Saving for Your Childs College Education

Paramount in the minds of all parents who want their children to receive a college education is how to save for this eventuality. While some open CD accounts from their child’s birth, others invest in stocks or bonds; and still others haven’t even begun to figure out how to manage the cost.

College tuition today is exorbitant; not to mention the cost of books and other necessities associated with education our youth today. The good news is that most college students can apply for loans and seek Federal assistance, with the understanding the loans have to be paid back within a certain timeframe. In addition, college scholarships can make all the difference in alleviating the cost factor.

To keep college costs at a minimum, your child may have to attend a local college in your state. In this way, the cost to board would not be a consideration, and the savings derived would be within your family budget. However, if your child has his or her heart set on attending a specific college out of state, the cost will be considerable. One of the ways you can save for this eventuality is by setting up a college fund for your child from birth. Perhaps you can invest your tax refunds; and put away as much as you can afford. Investing in the stock market is taking a chance; but investing in a high yield CD account.

According to one source, www.howstuffworks.com, you can invest by utilizing an education IRA known as Coverdell Education Savings Accounts. It is explained in this way: “ESAs were improved significantly in 2002 because Congress increased the annual contribution limit from $500 to $2,000. Like 529 plans, ESA earnings are tax-free when used for education expenses, and they are considered the parents' asset so they don't adversely affect financial aid eligibility. They do have some advantages over 529 plans, including more control over your investments and the ability to use the money for private elementary or secondary school expenses.

Their disadvantages are the limitations on parents' income. For single tax payers, the eligibility phases out for incomes between $95,000 and $110,000. For married taxpayers filing jointly, eligibility phases out between $190,000 and $220,000. Another disadvantage is that the funds have to be used for education by the time the beneficiary turns 30. Like the 529, there is a 10-percent penalty if the money is used for anything other than education expenses.”

For further information, you can check this website to determine if you can utilize this type of account, as well as checking into the 529 Plan.

Spring Allergy Symptoms in Children and What to Do About It

Spring has sprung and so has the pollen. Seasonal allergies affect millions of children each year. Find out the symptoms and what you can do to relieve them.

The substances that cause allergies are called allergens. Allergens can be anything from pollen to molds and fungi to dust. These allergens are carried through the air until they land on your child. Pollen is the reproductive spores of plants. Allergy symptoms can occur from the pollen of weeds, grasses, trees, and mold.

Sensitivity to these allergies is what brings on the histamine response. This is the body’s reaction to the allergens being present in the child’s system. Allergens enter the body through the mouth, the eyes, and the nasal passages. Your child may experience: sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, nasal congestion, chest congestion, coughing, and/or sore throat. A child suffering from allergies may display one or more of these symptoms at a time.

allergies are often confused with colds and therefore misdiagnosed. Cold symptoms usually include fatigue, fever, and body aches. If any of these symptoms are also present, then your child is probably not suffering from seasonal allergies.

Pediatricians can run tests to find out the exact type of allergen your child is allergic to. Blood work can be done to ferret out the offending allergen. More commonly a skin-prick test is performed.

The spin-prick test is not painful to the child. It involves lightly scratching the skin with different types of allergens. This test is usually done on the back. If the skin becomes red and swollen in certain areas, the doctor can determine what allergen is attacking your child.

Once the allergen is identified, the doctor will come up with a course of treatment. Prescribing medication such as Singulair, Allegra, and Advair, will block the reactions in the body that cause allergy symptoms. It will take a week or two for the medications to fully circulate throughout the body.

There are practical things that you can do at home to safeguard against allergies. Keep windows closed. A good breeze will fill your home with pollen from the outside. Use the air conditioning in the spring and summer if it gets warm inside.

Take a bath at night during allergy season. The water will wash off any pollen spores and other allergens accumulated during the day. Also make sure to use allergen proof covers on mattresses and pillows.

Allergies are a nuisance, but they don’t have to ruin your life. Follow a few guidelines to keep your home safe from offending allergens. Take your child to the doctor to properly diagnose his/her allergy condition and receive treatment options.

For more help raising happy and healthy kids, be sure to claim your free subscription of Kid’s Health & Fun tips.

