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Schools, Scams, and Studies

This week, the Special Needs blog had a wide variety of topics discussed in the blogs that appeared. More than one covers concepts related to Special Education. There is a new study about autism, a scam to be aware of, and more! Here is a quick review of the blogs you may have missed. Support Hotline for Parents of Children With Special Needs In California, a support hotline is being run by parents of children who have special needs. The hope is that this resource will be used by parents of kids who have special needs who have become completely … Continue reading →

Helping With Homework

When Hailey was younger one of our biggest challenges was homework. After work and school there was so much to do that often homework was the last thing we thought about and it would be done in a hurry with no other thought than getting it done so we could go to bed. When you are a single parent it is hard to make time for everything but our children’s education is so important that we have to make time to let them know how important it is. I wish I knew where that dream family lives, the one with … Continue reading →

Is Your Kid a Spendthrift?

We’ve entered a new dimension at Casa Cheplic: Cashdom. Now that my daughter is 7, we’ve bid adieu to threats and time outs and are embracing the wonders of using cash as incentive for good behavior. So, yeah, basically I get my kid to behave by bribing her with big bucks. Actually, it’s mostly coins, but the occasional dollar bill makes an appearance if she achieves a monumental accomplishment. We’ve got the wall chart, the stickers, a list of jobs and rules and, of course, a jar full of shiny, jangly loot. Using monetary rewards as a method of behavior … Continue reading →

How Can I Protect My Family’s Finances?

Despite our best efforts to plan and budget, sometimes things happen that throw our families’ finances so far off track that we may wonder whether we will ever be able to meet some of the financial goals that we had set for ourselves. Things like retirement, college educations for the kids, and even home ownership can seem like distant fantasies when times get tough and you are living in survival mode. The good news is that as bleak as things may seem, all is not lost. You do not have to give up on your family’s financial goals. With some … Continue reading →

It’s Always About Money

This time of year is always stressful financially. It is especially stressful when you are a single parent, you have to make that dollar you are stretching go even farther. Striving to be financially responsible is something you should do all year round. As a single parent it is doubly important that you do your best to manage your money. *Don’t keep secrets about money, talk to your kids. I remember when I was a child and my mother would tell me we couldn’t afford something and I would be resentful because I knew she had money. Because we never … Continue reading →

Online Educational Program: BigIQKids.com

Product: Big IQkids.com Age Level: K-8th grade Format: Online Learning Program Price: Free through Premium Programs What is BigIQKids.com? (From the site.) BigIQkids.com presents a unique learning method designed to help each child develop the skills needed to perform to his/her full potential. Our award winning programs are designed for students in grades K-adults and promote spelling efficiency, vocabulary building, math fact mastery and US geography knowledge via multimedia reinforcement and independent learning. We offer both FREE spelling, math, vocabulary, U.S. states programs and spelling and vocabulary games. What does my family think? I have been familiar with the company … Continue reading →

Are Student Loans Really Good Debt?

For as long as I can remember, I have heard people referring to student loans as “good debt”. I even believed it myself for a while, until I came to the end of my educational journey and stepped out into the real world. While I do not regret the years that I spent earning my J.D., I am certainly not a believer in this whole “student loans are good debt” concept any more. For the concept of “student loans are good debt” to work properly for an individual, a few things must happen. First of all, you must actually complete … Continue reading →

Back-to-School: Moms vs. Dads

Moms are emotional wrecks and dads are emotionally-challenged when it comes to watching their kids head back to class. At least that’s the message I’ve garnered from viewing the slew of recent back-to-school commercials that have saturated the airwaves in the last couple of weeks. Who comes up with these stereotypical ads? And why promote the cliche? I’m referring specifically to one of the most popular back-to-school commercials EVAH! It features an overjoyed dad frolicking through a Staples store to the strains of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The dad is far from emotionless; rather, he is … Continue reading →

Free or Cheap Online Money Management

I have used Quicken forever. The first version I used was on a DOS platform. I have Quicken online at Intuit’s website; although I haven’t used it to the extent I’ve used my Quicken Desktop. Honestly, I haven’t even explored what the online version is really capable of because I’ve been using Quicken for so long that I’m a creature of habit. I have the Quicken app for iPhone, but it looks like I never set it up to use it. Quicken Online is now Mint.com. There is also an app for that. I love it. It really does track … Continue reading →

Save money on shoes for school

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The summer is almost over, and the beginning of a new school year is just around the corner. Time to start getting ready for school! In addition to pencils, papers, folders, and other assorted school supplies, every student from Kindergarten through high school will need new shoes. Most kids will require one pair of shoes that they only will wear while attending their physical education class, and at least one more pair that they can comfortably wear to school every day. If your children are into fashion, they may demand more than one pair of new shoes for school. Things … Continue reading →