Category: Brat Stuff

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Ways To Save for Your Child’s Education

Saving for a child’s college education is something that takes certain level of dedication and commitment. Starting early and making wise choices will help to ensure that the adequate amount of money is available when the child is ready to attend college. There are a number of key factors to remember when looking at saving for college.

Image Source: http://forthemommas.com/articles/back-to-basics-saving-your-savings

Being Organized

People can have the best of intentions when it comes to saving money. Unfortunately, things get busy and schedules are often hectic. Something as simple as making a deposit into the college fund can easily be forgotten.
The best way to eliminate this problem is through the use of automatic withdrawals. Depending on the specifics, this can be set up so money is withdrawn from a checking account and placed into the college fund on a set schedule.

Regulating Debts

There are most likely going to be other factors that will affect the amount of money that can be placed into a college fund. This can include things such as credit card bills. If a good deal of money is spent simply on paying interest each month, it is difficult to save a substantial amount of money. When looking to set up the college fund, it might also be wise to look into things such as debt consolidation and paying down a particular credit card that carries a high balance.

Choosing the Optimal Savings Account

The type of a savings account that is used can certainly determine how good of a return can be had. For an education account, it is usually a good idea to have one that does not allow withdrawals to be made for a certain period of time.
This will eliminate the possible temptation when it would be easy to borrow money out of the account. Many high interest savings accounts will provide customers with a great interest rates and may feature this stipulation on withdrawals.

In addition to traditional savings accounts through banks, there are a number of different agencies and organizations that give individuals options when it comes to saving for college.

These can include state and federal agencies that offer the ability to set up tax deferred accounts and plans where all interest is not taxable. Looking into state and federal government agencies can usually provide a parent with a wide variety of options that many people might not have previously considered.

It is always best to start early in a child’s life when it comes to saving for his college education. With the right account and a good deal of dedication, any parent should be able to more than adequately provide for this.

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Teaching My Kid About Friendship

Chloe just finished her summer day camp on Friday and we spent a little time together for the entire day on Friday – I asked her about summer camp if she had fun – and if she had gotten herself some good friends – in which she replied that she did have some good friends – but some kids were mean and nasty. And some only wanted candies from her – before they would let her play. So I thought about it – and tried to think what it was like when I was a kid and how I handled being friends with people back then.

Was I a popular kid when I was young ? I was – in fact – I’m like the red indian – when I grew older – I’m always at the center of attention – because I speak the loudest and played the hardest – I wanted to excel in everything and anything. I remembered one year in my secondary school days – I was the best speaker for the LDDs debate team. I headed the team – and I was the school editor for a school paper one year. But i also realized that after my secondary school I didn’t come ahead with too many “best friends” because I didn’t really cared too much about what other people thought about me – I like to do things the way I liked.

But of course, as I grew older and at 46 now – I also have no time for nonsense when it comes to friendship. It takes a long time for me to call you my friend – you have to earn it – and to me – no one is indispensable – friends come and go – but the true friends – you don’t need a lot. True friendship don’t need flattery words – a good friend is one who will tell you the truth and look out for you. So I told Chloe not to sweat the small stuff – good friends are those – you can lean on always – and yes – I want her to be good to her friends – be sympathetic, be kind and be gracious – but never be a doormat to anyone. And most importantly, one have to love oneself first before you can have true friends.

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First Week As Grade 2

Well, we survived the first week at school as a Grade 2 student and she seems to be quite happy with school – although she complained that they are doing the same thing all over again. Hopefully, it gets a little bit more difficult for her soon – so that she will be a little bit more challenged. I think this year I’m also more comfy because she is with the same teacher – and I’m trying not to go into class with her so much and disturb her home room teacher as much as I did last year. I’m surprised her home room teacher took all my nonsense last year and I appreciate it very much – that she didn’t kick me outta class last year – hahahha!! So wish us good luck eh! the fun is only beginning.

