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Paying For College – Should Parents Pay For College Tuition?

Lin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:46:13 +0000

Are parents obligated to pay college tuition for their kids to attend college? Should parents pay for college or should college students be responsible for paying college related expenses including tuition, with or without their parents help? The question of who pays for college continues to be a controversial (sometimes heated) debate between kids planning to attend college, and their parents.

Parents, are you responsible for paying your kids college education or not? If parents are supposed to pay for college, how much should parents pay towards tuition, books, housing costs, transportation, gas, insurance, food, clothing, entertainment and miscellaneous expenses for college? Where do parents draw the line between helping kids attend college and not jeopardizing their savings and retirement accounts? To say that your retirement plans are more important than your children’s college funds is putting it mildly.

The all too common belief some people have that it is somehow a parents obligation to pay for college, as if parents “owe” their kids a paid-for college education, reeks of unrealistic expectations and a sense of entitlement in today’s society. Parents who cannot afford to pay for their kids to attend college, or choose not to pay some or all college expenses for their own personal or financial reasons, are almost made out to be bad parents.

These parents are accused of not loving their kids, not wanting their children to be successful in life, and not worthy of being called parents amongst other things. Loving your children has nothing to do with who is going to pay for college, or a parent’s desire for their kids to become successful, independent adults. In an article entitled “don’t pay your children’s college education”, the writer aptly points out that paying for college is not about love, sacrifice or devotion towards kids. There is much more to it than that.

So, parents have to pay for college if they have the money, right? Wrong. “How am I going to pay for my college education if my parents won’t pay, can’t afford to help, or refuse to fill out the FAFSA?” is a common question.

Who Pays For College?

Opinions on why parents should pay for college vs. parents who should not pay for college vary, as expected. Even “personal finance experts” can’t seem to agree. Words like should, must, have to, obligation, responsibility and similar terms used by college-aged kids expecting their parents to pay for all college expenses with little or no “skin in the game” themselves is ludicrous. I have yet to find a parenting manual that states parents must pay for their child’s college education, whether parents can afford the costs or not.

Don’t get me wrong, education is important. Many parents already do what they can to ensure their kids get a great education until high school graduation. But, parents do not owe their children a college education. Parents paying for college is not a kids “right” to a free ride through college, but is a parents choice to decide whether to pay or not pay for any part of their kids higher education, how much, and on what terms.

You can take loans for college but not for retirement. Even financial expert Suze Orman says it is financially irresponsible and downright dangerous for parents to basically write a blank check from the bank of mom and dad to pay for their kids college education, or take out a second mortgage to pay for college. IF parents can afford to pay for college and choose to do so, then by all means pay for your child to go to college to whatever degree you are financially able to do so, without sacrificing your savings account or retirement account.

How to Pay For College

Planning ahead towards college costs with money set aside in a 529 plan for your kids education is a smart option for parents, if they choose to and can afford it. Parents can also help their children look for scholarships, federal grants, student loans and sources of “free money” for college. Do not allow your children, or society in general, to guilt-trip or demand that you pay for your child’s college education if you cannot afford to pay or choose not to pay for your kids to go to college. It is entirely up to you, the parents.

I couldn’t help but laugh when I read this article suggesting the “federal government and the schools consider it the family’s primary responsibility to pay for the child’s education”, wrongly implying that parents are legally required to pay for college. Let the whining and moaning commence. Parents who have college-aged kids have already fulfilled their responsibility to their kids education throughout elementary, middle/intermediate and high school. The article about the federal government even suggests kids who have Christian or religious parents should hurl scripture quotes from the Bible at parents in order to manipulate or coerce parents into paying for college.

Should parents pay for college or should parents make kids find a job and work through college to help themselves get a great education? A parents legal and moral obligation to care and provide for their children ends when kids reach the age of 18 and they are considered to be adults in the U.S. While parents have an obligation to care for minor children and provide them the best education possible, parents are not obligated or responsible for adult children. Unfortunately, many parents continue to pay for and enable their grown kids anyway.

If you are a parent researching information on the advantages and disadvantages of paying for all or some of your kids college education, carefully consider and bookmark these devil’s advocate articles on who should pay for college, and who should not pay and how helping pay for college can lead to trouble. The decision is ultimately yours, so choose wisely, unless you don’t mind eating cat food in your elderly years. The book The Best Way to Save for College-A Complete Guide to 529 Plans by Joseph Hurley comes highly recommended by finance expert Suze Orman.

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Apple iPad Reviews – Is the Price of the iPad Worth the Hype?

Lin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:00:30 +0000

When the Apple iPad was unveiled last week by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, gadget geeks were anxious to learn what all the hype was about. Who will want to buy the iPad and what all does it do? Is the iPad application device worth the hype that has been built up? Whether or not the iPad will crush or slay netbooks and e-readers like the Kindle remains to be seen. The iPad is an application device and not a computer or a laptop, so why there is talk about the iPad crushing netbooks sounds like nothing more than hype and geek jargon to me.

