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Why I Decided to Teach My Teen to Drive

March 10, 2022 | Leave a Comment

When I was a teen, my high school offered driver’s ed as a four-week class during the summer. We sat in an air-conditioned classroom during the morning and watched driver’s training videos. Then, in the afternoon, we went out to the parking lot to practice driving a car. Later, we made our way onto the roads. The instructor had a car equipped with pedals on his side to override any mistakes we made when braking or accelerating. However, now, thanks to budget cuts, many schools no longer offer driver’s training. Instead, parents must choose between teaching their kids to drive or paying for a driving school. For our family, there were several reasons why I decided to teach my teen to drive.

Why I Decided to Teach My Teen to Drive

Our family picked this option for a few reasons.

Driving School Is Expensive!

In our area, driving school is expensive! The cheapest package includes two hours of driver’s ed and two one-hour driving sessions for $189. Their mid-level package includes 10 one-hour driving sessions for $699. Their elite package includes 30 one-hour driving sessions for $1799.

If I picked the cheapest session, I would still have to go out with my teen for many hours of driving, so why not just do it myself?

We ended up buying a home-based driver’s ed program. We watch that for a few lessons. Then we hit the road. So far, our teen has about 10 hours of driving under his belt.

I Can Keep My Cool

Another reason why I decided to teach my teen to drive is that I can keep my cool. If he does something erratic like accidentally pushing the gas instead of the brake (it’s happened!) I can quickly and calmly tell him to hit the other pedal.

If you don’t think you can keep your cool with your teen, I don’t recommend teaching them to drive. My mom went out driving with me just twice before I got my license. Once, I was learning to drive stick shift, and I stalled the car in an intersection when I tried to go from a stop. My mom panicked and started saying, “Go, go! We’re going to get hit!” Let me tell you, that did not help me get the car moving.

We Have a Vehicle to Use

We have two vehicles, one we bought 17 years ago when our teen was just an infant. Of course, I don’t want my son to have an accident, but if he does have a fender bender, this vehicle can take it. If I had a brand-new car, I might not decide to teach my teen to drive.

Final Thoughts

Should you teach your teen to drive? As you can see, that depends on many factors. For our family, I decided to teach my teen to drive because we could save money, I stay calm, and we have a vehicle he can use. However, other families may have to consider other factors and make the decision that is right for their families.

4 Tips to Save on Car Insurance for Teens

Your Teen and Their First Car

Melissa Batai

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.

What Should Teen Drivers Contribute to the Expense of a Vehicle?

February 17, 2022 | Leave a Comment

Do you remember the day you received your driver’s license? I remember going down to the Secretary of State’s office on my 16^th birthday to get my license. It was the best birthday present ever. Now, my husband and I have a teen who is almost ready to be an independent driver. As a result, we are currently determining what should teen drivers contribute to the expense of a vehicle? If you ask this question to other parents, you’ll find answers just as varied as the parents themselves.

Avoid Burdening Them Too Much

Teenagers should learn that financial responsibility is the flip side of increasing independence. Most of us don’t want spoiled, entitled teens, and asking them to be at least partly responsible for some of a vehicle’s expense that they use is fair. However, I’m of the mindset that we shouldn’t burden teens in high school too much.

When I was 16, I inherited my dad’s fixer-upper El Camino. I was responsible for gas and insurance. That meant I had to have a job to have the vehicle, and I needed the car to have a job. When I had been driving for six months, my mom bought me a used Ford Escort in better shape than the El Camino. I made payments to her for the car and was also responsible for all of the maintenance and upkeep as well as gas, insurance, and registration. With this purchase, I was locked into having a job throughout the rest of high school to afford the car. That affected my grades.

I’ve decided to handle things differently with my kids.

What Should Teen Drivers Contribute to the Expense of a Vehicle?

Ultimately, what you choose is based on your beliefs and values. However, here are some popular options.

Pay All Expenses & Tie Car Usage to Behavior

One option, especially if you don’t want to give your vehicle to, or buy a vehicle for, your teen is to not have the teen pay anything. (This is also a good option if your teen doesn’t have time to work a part-time job.)

Using this approach, the vehicle is yours, and you’re simply allowing the teen to borrow it. However, you clearly state that the teen can lose the right to use the vehicle if he doesn’t maintain his good grades or if he has an attitude or does not keep up on his chores.

Pay for Gas

Some parents have their teens pay for gas only. If your child only works during the summer or does not have a job and does chores at home for money, paying for gas is a good option since she doesn’t earn a lot of money. If she’s financially savvy, she’ll soon learn to drive only when necessary and to combine errands so she doesn’t spend too much on gas.

Pay a Percentage of Their Income

Another option is to have your teen pay a percentage of their income to help pay for the car’s expense. If your child makes $100 a week at his job, maybe he pays 15% of his income, $15 in this case, per week, for the privilege of using the vehicle.

The Child Pays for Unusual Expenses

Regardless if you have the teen pay for gas or a percentage of their income or nothing at all, many parents have their children pay for unusual expenses.

For instance, if your child gets a speeding ticket, he is responsible for both the ticket and the amount that the insurance increases because of the ticket.