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Celebrating Grandparents’ Day

This weekend is Grandparents’ Day – although some may argue that it’s a way commercial business make you buy more gifts and spend money – I think it is important to acknowledge Grandparents who played a very important part in your child’s life. After all, Grandparents are the next closest relative besides the parents right? and even though grandparents don’t look for gratitude – I think it’s important to show Grandparents how much we appreciate their help, love and gifts they pour onto your kids. While I had gotten my mom gifts at Shari’s Berries – for grandparents’ day – we are going to order some cheese and flowers. So for those who are not aware that Grandparents’ day is this weekend – you still have time to order your gifts now – it doesn’t need to be a whole bunch of gifts – just chocolates, cheese or flowers are very nice gestures to show you appreciate them.

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New School Year

The new school year starts tomorrow – and Chloe will be in Grade 2 this year – with the same teacher. I’m pretty happy with the arrangement for she did really well with this teacher. She is also looking forward to school tomorrow – and today is the long weekend of Labor day – so she is out playing with her friends on the trampoline. She should have been in Grade 3 had it not been the crazy french teacher she had for the first year. But oh well – she is doing well now – and that’s all that matter. This year she will have a new principal in her school and also a new Music teacher – she loves gym a lot – so she loves her gym teacher and talks about her all the time. In fact, she wants to be a gym teacher – sometime last year – hahah!! I can’t wait for school to start and see what she learns this year.

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Hurricane Irene

So Hurricane Irene is coming our way – everyone in the East Coast was warned and told to be prepared. We don’t know what is going to come this way – it’s a hit and miss around here but everyone is busy putting away their patio furniture and swing set – and anything that is left out in the yard. We are very lucky because we have a wooden swing set that is nailed deep down into the ground – and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. So each time we have high wind or bad weather – the only thing that doesn’t need moving around is the wooden swing set. We bring in the trampoline, the patio set, the cloth hangers and even the mosquito net comes right down. I hope we won’t get a lot of wind and rain – because it can get nasty – so are you prepared for Hurricane Irene?

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Boating Safety Tips for Kids

As adults boaters, we learn a great deal about safety on the way to earning our boat license. What we often don’t learn, however, is how to share these skills with our children. This can be tricky business because kids tend not to learn well when they’re disinterested and when we overload them. The key then is to seize their attention and to expose them to the information in bite-sized chunks.

Image Source: http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/news/last-call-for-kids-safety-program-72624.aspx

Here are a series of tips that should help:

Tip #1: Teach the kids to swim, and make sure they have ocean experience. Swimming in the ocean is a very different experience, and those with pool-only practice may freeze up in an emergency.

Tip #2: Once the children know how to swim, introduce them to personal flotation devices (PFDs), and explain to them why a PFD is so important. Stress the importance of wearing a PFD at all times, and give them experience wearing the PFD in and out of the water before their first boat trip.

Tip #3: Don’t wait until the first time on the water. Acclimate kids to your boat while you have it on the trailer parked at your house. Make a game out of understanding the terminology, safety locations, danger zones and so forth.

Tip #4: Ensure that they understand the risk of horseplay while on the water, and a great way to avoid this type of behaviour is to give children seated responsibilities while you are driving. If they are having fun and feel as if they are doing something important, they will continue to focus on that activity.

Tip #5: Stress the importance of sitting at all times while the boat is in motion. Standing is only OK when the boat is stopped, and stress that it is never all right to sit or stand on the sides of the boat.

Tip #6: Expose children to all of the equipment on board, and let them learn how to operate it. Begin teaching children how to operate and drive the boat at a very young age. This can prove invaluable in an emergency, and the safest boaters are self-reliant boaters.

Tip #7: However, stress that it is never OK to use that equipment without adult supervision unless there is an emergency. It also important to be strict about your rules, so if the child breaks them, they should lose boating privileges.

Tip #8: While on the boat, always set a good example. Don’t let kids be around adults who don’t take the experience seriously. Keep your eyes on them at all times, and consider using a safety harness for particularly young children who may stray on larger boats.

