But They Sure Are Worth It
Traveling with your kids can be fun and exciting! If you’re on your way to Japan, then you may want to check out these 6 things to do in Tokyo with kids!
Did you know that Japan attracts over 31 million tourists each year?
Although many visitors are solo travelers or couples, Japan is also an extremely family-friendly place. Aside from getting to experience a beautiful new culture, there are also plenty of fun things to do in Japan with kids.
Most American children are currently home from school and sheltering in place as ordered by their governors. I’ve seen different advice flying across the Internet about how to handle this situation. Some give a schedule to follow. Others say this is a stressful time for kids, so let them relax and just be. Of course, you as the parent ultimately choose what is best for your child. But there are some things to consider when asking yourself, “Should you keep your child on a schedule when school is out?”
My kids, since they were little, have always done better when they had a schedule. Now, I’m not saying we had a strict schedule, i.e. get up at 7, eat breakfast at 7:15, do the dishes at 7:30. Honestly, such a regimented, precise schedule would drive me batty.
However, think of your own schedule. You likely have a daily rhythm. You get up at a certain time, you may then work out, then drink your coffee, then make breakfast, etc. Those daily rhythms give us a sense of normalcy, something all of us desperately need now.
When asking if you should keep your child on a schedule when school is out, keep in mind that when they’re in school, kids have a schedule. They know what to expect. It makes them feel secure. That is why I’d suggest having a schedule for your kids now, during these precarious times. We could all benefit from feeling that at least one part of life is still normal.
In my experience, having the parent create the schedule doesn’t work well. Instead, ask for input from your kids, if they’re old enough. I would advise against making the schedule too strict. For instance, when my kids first started staying home in March, my youngest, who is 10, went to work making a fairly strict schedule. We followed it for about a week, but we all felt confined by it.
Now, in the four weeks that we’ve been home, we’ve relaxed the schedule a bit. The kids still get up at the same time they used to when they went to school, so our morning routine is largely the same. Then, at the time that we would normally take the kids to school, we start school work. We follow a general routine of which order we do subjects, and that just makes life easier. We don’t have to take the time to decide what we want to do next.
Even though a schedule can help the rhythms of your day, make sure to build in more free time. We are living in a very stressful time. That takes a toll on all of us, including kids.
I prefer to have the kids’ schoolwork completely done by lunchtime. Then we have the afternoon to pursue other interests. I do let my kids watch TV and play video games, but there is a time limit for these. I’ve been surprised to find the kids playing more together and spending more time creating art and performing dance routines together.
We’re living in an odd time in history, the likes of which our country hasn’t seen in 100 years. My advice, when considering should you keep your kids on a schedule when school is out is yes, keep a loose schedule. But also allow plenty of free time.
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.
Home renovations can quickly get out of control no matter how big or small they are and you can easily go beyond your budget if you aren’t careful. Luckily, there are many ways you can save money on your next big project.
Keep reading to learn how you can save money on renovations.
Is the family home getting a little cramped? You might have considered moving to a bigger home. That, however, can be pricey especially when you have a family. You want to save money for a down payment, but at the same time still have fun with your kids.
Here are some creative ways to still have fun with your kids without breaking the bank.
Staycation
A staycation is like a vacation, but instead of going somewhere exotic, you enjoy your vacation right from home.
Just because you aren’t going somewhere warm and sunny, doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time. There are still plenty of fun things you can do if you live in a big city. For example, you could go to the museum or science center.
If you’re looking to save even more money, you might even decide to have a picnic in the park (weather permitting). Get creative and most of all have fun!
Public Library
Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card! Have you visited the local library recently? The public library is a great way to keep your kids entertained. Best of all it’s completely free (as long as you return your borrowed materials on time).
If you haven’t been to the library in recent years, you won’t believe what you’re missing out on. The library is a lot more than just books these days. The library has everything from books to movies and in between. There’s really no reason to spend money at the movies when there are plenty of movies you can watch for free at the library.
Arts and Crafts
Are you someone who’s creative? If you’re looking to tap into the right side of your brain and get your kid’s creative juices flowing, you might try something artsy.
Arts and crafts are the perfect activity whether it’s a nice warm and sunny day outside or it’s raining cats and dogs. There are plenty of books in the library that can help you with arts and crafts. Likewise, there are videos on YouTube you can watch as you play along with your kids.
Fun with Food
Another fun activity to do with your kids is baking. Again, there are plenty of recipes available online and in the library. Choose a recipe that’s both nutritious and delicious to get the most out of it. Instead of buying cookies from the supermarket, why not make your own? If you’re not much into baking, you might consider buying cookies that are already made where all you have to do is put them on the baking sheet.
Something else fun to do is make fruit faces. Fruit faces are faces made of fruit. The smile can be a banana, the eyes can be strawberries, and so on. You get the picture.
Save money, have fun, and buy your dream home sooner.
Brought to you by Sean Cooper
If you’re the proud parent of a brand-new baby girl, you’re probably excited to purchase a few adorable outfits.