After reading a ton of pro and con reviews about the Apple iPad and watching video presentations, plus finding out from FOXNews that my already overloaded smartphone carrier AT&T will be providing services for the iPad, I’m underwhelmed. Some thought the iPad would be named the iTablet or the iSlate instead of something that conjures up thoughts of feminine hygiene products for women.

Oh, the iPad jokes took the net by storm, and hilarious they were for sure. Admittedly, the iPad is a good looking gadget, but who is the moron that came up with the goofy name? The cost of the iPad, a giant iPhone kind of gadget, is too rich for my blood. Unless Apple lowers the price. Yeah, right.

The Apple iPad Tablet price list is:

Wi-Fi iPad 16GB is $499.00
32GB will be $599.00
64GB will be $699.00

For 3G service, add another $130.00. Unlocked, with a monthly fee of $14.99 per month for the 250MB data plan and $29.99 per month for the Unlimited plan. There are no contracts for the service and customers can pre-pay and cancel at anytime. At its unveiling, Apple announced that the Wi-Fi iPad version ships in 60 days, and the 3G version ships in 90 days.

Apple iPad Reviews Roundup

Engadget -
“…the Apple iPad doesn’t live up to that potential. For all its horsepower, we’re still relegated to one app at a time. For all its talk of being a great web experience — and it is really snappy — we still don’t have Flash. The New York Times app showed promise for newspapers and magazines, but for now the experience unfortunately seems to be the exception, not the rule.”

CNET -
“Really, it’s the casual computer user that will see the biggest benefit from the iPad. The kind of person who doesn’t own an iPhone or a laptop and would be happy to browse the New York Times stories over morning coffee, if it didn’t mean sitting at a computer desk. If you love showing off your digital photos but detest using your home computer to organize and display them, the iPad and its photo-import functionality and large display may be just the ticket.”

Gizmodo –
“Sure the iPad may not be as easy on the eyes as a Kindle. But you will be able to read in bed without an additional light source. You will be able to read things online without banging your head against a wall to get to the right page. And, once the publishers get their acts together, you will be able to enjoy comics, cookbooks, and children’s books, with colorful images. Even before you set them into motion, dancing around the screen, they’ll look way better than they would on e-ink.”

PC World –
“While the Apple iPad is super slim at only a half-inch (13mm) thick, we had some difficulty handling it. At around 680g, it is too heavy to hold in one hand, which is troublesome if you plan on using it as an e-book reader.

“Other e-readers, such as the Amazon Kindle 2 or the COOL-ER e-reader, are much lighter in hand than the Apple iPad, and therefore make for a much more comfortable user experience. Using two hands is much more comfortable, but if you’re reading a long novel, that could get quite tiresome.”

Slashgear -
“In many ways it feels like an oversized iPhone, and unfortunately some of the iPhone’s flaws have been carried over. The biggest – and most frustrating, given the turn of speed the iPad is obviously capable of – is the complete absence of multitasking.

There’s also no Flash support in the browser, a crime given how well it displays webpages. Over the WiFi connection here, SlashGear loaded up snappily and just as you’d expect from a desktop browser, bar any animations, but at least it flips between landscape and portrait orientations with no lag.”

Even though the Apple iPad Tablet looks really cool (even for gadget geek-wannabe’s like me), I just might wait to see if the next new-and-improved version of the Apple iPad has all the bells and whistles that are missing from this version. Hopefully Verizon will become a service provider for the iPad too, because AT&T’s service hasn’t been the greatest.

Multi-tasking capabilities is a must-have in my book since I usually have several tabs open at once on my desktop pc and/or laptop computer, so I’ll definitely be watching for updates and upgrades for the iPad. Do you want an iPad? Do you plan to buy one?

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Oprah Magazine 5 Dollar Magazine Subscriptions

Lin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:03:47 +0000

Oprah Winfrey fans, listen up! Amazon.com is currently running a “Magazine Steal of the Week” subscription deal on Oprah Winfrey’s “O” magazine for just five dollars, plus deals on other popular magazines HERE!

A one full year magazine subscription to Oprah‘s “O” Magazine is just five dollars, until the deal ends on December 19th. Oprah’s magazine usually goes for $18 for a yearly subscription– $5 is definitely a steal!

PLUS, you can use the $5.00 magazine subscription “steal of the week” on Amazon to extend your current magazine subscription to Oprah and other magazines, and this deal is not just for new subscribers!

Amazon has magazine subscription deals for less than $10.00 for many of the most popular magazines for men, women and children HERE.

Kids love receiving and reading children’s magazines for their age group and interests too, so hurry before the deals and steals expire!

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Genealogy, Family Tree Maker Family History Software, Genealogy Records Research

Lin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:43 +0000

Genealogy research and tracing my family tree history has been an interest and hobby of mine for several years. October is Family History Month and there is no better way to celebrate but to begin creating a family tree of your own with names, stories, photos, vital records, birth dates, marriages, divorces, deaths etc for a complete family history of your ancestry and roots.

Genealogy or ancestry research can seem rather daunting for a beginner, especially when you consider the time it takes collecting family documents and records kept in old Bibles, going to libraries checking through large volumes of books and files, family history databases, charts and vital records reports.

