10 Ways to Teach Kids to Manage Their Money

Being able to handle money wisely is the greatest gift you can give your kids.  Struggling with money is stressful and unnecessary if you create the foundation for smart spending and saving.  Here are 10 ways to teach kids how to manage their money and to help instill your money values in them.

1. Pay yourself first.  Decide with your child what percentage of the money he earns or receives that he will get to just spend however he wants.  Be it on candy, bubble gum machines, or toys.  It’s important that he have some money that he feels like he can spend however he chooses.  You can set the rules as to how and when he can spend it, but make sure that he does have some money for fun stuff.
2. Create jars and label where the money is to go.  Take some mason jars or recycled jars and label them with the different places that the money is going to go.  Have jars marked, “Fun Money”, “Long term Savings”, “Short term Savings” and “Charity”.  Feel free to change the names around to fit your goals.  Long-term savings could actually say, “College Fund” and the short-term savings could say, “Cell phone”.  Things like this will allow you and your child to personalize your savings system.  Once you hit a certain amount in your jar you can move it to a bank account.
3. Help your child choose a charity in which to donate.  Giving back to the world is an important lesson that kids need to learn from a young age.  In your case maybe you would like your child to give money to your church in addition to or instead of a charity.  Maybe your kids love animals and would like to donate money to the Humane Society.
4. Set a savings goal for big ticket items.  If your child is constantly asking for a large toy or electronic encourage him to start saving for it.  Print out a small thermometer chart and help him fill in the thermometer as he puts money in the jar.  It will increase the excitement if he feels like he is getting closer to his goal.  You could offer up some extra chores where he could earn some extra money.  You’ll be amazed at how ambitious kids can be if they have the proper motivation.
5. Make sure they have long-term savings.  Talk to your child about going to college or buying their first car.  These items are very expensive and have to be saved for.  Determine what you think the fair amount would be to put into the long term savings jar.  Is it 10 or 20%?
6. Open a savings account for your child.  Take your child to the bank or credit union and help her open her first savings account.  There are online options as well that will allow you to add money to her account electronically so the money is never actually in her hand.  This option is available and you will have to decide whether it’s the right option for you and your child or not.  When opening a savings account you can explain about interest.  Let her know that the bank will pay her for letting them use her money.
7. Help your children realize the difference between a need and a want.  This is an important discussion to have with your kids.  You will hear your kids tell you that they NEED to have the latest jeans or cell phone, but those are wants and not needs.  Help your kids see the difference and then when they come to you and say that they have to have something you can ask if it’s a need or a want.  Wants aren’t a bad thing, but needs should be taken care of first.  For example, he ‘needs’ to put money into savings for his future more than he ‘wants’ to get the latest video game.
8. Create a filing system to keep track of receipts.  Getting your child used to tracking their money is an important habit to get them into.  When they buy something with their money they need to come home and write down the purchase in their spending journal and then put the receipt into a file.  Determine how many files or envelopes you will need.  One way to do it is to create an envelope for each month and then have a big envelope to keep all of the smaller envelopes in.  This method may work better if you have multiple children tracking their spending.  Another way would be to keep the monthly envelopes in a file marked with their name.
9. Demonstrate money saving techniques.  Kids usually go to the grocery store with mom or dad and that is their first experience watching mom spend money.  Show the kids how coupons work and in store discounts.  Explain various tricks you use to save money while grocery shopping.  You may think that your kids won’t need this information for years to come, but it’s important that kids are aware that mom saves money where she can too.
10. Set a good example when it comes to money values.  Keeping your own spending journal and receipt file will set a good example for your kids.  Let your kids know that you are saving for a big item or vacation.  Kids learn by example and it’s easier for them to learn when they know what you are doing.  It’s not so important that your kids know every detail and concern that you have about money, but impress upon them the important stuff.

