Search Results for: blog i want to get new grandparents for my kid

Benefits of Bartering

My 8-year-old cries poor like the Pentagon before commencing a $10 billion nuclear weapon upgrade. Granted, she doesn’t get a regular allowance, but with grandparents like these, she wants for very little. Actually, she wants a lot, but as the only granddaughter, she typically gets it all, which is why I don’t give her an allowance. This, of course, has led to many heated discussions on money, spending habits and budgeting.  However, thanks to a recently covered Social Studies unit on our country’s earliest settlers, we’ve added a new topic to our financial discussions:  bartering. Bartering is the exchange of … Continue reading →

Allstate has Tips to Prevent Holiday Theft

Many of us will be spending time visiting friends and family over the holidays. Allstate Insurance says that this is the prime time for break-ins and theft to occur. Thieves realize that you aren’t at home! Fortunately, the insurer has some tips that you can use to prevent theft over the holidays. Over the river, and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house you go! Many families spend a big portion of the holidays visiting with various relatives. You might be taking your children to visit with their grandparents. Or, you might be attending a family gathering that includes aunts, uncles, … Continue reading →

Smart Mama Shopping

You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.  That goes double if you are a penny-pinching mom playing Santa Claus. I am all about retailers trying to make cash this holiday season.  I get that, but when you are living on a tight budget and you have kids who are expecting St. Nick to deliver a little more than just a few stale candy canes this Christmas, don’t … Continue reading →

Kid-in-a-Box

(My kid-in-a-box) Why does Toys “R” Us have to run this annoying commercial 24/7? WHY? And why does my child run to the TV each time it airs? WHY? And why must I endure the torture of listening to said child end every sentence with a husky baritone: “WHY! WHY! WHY!” Guess which company I won’t be patronizing this holiday season? You know WHY? Why would I want to shop there now? WHY? Oh. Right. All those fabulous deals on toys that will hopefully keep my kid’s attention at least until New Year’s Eve… or until she sees another commercial … Continue reading →

Rock the Mini Vote

Will you be bringing your kids along when you place your vote on Tuesday? Most parents wouldn’t dream of dragging a squirmy tot the polls on what is supposed to be an historical Election Day, especially since long lines have been making headlines from coast-to-coast. However, if you have the means, you might consider sharing the voting experience with your child. Today, my third grader came home with a note from her teacher encouraging moms and dads to have their kids accompany them in the voting booth. She wants the kids to get a first-hand look at the electoral process. … Continue reading →

Penny and Her Doll

What’s in a name? If you are my young daughter, not so much. In her world, playing the name game is a piece of cake because what you see is typically what you get. Case in point: Her stuffed dinosaur’s name is Dino; her fuzzy black lab = Blackie; her plastic fish-shaped bath toy, Fishy; and her life-sized plush monkey, you guessed it–Monks. Of course, not all kids are able to slap a moniker on a prized possession as quickly and easily as my kid does. In fact, for some children, the task of naming a beloved toy is serious … Continue reading →

What Lessons Did I Teach

What has divorce taught our children about love? I worry about what my divorce has taught Hailey about love and marriage. Unfortunately, most of the people she knows have been divorced, at least once. What does this teach our kids? When I was growing up all of my friends parents were married, my grandparents, aunts and uncles, were all married, to their original spouses. The only divorced person I knew was my mother. It’s the opposite for Hailey, she knows hardly anyone with an intact family. There are a few here and there but it seems they are the exception … Continue reading →

Does Your Child Need a New Backpack Each Year?

Well, we have pretty much gotten all of our back to school shopping done for this upcoming school year, with the exception of one spiral sketch book, which seems to be an endangered species in my part of Pennsylvania. My oldest is entering sixth grade, which in my school district is middle school (junior high). With this transition comes another one I wasn’t ready for–lots and lots of supplies. This list pretty much takes up an entire page, and even with careful shopping, it cost quite a bit. One of the big items we purchased was a new backpack. Unlike … Continue reading →

Money-Saving Mom Moves

School starts here in just a few weeks. Never mind that Target and Wal-Mart erected their school supply displays on the day after Fourth of July. “Mommy, is summer over?” my 7-year-old asked as we strolled by the cases of new pencils, pens and binders on JULY 5th. For weeks, I’ve resisted going near those aisles. I’m dreading having to dig deep to purchase all new supplies, plus uniforms, shoes, and the 17,000 other accessories that students need to tackle a new academic year. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to snap out of my denial phase pretty soon. Sure, my … Continue reading →

Preschool Primer Part 1 – Is Your Child Ready?

Recently, it dawned on me that at some point in the future Dylan will not be spending all of his days at home with me. Preschool is a topic that I have not yet given much thought, so it is time for me to learn what it is all about. Today I decided to start at the beginning, with the question of determining when a child is ready to begin preschool. Dylan will be two and a half years old this month. That is the age at which many preschools begin accepting children into their programs. For some reason, I … Continue reading →