Then there are the newspapers, obituaries, cemeteries, tombstones, census records, church records, land and property records, deeds of ownership and much more. It would be great if diaries, personal letters, Bible notes and photos were all we needed to build a family tree, and it would make the process of building a family tree pretty easy.

Free Family Tree Makers

When I first started searching for information on relatives and ancestors to create a family tree online to pass onto my children and grandchildren, I wanted to collect as many details as I could for free. There are genealogy search engines and websites that provide information about family records and data for little or no cost at all (Geni.com), to get help in finding your family tree history and create a family tree online, or you can use family tree software on your computer.

MyHeritage.com is also a free family tree maker that allows users to create and print a family tree for free, but after trying it for awhile I chose Ancestry.com instead. Some “free” tree maker sites are really just a free trial period, where after a certain period of time, your free trial runs out and you must become a paying member to continue using the site. Personally, I would much rather go with a well known, highly respected and user friendly website or trusted genealogy software on my computer than to risk having to start all over again.

Even though you don’t need to become a paid member of a genealogy research site such as Ancestry.com in order to make a family tree, perhaps with the help of the free family tree finder from the Mormon Church Genealogy records site (LDS) or Yahoo Groups, it sure helps to have thousands if not millions of genealogy researchers doing much of the work for you.

To get an idea of the amount of information you can gather with or without the help of genealogy software for PC and Mac users, or family history sites on the internet besides those already mentioned, here is a list of some kinds of records hobbyist and professional genealogists use in their research:

Vital records – birth records, death records, marriage and divorce records

Adoption records – which, if you’ve ever gotten stuck while researching your family tree, adoption records can make genealogy research very difficult

Church records – baptism/christening, confirmation, bar or bat mitzvah, marriage, church membership and funeral records

Court records – civil and criminal records

Emigration, immigration and naturalization records

Medical, military and conscription records

Ship passenger lists

Hereditary and lineage organization records

Newspaper articles, occupational records, oral/dental records,

Passports, schools and colleges attended, alumni association records

Social Security, pension and tax records

Voter registration, wills and probate records

Deeds, land and property records

Family Tree Genealogy Software

Family tree software programs are available in compatible Windows versions and for Mac users to run on the Macintosh operating system, making your genealogy research a simple and easy process. Be sure the program you choose is not an old version and that it allows you to import Genealogical Data Communications, also known as GEDCOM files, and offers upgrades. Reviews of genealogy software for Mac users say Reunion 9 is the best family tree program, and while MacFamilyTree by Synium was given good mention, most preferred Reunion 9 overall.

Reviews for PC users show Family Tree Maker to be at the top of the list of genealogy software, easy for beginners and experienced family tree researchers to use. Legacy Family Tree tied for second place with RootsMagic. Software programs like Personal Ancestral File and The Master Genealogist weren’t given the best marks all around, with most recommending Family Tree Maker overall.

Surname Origin and Last Name Meanings

Have you ever wondered what the nationality of your surname is or what the origin and meaning of your last name is? Do you know what your family crest or coat of arms looks like? Discovering the origin and meaning of your last name is fun too, and you can get a lot of detailed information about your surname by using a free surname finder online.

Reading surname histories and discovering the meanings behind your family name, family crest or coat of arms symbols, shield and colors is very enlightening and fun. Being of part German descent, reading the history of the German coat of arms featuring an eagle with colors similar to that of the Flag of Germany in black, red and gold offered a good history lesson for me, which is now included in my family tree.

If you ever need a translation of the motto, flags and banners for your coat of arms or family crest and what they all mean, Wikipedia has a complete list of coats of arms articles, motto’s, emblems and descriptions that include Presidents and Vice Presidents from every state in the U.S., Canada and other countries.

Common surnames such as Miller, Jones, Brown, Smith and similar last names can make researching genealogy and creating a family tree tedious, time-consuming and overwhelming while trying to find past relatives and ancestors, which is why I personally recommend Ancestry.com to create a family tree online.

The list of things you can do with a family tree are virtually limitless. You can design or make a coat of arms that matches your family tree, look at coat of arms pictures and clipart online where you can download a printable copy of your coat of arms for your records, and even purchase a coat of arms plaque to hang on your wall at home as decoration.

I’ve learned a lot about my family history since I started a family tree online a few years ago, and I have found and met cousins and distant relatives who use RootsWeb, even connecting with them on Facebook and sharing family stories. If you haven’t already started your own family tree, I would encourage you to start a family tree today. You never know who you might find in your family line, and just how easy and fun it is to make some interesting discoveries along the way.

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reSTART Internet Addiction Treatment Center Rehab Program for Computer Internet Addicts

Lin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:20:07 +0000

reSTART internet addiction treatment center for computer internet and video gaming addicts, people who are addicted to the internet or playing video games, has opened its first rehab residential treatment program in the U.S. Commonly referred to as Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), the reSTART treatment center opened its doors in August 2009 with its first patient, 19-year-old Ben Alexander of Iowa City.

reSTART, described as a 45-day video game and Internet addiction recovery program, is located in Fall City, Washington, about 30 miles east of Seattle. An admitted gaming addict, Alexander became so addicted to the online fantasy game World of Warcraft that he would spend more than 16 hours a day glued to the computer game, skipping meals and sleep for the sake of playing the game.