P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Paul Taylor,  I'm therefore publishing it by his invitation and under his permission. See also the link below fore more information:
 http://www.babysittingjobs.com/blog/10-ways-to-teach-kids-to-manage-their-money/

Piercings: The Hidden Dangers

Many parents like to pierce their child’s ears while they’re still babies so that it’s out of the way while the child is too young to remember the pain, but that may not be the best option for your kids.  Before you take your little one in to get her ears pierced, you may want to consider some of the dangers associated with ear piercing.

For parents eager to get their baby’s ears pierced, the first place they may consider getting them done is at the mall. However, parents should use caution when visiting such a piercing site. Although the person piercing ears at the mall may have minimal piercing training, she is likely not a medical expert and the piercing conditions may be less sterile than desired.

Another common option for piercings is a tattoo parlor. While many tattoo parlors specialize in piercing, not all states regulate piercings in tattoo parlors.  You’ll want to check the licensing requirements of your state prior to visiting a tattoo parlor for a piercing.

Some pediatrician’s will pierce infants’ ears as part of their practice offerings. For parents considering piercing their baby’s ears, this is often the most hygienic place to have it done.

Regardless of where your baby gets her ears pierced, warnings should be given before the procedure and care instructions should be given after the procedure is completed. You’ll want to make sure that everything is sterile, that the piercer washes their hands before the procedure, and that they wear gloves.   If you have any concerns about the piercer or the place, don’t hesitate to go someplace else.  It’s not worth the risk.  If the instruments are not sterilized blood could transfer from one person to the other and HIV could be contracted.

Like adults, babies can get infections from pierced ears.  Babies can also be allergic to the metal that the earring is made of which could result in a rash, and they tend to explore their world with their hands, which could result in her grabbing at her ears. This could introduce bacteria to the piercing site.  Ear piercings, when infected, can disrupt your child’s sleep because it’s hard to find a comfortable place to lay her head.  Infection can also cause fevers. To prevent infection, parents should make sure to clean the earring and piercing site as directed.

When young children wish to get their ears pierced, timing should also be considered. Many sporting teams will not allow earrings to be worn on the field because they become a risk for the player with the piercing as well as other players.  Timing the piercing for a time when your child will have 4 weeks to leave the earrings in can avoid disruptions in athletic endeavors and reduce the risk of piercing problems.  Taking earrings out before the recommended time can cause the hole to close, infection, and pain when the earrings go back in, among other things.

Some adolescents and teenagers may dream of getting the upper part of their ears pierced. Piercing the upper cartilage of the ear hurts more than piercing the lobe.  The chance for infection in that area is higher than with an ear lobe piercing, and infections in the upper ear can result in nasty smelling puss being discharged, redness, and swelling.  The swelling can actually deform the ear permanently.  This infection is also typically harder to treat.

One of the most difficult piercing ideas for parents to swallow is the idea of piercing around and in the mouth. While tongue piercing seems to be popular among teens, there are some safety concerns regarding tongue piercings.  According to Dr. Hendry, complications of tongue piercing can include broken or chipped teeth, gum surgery, swallowing the bar which can result in the need for surgery, infection, long term pain, and possibly death. Lip piercing is somewhat safer than tongue piercing because there is less blood loss, but the back of the stud rubs on the gums, which can necessitate surgery in order to prevent tooth loss. These are serious complications that are worthy of in-depth discussion prior to a tongue or lip piercing decision being made.

For teens considering nose piercings, they should be well informed of the dangers associated with them. Nose piercings are dangerous because the nose’s primary function is to filter out germs and bacteria.  According to the AAFP (American Academy of Family Physicians) infection is the leading risk in nose piercings.  According to a study done at Rutgers and Texas Tech 46% of college students that got a body piercing had some problems with infection.  That’s almost 1 out of every 2 people so the odds are very high that those with nose piercings will encounter medical complications.