Or, if he has a car accident that is clearly his fault, he pays for the car repairs or at least a portion of the repairs. You may also require him to pay the deductible for the car repairs.

Why They Shouldn’t Be Responsible for Maintenance

Some parents want their children to be responsible for the car’s maintenance and upkeep, but I would argue against that. Car repairs nowadays can be expensive. Some teens will avoid routine maintenance like oil changes and regular tune-ups because they’re too costly. That’s unfortunate because routine maintenance lowers the cost of the car’s upkeep. Plus, many repairs are cheaper if they’re made as soon as the driver recognizes a problem.

That second car my mom bought for me? The Ford Escort? We bought it from a college student who we didn’t realize had not maintained it because he couldn’t afford to. Even though my mom bought the car with only 40,000 miles on it, it lasted me less than a year because the former owner never added oil to the vehicle or maintained it.

When your teen is driving, you want them to be safe, and you also want to maintain the quality of the vehicle. That’s why my husband and I plan to pay for the maintenance and repairs while our kids are in high school.

Save the Money for Them

If you can afford the vehicle and you’re having your child contribute only to learn financial responsibility, you have another option to consider. Some parents in this situation take the money that they require the teen to contribute for use of the car and save that money. They may put it in a Roth IRA for the child, which is only possible if your teen has a job. Or, they secretly put the money in an account that the child can use to buy a car when they move out or to use to fund the expenses they have when they move out.

Saving the money for the child (without telling her) is a good option because you’re teaching financial responsibility, but you’re also helping her in the future with her own money.

Final Thoughts

Having a car or access to a car as a teen is a privilege, not a right. Determining what should teen drivers contribute to the expense of a vehicle is a personal choice. We will most likely have our teen contribute the price of gas, and we’ll cover the rest until he’s older and has a part-time job.

Read More

Handling Allowance with My Daughter

7 Reasons You Shouldn’t Buy Your Kid a Car

4 Tips to Save on Car Insurance for Teens

Melissa Batai

Why You Shouldn’t Pay for Braces in Full to Save

January 20, 2022 | Leave a Comment

From about the time my oldest was six, I knew that he would need braces. His teeth were cramped and crooked. We were on a tight budget, and I was concerned about the cost. When our oldest was 11, our dentist suggested he get a consult with the orthodontist. The orthodontist told us what we already knew—he would need braces, and it was going to be expensive. When the orthodontist gave us the various payment options, I saw that there was a discount if you paid for the treatment upfront. After much investigation, we learned there are several reasons why you shouldn’t pay for braces in full to save.

How Much Do You Save by Paying in Full?

In our case, we would have saved $150 off the total $5,000 cost of braces by paying in full.

Why You Shouldn’t Pay for Braces in Full to Save

We decided not to pay in full for several reasons.

Impacts Your Finances

Because we were on a tight budget, paying $5,000 out of pocket at once would hinder our finances. We couldn’t justify upsetting our finances and struggling for a few months financially to save $150.

Payment Plan Is Available

Many orthodontists have payment plans available. These payment plans often are offered at zero percent interest. We paid our orthodontist a $500 down payment and then paid $125 monthly for 36 months. The monthly payment was small enough that it didn’t affect our budget.

We also had a flexible spending account, and each month, we submitted the $125 payment for reimbursement.

Had we paid for the braces in full, we wouldn’t have been able to get all of the money reimbursed from our flexible spending account because those have a yearly limit (currently $2,850).

The Orthodontist May Close His Practice

When we researched whether we should pay for his braces in full, someone warned me that the orthodontist might close his practice while our son was getting treatment. If that happened, all the money we paid upfront would be gone.

I listened to the advice but didn’t think this was a serious concern. How many orthodontists suddenly close their practice? My son completed his orthodontic treatment successfully.

Then our oldest daughter got her braces with the same orthodontist. One year into the pandemic, he pulled me aside to tell me that his business had taken a hit and he was closing down his practice. Thankfully, we hadn’t paid upfront with our daughter, either. I can’t imagine being out all that money, but now I know that unforeseen circumstances can arise, and orthodontists can and do close their practices.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a bargain shopper, you may like the idea of saving some money by paying in full for braces. However, we learned you shouldn’t pay in full for braces to save because you can’t fully utilize your flexible spending account. More importantly, your orthodontist may go out of business as ours did during the pandemic. Then you would have lost all of the money you paid upfront, which is no savings at all.

Would You Make Your Kids Pay You Back for Their Braces?

Financial Benefits of Optimally Spacing Childbirth

Melissa Batai

Should Your Teen File a Tax Return for a Summer Job?

October 7, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Getting a summer job may be the first taste of freedom for your teen. She likely now has more money coming in than she did when she was only receiving an allowance. However, with increased freedom comes increased responsibility. Your teen may now also need to file a tax return. Whether she needs to file a tax return for a summer job will depend on several factors.

Should Your Teen File a Tax Return for a Summer Job?

The quick answer is, it depends. Here are a few factors to consider:

How Much Did He Make?

First, consider how much your teenager earned in a year. According to the IRS, if a single filer earned less than $12,550 in 2021, he does not need to file a tax return. (This new amount represents an increase to account for inflation, up $150 from last year.)