In an interview with Time, Alexander says he became so addicted to playing video games that “It was pretty much all I was doing when I was in college.” After unsuccessfully trying to wean himself off of the addictive game and nearly failing school, he “had a moment of clarity” and asked his dad for help. Before discovering reSTART, Alexander checked into an addiction treatment center in Eastern Washington but that didn’t help, and then went to a wilderness adventure program in Utah, all to no avail.

Internet Addiction Treatment Centers

Ironically located less than 15 miles from Microsoft’s Redmond Headquarters, the Heavensfield Retreat Center (reSTART) is a 5-acre wooden retreat with a 3,500 square foot craftsman house, Western red cedar treehouses, chicken coops, and goat pens. For a whopping cost of just $15,500 for the 45-day stay (including application, screening and treatment fees) internet and gaming addicts are cut off from the web… cold turkey.

The reSTART website (www.netaddictionrecovery.com) says inpatient treatment for internet addiction includes working with a therapist, a recreation coach, yoga and exercise instructors, nature hikes, household chores, career development and other activities in an effort to “reprogram” patients and rid them of their addiction to the internet or online gaming.

Even though Internet addiction or video game addiction is not yet included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) doesn’t make these addictions less serious and real, especially in the lives and families affected by Internet Addiction Disorder.

Unfortunately, Internet addiction is not recognized as a separate disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, and treatment is not covered by insurance. But there are many treatment centers for internet addiction in China, South Korea and Taiwan — where Internet addiction is taken very seriously — and many psychiatric experts say it is clear that Internet addiction is real and harmful.

ReSTART is run by psychotherapists Cosette Dawna Rae and Hilarie Cash, authors of Video Games & Your Kids: How Parents Stay in Control, who believe Internet addiction and gaming are no less addictive than other seemingly harmless activities, such as gambling. Since helping her first patient overcome an addiction to a role-playing computer game fifteen years ago, Cash re-focused her practice to treating patients who are compulsive Internet and gaming addicts to the point where their they stop eating and sleeping properly, risk losing their jobs, marriages and relationships are ruined, plus various potentially serious health problems (including death). The harmful effects of internet addiction or video game addiction cannot be ignored any longer – if you or your kids are showing symptoms of addiction, act now.

The signs of internet or gaming addiction cannot be ignored, and if you or your children are addicted to video games or the internet itself, can you afford the cost of going to reSTART or any other internet treatment centers that pop up around the U.S. or other countries?

Think about it. How much time do you or your children spend online, whether it be social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, online virtual worlds like Second Life, silly Facebook games like Yoville or Mafia Wars, amongst others? Could you, someone you love, or your children be addicted to the internet or video games and not even realize it?

It’s time to get a life. A real life.

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Childhood Obesity: Overweight Children Weight Loss Plan for Kids and Teens

Lin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:00:47 +0000

Childhood obesity in children and teens who are considered overweight or clinically obese is on the rise, according to research studies on the prevalence of overweight and obese children and adolescents in the U.S. Child obesity statistics speak for themselves, with the term “childhood obesity epidemic” creating concern for parents and health officials, as well as city and state government officials searching for ways to reduce and even prevent obesity in children.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over nine million kids and teens between the ages of 6-19 years of age have been diagnosed as being overweight or morbidly obese, an alarming number that has tripled since 1980.

The CDC reports that over the past three decades child obesity rates have more than doubled for preschool children between the ages of 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years.

Childhood Obesity Statistics

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Resources, overweight kids and teens have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults, which jumps to 80% if one or more parents is overweight or obese themselves.

In the U.K., parents of overweight school kids are to receive a letter from schools telling them their child is underweight, a healthy weight, overweight or very overweight. Included in the letter are tips and advice on getting kids to eat healthy, the risks of being overweight and physical activities their child can do to lower their weight and risk factors.

In 2008, child obesity statistics show a dramatic increase in the U.S. obesity rates per state, showing only one state (Colorado) with a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-two states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 25%; six of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia) had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%.

Child Obesity Definition

What is obesity? The definition of child obesity and overweight is simple and easy to understand. “Obesity” means an excess amount of body fat, or body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, while “overweight” is defined as a body mass index of 25 or higher. BMI is calculated from a person’s weight and height, which provides a good indicator of unhealthy body fat and weight that may lead to serious health problems.

Most health professionals use published guidelines based on the body mass index, or a modified BMI for age, in order to measure obesity in children. Other professionals classify fat or overweight kids as being obese if they have a body weight ratio of at least 20% higher than a healthy weight for a child of that height, or a body fat percentage above 25% in boys or above 32% in girls.