All body piercings come with risk for Hepatitis C, skin, blood, and bone infections, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).  This staph infection is resistant to antibiotics and very hard to treat.  If any pain, drainage, or swelling occurs seek medical attention as soon as possible.  There are some conditions that can be easily treated if caught early enough.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Debbie Denard,  I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.nanny.net/blog/piercings-the-hidden-dangers/

The three giraffes

Once upon a time there were, somewhere  in Africa,  three giraffes named Jeena, Tabea and Makuca. They were very friendly and spent all day playing together and having fun.One day, the three giraffes went to the river to drink and rest for a little. Makuca, on their way to the rriver had a thorn entered in the paw and fell behind! She shouted her friends  to continue the march because she would follow them later on.
On the river, however, a nasty surprise was waiting for the unsuspecting giraffes. A Portuguese, named Captain  José wanted to catch them to perform in circuses. He, without realizing that Makuca had  remained behind,  took Jeena and Tabea and brought them into Europe. Makuca, after having removed off  the plug from her pawn, came to the river just in time to see her friends who were taken away by Captain Jose's  van. Jeena and Tabea greeted her crying, advising her to go back. Makuca   felt very sad without her friends. The winters were always colder in the bush and to get food was increasingly difficult. One day, Makuka, seeing Capitan Jose searching for other animals to perform  for circuses, asked him to take her to Europe, 'cause she was so longing to see her friends again. Capitain Josè, even though he  saw the unhappy giraffe emaciated and sad,   decided to take her to Europe. Makuca recognized the truck where she had seen  her friends and  had her  heart full of hope  to revise them. Meanwhile, thanks to the care and the food they gave her, Makuca recovered and became a giraffe admired by all children and adults who went to visit the animals in the circus. Wandering the circus was able to discover that Jeena and Tabea were in the circus Saturn. Then Makuka asked Captain Jose to join her friends and when she had  found them, told them her adventures and how her life had become hard in the bush. Then the three giraffes decided to accept their life in the circus and they lived happy and sactisfied for many years more.

Life of Giuseppe Garibaldi - Seventh Part

Garibaldi first settles down in Rio de Janeiro, hosted by the small community of Italian exiles and emigrants. With one of these friends, Mr. Rossetti, he embraced a    commercial activity, but the two are not meant for trade and business.

 During this time he chooses to spread revolutionary sentiments among his compatriots, and remains in contact with activists in Europe, Mazzini and his correspondents Ghiglione Antonio and Luigi Canessa.

Garibaldi becomes president of the cell Giovine Italia on the South American continent. It also adheres to the Masonic Lodge Asilo de Vertud.

 It must be said that our hero is now certain a smart man but he did not love so much frames and intrigues of politics or the Masonic meetings where  discussions and  dissertations, were a wasting of time in the evanescence! Thus he adheres to the masonry, because he believes in his ideals but he was born for action that follows the thought, not thinking to the  infinity!

 After September 1835, Bento Gonçalves da Silva proclaims the Republic Riograndense (1836), Garibaldi was ready to fight for the ideals and humanitarian, on May 4, 1837, he received a letter of mark from the government of Rio Grande do Sul, rebel to the authority of the Empire of Brazil.

He defies an empire with his boat named Mazzini. On April 11, 1838, he pushes down a battalion of the Brazilian Imperial Army (Battle of Galpon Xarqueada) and takes part in the next general Davi Canabarro the capture of the port of Laguna, the provincial capital of Santa Caterina, (25 July 1839), which facilitates the creation of the Republic or Republic Catarinense Juliana.

On November 15, the imperial army reconquered the city and the Republicans reappear on the heights where the fighting takes place with varying degrees of success. Garibaldi is involved for the first time in a fight exclusively terrestrial, near Forquillas: he attacks with his sailors and forced his enemies to retreat.

During this period, its mistress Manuela Ferreira de Paula, niece of Bento Gonçalves da Silva, in which he renounces due to the difference in social status.

In 1839, while he is in Laguna, he met Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro, barely 18 years old. A romance is born between two young men while Anita is already married to Manuel de Aguiar Durante. She abandons Manual to follow Giuseppe and they married in 1842 after the death of first husband.