However, you must answer another question to know whether or not he needs to file taxes—did he have taxes taken from every paycheck?

Did She Have Taxes Withheld?

When your child starts a new job, she has to fill out a W-4 form. On that form, she has to determine whether or not she will have taxes deducted. If she thinks she will earn less than $12,550 in a year, she can claim “exempt,” and no taxes will be taken out of her paycheck. If no taxes were pulled from her paycheck and she earned less than $12,550 a year, she likely won’t have to file a tax return. To be certain, you can utilize the IRS’ free tool, Do I Need to File a Tax Return?

You may consider having your child go ahead and have taxes withdrawn from her paycheck for two reasons.

First, having taxes withdrawn from her paycheck is a good life experience. When she’s older and working full-time, taxes will be withdrawn. Learning that her entire salary is not her own because her employer will withdraw things like taxes and insurance is a good experience.

Second, some states have different standard deductions. If you live in Arizona and are a single filer, you have a standard $12,550 state deduction just like the federal deduction. However, if you live in Iowa, the single standard state deduction is only $2,130. If your child works in Iowa and earns more than $2,130 in a calendar year, she will owe state taxes if she claims “exempt” on her W-4. If you don’t know what your state’s deduction is, having taxes withheld is easier.

One Exception

An important exception is if your child is an independent contractor, a.k.a a freelancer, and earns a 1099-MISC for his work. If he is a freelancer, he will need to pay self-employment taxes regardless of how much he makes in a year. In this case, he will need to file an income tax return every year.

Final Thoughts

Whether or not your child needs to file a tax return for a summer job depends on several factors. If you’re still not sure, the IRS tool should help you determine the answer.

Getting your child into the habit of having taxes withheld and filing a tax return is excellent practice for adulthood and the responsibilities that come with it.

Non-Traditional and Easy Jobs for College Students

Cleaning Poop and Other Jobs Your Kids Can Do This Summer to Earn Money

Melissa Batai

How to Afford Raising a Child with Special Needs

June 3, 2021 | Leave a Comment

When you have a special needs child, you are faced with a double financial whammy. Of course, there is the added expense for therapy, medication, counseling, tutoring, etc. These expenses alone can put a family into debt as they try to provide for their child. However, there’s another cost that is rarely discussed. Because caring for a special needs child can be time consuming, often one parent has to quit their job or reduce their hours to part-time. Now, there are not only added expenses, but a loss of income. How can one afford raising a child with special needs?

Thankfully, there is assistance available, if you know where to look.

Get a Diagnosis

The first thing you must do is get a diagnosis. For instance, if your child has autism, she likely can’t receive any therapy until she is officially diagnosed by a qualified professional.

You will need to talk to your pediatrician to see how to go about getting a diagnosis. There are a number of experts who diagnosis special needs children, depending on what special need you think your child has.

How to Afford Raising a Child with Special Needs

Afford Raising a Special Needs Child — Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash

Once you have the diagnosis, you can begin to pursue therapy, if need be, and funding sources. There are a number of places you should look.

See What Your Insurance Covers

Once you have the diagnosis, the next step is to see what your insurance covers. All three of my children have special needs. While my husband’s insurance didn’t cover speech therapy (some insurances do, but ours didn’t), it did cover applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy for our children with autism.

Depending on the quality of your insurance, you may be surprised to find that it covers more than you would have expected.

Talk to Other Parents

If you’re in contact with other parents of special needs kids, make sure to talk to them. They can give you tips for where to find resources, whether they be federal or state aid or grants.

You can find other special needs parents at support groups and in places like Facebook groups. If you homeschool, you may find special needs parents in your homeschool groups because a surprising number of kids who are homeschooled have special needs.

The more people you can talk to the better because each parent has a different story and different places where they’re getting help and support.

Apply for Social Security Income (SSI)

Another option is to apply for social security income. Based on your family income and your child’s disability, you may qualify for SSI. You will need to fill out some forms and make an appointment at your local social security office. There, you will have an interview about your finances and your child’s disability.

Of note, if your child qualifies for SSI, you will also be able to cover your child through Medicaid.

If you don’t have private insurance but make too much to qualify for Medicaid, look into getting insurance through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Open an ABLE Account

An ABLE account allows you to save money in a special account just for your special needs child’s medical and living expenses. You or other relatives like grandparents can deposit up to $15,000 a year. This tax-advantaged savings account does not tax the income earned by the account.

Another advantage of this account is that if your child qualifies for governmental assistance, such as SSI or Medicaid, the money in their ABLE account does not disqualify them for services on a financial basis. Meanwhile, the money in the ABLE account can be used for their education, food, housing, support services, and an array of other needs.

Find What You’re Eligible for With Your State

Another fabulous tool to use is Benefits Finder. This tool asks you to input some information about your child and his disability. It can then help you see what benefits your child may be able to receive and what agencies to contact to pursue these options.

Determine If Your State Supports School Choice

Many special needs children simply don’t get the support and intervention that they need through the public school. If your state supports school choice, you may be able to apply for funding to help provide your child with the education they need, whether that be through homeschooling and using tutors and therapists or through a private school, which would otherwise be unaffordable.