Childhood Obesity Facts

The facts about childhood obesity cannot be ignored, and some parents have actually been arrested and charged with child abuse and neglect because their teen is morbidly obese, creating a firestorm of controversy around the country. The health risks and long-term effects of obesity in children are numerous, with very serious consequences, such as:

Coronary heart disease

Type 2 diabetes (also referred to as adult-onset diabetes)

Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

Dyslipidemia (high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)

Stroke

Liver diseases, gallbladder diseases and asthma

Sleep apnea (interruption of breath while sleeping) and respiratory problems

Orthopedic problems/Osteoarthritis (breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint)

Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

Causes of Childhood Obesity

What causes obesity and overweight in children?, you may wonder. According to the Mayo Clinic, obesity in children is caused by kids eating too much, eating the wrong kinds of foods (ie. junk foods, high calorie, high fat, high sodium) and not getting enough exercise. Television commercial ads intentionally marketed to kids and school cafeteria food menu items deserve to share at least part of the blame for increased obesity trends in children.

Genetic disorders and hormonal causes appear to play a part in some cases but are far less common than lifestyle issues and poor eating habits, and is not commonly viewed as a viable excuse. Genetic diseases, such as Prader-Willi syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome, affect only a very small percentage of children, but the primary cause of child obesity is poor eating habits and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Lack of regular, “natural exercise” is a major contributing factor in childhood obesity rates. Children who spend too much time watching television programs, playing video games too much or internet surfing for hours each day, have a greater risk of being overweight or becoming morbidly obese than kids who regularly engage in active play or sports.

According to research studies, “children’s food preferences and food-intake patterns may be shaped largely by the foods parents choose to make available to children and persistence in presenting a food that initially is rejected.”

The same study found that “picky eaters were breastfed for fewer than 6 months,” suggesting that breastfeeding that lasts longer than 6 months may help prevent kids from becoming picky eaters in the first place. Recommendations for dealing with a picky eater are to prepare one healthy meal for the entire family, and if he or she does not want to eat the meal prepared, don’t force them to eat it but don’t give the child something else to eat.

Weight Loss Diets for Children?

Child obesity prevention programs, weight loss camps and diets for kids under 13 years of age (and older) are popping up all over the U.S., but are diets for children safe? These programs are hoping to stop the obesity epidemic from growing and help kids learn about proper nutrition, food choice, self esteem, portion control and getting enough exercise.

National weight loss programs and grants are being put into place to help children achieve and maintain a healthy body mass index, or BMI, and lower their risks of health problems. These obesity programs also help parents of overweight or obese kids learn how to promote healthy lifestyles and eating habits, and how to give helpful support and encouragement effectively.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food pyramid for kids program called MyPyramid for Kids offers printable meal tracking worksheets in Spanish and English to help preschoolers (ages 2-5 years) and older kids (ages 6-11 years) keep track of their food choices and level of physical activity, as well as providing tips for parents and families.

We Can! or “Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition” is a national education program developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help prevent childhood obesity in youth ages 8–13. We Can! focuses on programs and activities for parents and families as a primary group for influencing youth. The program provides turn-key resources and programs for parents, caregivers, and youth to encourage healthy eating, increase physical activity, and reduce screen time.

Fad diets are a dime a dozen, and that includes “diets for teens” and even “diets for kids” who are overweight, so before you go signing your kid up for any diet programs – research diet scams and talk to your family doctor to make an informed decision for your child.

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Best Selling Children’s Books-New York Times Children’s Books Best Seller List

Lin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:30:08 +0000

The New York Times has released a new list of the best selling children’s books which includes picture books and chapter books that children of all ages love to read. Reading over the list of the best selling children’s books, and how some books remain on the top sellers list for several weeks, you can clearly see that kids books are still a favorite pastime.

These books may or may not make it on the list of best selling children’s books of all time, but if nothing else, some of these books at least deserve to be on the top of the list of most popular children’s books and added to your Christmas gift list for kids that like to read.

Here is the Top 10 list of best selling children’s picture books and chapter books, according to the NY Times, for a total of 20 children’s books.

Best Selling Children Picture Books

1. Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth. (Ages 4-8) 32 weeks on the best seller list!

2. Gallop!: A Scanimation Picture Book by Rufus Butler Seder. (Ages 4-8) 95 weeks on the best seller list!

3. Marley Goes to School by John Grogan. (Ages 3-8) 6 weeks on the best seller list!

4. Goldilicious by Victoria Kann. (Ages 5-8) 15 weeks on the best seller list!

5. Oceanology: The True Account of the Voyage of the Nautilus by Ferdinand Zoticus deLessups. (Ages 9-12) 1 week on the best seller list!

6. Swing! by Rufus Butler Seder (Ages 4-8) 47 weeks on the best seller list!

7. The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinckney (Ages 4-8) 1 week on the best seller list!

8. Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron (Ages 4-8) 1 week on the list of best sellers!

9. Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire! By Jane O’Connor (Ages 4-7) 19 weeks on the best seller list!

10. Truckery Rhymes (Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown) by Jon Scieszka (Ages 3-8) 2 weeks on the best seller list!

Best Selling Children Chapter Books

1. Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins (Ages 12 and up) 1 week on the NY Times best seller list!

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Ages 12 and up) 52 weeks on the best seller list!

3. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins (Ages 14 and up) 2 weeks on the best seller list!