In 1841, not seeing a rapid conclusion to the war, and at the request of Francesco Anzani, an exiled Lombard, with whom he befriends and who wants his presence in Uruguay, Garibaldi and his family leave, with permission of Gonçalves, Rio Grande for Montevideo where many foreigners, especially French and Italian.

There, the war between the Uruguayan president Manuel Oribe, who was overthrown but is supported by the government of Buenos Aires of Juan Manuel de Rosas, and the new government headed by General Fructuoso Rivera moved to Montevideo, which has the support Brazil, French and British fleets, and Argentine "unitary" (Partido unitario, liberal-leaning). Declared in December 1838, the war called World War lasted from 1839 to 1851.

Based in Montevideo, Garibaldi teaches mathematics.

The fleet of the Argentine Confederation operates under the command of Admiral William Brown from England, while that Montevideo is under the command of Commodore John Coe of American origin.

The government of Montevideo appealed to Garibaldi.

In Rio de la Plata, the Argentine navy is trying to block the port of Montevideo. On August 16, 1842 a naval battle takes place on the Paraná River near the town of Costa Brava. The vessels commanded by Garibaldi fought by the forces of Brown which means in ships and men are superior. After suffering heavy losses, Garibaldi fire his ships to prevent them falling into the hands of Brown, he managed to take shelter with the surviving crew.

The same year, Garibaldi married Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro, whom he met in 1839 and whom he had four children: Domenico Menotti, Rosita, who died in infancy.

...to be continued...

Tips for Keeping Kids’ Teeth Healthy

How you take care of your child’s teeth now will determine what kind of smile they have when they are an adult.  When a child is born they already have their 20 baby teeth present under their gums.  Some babies are even born with teeth exposed or their teeth come in very early.  Every child is different.  The average age for a baby to start getting their teeth is 6 months.  By the age of 3 most children have all 20 of their baby teeth.

Babies can get cavities.  The ADA (American Dental Association) recommends that you start cleaning your baby’s gums when they are just a few days old.  Dampen a square gauze pad or a soft wash cloth and rub gently across your baby’s gums.  When teeth start to appear use a child’s size toothbrush and water to brush your baby’s teeth.  As soon as your child turns 2, start brushing with a pea sized amount of toothpaste and have your child spit it out when done.  You’ll want to ask your dentist or pediatrician if you should use fluorinated or non fluorinated toothpaste. This will depend on if your child is able to spit, if your tap water is fluorinated and if you give your child fluoride supplements. Parents should continue brushing their child’s teeth twice a day until she can take over the brushing on her own, which is usually around age 6 or 7. As soon as she has two teeth that touch you will need to help her floss her teeth daily.

ADA recommends that you take your child to the dentist around their first birthday.  After their initial visit you can ask your dentist how often you should bring her back.  This visit is to allow your child to start getting familiar with going to the dentist.  Your dentist will inspect her mouth and make sure everything is healthy and to check for cavities.  The dentist will clean her teeth and make any suggestions to you regarding caring for her teeth and gums.

Cavities can be caused by bacteria transferred by saliva from the mother’s mouth.  For this reason it is not recommended that you clean your baby’s pacifier by putting it into your mouth or that you eat off of your baby’s spoon during feeding time.

Baby teeth are important because they hold spaces for the permanent teeth.  If a baby tooth is lost too early the permanent teeth can drift into the open space and then come in crooked.  Your dentist will use a spacer to hold open the spot where the baby tooth was lost if it is lost too early.

The proper technique for brushing is to hold the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle to the gums and brush back and forth covering each tooth.  Brush all surfaces of the teeth.  Your child should brush her teeth for 2 minutes.  Flossing should be done once a day.  Make sure to brush her tongue to remove bacteria and to get rid of bad breath.  Tooth brushes should be replaced as soon as the bristles start to fray or every 3 months.  It’s also a good idea to replace your child’s tooth brush if she has been ill.  Rinsing with a fluoride rinse at the end of brushing is also a way to prevent cavities, should your child’s dentist recommend doing so.