I’m in the state of Arizona, and they offer Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA). I have one child who has both dyslexia and a speech issue, so we applied and qualified for the ESA scholarship. Through those funds, I was able to get my child a private dyslexia tutor and a private speech therapist. Paying for these things out of pocket would have cost my family $800 a month, which is not sustainable. Thanks to the scholarship, I could afford to pay for that. My child has now graduated successfully from both therapies.

Indiana is planning to launch a similar program, and Mississippi has several scholarships available for students with special needs. You can find out if your state offers a similar program by going to the Ed Choice website.

Final Thoughts

Raising a special needs child can be exhausting, but it’s also rewarding. However, the financial costs of getting your child the help he needs can be financially draining. One special needs parent I spoke with when we first learned of our children’s disability said she and her husband ended up filing for bankruptcy because there were so many interventions she had to pay out of pocket.

There are resources available so that seeking help for your special needs child doesn’t have to decimate your finances. With these resources, you should hopefully find ways to afford raising a special needs child.

7 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Buy Your Kid a Car

How to Help Your Teen Create Healthy Sleep Habits

Sensory Integration Strategies for Children with Autism

7 Common Types of Behavioral Disorders in Children Every Parent Should Know

Melissa Batai

Charity Birthday Party Ideas Your Kids Will Love

March 18, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Although birthdays are meant to be a celebration, sometimes we can’t help but feel we’re spending more money on a party than we need to. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars on new toys that your child will outgrow, put that money to good use by hosting a do-good birthday party for your kid. Lots of parenting websites have great ideas for charity birthday party ideas, and we’ve compiled a list of our favorites. And if you’re worried about your children hating your suggestions, kids are natural givers and would likely be more than willing to help out people in need.

Bring an Animal Shelter to Your Home

There are plenty of pet adoption centers and animal societies that would be willing to bring their animals to private events like a birthday party.

Charity Birthday Party Ideas — Photo by Jairo on Unsplash

Or, you could see if you could host your party at the local animal shelter. That’s what the Shaw Family in Portland, Oregon did. They had their party guests bring treats, toys, and other donations for the cats and dogs, and you can do the same. Guests can also be given the option to adopt one of the pets!

Have a Couple Piggy Banks in the Party Area

At an early age, we teach kids the value of money with allowances and earning extra cash with chores or babysitting. To show them how a little goes a long way, have a couple piggy banks in the party area where guests can make their donations. You can label each of the piggy banks with a different charity, which gives guests the option to choose which organizations they would like to support.

Organize a Clothing Drive

Take cue from the Multari twins in Hamilton, Ontario, and have your child’s friends and neighbors bring in previously loved and any unused clothes. The girls ask for pajamas every year, sometimes receiving as many as 93 pairs of pajamas to donate. The girls’ pajama drive has been so successful, they have even started their own nonprofit. Depending on your charity, you might have to limit the kinds of garments you accept.

Donations to Your Local Homeless Shelter

Another idea is to call your local homeless shelter and ask what items they need. Then, you can create a wish list, and party goers can choose from the wish list.

Another idea is to see what food the shelter may need. You and your party guests could create sack lunches for the homeless, making sandwiches, bagging chips and desserts, and adding a fruit.

Final Thoughts

American children are often spoiled when it comes to material items, especially when they receive many gifts from well-intended birthday party guests. Instead of showering your children in gifts, choose one of these charity parties to help spread the wealth, so to speak. The more you and your children practice giving, the more you’ll enjoy helping others. Your guests can feel good about their role in helping others, too.

Should You Sell or Donate Old Cell Phones?

Great Gifts: 6 Unusual Birthday Presents for Kids

A Parent’s Guide to Choosing Birthday Gifts for Toddlers

Melissa Batai

Free Printable Kids Money for Download

October 29, 2020 | Leave a Comment

Getting ready to teach your children or students how to interact with money? That’s fantastic! Not only will this building block help them learn mathematics like counting by fives and tens, but it will also prepare them for the workplace. Let’s take a look at a variety of free printable kids money available on the Web and ways to teach kids about money.

Free Printable Kids Money for Download

Monopoly Money

One of the most recognizable currencies for children (or at least this 90s kid) is the brightly colored money from the Hasbro game, Monopoly. These bills differ from U.S. currency in appearance but offer your children a chance to practice their counting, sorting, and hand-eye coordination skills.

Download your free printable Monopoly money here.

U.S. Coins

Are your children ready to learn coin values? Making change? Let’s take a look at some printable coin sheets for you:

Customized printable sheets of play money – At StemSheets.com, you can customize the number and denomination of play coins you need on each sheet. For example, you can print off 20 coins of each value (up to a quarter) on a single piece of paper. That’s 80 coins – in color – on one sheet.

Printable coins and coloring pages – Head over to EnchantedLearning.com to view printable images of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. Also, view a myriad of coloring pages for your child to enjoy as they educate her about U.S. coins.

Printable coin math worksheets – Ready to test your child’s knowledge of counting and making change? These free worksheets are great tools for just that.