4. Sent (Missing) by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Ages 8-12) 2 weeks on the best seller list!

5. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad (Ages 14 and up) 12 weeks on the best seller list!

6. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Ages 12 and up) 6 weeks on the best seller list!

7. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Ages 10 and up) 49 weeks on the best seller list!

8. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Ages 14 and up) 46 weeks on the best seller list!

9. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (Ages 14 and up) 12 weeks on the best seller list!

10. Daniel X: Watch the Skies by James Patterson and Ned Rust (Ages 12 and up) 6 weeks on the best seller list!

Getting children or teens to read more often, and off of those addictive video games or vegetating in front of the television set for hours on end, is a very good thing.

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This is My Blog and I Will Blog Whatever I Want

Lin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:00:40 +0000

Yes, this is MY blog and I will blog or write about whatever I want, thank you very much. I almost titled this post, “Telling It Like It Is is Not For the Faint of Heart”, which on some levels is very true.

Over the last several months there have been an increasing number of what I refer to as lurkers, spammers, trolls, haters, naysayers and perverts emailing me and attempting to leave pathetic comments on posts.

Some of the worst offenders are those arriving from those pesky “DoFollow blog lists”, where newbie bloggers show up like a bat out of hell, dive-bombing this site in hopes of getting a link back to their site by leaving a pathetic “great blog, keep it up” sort of comment. If you have a blog of your own, you are likely well aware of these pests.

Telling It Like It Is has a comment policy and privacy policy like all/most other blogs and websites have, including a “mark as spam” button and a “delete” button, which I use quite frequently. If “DoFollow” dive bombers wish to continue wasting their time targeting this site for a backlink, knock yourselves out…but if you ever decide to check back to see if your “comment” was approved…you’ll be sadly mistaken.

Running a close second behind the dive bombers are those who are none too happy that I continue to write about child sexual abuse, especially the articles that tell kids and victims to tell they are being sexually abused now or were sexually abused by someone in the past.

I have received emails and attempted comments from people who are not happy at all that the Protect Our Children Act was passed. Now, readers, you tell me…what kind of person would NOT want me or anyone else having the “audacity” to be telling kids to tell someone they are or were sexually abused? Think about that for a minute, then come to your own conclusions.

Blog Post Ideas – Being Audacious

Blog post ideas for Telling It Like It Is come from a large number of sources, which I will get to in a minute. I rarely if ever experience writer’s block (so far), and I write blog posts with audacity and I’m proud of it. My blog is not a “feel good blog”, nor is it a “beat around the bush” blog, and it is certainly not a “tiptoe through the tulips” kind of blog.

I work hard at being an audacious blogger, and the articles about sexual abuse, abusive relationships and the numerous helping vs. enabling posts are emotionally difficult for me to write. I write them anyway and will continue to do so. I am passionate about the topics I write on this blog, even though there are thousands of bloggers who write better than I do, with perfect spelling, grammar, sentence structure and phrasing on every single blog post published.

“If you’re not afraid to be rejected, you keep putting your hand up. If you’re not afraid to be ignored, you keep putting yourself out there. If you’re not afraid to be criticized, you do exactly what you want. If you’re not afraid to make contact with someone more successful than you, you’ll create your own opportunities.”

I am not afraid. I will not be deterred.

I am not a social networking know-it-all, but I put myself out there anyway, meeting and making connections with fellow writers and bloggers in an out of my own “niche”. I am not a “Pro Blogger” by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I feel the need or pressure to become one. I make mistakes while writing and creating blog posts (especially when trying a new and unfamiliar html-type code thingamagig), such as I did on the how to plan a wedding article, turning it into a complete fiasco until I was able to fix it. Oh well…, live and learn as I go.

Okay, blog post ideas…, where I get mine. Aside from the fact that I read a lot, be it books, magazines, news articles online or offline etc, there are a variety of places I go to get my blog post ideas to avoid writer’s block. Here is a short list of those places, in no particular order.

Woopra – If you have a blog or are considering starting a blog, you MUST get Woopra. Woopra, by far, is the most comprehensive, information rich, easy to use, real-time, LIVE Web tracking and analysis application I have ever seen. Woopra provides so much unique information about visitors to your blog/website and how they arrive at your site, it will blow your mind. And it’s free! Woopra’s ability to track keywords/search terms (amongst other things) people have used to arrive at my blog or specific blog posts has already provided me MANY ideas for blog posts, and it’s only getting better by the day.

Google Alerts – Google Alerts are email updates received in your inbox of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, blogs, video, etc.) based on your interests or topics. Email updates from Google alerts can be received “as it happens”, “once a day” or “once a week”, whichever you prefer. I currently have two blogs and am in process of building a third, and receiving email alert messages based on my keywords of choice has brought about more blog post ideas than I could ever have imagined.

StumbleUpon – Wikipedia describes StumbleUpon as an “internet community that allows its users to discover and rate Web pages, photos, and videos”. Basically, StumbleUpon users choose to rate (or not rate) a web page, blog post, pictures or video by way of the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” feature from the StumbleUpon toolbar, which can result in massive amounts of web traffic from online friends or peers. StumbleUpon is sort of like word-of-mouth advertising from referrals. Online friends and peers have sent me links to articles with messages suggesting I do a blog post on that subject, but in my own “Tell It Like It Is” writing style. One such post was the Miley Cyrus Going Topless “rant” that caught the attention of the New York Times and LA Times, because I was being audacious and bold!

