Positive Parenting Might be your Style

Parents today have a plethora of parenting styles to choose from. Have you figured out what your parenting style is yet? If not, then perhaps Positive Parenting might be your style. Positive Parenting is a style that is intended to lessen stress and form healthier relationships between parents and their children. It is not an authoritarian parenting style. Other phrases that have been used to describe Positive Parenting include: positive discipline, gentle guidance, or loving guidance. Physical punishment, such as spanking, is absolutely not a part of Positive Parenting. It isn’t about “teaching your child a lesson”. Instead, this parenting … Continue reading

Young Adult Sues Parents for College Tuition

Caitlyn Ricci’s parents divorced in 1997 when she was four years old. It appears that she primarily lived with her mother but also was able to spend time with her father. In February of 2013, Caitlyn Ricci (who was now past the age of 18) left her mother’s home. Technically, she was an adult who was no longer living with her parents. Instead, she went to live with her grandparents (her father’s mom and dad). It is unclear exactly why Caitlyn Ricci decided to move. Her mother, Maura McGarvey, wrote about the situation on her blog. In short, Maura McGarvey … Continue reading

Signs that you Might be the “Default” Parent

There is a somewhat controversial article going around the internet about the “default” parent. Some people seem to relate to what it talks about. Others seem to feel that the concept does not (or should not) exist. What’s a “default” parent? Why is this concept generating online drama? Here are some signs that you might be the “default” parent in your household. Writer M. Blazoned wrote a post titled The Default Parent on her blog. It has been cross-posted to Huffington Post. It is well worth taking the time to read. The comments left on her blog are, for the … Continue reading

Ways to Help Your Child Understand Business

Do your children understand the value of a dollar? Many kids do not. There are things that parents can do to help their children, and teenagers, to get a basic grasp of money. They can also learn a little bit about business. Forbes has a really interesting article titled “13 Ways to Help Your Children Understand Business”. It was written by Dan Matthews, and posted on May 30, 2014. He gathered tips that will help parents to encourage their kids to become interested in finance and business. Each tip came from someone who is involved in business. One of those … Continue reading

Things You Should Do For Yourself Right Now

Are you someone who makes an effort to help, comfort, and pamper your loved ones? It has been said that many people take much better care of their friends and family than they do of themselves. Typically, there are more women than men that have this tendency, but it does include both genders. Now is the time to start taking good care of yourself, too! Here are some things you can start with right this minute. LifeBuzz posted an article that contained 30 things that everyone should start doing for themselves. You can view it as a guide to better … Continue reading

Don’t Let Your Finances Hold You Back from Your Dreams

Stuck in a rut? Want to embark on a new career, become a stay at home parent, go on a fabulous vacation, buy a new home? Whatever your dream for yourself and your family, don’t let financial trouble get in the way. You can fulfill your dream despite poor finances if you stay focused, have a plan and spend your energy on working toward your dream. The first step is really make your dream a real goal. Write it down, tell others about it, find a picture that represents your dream and paste it in a prominent place. Next, figure … Continue reading

What is Robbing You of Happiness?

There are many things out in life that can rob us of happiness and being satisfied with what we have. You usually only consider yourself lacking, if someone else tells you that you are. For example, in generations past, there was no such thing as a smart phone, yet ask any tween around who will tell you that he or she can’t survive without one. I’ve been guilting of unhappiness due to my perceived lack of stuff. It is insane really. My family has adequate food, clothing and shelter, and yet I would focus on the fact that another family … Continue reading

Are You Too Critical?

How often do you start the day with a morning lecture? My 8-year-old daughter’s answer:  “Too many!” She’s probably right. If she asks for help locating her backpack, I spend five minutes “suggesting” that she hang it in the back hall where she can easily find it. If she complains about taking the same home lunch to school every day I “propose” that she expand her palate because there’s only so much I can do with strawberries, crackers and plain chicken. When she whines about not having enough time to eat a leisurely breakfast before school I “recommend” moving up … Continue reading

Seven Ways to Save $1,000 for Your Emergency Fund

Dave Ramsey, financial guru who has helped so many families get out of debt, recommends that most of us start on the path to financial solvency by first saving up $1,000 toward an emergency fund. By having a solid emergency fund, we are less likely to go into debt, should the unexpected happen, such as the home furnace needing to be replaced, the car needing to be repaired, or the experience of a medical crisis. Saving that $1,000 is the first step of Ramsey’s overall get-out-of-debt plan. How can you save that much when there doesn’t seem to be any … Continue reading

6 Products that Pay You Back

With a tiny investment, you can reap great savings rewards. Get a hold of the following products, frugally of course, and start saving now. Netflix or Hulu For just $8 a month, you can have access to hit television shows, movies, specials, sports, news and more. Compare that to $75-$300 a month for cable. Plus, with streaming, you can get your entertainment anywhere. You may already have everything you need to play streaming videos on your television. The Wii, Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and most Blu-ray players already offer a streaming feature. If you don’t currently own one of those … Continue reading