Bonus Read: “6 Fun Money Games for Kids“

U.S. Dollars

Got a bank teller in the making? Help your children or students identify the correct face on each piece of currency and count them in quantities of fives, tens, twenties, or even hundreds with these options:

Fake Play Bills – Looking for fake $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills for your kids? Here is a complete list of free and printable play bills. These can engage your young child in a myriad of money lessons like counting, sorting, and even practicing good habits like using the envelope system.

Realistic Bills – Add a Face – A great way to quiz your child on whose face belongs to which bill is to show him this realistic play money with no face in the middle. After printing out these bills by denomination, he can color in his own face for some added fun. No worries. It’s only a federal crime to deface U.S. currency when it’s not play money. 😉

Games and Play to Teach Kids About Money

In the preschool years, kids are just beginning to learn that money has value and can be used to buy goods. In early elementary, they learn to distinguish between the various bills and coins and their value. You can help your child become money smart at an early age by playing money games with them. Consider some of the following:

Buying Groceries

Print, cut, and laminate these terrific flash cards to quiz your child on prices at the grocery store. For example, she can use her fake money to pay for a $2 bag of popcorn or $1 bottle of water or do the math to pay for them both.

As your child gets older and masters this play game, you can take her with you to the grocery store. Give her a certain amount of money and ask her to buy a few select things from your list. This is a great time to teach her the difference between name brand and unbranded goods and the price difference between them.

Going to a Restaurant

Free Printable Kids Money — Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Take advantage of your child’s love of play to play a game of restaurant. Present children with a menu using one of these realistic free menu downloads. Then, let your child choose his food, pay for the meal, and leave a tip. This is an excellent time to talk about budgeting and staying within a budget when dining out. Don’t forget to let your child switch roles and practice being the waiter.

Using Printable Play Checks

Is your child old enough to write? Then he’s old enough to learn how to write a check. Paper checks may seem archaic in today’s digital world, but it’s still a foundational skill from which your child will build his financial knowledge upon.

For example, give him a set list of chores to complete, then pay with a check using these free printable checks. Teach him how to understand the information on the check, endorse it properly on the back, and cash it. This will help him understand the role banks and employers will play in his life later, even if his paychecks are directly deposited.

Practicing Estimation

Another fun activity is helping your children practice estimation. Fill a glass jar with coins, and let your kids guess how much money is in there. The person with the closest estimate wins a small prize.

Collecting Change

Another idea is to save all your coins in a jar as a family. Decide together what you’ll use the money for. Maybe you’ll use it for a fun day out or for a donation to a charity you all agree on.

Teaching about Interest

For older elementary kids, teach them how interest works. They can deposit money with you for their savings, and every month you can give them interest, at a rate you’ve determined, on their savings. Your kids will likely be excited by this “free” money they’ve earned and want to save even more.

Final Thoughts

We all want our kids to be savvy when it comes to saving and spending. Those skills should start being developed early, when kids are three to ten, through printable money and games with the kids. The earlier you can start them understanding the value of money, the longer you have to teach them how to use money responsibly.

Bonus Read: “How to Teach a Child to Count Money“

Got any favorite ways to teach kids about money? We’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

Parenting Win: Teaching Money Skills to Your Kids,

Games That Teach Kids About Money,

Free Apps that Help Kids Manage Their Pocket Money

Melissa Batai

How to Help Your Child Socialize During a Pandemic

September 24, 2020 | Leave a Comment

We have three kids who are 16, 12, and 10. The older two are quite social, and the younger one is introverted and prefers to be at home. When the stay-at-home order began at the end of March, I wasn’t too worried. I thought we’d be mostly home for a month or two and then cases would be low enough to resume most normal activities. Boy, was I wrong! As our time at home stretched on, all three of my kids started craving social interaction. If yours do too, here’s how to help your child socialize during a pandemic.

Zoom Is Your Friend

Before the pandemic, I hadn’t even heard of Zoom. Now, it’s a household name.

All three of my kids use Zoom to stay in touch with friends. There are a variety of ways they have socialized with their friends over Zoom.

Cooking Lessons

My oldest has a friend who loves to cook Mexican food for her large family. Over Zoom one day, she cooked while my son watched and asked her questions. He wrote down the recipe and has created the meal himself.

Likewise, your child can cook at the same time their friend is. Even more fun, your kids and their friends can have a Chopped session. Each pulls out three unusual ingredients, and over Zoom, they cook a meal and decide who is the winner.

White Board Games

My younger two frequently use the whiteboard feature and play games over Zoom with their friends that way. They’ve played hangman and tic tac toe. They’ve even drawn each other pictures and talked about them.

Board Games

Younger kids might enjoy playing board games over Zoom. Each child would need to have the board game in his or her house and move for the other player.

Watch Movies Together

Have one person the designated movie player. All that person has to do is share screen and then tap the tab where she has the movie set up and all Zoom participants can watch the movie and chat while watching.

While it’s not quite the same as having your friends lounging on the couch with you watching the movie together, it is the next best thing considering our current times.