As soon as your child has molars the dentist may put a sealant on them.  The sealant fills up the crevices on the surface of the teeth that are more likely to get a cavity.  It does not hurt to get sealant put on your teeth and it is often covered by dental insurance.  Your dentist will also give your child a fluoride treatment during their exam, but this treatment is optional.

Your child’s diet can affect the health of her teeth. Even watered down fruit juice is bad for your child’s teeth. Water should be offered instead of sugary beverages.  Sticky foods like fruit snacks or raisins can also have negative effects on your child’s teeth. Once your child has brushed her teeth in the morning, when she drinks or eats afterwards have her rinse her mouth with water a few times. She should avoid eating after she’s brushed her teeth for the night.

To keep your child’s teeth and body healthy it’s important that they are eating a healthy diet.  According to MyPlate, which is the new food pyramid, fruits and vegetables should make up half of your child’s diet.  At least half of the grains that she consumes need to be whole grain.  Proteins should be lean when possible, eggs, beans, chicken breast, lean beef and fish.  Dairy is very important to build strong teeth and bones, but make sure you are choosing low-fat dairy options.

For babies, avoid putting anything other than milk, breast milk, or formula into a bottle.  Never put a child to bed with a bottle.  This can cause bottle rot or baby bottle tooth decay, which is very damaging to young teeth.  This condition usually only affects the front teeth, but has been known to affect other teeth.  Encourage your child to drink out of a regular cup by their first birthday.  Extended use of sippy cups is also not recommended.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Jacqui Barrie. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.aupairjobs.com/articles/tips-for-keeping-kids-teeth-healthy/

About Different Types of Infant Formula

While breastmilk is the most nutritious and healthy choice that parents can make for their new baby’s diet, there are times when breastfeeding simply isn’t feasible. When medical conditions, personal choice or other circumstances require that your infant be fed formula, the vast array of options on the market can be staggering. Commercially available infant formula comes in several forms, and contents vary based on the specific requirements of an infant with special dietary needs.

Preparations

There are three common infant formula preparations commercially available today: powder, liquid concentrate and ready-to-use. Powder formula is often chosen due to its relatively low price and is favored by earth-conscious new parents due to the fact that powdered formula cans take up less room in transit, and in the garbage. It does, however, require a bit more time and concentration to prepare, which might be less than ideal for 2 A.M. feedings. Powdered infant formulas are designed for parents and caregivers to mix only the amount needed for a specific feeding, which help sin reducing waste. Cans generally have a one-month shelf life after they’ve been opened.

Liquid concentrate infant formula is more expensive than the powdered variety, but almost always cheaper than its ready-to-use counterparts. Preparation typically requires parents or caregivers only to mix equal parts of the concentrate and water, which makes the process a bit less labor-intensive than preparing a powdered formula variety. Like ready-to-use products, liquid concentrate formula is commercially sterile when it arrives in your home.

Ready-to-use or ready-to-feed formulas are generally the most expensive commercial option, but they require no mixing or measuring. Parents or caregivers that are concerned about access to safe, clean water to mix a powdered or concentrated formula can opt for ready-to-use because it eliminates such worries. Containers of ready-to-use formula require more space for storage, as well as more room in landfills if consumers don’t have access to recycling programs. Furthermore, the formula only has a shelf-life of 48 hours after opening, and may be more likely to stain than other feeding options.

Types of Available Formula

In addition to the three main forms that infant formula is available in, there are a variety of options regarding nutritional content and allergens. Parents should speak with their pediatrician before switching an infant’s formula, but should also have a basic idea of the different options on the market.

The most common type of commercially available infant formula is cow’s milk based, though the proteins are altered in order to make it easier for babies to digest. As a general rule, babies tend to thrive on a diet of cow’s milk based formula; carbohydrates, protein and fat levels are balanced almost perfectly for the majority of tiny tummies.