Twitter, Facebook, Google Adwords Keyword Tool, Google Trends and Blogs I’m subscribed to by RSS Feed or email have also brought numerous blog post ideas already found on this site, and still more to come. With the numerous categories and topics I can cover within my blog niche, I would be hard-pressed to run out of things to write about and I have no intention of ever doing so. That’s how I roll.

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Lessons In Frugality

Lin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:00:51 +0000

This is a guest post from Sherri at Serene Journey, where she shares tips, tricks and philosophies on enjoying life a whole lot more.

When kids move away from home it can be bitter sweet. There are no more family breakfasts around the dining room table and no more fighting for the shower first thing in the morning (at least I’m sure that’s what my folks would tell you). Yet you are excited for them to get out there and experience life, see the world and grow into their own person. There are several things I want to teach my kids before they leave home and one of the most important lessons is on frugality.

I have made the transition from relatively spend happy to quite frugal over the past several years. I only wish I had adopted my frugal way years ago! Here are some key lessons I’ve learned, or aha moments if you like, when it comes to frugality, timeless lessons that every kid should be aware of.

1. There is a difference between want and need. It seems pretty obvious that things we want aren’t necessarily things we need but the lines can blur and the distinction is sometimes fuzzy. Food, clothing, and shelter are all necessities – you actually do need these things. However, spending money on steak and lobster every night, haute-couture clothing and a 10,000 square foot house are self-indulgent wants.

Experiment with your child. The next time they “NEEEEEED” something start a dialogue – ask them questions about why they need it so bad, talk through different scenarios and worst possible outcomes if they don’t get the item. Try looking for alternatives to purchasing the item i.e. can you rent it, borrow it from the library or use a friends? Sometimes the alternatives aren’t immediately obvious but they often cost a lot less.

2. Sleep on it…for a month or so. Keep track of things you want – absolutely everything, then commit to not buying anything on that list for at least a month maybe even two or three. This does two things.

It removes all impulses purchases. It allows you to keep an eye out for sales and discounts. Keeping track of what you want also allows you to prioritize purchases and save up enough money to cover the cost (i.e. not putting it on a credit card).
Sleeping on it allows you to see if you really want the item or if it was just something you thought you might like in the spur of the moment. After a month or two has passed there are generally two outcomes; you either still want the item or you don’t. If you still want it then it’s likely a good purchase for you and a wise way to spend your money. If you no longer want the item on your list, you’ve saved your money and can put it towards the next item on your list.

3. Use cash. I’m a big advocate for using cash as opposed to credit. It’s a lot more difficult to part with physical money than it is to hand over a piece of plastic. Using cash in combination with sticking to a budget will cause you to think twice about parting with $20 on one lunch when all you have is $50 in the budget for the entire month. You’re less likely to go over budget if you spend using only cash. While it’s sometimes not as convenient to use cash as it is to use a credit card it can actually save you a lot of money in the long run.

4. Make do with what you have. Everyone likes to have new stuff, but buying items just for the sake of “new” is certainly not in your best interest. It helps if you look at the practicality of an item and not just the aesthetics of it. Take an old paint splattered hammer, for example, while it doesn’t look pretty it still does the job of pounding nails into the wall so you can hang pictures. So why spend the money on a new one? The same goes for oven mitts, tea pots, furniture, and laundry baskets.

Can you also make do with what you have by multi-tasking an item you already have around the house. As an example, instead of buying a stand that keeps the gardening bags open so you can put the clippings in, use a plastic storage container that you already have kicking around the house. They are light weight, easy enough for you to drag around the garden and when it’s full just tip the bin into a bag and you’re done. It takes a bit of creative thinking but making do with what you have is a great way to live frugally.

5. More is not better. Abundance seems to be the “in” thing. But with many possessions comes more responsibility, clutter, stress and can even add complexity to everyday life. Frugality, to me, doesn’t mean living without or even being a minimalist. Living frugally means being aware of where your money is going, making smarter choices on how you spend it and making do with what you have where it makes sense.

Acquiring more and more, bigger and better may seem to be making your life better, easier or more efficient. In actuality, a lot of times the exact opposite is true.

Teaching kids how to live frugally is important but isn’t only a lesson of theory. We should really try to lead and teach by example. Try making a small change today and committ to introducing one frugal lesson in your home. You may just find you benefit a lot from it as well!

Please share your thoughts in the comments as well as other important frugal lessons to teach our kids.

Read more of Sherri’s articles on enjoying life at Serene Journey.

Photo courtesy of: s2photo

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Childhood Obesity and Child Abuse: Is Child Obesity Child Abuse?

Lin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:00:02 +0000

Is childhood obesity child abuse? Should parents of overweight or obese children be criminally charged with child abuse or neglect, where parents may be found guilty of child abuse and sentenced to jail time for having an overfed or obese child? When does parental indulgence become child abuse or neglect? Who is responsible when children are overweight or clinically obese, and should governmental agencies get involved?