Seterra - Learn Geography Freeware Program

Seterra - Learn Geography
Submitted by: Faith Martin; Howard, PA
Rating: 9
Where to go: http://www.wartoft.nu/software/seterra/

Description: This is a freeware program that can be downloaded free of charge. This program requires Windows 95 or Windows NT (or better). The current version (3.0) was released in December 2006.

Review: This is a wonderful program. Sometimes the best things in life are free!

One of my home schooling friends sent me the link to this wonderful program. It has 70 different exercises for learning parts of the world. It is simple, yet colorful and very addictive (even for the grown-ups).

Some of the exercises include: American state capitals, parts of the world, world flags, countries of the world, and much more.

This is a fun and motivating way to learn about countries, capitals, flags and cities in Europe, Africa, Australia, Asia, North and South America using outline map exercises and multiple choice quizzes.

Seterra is available in several different languages: Danish, Dutch, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Swedish.

Each exercise has a list of the top ten high scores to watch your own progress or perhaps have a healthy competition between family members. It includes a timer to see how fast you complete each exercise.

I have never had so much fun learning geography!! My children are 6 and 9 years old and have been playing this program for less than a week. My nine year old son gets so excited and runs to tell me when he has gotten 100% on one of the exercises. My six year old is hooked. It is wonderful to see the excitement of learning in your children.

I would recommend this computer program for anyone. It is an excellent resource to add to your history and/or geography curriculum if you are a teacher or home schooling parent. It would also be a great help for a student who may be struggling in school or with geography. I'm sure I have yet to see all the benefits of this program. Seterra is a keeper and will stay with us throughout my children's education.

Teaching Kids the Value of a Buck

The old saying, “A penny saved is a penny earned” is a wise tenet we were taught by our parents. Today, with computers and electronics; PC games and iPods; cell phones and Blackberrys; the latest fashions and footwear; one would need to save long and hard to afford any of these things. For kids, wearing the most up-to-date clothes and sneakers is foremost on their minds.

teaching kids the value of money has to begin at an early age. So too, if kids see their parents constantly buying new things; most likely they will want larger allowances and become as frenetic in their buying habits as their parents. Thinking back to when we were kids, if our parents couldn’t afford something we wanted; we didn’t get it. End of story.
Some parents today indulge children way too much, thus the value of money seems insignificant. Moreover, these kids may think their parents are rich when, in fact, they are trying to make ends meet just like the rest of us.

The word “no” has to be placed back into the vocabulary when it comes to teaching children they can’t have anything they want. Moreover, instructing them how to save for their future is a method which has been lost in rearing some children today. Not any fault of their own, our children are exposed to young actresses or teens who have inherited great sums of money and they are pervasive on TV and in magazines.

When we were their age, and didn’t have any money, spending a day at the park or enjoying each other’s company in or outside our home were sufficient. Not so today. With malls incorporating hundreds of high end stores, this is where the kids like to “hang out,” and are thus engaged in looking at the expensive displays of clothes, jewelry and electronics. Just this Christmas, kids begged for the new Nintendo Wii. Those who were fortunate enough to receive them as presents should be thankful. Unfortunately, what they do not realize is their parents probably have to work overtime to pay for the cost of this expensive item.

Guide To Setting Up a Family Budget

How do we teach children the value of money and the importance of saving for their future? No doubt, this is one area parents are wrestling with every day. However, parents who incorporate an honest approach in explaining money to their children, do succeed in bring home the point – by example. Living with parents who were never considered rich by any means, we soon learned the true value of saving money, and the consequences of spending beyond our means. Kids cannot relate to the future; they deal with each day as it comes. If they were asked: “How will you support yourself when your dad and I are no longer here,” their likely response would be: “Why do I have to think about that now” or “I don’t want to discuss it now.”

It is a discussion parents must have with their children. There has to be an open dialogue where families can discuss financial matters with children (at an appropriate age, of course). Whether you buy a piggy bank for your infant; open a savings account; clip coupons out of the paper with your child present; discussing purchases and deciding as a family if it is affordable; these are the starting points at which your child will begin to understand the hows and whys of saving money and the ramifications involved when lack of money becomes a serious issue.

As parents, we all want to protect our children and ensure their future is better than ours. But by not disclosing money issues we are not protecting them, but allowing them to live in a world where they believe money will always be available to them. By not showing discipline in our own spending habits, we are denying them the basic fundamental truth that money doesn’t grow on trees; that saving for their future is vital; and that assuming they will always be taken care of is an erroneous one. Conversely, maintaining limits by budgeting; carefully keeping track of spending; and keeping the dialogue open by allowing children to participate in family discussions about money, will give them a keen sense of awareness as to the pitfalls derived by overspending and impart the importance of saving for their own future.

Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation

Since its opening in 1972, Walt Disney World in Orlando has been the most kid-friendly travel destination to date. With its Magic Kingdom; Epcot Center; Animal Kingdom; Disney-MGM; Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, this is one place you and your kids will never run out of things to do. Disney World is truly a magical place, and one in which you can choose an affordable package depending upon the type of accommodations you choose.

If you have decided to go to Disney World, the first thing to do is to go online to the official Walt Disney World site at:

http://home.disney.go.com/travel/

Here, you can choose your hotel, accommodations, and number of nights. In addition, WDW offers a DVD offering a free vacation planning guide for you to view before you book your trip.

Note: A typical 7 night hotel package for a family of four, which includes accommodations at the Disney’s All Star Movie Resort, and an 8 Day Magic Your Way Ticket with Park Hopper and Water Park Fun, would cost approximately $2100.00. This does not include airline tickets. Certainly, there are less expensive packages available.

You can choose accommodations off-site and take the shuttle to and from the park, or you can rent a car. This site also allows you to book airline flights and transportation to and from hotel as well. Or, you can use any of the online travel sites to book your flights, such as: expedia.com or orbitz.com. You have another option as well. Go to your travel agent and have him or her book the entire package which includes: air, hotel package, theme park tickets and ground transportation for you. There is no additional charge for their service.

You can also take a cruise! The Disney Cruise Line offers two different packages: three nights at Walt Disney World and 4 nights at sea; or 4 nights at Walt Disney World and three nights at sea. Each package includes a stop at Nassau, Bahamas and Castaway Cay, and departs from Port Canaveral in Florida. The entire package rate is approximately $4000.00 for a stateroom, based on two adults and two children. Airline rates are additional.

It is advisable to book your disney vacation trip up to six months in advance. The reason for this is that you can derive the best accommodations, best airline prices and cruise rates, and lock into them early. If you choose to book your vacation online, read the terms and conditions for cancellation, and any fees incurred.
If you decide to visit a travel agent, he or she will provide you with an entire package rate. Remember, no additional fees are incurred by the agent. Their commission is obtained from the hotels, cruise lines, and airlines.

Touted for being a fun-filled cruise complete with Disney characters, this is one vacation you will thoroughly enjoy. After all of the sightseeing and running around at Disney World, you will certainly look forward to additional days of relaxation; being pampered by the crew; as well as dining and dancing under the stars. The kids will love it too, especially with all of the activities the cruise line has planned for them.

Note: You will need updated passports for the entire family. Also, your disney vacation begins first; then on to a cruise to the beautiful island of the Bahamas. Check Disney Cruise online at: http://disneycruise.disney.go.com.

Traveling Tip ==> The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide

Mother's Day Ideas For Kids

Children love to make gifts for parents. These are just a few of the things kids can do to show their love on Mother’s Day :

* Dad can make breakfast for mom and the child can bring it to mom’s room and surprise her.
* Makemothers day signs and hang them around the home.
* Write a letter to Mom on colorful paper.
* Make a Mother’s Day card.
* Dad can go online and print out a Mother’s Day template for kids to color and present to mom.
* The kids may offer to do certain chores for a week.
* If age appropriate, the kids could make signs and glue them on to t-shirts.
* Use construction paper to make a hanging sign spelling out the word love.
* There is an award template which can be printed out and given to mom.
* Make a huge Happy Mother’s Day Sign
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* Give her a picture of you in a specially decorated frame
* Make a bag of potpourri using dried flowers from the garden
* Put together a scrapbook with her favorite recipes
* Make a jewelry box for her using spring ornaments
* Buy packs of herbs or flower seeds your mom could plant in the garden
* Clear out the flower bed for mom to prepare for spring planting
* Rake the leaves and make a compost pile
* Make mom a bracelet using beads from a craft store
* Wash the car
* Clean your room

Mother’s day ideas for kids, depending upon their age, can encompass a variety of creative and thoughtful presents. Dad, ask your kids what they would like to do, and offer your assistance. Make this day special for mom. She sure deserves it!