Some infants may have difficulty digesting cow’s milk formulas, or parents that are hesitant to place their new baby on a diet that contains animal proteins. In such cases, soy-based formula may be the best option. Lactose intolerant babies also do better with soy-based formula, which is also often suggested to the parents of colicky babies. Evidence supporting claims that soy-based formula improves symptoms of colic is largely anecdotal, however. Roughly half of babies that have milk allergies are also allergic to soy, so be prepared for the chance that a switch to soy-based formula makes no discernible difference.

Babies that have a number of allergies or aren’t able to absorb the nutrients in formula well may benefit from being switched to an extensively hydrolyzed formula, in which the proteins have been broken down into smaller parts. These formulas may also be suggested by your pediatrician if your child is suffering from eczema or other irritating skin conditions.

Low-birth weight and premature babies require specialized formulas that are higher in protein and calories than other varieties, containing medium-chain triglycerides that are more easily absorbed than other fats. Formulas thickened with rice starch are generally suggested for babies with reflux problems, which often aid in the prevention of reflux symptoms.

While the advertising budgets of nationally recognized infant formula brands may help to boost their visibility, they do not contribute to improving the quality or nutritive value of the formulas themselves. Because infant formula is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, generic brands are held to the same standards as their designer counterparts; more often than not, parents shelling out extra money for name-brand formula are only paying for that name. Comparing the ingredients and nutrition information on the labels, parents can make an informed and frugal decision about the formula to feed their brand new bundle of joy.

 P.S. This post was created and proposed to me for publication by Kaitlyn Johnson. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.newborncare.com/blog/about-different-types-of-infant-formula/

Afterlife 's things

Now little Joe had finally realized. When he was of this world he had wondered many times, never find a reason with it, why the two worlds, the here and the afterlife one, were separated and incommunicable.

He had fallen asleep that night, as always, fantasizing about the worlds of the past, convinced that somewhere there were those ancient Romans who admired so much, or the heroes of Homer that he found so enthused by reading his works, or even its ancient ancestors of Sardinia and Sicily, who appeared in various costumes, in a long procession of worshipers on their way. And  the Spanish conquistadores, who rode like heaven in front of huge crowds of  shouting Indians. And every night was a different trip of  fantastic inner world on his imagination.

Smiled the boy, but in a different way from what appeared on the photo of the tomb where his mother  never missed on putting  fresh flowers.

His Mom! What a feeling, to touch her hair, just sprinkled with gray, in the guise of an impalpable gust of wind! Of course his mother could not understand that the sudden disruption of her  hair, or the prurience's  cheek, or the fleeting fluttering of his coat were always quick strokes of her little Joe!

But maybe it was better that way. Had she just imagined she would certainly be scared. Thank goodness that the good God had not enabled the material contact between the two worlds, even if in the end, little Joe was not so convinced that her mother did not hear him beside her.

If he could talk to her, he would say  his mother that the ancient worlds, so much those  he longed for night and day, were there, in the same places where the living world of the living soil. It was enough to depart to the sky  with the speed of light and stop at a certain moment, in order to see,  all around the Colosseum,   the crowded arena of trade shows and gladiators, senators, and the old roads used by heavy boots of the Roman soldiers armed with shields and spears, merchants, innkeepers and prostitutes, and hilarious comedies of Plautus, which did so much fun on the benches of the school: everything was there, as if two thousand years had never passed away.

And in the eternal joy with Jesus, Joseph and Mary, the saints, the angels and the spirits of the immortal Dante, Leopardi, Shakespeare, Holderlin, now little Joe sang the praises of the infinite greatness of God.

How could he now his jubilant spirit, explain to mortals that the time that we live is just a small segment of the space-time, integrated into an infinite geometric curve that evolves seamlessly from night time immemorial? how to say that our spirits are prisoners   of their material  bodies, and above all, we are slaves of our rational prejudices? Well then God was right making  incommunicable the two  worlds. And he would wait the infinite universe reunification, to rejoint with her mother and with the other more candid souls of the world!