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She’s A City Gal Alright!

A few days ago – Chloe had a chance to go to Ellenwood Park with the summer camp. She was quite worried to be honest – but like any parents – we want to teach her independence, so we encouraged her to try it out. I have to mention here that this is the first time she is going somewhere without her family – so I have to give her credit for it. But her camp leaders are people that she had known for 2 summers now – so we are confident that they will take good care of them.

So how did it go? well, she came back with a sucker (leech) bite but she was ok. But her biggest complain was that the outhouses stink so bad – she cannot use the outhouse. You see here in Yarmouth, it’s nothing like back home – they don’t have toilets in the camping ground nor the beaches – there are outhouses – meaning no flushing system – eeeewwwwwkkk! right? yes very ewwwwwkkk!! so I really don’t blame her – for not wanting to go to Ellenwood park without us. My city gal!

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Children Using The Puffer

Chloe wasn’t a happy camper when she first had to use the puffer – in fact, she was so scared – she covered her mouth – her nose – and make us count 1 to 10 for like a few times and still she wouldn’t use the puffer. She was crying so bad – that her dad got so mad with her – he threw the puffer away. Yes ! such JOY! I wasn’t too impressed with PB of course – but I didn’t say anything – because Chloe was hyperventilating by that time. Well, she did finally use the puffer that night and got better every day. In fact, she got so good at it – she put the puffer and the aerochamber together now and use it herself – without any help.

She’s an expert now – yes! children can get scared of strange things – but they are but children right? so if your child needs the puffer – please have a little bit of patience – don’t be like PB please – *slap forehead* you should have seen how scared chloe was when PB got mad. Adults gotta know that when we get angry – our children get really scared – some may not act that way – but deep inside they are – every child wants their parents approval. Didn’t you want your parent’s approval too when you were kids?

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No Expensive Presents Please!

So you all know that Chloe was sick for like 10 days right? when she got her needles last Monday – to draw blood out for her blood test – she was screaming her lungs out. I wasn’t there but PB and a dear friend who works for the lab department was there to witness it. But PB had promised Chloe a reward for being brave and letting them draw blood – so they had gone to Walmart and gotten her some go-gos but not just any go-gos – but a box of it – special edition – which cost PB closed to $23 !!!! *slap forehead*.

For those who are not aware of this – I don’t like to get Chloe expensive presents – because she really don’t need expensive toys. Giving her a dollar store reward is just as good – and when we do get her go-gos – they are the ones that are $3 for 3 pieces – not a bunch for $23 !! that’s too much money to be spent on a kid for one day. I don’t want Chloe to learn that it is alright to spend so much money on toys.

Many a times – when I asked Chloe’s grandparents for money for her watch or books isn’t because I don’t have the money to get them myself – but I am trying to show her that some of her things comes from her grandparents and uncle too. But when I tell Chloe to tell her uncle or grandfather that they owe me a few bucks for Chloe’s stuff – it’s to tell her that they are the ones who bought them for her and not us. We also want to show Chloe that they care for her too- and know what she likes since they normally don’t know what she likes and what to buy for her. But I never asked anyone to get anything expensive for Chloe – it’s just a gesture – to teach Chloe that she is being thought of – even by her extended family. Should I asked her grandparents or uncle to get something really expensive – I would return in kind – like the Rum that we had bought for her grampie – because I want to teach Chloe that she cannot take only and never give back. So no – no expensive toys from us – and when PB bought that go-gos for $23 – I wasn’t impressed. And for those who hear me telling Chloe’s grandparents or uncle – that they owe me money for Chloe’s stuff/toys – it’s not because I’m hard up for their money – but moreso – to show Chloe that her gifts comes from her grandparents and uncle too – because her Godma from Singapore and my friends/cousins from around the world buys her so many things – Chloe is no short of anything – be it clothing or toys.