tinsel and glittering glass balls is gorgeous and will entice any cat to play with it. Consequently, plastic ornaments, springs made of salt dough, nuts, or wooden toys are better suited for decorating the Christmas tree here. So do without everything fragile and dangerous in the Christmas tree.

3) Be careful with candles

If you’re spending Christmas with pets, put away candles to avoid painful injuries. Because real burning candles or a burning candle in an Advent arrangement are extremely dangerous. A tree is easily knocked down or a candle swept off the table.

4) Spend Christmas somewhere else with pets

Christmas with pets can get stressful when you’re invited to the traditional Christmas dinner elsewhere. Because not everyone has enough space in their own home or is afraid of dogs. Therefore, plan in advance who and when you will go somewhere else. Consequently, you have to decide whether your pet can come with you or stay at home. If your pet is left alone at home, you should ensure that there is sufficient security.

5) Christmas gifts for pets

Almost every pet food manufacturer offers beautiful Christmas gifts for pets. Santa Claus coats, booties, and the like are fun for the owner, but not for the animal. Besides, treats are treats, whether in expensive Christmas packaging or in the usual one. But the animal will definitely love toys. But beware, funny plush figures are often offered or plastic toys that are life-threatening for the four-legged friend.

Christmas is just around the corner every year. But the festival is usually expensive. Because gifts, food, Christmas tree, and decorations are expensive. So how are you supposed to celebrate Christmas when you’re short on cash? We’ve collected tips on how to save money this Christmas.

Tips for a cheap Christmas party

Low-income families, in particular, mostly families with only one income and several children, face major challenges every Christmas. Because they too want to have a nice Christmas party. But how can you serve a delicious meal, set up a Christmas tree, and at the same time make all the children happy with the gifts they want without spending a fortune?

And what do you do when the Christmas bonus, if you still get it at all, has been planned for half a year for an urgent car repair? We’ve collected a few ways to help you have a merry Christmas even when money is tight.

1) Celebrate Christmas with an inexpensive banquet

While most will throw up a traditional Christmas dinner, it’s not a must. After all, most children prefer their favorite dish, spaghetti bolognese, to a feast of roast meat, dumplings, and vegetables. And if we are honest, the delicious dessert is usually the highlight for children. And a delicious dessert can be prepared cheaply. For example, you can cheaply create a delicious quark dish with additional powder. Or often a delicious chocolate cake is enough for dessert.

2) Homemade Christmas presents

For most parents, not being able to afford great gifts is heartbreaking. And of course, it is normal that not every wish can be fulfilled, this is not possible even with higher-earning families. If it is possible for you, you should try to fulfill a larger or smaller heart’s desire for each child, even if there may only be one present. You can also give away homemade Christmas gifts. So you can cheaply produce and give away great room fragrances, massage oil, baking mixes, or edibles. Or use the following tips to make your children happy anyway:

  • Share costs with other family members. Because if grandma and grandpa, as well as uncles and aunts, want to give something as a present, you can do well together and fulfill larger wishes. And that doesn’t just work for children’s gifts.
  • Giving away valuable time. In stressful everyday life, there is often little time to consciously take time for others. Humans are social beings who need an exchange. So give some of your time. Then take a walk through the forest, have a coffee or watch a film together.
  • Used items are often in good condition. On the Internet, you can find many well-preserved things for a small price. So you can make others happy despite the lack of money. You can also find used laptops or cheap mobile phones here.
  • Start saving early. If you put something aside every now and then throughout the year, it can be used for great gifts at Christmas. So do without the coffee to go or for sweets at the checkout for the children.
  • Gift hunt all year round. If you know what your children or friends want, you can look for offers and sales all year round, there might be something suitable. In addition, it is better than just getting presents shortly before. So you avoid stress at Christmas.

3) Inexpensive decorations to celebrate Christmas

A suitable decoration is also part of the Christmas party. But this is also very expensive in retail or on the Internet. So take some time and make edible Christmas decorations, for example. This can still be used afterward and tastes delicious. You can also decorate the Christmas tree with this Christmas decoration. Use cookies, dried oranges, cinnamon sticks, or anise stars. Then let your creativity run free and you can celebrate Christmas in a relaxed manner.

4) Prioritize being together

A truly harmonious get-together can make Christmas a very special event. Away from the stress of everyday life, sitting together and watching the children unwrap their presents by candlelight can be very satisfying even with little money to back you up. Maybe a single friend would be happy about an invitation to the Christmas party. If charity and harmony are in the foreground, then material things quickly become secondary for a while. You should treat yourself to this time because the stressful everyday life comes back quickly enough on its own.