From sweet accessories to darling ensembles, there’s no shortage of beautiful outfits available for your little princess.
Read on for seven adorable outfit ideas your baby girl (and you) will adore.
Becoming a parent or adding a baby, while an exciting time, can also be stressful. Of course, there are the sleepless nights and the round the clock baby care, but there are also financial considerations. Many people are surprised how many expenses come with the birth of a baby. And, you must also consider who will care for the child. In the United States, maternity and paternity leave are not universal. If you or your partner want to stay home for a few weeks after the baby is born (or adopted) and you don’t have maternity/paternity leave, you’ll either need to save money for it or find a way to cover your expenses while you stay home. If you fall into the latter category, it’s important to learn how new parents can tap their retirement savings penalty free.
The SECURE Act (short for The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act), which passed in December 2019, now allows parents who’ve had a baby or adopted a child within the past year to take up to $5,000 out of their retirement account penalty free. If each parent has their own retirement account, each individual can take out $5,000, meaning the couple can take out $10,000 total.
Normally, if a person takes money out of their retirement account before 59.5 years of age, they have to pay a 10% penalty. The SECURE Act eliminates this penalty for new parents.
While you won’t have to pay the penalty, you will still have to pay taxes on the withdrawal. Whether you withdraw $5,000 or $10,000 (if both partners withdraw $5,000), that money will appear as income on your tax form, and you will have to pay taxes on it.
While knowing how new parents can tap their retirement savings penalty free when you’ve had a baby is a nice option, you should try to avoid tapping your retirement for a number of reasons.
If you take $5,000 out of your retirement income, you lose the compounding interest that money was making for you. Every month, that money was generating income, and now, it won’t be.
Retirement funds are for retirement. Once you start pulling from your retirement, you may start doing that regularly. It’s very easy to start thinking of your retirement account as a de facto emergency fund and pull money from it whenever you have an unexpected expense. If you get into this pattern, you can easily decimate your retirement account.
I have a friend whose child had emotional issues, so my friend was desperate to help her child. She sent him to residential treatment facilities and wilderness camps to try to help her son get his behavior under control. Her insurance wouldn’t pay for these treatments, so she relied heavily on pulling money from her retirement account. Now, her son is grown and still having emotional problems. She, meanwhile, has emptied her retirement account and is starting over, trying to build a new retirement fund at the age of 45. It’s not a good place to be.
Of course, you can take out the money, pay your taxes, and be done with it. However, if you want to make up for what you had to take out, there are ways to do so.
Check with your financial advisor, but for many retirement accounts, if you withdraw money from your retirement account and can return that money back to the account within two months, it’s as if you never withdrew the money. You won’t have to pay taxes on it. Think of it as a short-term, two-month loan.
This can be an excellent way to get a short-term loan, IF you can pay it back quickly. This may help you if you want to take a one-month, unpaid paternity leave and know you can get the money back into your retirement fund the next month.
Another option is to gradually pay it back over time. Under this option, you still have to pay taxes on your distribution. However, by paying back the money to your retirement account, you gain back the power of compounding interest on the money you originally withdrew. With this strategy, your retirement account will be healthier and more robust than if you simply withdrew the money and never paid it back.
Beyond how new parents can tap their retirement savings penalty-free within a year of having a new baby or adopting a child, there are other times people can tap their retirement accounts penalty free. However, before considering taking money out for any other reason besides having or adopting a child, consult your financial advisor. Some rules differ depending on the type of retirement account you have (IRA or 401K).
You can tap your retirement account penalty free for related higher education expenses such as tuition, fees, supplies and books. This money can be used for your own higher education, or for your spouse or children.
If you’re a first-time home buyer, you can take $10,000 out penalty free to use as the down payment on your new home. If your spouse has his or her own retirement account, he or she can also withdraw $10,000, giving you up to $20,000 toward your new home.
Some years you may incur significant medical expenses in a year (i.e. greater than 10% of your annual income). During those years, you can take money out of your IRA to pay for medical bills without incurring a penalty.
The SECURE Act gives new parents flexibility when it comes to their retirement withdrawals. However, keep in mind, whether you withdraw money for a new child or for any of the other reasons you can withdraw money penalty-free, you still will have to pay taxes. You’ll also be losing the power of compounding interest on that money, which may be the biggest hit of all.
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.
Are you a Mac user? The age-old war between Windows and Mac still rages. But it’s not the case that all who use Mac computers are graphic designers or hipsters and everyone else uses Windows.
Apple has become one of the largest companies in the world. Many people now use Macs as they do Windows computers.
If you’re like me, one day you knew that there was a virus circulating the globe. You knew that there were cases in America, and you were cautious, but not too concerned. And then, on a Thursday, things started to get intense. Shops were running low on groceries. A few days later, kids’ schools were cancelled. And now, just a few weeks after that, much of the United States is shuttered. If your kids are bored, here are some free ways to keep kids occupied if under a shelter in place order.
