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If you embark on a family adventure and work part-time or full-time, you need to be well organized and make clear agreements in an equal partnership to create a healthy work-life balance: When does the child have to go to the vaccination appointment? Who will get the present for the child's birthday party? And who will pick up the child from daycare tomorrow? Organizing everyday life is quite stressful and can quickly become a constant burden. Women are particularly affected by this. Here you can find tips on managing family tasks and how to avoid a so-called mental load, the seemingly endless list of the many small, often invisible things in everyday family life. If your child wakes up in the morning with a fever or cough, a parent often has to stay at home at short notice to look after the child. If you have statutory health insurance, you can receive child sickness benefit. Here on the Familienportal.NRW, you can find out what else you can do to get relief and what legal or labor law entitlements you have.

Between the 3rd and 6th birthday, your child develops more and more of their personality. They discover and explore the world with curiosity, merging play and learning. The family remains the most influential place for the further development of your child's physical, intellectual and social skills. Reading aloud makes an important contribution to your child's development. Experts agree that growing children who are read to regularly are more successful at school. Read here on the Familienportal.NRW to find out why reading aloud is so valuable and how you can turn it into a cozy cuddle time. Digital media also have a special attraction for children from an early age - even the youngest ones. This makes it all the more challenging to find a healthy way of using cell phones, tablets and the like. Find out what this can look like here. Mothers and fathers become particularly aware of how quickly time flies when it's time to start school. On the Familienportal.NRW you will find many exciting articles on this topic that can help you make the transition from kindergarten to school a successful one. For example, do you already know what you should look out for when choosing a school bag? Which school concept is right for your child? And when will they be able to walk to elementary school on their own? Parents can find answers to all these questions in the following information.

Freetime activities with children: Good ideas for things to do together are always in demand. How nice that North Rhine-Westphalia has a lot to offer. Excursion destinations worth seeing and numerous exciting activities can also be found on the doorstep or in the surrounding area. How about a detour to animal and wildlife parks or a visit to a nearby museum? Here in North Rhine-Westphalia, there is plenty to experience for explorers of all ages. Tip: Especially in bad weather, the cultural institutions and museums of the Rhineland Regional Association and the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association offer free admission for children and young people up to the age of 18. Apropos "lots of variety for little money": We have put together a variety of child-friendly leisure activities on a budget: from B for farm to R for cycling excursion. On the Familienportal.NRW you will find lots of tips for family-friendly short trips as well as suggestions and child-friendly leisure ideas that offer plenty of adventure for every budget.

Difficult situations in parenting, tensions in everyday family life, stress with parenthood: who helps with questions and problems when parents feel insecure or overwhelmed? In their search for understanding and solutions, mothers and fathers sometimes need professional help or just a sympathetic ear. Don't be afraid to seek advice from experts. There are many easily accessible advice centers in North Rhine-Westphalia that support families. These include the parent advice service, which you can contact by phone, in person or online. Despite all caution, parents cannot protect their children from all dangers. If, for example, you suspect that your child may be affected by sexualized violence, you will also find specialist advice centres that you can turn to in confidence.

Whether it's a winter jacket or new shoes, daycare fees or sports club, purchases for the nursery or lunch: Parents have to bear not inconsiderable costs for the basic care of their child. Find out here which state benefits provide financial relief for families. Did you know, for example, that you can deduct childcare costs from your taxes? This includes costs for daycare, childminders, au pairs or other caregivers. You can find out how this works on the Familienportal.NRW. School bags, pencil cases, exercise books, pens and much more: purchases for the new school year should not be underestimated. It's good that families with low incomes can receive financial assistance via the school supplies package if the requirements are met. Read more about this here. It is the dream of many parents: Home ownership. A place where your child can grow up happily. Nowadays, however, many mothers and fathers are reluctant to take the step of deciding to buy their own property. Our expert explains how families can use public subsidies to fulfill their dream of owning their own four walls.

