Five Major Things Every Parent Should Have In Place
Happy Monday mamas! So excited to share these gems with you. My mama-friend, Jael Marajh, founder of NurtureUp, a postpartum doula, birth doula, lactation specialist and speaker, thought it would be cool to share a bit of her experience and some key necessities for life—for you and your littles. Topics that we don’t necessarily touch on day-to-day, but are imperative that we have these conversations to have things in place. The goal is to break the narrative. The goal is to break the cycles that are overdue for change. This is what I emphasize every single day (if you follow me on instagram, you know). Proper planning, preparing and then executing—especially when it comes to building wealth and success for our littles. I am so here for it. Let’s get into it.
Jael: Becoming a mom at such a young age, I was faced with two choices, sink or swim. Scared and feeling helpless, I searched, observed, read and asked questions to every parent I encountered. Excited about all that I discovered and desperate to improve my circumstances, I learned about couponing, online classes, and a host of other skills that became my solid foundation and started my growth process. Below are my top five tips to young moms & first-time parents anywhere:
1. Purchase life insurance. Go with what works for you and your budget! All too often I hear moms say, “I can’t afford life insurance”. You can purchase 1 million of life insurance for $45 per month. You want to have something in place in case something happens to you. That’s a great way to ensure that your loved ones will have substantial support if you’re no longer around.
2. Develop a Family care plan in case you become unable to care for them at any point in time. Consider who will care for your children? Where will they live? What are your wishes, for their care, as their parent? If it’s not on paper it cannot be enforced. Be very precise, or as descriptive as possible, about what your desire is.
3. Start your kid’s college fund as early as possible. All states have college funds that you can open with a minimum of $25 per month! This is a free investment account for your child to be able to go to college, and there’s a set maturity date. Some state’s such as Maryland even have a once a year deposit from the state that you can apply for.
4. It is imperative for you to write down how you wish for your things to be handled—a will (with properties, children, burial etc.) if you should pass away. This is critical! If you do not have it on paper things may not be executed the way you want. Be very precise, or as descriptive as possible, about what your desire is.
5. Take care of yourself! As mama’s, a lot of time we get so caught up in taking care of the family, we forget about ourselves, especially our mental health, or we feel some form of guilt for taking care of ourselves. Part of being strong is taking care of you. It’s a strong thing to do! You want to be there for your family and you need to be in good health. After all, this is what you are fighting for. Take time for you! Go to therapy, go to the gym, or the spa! And yes, it’s okay for you to spend time alone, for your own personal growth! When you are healthy everyone else around you will thrive!
You can find Jael on Instagram @jael_marajh and more about her business here, @wenurtureup