When the baby has constipation, parents can use natural home remedies to cure the problem. In addition, the causes of the blockage should be found and eliminated. Therefore, we have summarized the most important information and home remedies.

Recognizing constipation in babies and children

Many parents worry if their little one doesn’t have a big deal in their diaper at least once a day. However, one only speaks of real constipation if the child has not had a bowel movement for several days in a row. A hard stool or small balls of the stool are also signs of constipation. A bloated tummy or abdominal pain are also warning signs. Then you should definitely consult a doctor.

Causes of Baby Constipation

The causes of constipation in babies and small children can be very diverse. A malformation of the intestine can be the cause, but it can also be caused by a change in diet (processed milk instead of breast milk, introduction of supplementary food) or an intolerance. In addition, lack of exercise, not enough fluids, or changes in the daily routine are also a reason for a baby to be constipated.

Treat constipation in babies with home remedies

When the baby is constipated, one often wonders what to do? To help your baby get rid of constipation, there are some natural home remedies for constipation. These are harmless and support digestion in a natural way:

1) Make sure you drink enough fluids

The food in the intestine can be better removed from the body if enough water or herbal tea is drunk. You should therefore make sure that your baby is drinking enough liquid. But do not resort to sweetened drinks here, as this can negatively affect a healthy intestinal flora. You can also add lactose to the liquid, which has a laxative effect and is harmless to the child.

2) Eat high-fiber foods

Dietary fibers are an important component for well-functioning digestion. They increase the volume of a meal so that the stool volume also increases. As a result, intestinal activity is stimulated and bowel movements are facilitated. Therefore, when feeding your baby and child, make sure you have enough dietary fiber.

3) Soaked dried fruit and grape juice

Delicious dried fruit and grape juice are proven home remedies for constipation. Because they contain a lot of fiber. Anyone who has ever eaten one to three prunes or something else knows how quickly you have to go to the toilet. So that the baby or child can eat it well, you should soak it and chop it up.

4) Exercise helps against baby constipation

Exercise is healthy for young and old. In addition, sufficient exercise in everyday life ensures that digestion works. Since babies are usually not that active on the road, you can imitate a few cycling movements with their little legs. In this way, you promote the movement of the little ones.

5) Avoid constipating foods

Fighting constipation in the baby with home remedies is a good way to gently cure it. But even the omission of certain foods can help babies and toddlers to eliminate the unpleasant problem. Therefore, avoid constipating foods such as bananas or white bread. Instead, eat a high-fiber diet with peas, broccoli, or plums. To do this, look for suitable baby food recipes on the internet.

6) Tummy massages for baby constipation

A gentle abdominal massage also helps against baby constipation. To do this, simply massage the child’s stomach in a clockwise direction after meals. This stimulates intestinal activity. Another proven method is rectal fever measurement since the insertion of the thermometer stimulates the intestines. Consequently, there is often movement in the matter! Also note important tips for potty training.

The papaya has long since conquered its fixed place on the domestic fruit shelves. The fruit, which weighs about one pound and is also known as “tree melon”, can be found there all year round.

Its juice, leaves, pulp and even the seeds are said to have numerous health benefits. Papaya is said to help you lose weight, relieve gastrointestinal problems, strengthen the immune system, serve as a natural contraceptive, supposedly even cure cancer and much more. Scientific studies should also prove these effects, which the Indians have been using for centuries.

At first glance, it sounds so great that there must be at least one catch. We went on a search and looked at the super fruit papaya from all sides.

Papaya tree, papaya bush or something else?

The papaya, scientific name Carica papaya, belongs to the melon tree family. However, the papaya tree, which is 3 to 10 meters high, is not a real tree, but a very special plant species. Although tree-like in appearance, the trunk is not woody and is therefore not considered a tree or shrub in the botanical sense, but is classified as a herb. That alone makes the tree melon, which grows in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, something special.

The fruits of the papaya tree are therefore berries, which can be very different in size and weight depending on the variety. The Hawaiian papaya variety “Solo” that is mostly commercially available in this country weighs around 500 grams. Other varieties, for example in Mexico, reach a weight of 3 to 6 kilograms. The skin of a ripe fruit is yellow-green, the sweet, juicy flesh is light orange to pink. The black kernels inside are the seeds of the papaya tree, which are edible and taste slightly peppery.

Vitamins, Minerals and Calories of Papaya

Of course, papaya not only contains the enzymes, but also many other valuable nutrients. The pulp, for example, is a real vitamin C bomb, just 100 grams almost cover the daily requirement of an adult. The tree melon also contains vitamins A, E, B1 to B6 and folic acid.