In order to grow up healthy, children between the ages of 6 and 10 need healthy conditions. These include a healthy diet, a good balance between sufficient exercise and relaxation phases, enough sleep, responsible use of media and much more. As parents, you lay the foundation for optimal physical development and stable mental health in early childhood. In your role as a mother and father, you should be a good role model and supportive companion from the very beginning. Communal, balanced family meals at home are just as important as a healthy snack for elementary school. You can find out that this is easier to implement than you think on the Familienportal.NRW. There we have compiled simple tips and nutritional inspiration for young and old. Does your child already tend to be overweight? Then it's time to take action to prevent possible health consequences. Read here what is important for healthy physical development and how you can influence this as a parent. Is your child waking up sick in the morning? In this case, one parent often has to stay at home for a short time. If you have statutory health insurance, you can receive child sick pay. You can find all the information here.

Hand on heart: How is your well-being? Do you feel fit, full of energy and zest for life? Health for the whole family starts with the parents. Especially when everyday family life is turbulent, your own health can quickly take a back seat. So it's all the more important to take care of yourself and do something for your own fitness and well-being every day. Sometimes it is enough to change small habits to live a healthier life. For example, walk to the bakery instead of taking the car. It often doesn't take much longer. Or take some time in the evening, after you have put your child to bed, for a relaxing yoga session or a strenuous strength training session. Did you know that active parents also have active children? Your offspring will learn to take exercise for granted and become more active themselves if you are a good role model. Healthy meals are also important - not only for your child, but also for you. In hectic family life, you often still find the time to chop fruit and vegetables for your offspring. And what about us adults? As parents, we often finish our first coffee of the morning in one go and grab a quick chocolate croissant from the bakery on the way to work. But parents also need to eat healthily to feel good and stay fit. How to look after your well-being, maintain your health, integrate healthy meals and protect yourself from risks and stress - you'll find valuable tips and articles in this guide section.

Raising children is a responsible and enjoyable task. However, it can become a burden if parents have different ideas when it comes to rules and consequences, for example. Then it's easy to say: "But I'm allowed to do that with mom!" or "Dad is much less strict!". And there's already a conflict in the room. But do parents always have to pull together when it comes to parenting? First of all, it's completely normal for parents to disagree when it comes to parenting. Familienportal.NRW has compiled information and useful suggestions to prevent these differences of opinion from becoming a constant source of contention and jeopardizing family coexistence. For a child to grow up well, they need love, security, support and age-appropriate opportunities for co-determination. By observing children's rights in everyday life, you create the best conditions for your child to grow up happy and healthy. You can find out why children's rights are needed, which children's rights are included in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and what this means for parenting here.

As soon as it is certain that a baby is on the way, everything revolves around a healthy pregnancy. Not only does the belly grow from week to week, but so does the anticipation of the new arrival. During this exciting time, parents-to-be have a particularly great need for information. Will our child be healthy? How will the routine antenatal appointments go? Where will our baby be born? Hospital? At home? Or would we prefer a birthing center? What do we need to consider when choosing a place of birth? You can find answers to these and many other questions here on Familienportal.NRW. How do we find a midwife with free capacity in the region? Get valuable tips for finding a midwife who will provide you with competent and loving support before, during and after the birth. By the way, you shouldn't wait too long to start your search. Find out important details about prenatal care, medical support and prenatal diagnostics. Good to know: Expectant mothers and parents with a disability receive special support from the state. We explain what assisted parenthood is, how it works and where to find advice centers in North Rhine-Westphalia.

It is not easy for working parents to meet the demands of their job and at the same time meet the needs of their family. This raises many questions: How can we reconcile work and childcare? How can we find the right balance between work and family? Where can we look for support so that the constant stress doesn't make us ill? It is above all the many small, often invisible tasks in the organization of everyday life that can lead to stress and excessive demands. When was the parents' evening at elementary school again? The laundry still needs to be done. And who will pick up the children from soccer tomorrow? You probably know the feeling and your thoughts are revolving around upcoming to-do's. Here on the family portal, you can find out what is meant by the term "mental load" in this context and how you can work with your partner to find sustainable solutions for organizing your everyday life and thus achieve a healthy work-life balance.