Meet in Person, Socially Distanced

Help Your Child Socialize During a Pandemic — Photo by Julian Schiemann on Unsplash

If you feel comfortable with doing this, another option is to have your older kids meet in person. Have them wear a mask and socially distance. Some kids do this and play a game like hackey sack where they don’t have to be really close to one another. Other options would be skateboarding or throwing a frisbee. Teens could also play a game of tennis or go on a socially distanced hike. As long as they’re socially distanced, wearing a mask, and outdoors, they should be good for any outdoor meet ups.

Final Thoughts

While some people have gone back to more normal activities such as work and attending schools, other families have chosen to stay mostly at home to protect people in their family who may be high risk. If you fall into the latter category, there are still ways to help your children socialize during the pandemic.

Tips to Improve Eye Fatigue from Online School

Why the Pandemic Affected Our School Choice

What You Need to Know to Homeschool Your Child in the Age of COVID

Melissa Batai

Is Gabb Wireless a Good First Cell Phone?

August 6, 2020 | 1 Comment

Though we put it off as long as we felt we could, this summer, we decided to get our child a cell phone for his birthday. We had specific requirements for a cell phone. Namely, we didn’t want it to have internet access, yet we wanted it to look like the phones his friends use. We did a lot of research before we finally bought a phone from Gabb Wireless.

Features of a Gabb Wireless Cell Phone

While a Gabb Wireless cell phone doesn’t have all the features a typical cell phone has, it does have several important ones:

A 5” display,
2 MP front and 5 MP rear camera,
5 mm Earphone Port for headphones,
Battery that lasts up to three days,
2GB RAM/16GB ROM,
Coverage on a nationwide 4G LTE network, and
12 essential apps including phone, messaging, contacts, camera, video, gallery, calendar, calculator, clock, voice recorder, FM radio, and file manager.

In addition, Gabb Wireless doesn’t require a long-term contract. You pay month by month (billed on the 15^th of the month with payment on the 17^th), and you can cancel at any time.

You can go to the Gabb Wireless website to see if coverage is available in your area.

Is Gabb Wireless a Good First Cell Phone?

Honestly, the answer depends on what you’re looking for. However, there are several reasons why Gabb Wireless is a good first cell phone for our child.

Unlimited Text and Calling

We use Ting for our own cell phone service, so we were pretty sure we didn’t want to add him to our plan. (With Ting you pay as you use, so you pay for each individual call and text, which we didn’t want to do with a teen.)

Our teen isn’t particularly chatty, but he uses his new Gabb Wireless cell phone a lot. He is working on a political campaign, and part of his work is calling registered voters for about six to eight hours a week. That translates to A LOT of cell phone calls. We’re so glad he has unlimited calling!

He also likes to text his friends, so he uses that feature frequently.

No Internet Access

We specifically wanted a phone that didn’t have internet access and all of the trouble that could potentially go with the internet such as viewing inappropriate content, spending too much time playing games or using social media, or just fueling a cell phone addiction, which is so easy to do.

We wanted our teen to have a cell phone, but we didn’t want to give him too much device that he wouldn’t handle responsibly. In a few years, he can upgrade to a regular smart phone.

Appearance

If you’ve spent any time looking for cell phones that don’t have internet access, you know that many of them look like relics from 15 years ago. We really appreciated that the Gabb Wireless cell phone looks like any other regular smart phone. That was an important feature for our teen.

Low Cost

Our child is forgetful and not the most gentle with his possessions, so we wanted a phone that was reasonably priced. We bought the cell phone from Gabb Wireless for $69 on sale. (Sometimes they have sales where the price of the phone goes as low as $49!)

Gabb Wireless has their own network, so we pay approximately $24 a month for the service, but as I mentioned, there is unlimited text and calling. So, the total outlay between buying the phone and paying for service for a year is $357 ($69 for the phone and $288 for a year of coverage).

Basic Apps

Is Gabb Wireless a Good First Cell Phone for Kids? — Photo by Lance Anderson on Unsplash

The phone does have basic apps and features that our teen enjoys. He listens to music on his phone when he takes walks, and he uses the alarm feature frequently.

Downsides to the Gabb Wireless as a Good First Cell Phone

If you’re a parent who wants a simpler phone for your kids that keeps away many of the dangers of a traditional smart phone, Gabb Wireless may be a good first cell phone for you. However, there are definitely some drawbacks to this phone.

No Ability to Track

The majority of smartphones give you the ability to track your child. You can quickly check and see exactly where they are. This gives parents reassurance that children are where they’re supposed to be when they say they are. In the unlikely chance that your child gets kidnapped (or if he simply gets lost), the tracking feature can also help the police find him.

Unfortunately, Gabb Wireless does not have this ability. For some parents, that alone is a reason to not buy this phone. I do hope that this is something Gabb Wireless is able to remedy in the future.

Can’t Send or Receive Images

While a Gabb Wireless phone does have a camera, you can’t use the camera to send photos in your texts. Texts can only send text messages.

I completely understand why Gabb Wireless did this, but still, sometimes this feature can be annoying. Within the first week of getting his phone, my son was chatting with his aunt who sent over some pictures of her dogs, but my son did not receive the images. He was a bit embarrassed to tell her that his new phone doesn’t let him view images.

No Way to Monitor Texts

Since there is no Internet on this phone, there is no way to install monitoring software to monitor your child’s texts. This seems to be a flaw in an otherwise extremely safe phone. I would hope in future models that Gabb Wireless could address this issue.