A report by USA Today has attracted national attention to the case of a 555-pound teenage boy in South Carolina, whose mother was arrested in June and charged with criminal neglect because of her son’s weight. 14-year-old Alexander Draper is now in foster care, pending the outcome of charges against his mother, 49-year-old Jerri Gray.

“Jerri Gray was doing all she could to help her son lose weight, her attorney says. But something had gone terribly wrong for the boy to hit the 555-pound mark by age 14. Authorities in South Carolina say that what went wrong was Gray’s care and feeding of her son, Alexander Draper. Gray, 49, of Travelers Rest, S.C., was arrested in June and charged with criminal neglect.”

If your child or teenager is overweight or clinically obese, could your child be taken away from you, followed by you being charged with child abuse or neglect? Jerri Gray’s attorney, Grant Varner, says this case could open the door to criminal charges against parents whose children become dangerously overweight.

“If she’s found guilty on those criminal charges, you have set a precedent that opens Pandora’s box,” Grant Varner says. “Where do you go next?”

Childhood obesity is on the rise all across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and many states have begun to take legal action against parents. According to a 2008 report published by Child Welfare League of America, state courts in Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, New Mexico, Indiana and California have been trying to decide what to do about obesity in children.

In all of those cases, except the one in California, courts expanded their state’s legal definition of medical neglect to include morbid obesity and ruled that the children were victims of neglect, the report says. Criminal charges were filed only in the California and Indiana cases, but the parents weren’t sentenced to jail time in either.

Childhood Obesity – Child Abuse?

Linda Spears, vice president of policy and public affairs for the Child Welfare League of America says criminal charges should be a last resort. “I think I would draw the line at a place where there are serious health consequences for the child and efforts to work with the family have repeatedly failed,” she says. “What’s more often needed is a structured plan of action that’s accountable to a court. Most of the time, the health problems tied to childhood obesity don’t become chronic until adulthood, which makes it difficult to charge parents with child abuse”, Spears says.

Obesity in children is not just a problem in the U.S., with children of all ages developing health problems because of poor nutrition, over-consumption and inactivity, and many countries around the world are working hard to combat child obesity. In a 2007 New York case involving an adolescent girl who weighed 261 pounds, the court ordered nutritional counseling, cooking classes and gym workouts.

35-year-old Nicola McKeown, mother of 8-year-old Connor McCreaddie, almost lost custody of her 200-pound child in 2007 for feeding him too much. Authorities involved in the case called a “child protection conference” to consider removing him from his home, claiming “Child abuse is not just about hitting your children or sexually abusing them, it is also about neglect.” The meeting concluded with an agreement for health officials and a dietician to continue trying to help the family deal with Connor’s obesity, rather than removing him from the family home.

The USA Today article raises the question of a possible “Pandora’s Box” scenario. “What about the parents of every 16-year-old in Beverly Hills who’s too thin? Are they going to start arresting parents because their child is too thin?” Will parents of anorexic or bulimic kids be next on the list of the “fat police”?

As a parent, when was the last time you took close inventory of the foods, snacks and drinks found in your kitchen, to determine whether or not changes are needed in your family’s diet?

What personal eating habits are you teaching your children based on what you typically consume as the parent?

What grocery store aisles do you spend most of your time and money while grocery shopping? The outer aisles with fresh meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables etc, or the inner aisles with high calorie, high fat, low nutritional processed foods and snacks? Are you and your family “junk food junkies”?

Where governmental agencies and health officials will draw the line between childhood obesity and child abuse is still unclear, but what is clear is that parents are primarily responsible for what their children consume and in what amount. School cafeteria meals have improved over the years, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. When parents overfeed their child to the point of obesity, parents puts the child at risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke etc, and are ignoring the health risks associated with overeating.

Characterizing child obesity as child abuse is stretching things a bit, but it appears the days of parents claiming their child is just a picky-eater and won’t eat healthy foods with proper portion control may be coming to an end. At least from a legal standpoint, because “Big Brother” is watching. According to the Institute of Medicine, NINE MILLION children in the United States over the age of six are considered obese, referring to obesity in children as “An Epidemic of Childhood Obesity”.

“The increasing number of obese children and youth throughout the United States has led policy makers to rank it as a critical public health threat. Since the 1970s, the prevalence (or percentage) of obesity has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years. At present, approximately nine million children over six years of age are obese.”

Children learn what they live. Parents have to educate themselves about the importance of eating healthy themselves, be good role models for their kids, in order to teach their children good eating habits, nutritional food choices, portion control and exercise to live healthy lifestyles. Children and teenagers spend a lot of time sitting – watching television, playing video games and browsing the internet, rather than getting natural exercise on a regular basis.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle, while also eating the wrong foods and in the wrong proportions, leads to obesity and health problems. Many parents have wisely chosen to buy Wii Fit for themselves and their children, and when combined with healthy food choices, the results of losing weight and improving their overall health is a benefit the whole family can enjoy. We really don’t need governmental agencies to tell us this, do we?

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