The fruit provides minerals in particular potassium, calcium and magnesium, but also manganese, iron, copper and zinc. But it is economical with calories: Only 32 kcal per 100 g make the tropical fruit very suitable for dieting. And the other nutritional values ​​of the papaya are also impressive, as it mainly contains water and fiber, some fructose and no fat.

Eating a papaya properly

Papaya can be eaten raw as a healthy snack between meals. To do this, halve the ripe fruit, recognizable by the yellow skin and the soft flesh. Then remove the seeds and scoop the flesh straight out of the skin. Alternatively, you can also peel the fruit, separate the pulp and seeds and mix it into muesli or fruit salad.

The seeds are edible, but because of the pungent taste they are usually dried and then used. You should only ever eat the ripe melon raw, an unripe fruit tastes bitter and is hardly edible. The unripe melon contains a particularly large number of valuable enzymes.

Papaya Recipes: Smoothie, Salad and More

There are many papaya recipes, the name “tree melon” already gives it away: A ripe papaya fits anywhere a melon fits. A quick appetizer can be conjured up from the tropical fruit with raw ham or a carpaccio as a vegetarian variant. Peel an unripe papaya, cut it into pieces and cook it in a stew with meat or poultry. Fans of Thai cuisine will love the fruity-spicy papaya salad in all variations – quickly prepared, it brings variety to everyday kitchen life. Processed with bananas, oranges and other fruits into an exotic smoothie, the tree melon is the ideal source of vitamin C for gray winter days.

Small cores with a big effect

Seeds are said to be the most effective ingredient in tree melon. They are usually not eaten with the fresh fruit, but as cleaned and dried grains. Because of their similarity to peppercorns and their slightly peppery note, papaya seeds used to be used to dilute expensive pepper. Today, the seeds, which are not really cheap at around 30 euros per kilo, are chewed pure or ground over food, as in the countries of origin. The kernels act as a tenderizer, especially with meat, which is why concentrates from them are still used in industry today.

The papaya kernels are now used not only in the regions of origin, but also in Europe for various “medicinal” purposes. The grains serve as a natural anthelmintic (anti-wormer) for humans or pets. In addition, the consumption of a tablespoon of seeds daily makes men temporarily unable to conceive after about three months – it is said. This makes the seeds a practical, natural contraceptive.

The seeds also help with gastrointestinal complaints, for example after a sumptuous meal. Chewing a tablespoon of it supports digestion and relieves the stomach and intestines.

The secret of the papaya: enzymes as the active ingredient

The papaya enzymes, especially papain, are responsible for the positive health effects of the fruit. The pulp and seeds also contain chymopapain A and B, and the leaves also contain saponins, alkaloids and glucosinolates. Papain is very similar to pepsin, one of the most important enzymes in the stomach. Papain is able to break down proteins, which explains its support for digestion and its effect as a meat tenderizer.

There are numerous studies and investigations on the medical effects of papaya enzymes, ranging from contraceptives to wound healing to the treatment of cancer. For example, a study published in the Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences in 2010 found papain to improve wound healing, suggesting an effect in conditions such as psoriasis. And this papaya enzyme also seems to be a promising treatment option for the consequences of type II diabetes.

When it comes to cancer therapy, the tree melon can also score points. In test series, their enzymes showed a tumor-reducing or even tumor-dissolving effect. And even with dengue fever, a widespread tropical disease, the enzymes in the papaya improve or even cure it.

Does papaya really heal almost everything?

The positive effect of papaya for humans is far from proven; more than 600 scientific studies only provide strong evidence. Most of this has been done either in test tubes, with cell cultures, or in animal experiments. A transfer of the effects to the human organism is therefore possible, but not guaranteed. Although the therapy against dengue fever has also been tested on humans, individual case studies and small samples are not meaningful enough for a proven effect. The same applies to the treatment of gastrointestinal complaints. Although an improvement was found in the people treated, the samples were far too small for general statements. Nevertheless, the papaya remains a hopeful starting point for future therapies.

Side effects of papaya

Of course, what is effective also has side effects. Papaya in its natural form (seeds, pulp or leaf extract) is considered relatively safe. However, the tree melon contains the so-called papaya latex, which can trigger cross-reactions with latex allergies. People with this allergy should therefore avoid papaya and all its components.

The same applies to pregnant women and people with a tendency to bleed or those who take blood thinners. The ingredients of the fruit can cause uncontrolled bleeding, primitive people used high doses as an abortifacient. In high doses (possible, for example, when eating papaya capsules), papain can lead to hypoglycaemia. Likewise, some people are allergic to papain or other enzymes found in tree melon.