Final Thoughts

For our family, Gabb Wireless is a good first cell phone. It looks like other smart phones with more capabilities, and it offers basic features that are necessary for younger children. Yet, it takes away one of the greatest sources of addiction as well as mischief—the Internet.

There are some drawbacks to this phone, but overall, Gabb Wireless is the best “safe” cell phone we found on the market.

Melissa Batai

Encourage Toddler Play without Breaking the Bank

May 21, 2020 | Leave a Comment

The toddler years from one to three are a time of tremendous growth. Kids learn to walk, run, and explore their worlds. They are curious, and both their minds and bodies are developing rapidly. As a parent, giving your children safe ways to play and explore is important to their development. At this age, you can find plenty of frugal ways to encourage toddler play without breaking the bank.

Low-Cost Supplies

There are so many low-cost supplies that you can stock your shelves with that will keep your child happy for hours.

Play-Doh

For less than $5, you can pick up a small set of Play-Doh for your toddler. Play-Doh has definitely gotten fancier since my kids were toddlers. Now you can buy Play-Doh with glitter in it and in a large variety of color. Kids are usually happy playing with just Play-Doh, but if you want to spend a bit more, you can buy Play-Doh toys like a hair dresser shop or a gravel construction yard, for example. You can also try your hand at making homemade playdough.

Finger Paint

If you have $8, you can buy a 6 pack of finger paint that will provide your child with artistic and sensory expression. All of my children loved to finger paint when they were toddlers, but my middle child easily wanted to finger paint several times a week. She still enjoys art, and I attribute it to all the time she spent finger painting when she was young.

Bubbles

This is likely the best way to encourage toddler play without breaking the bank. Bubbles are ridiculously cheap, less than $1 for a small bottle, and yet your child can likely use them for at least a month. He can experiment with how hard to blow to form the bubble or run and try to get the bubble to form. Even better, mom or dad can blow bubbles while your toddler tries to catch them without popping them or runs through them.

Sidewalk Chalk

Sidewalk chalk is yet another way to let your little artist express herself. You can get a box of 48 pieces of chunky chalk (perfect for little hands) for around $5. These will last all summer, and your sidewalk or driveway is the perfect canvas.

Bath Supplies

After finger painting, my younger two kids’ favorite activity was taking a bath. They loved to have the tub filled with bubbles to play in. When the bubbles dissipated, they liked to play with their bath toys. They could easily spend 45 minutes to an hour in the tub. (Just make sure a parent stays in the room with them.) You could buy the bubbles and a few toys for your kids for less than $20. My girls’ favorite bath activity was using bath crayons to draw on the tub walls.

Doctor Kit

Many toddlers like playing doctor. They take the stethoscope to your chest to check your breathing, they check your reflexes, and then they give you their diagnosis. They also love it when you give them an exam. These kits are a bit more expensive, around $20, but your child will likely use them quite a bit. (We bought ours used at a garage sale for $1, which is another great way to save money).

Make It Yourself

There are other ways to encourage toddler play without breaking the bank. Namely, instead of buying something, make it yourself!

Calm/Glitter Bottles

Many toddlers are fascinated with calm/glitter bottles and can spend a surprising amount of time tipping them from side to side. Making a calm bottle is not difficult; there are plenty of tutorials online.

Once you buy the ingredients, you likely have enough to make several bottles. Once your child tires of one, make a new one in a different color with different items inside. Even though this tutorial only had glitter, I’ve seen calm bottles filled with a variety of items like large stars to give them some more visual appeal.

Bowling Set

Another idea for outdoor fun is to make a toddler bowling set. You’ll need some empty water bottles and a ball. Your toddler can practice knocking them down. He’ll love it if you play with him.

The nice thing about a homemade bowling set is not only that it’s frugal, but if one bowling pin gets damaged, it’s easy to replace.

https://youtu.be/PHm4jK6x_sg

Sensory Play

There are a host of reasons why sensory play is beneficial for kids, not the least of which is that it helps develop connections in the brain and encourages imaginative play.

Probably the easiest one is to buy a can of shaving cream. When my kids were about three, I’d put a light layer of shaving cream on a cookie sheet, and they practiced writing their letters in the shaving cream. They loved the sensation, and they were learning at the same time.

Another less messy way to do this is to put a bit of shaving cream and a drop or two of dye in a gallon plastic freezer bag. (Don’t fill it too much!) Then kids can write their letters in the cream, but they do so on top of the bag so they still get sensory input, but there’s no mess for parents to clean up.

There are plenty of sensory play ideas online.

Don’t Forget the Books!

While it’s very important to encourage play in your toddlers, don’t forget to also read aloud to your child daily, the more the better. The stories that you read aloud to your child now will eventually lead to imaginative play later.

I read aloud to my children frequently, and when my girls were in first and second grade, we read the entire Little House on the Prairie series. They had the discipline to sit through those books because they were used to being read to. For the next few years, much of their imaginative play was based on what they learned through those books.

Final Thoughts

Children under the age of three experience a phenomenal amount of brain and body growth in these important years. Starting now, make sure to give your child plenty of safe opportunities to play and learn.

Melissa Batai

How To Save A Ton of Money by Trading Your Kids’ Old Clothes

January 8, 2020 | Leave a Comment

Kids grow fast. The speed at which they grow often means they only get a handful of wear out of brand-new jeans before their ankles start making an appearance. Buying new clothes at a rapid case is a sure way to go broke. It’s also wasteful. The good news is that most moms are in the exact space you are. Trading your kids’ old clothes can save a ton of money. Here’s how to do it.

Three Ways To Save Money by Trading Your Kids’ Old Clothes

1. Host a Clothing Swap

A clothing swap is a great way to not only save money by finding new-to-you clothes for your children; it’s a great way to socialize and meet new people with similar interests.

Invite your friends with kids roughly the same age (or size) as yours. If your kids attend school, you can send an invite through their classroom. Ask everyone to bring a few gently used items of clothing for a swap.

As everyone arrives, collect the donated items of clothes. Give everyone a ticket for the number of things they brought. As they browse the merchandise, they can turn in their tickets for new-to-them clothes.

2. Consignment Shop

By swapping clothes at a consignment shop, you can not only save money, but you may also even make a little.

Once a month, I take a bin of clothes to two consignment shops in my town. I’ve collected the clothes all month as I’ve done laundry and noticed things don’t quite fit anymore. I also strategically save holiday and seasonal items until a few months before, as the shops are more likely to purchase at that time.

The consignment shop will sort through my bin based on what meets their qualifications. They’ll offer cash for the items they want, or a 20 percent bump if I choose store credit instead. Depending on if I need new clothes for my kids, I may choose the store credit and grab some items they may be lacking. What they don’t take, I’ll hit up at the next consignment shop, or take directly to goodwill.

Occasionally, I’ll take the cash and apply it to whatever financial goal I’m currently working on.

3. Selling Online

Selling online has become much more sophisticated since the days eBay first came on the scene. It’s more convenient, especially if you tend to have higher-end clothes or clothes with tags.

Think about the clothes you receive for your kids from Grandma and Grandpa that never get worn because they’re already too small. Sell them online, then use that cash to subsidize the cost of new clothes. Better yet, make that cash go further buying gently used clothes either on the same site you sold to, or a consignment shop.

Some of my favorite online resources for selling kids’ clothes are Kidizen, ThredUp, and Josies’ Friends.

Do you have a favorite method to save money on kids’ clothes? Share with us in the comments below.

Here Are the Best Online Shopping Sites for Affordable Kids Clothes

Save Money And Host A Clothing Swap

Kid’s Clothing Consignment Sales: Are They Really Worth It?

Kate Fox

Kate Fox is a former CPA, with twenty years of experience in public accounting and corporate finance. Born and raised in Alaska, Kate is currently based out of southeastern North Carolina. She loves coaching others on personal finance and spends her free time traveling with her family or relaxing by the pool with a good book, probably about money.

Are Parents Legally Obligated To Pay For College

December 2, 2019 | Leave a Comment

In August 2013, a New Jersey girl sued her parents for the cost of her college tuition. Caitlyn Ricci won that case in 2014, and the decision was upheld in court later that year. The details of the lawsuit is worthy of soap opera. Amongst which is that Ms. Ricci is estranged from her parents for failure to follow the rules laid out by her parents. While we leave the legal merits of the case up to the judges, it begs the question, are parents are legally obligated to pay for college.

This topic is particularly personal for me. We save money for our children’s college. However, I don’t necessarily plan on spending that money on college. My parents didn’t pay for my college. The education I gained from that alone was worth as much as the cost of my degree.

There is No Hard and Fast Answer

While there is no black and white answer, there are some signs that point to yes, parents are expected to contribute financially to their children’s higher education. This may not always come in the form of payment for a child’s tuition; it can be through other means of financial support, such as providing housing or transportation.

The State You Live In Matters

The case referenced above was filed in the state of New Jersey, which is a progressive state in terms of state laws that have been established which define parental requirements in terms of financial contribution towards a college education.

Each state sets its own laws, and some states such as California are on the other end of the spectrum and limit parental obligations. Overall, there is no specific requirement for parents to pay for their children’s college education in most states. However, if a parent is divorced, this may be a game-changer.

It Will Depend On The Parents Marital Status

The obligation is more strict when the parents are divorced.

When a marriage ends in divorce, and parents and children get involved, the parent with custodial rights generally receives some sort of financial contribution from the other parent. This is agreed upon as part of the divorce settlement, and higher education costs are typically included in the agreement.

Again, each state will differ – here is a breakdown of requirements by state.

The Child Must Participate In The Cost

There is an expectation that the child should make a reasonable attempt to contribute to their college education. In the case referenced above, Ms. Ricci’s parents appealed on the grounds that she did not apply for all applicable scholarships and loans. The claim was ultimately rejected in favor of the parents due to the fact Ms. Ricci was emancipated from her parents. Thus she showed intent to be independent of her parents. The court applied that independence to financial support, as well.

Do you think parents should be legally obligated to pay for college? Are you planning to pay for yours? Share your opinion in the comments below.

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Kate Fox