The most important thing I would suggest you do with your kids is set a schedule. It doesn’t have to be rigid, but instead, just a general guide for the way the day will go. Kids thrive on routine (school is based on routine), and without it, kids can feel bored and lost.
At our house, we already homeschool two kids, and the other one is home from public school. We do school roughly most of the morning, the kids get a tv break before lunch, then we do more school and creative activities in the afternoon, and the younger ones get TV time or video games before dinner. After dinner, we have a show we watch together, then we have read alouds, and then bed.
Even though the whole world feels off-centered now, we roughly know what will happen every day.
As I mentioned, we have creativity time. You can browse Pinterest for craft ideas, or YouTube for art videos. Or, you can join Mo Willems for Lunch Doodles and get a free art lesson daily.
If your children are home from school, they likely have class work to do. If their school has stopped all coursework, still have your children do something educational every day, whether that’s doing Khan Academy, or playing a math game online, or reading a book, or watching a documentary on television. My kids and I are still doing three to four hours of school a day.
Having said that, we’re all a little bored and stir crazy, so it’s okay to give your kids a little more media time. I’ve doubled my kids media time (from 1 hr. per day to 2 hours per day). Just be careful not to let them spend all of their time on media.
For many kids, increased time watching TV and playing video games can lead to increased negative behaviors, so give them more leeway within reason.
Lastly, enjoy more time as a family. Before this pandemic, most of us were too busy every day. Now we have the gift of time together. Take that time to play a board game together or watch a movie or have a family discussion.
If you’re stuck at home, as so many of us are, try to find the positives of the situation. We’re all experiencing something we’ll likely never experience again in our lifetimes. Use these free ways to keep kids occupied if under a shelter in place order to make the time go faster and be more productive for the whole family.
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.
More and more, parents are not content to let their kids stay home after school watching TV and playing video games. Instead, they want their kids to be involved in activities that will help them grow and learn more. Being involved in activities helps children’s personal development, but it will also help improve their college admission chances because colleges routinely look for well-rounded students who are not only strong academically, but are involved in a variety of activities. However, most parents struggle to find appropriate activities because they are intimidated by the high price tag of some activities like playing an instrument or horse back riding. If that is your concern, keep in mind that there are many low-cost after school activities for kids.
The following are great places to start when you’re searching for after school activities:
The first place to look for low-cost after school activities for kids is at your child’s school.
Your child’s school likely offers a host of sports from football to baseball to volleyball to swimming to track and field. Some of these sports will be completely free to participate in and others will require some equipment and perhaps some fund raising participation.
Many kids participate in one sport per season and stay very busy and active with that schedule. Even better, they stay physically fit!
Likewise, after school clubs are usually free. When my son was younger, he participated in choir and art club, each of which met one time per week. Now that he’s in high school, he joined the Model U.N. Club, which also meets once a week.
Depending on the size of your child’s school, there are likely to be a handful of clubs or many more. Likely she can find one she wants to participate in.
Many people don’t consider the library when looking for low-cost after school activities for kids, but it’s a great place to look! Our local library has many activities for kids and teens as I’m sure yours does also.
Our library has a game night once per month, but there are also other get togethers for such things as Minecraft and Legos.
Once a month, our library has a chess club meeting. Kids can bring a chess board and play against one another for two hours. I’m always surprised to see how many kids are there. Upwards of 20 to 25 kids come to play chess.
In our area, each local library hosts a teen advisory board once or twice per month. All participants must be 13 to 18 years old. Together, they help organize activities for the library, and they also have the option to volunteer when the library hosts activities. Some weeks, they also do fun things such as receive specialized art lessons or do something good for the community like make cards for seniors.
Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts is another option. You will have an initial upfront fee to buy the uniform and the book. This runs about $80 to $100. Then, there are fees for camping events and badges, so this isn’t the cheapest activity around.
However, by joining the Scouts, your child could keep quite busy between attending the meetings, going on camping trips and other outings, and working on badges. Many adults fondly remember their time in scouting and say they learned a great deal that helped shape their lives.
Have you looked at your local parks and recreations or community center activities? Depending on the area that you live in, you could find many activities from sports to arts and crafts.
My kids have regularly taken advantage of parks and recreations activities. My son took swim lessons there, and my daughter has participated in several crafting classes as well as a gymnastics class when she was little. What I love about activities through the parks and recreation or community center is that they’re low cost. Depending on the activity, you pay $20 to $40 for a six-week class, and most supplies are included.
A word of warning, though. Since these classes are such a bargain, they typically fill up quickly. To be able to get a seat for your child, you may have to sign up early on the day that registration begins.
One activity canvasing the United States is the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). AYSO is open to both boys and girls from three to 19. There is an initial joining fee, and you’ll be required to sometimes bring snacks for the team. You’ll also need to buy the proper equipment such as shin guards and cleats, but these can be bought second hand at a used sporting goods store.
Once your child joins AYSO, you can expect him to have practice two times per week (perhaps more depending on his age), and to have one game a week. My son joined AYSO and had a wonderful coach, but when we played against other teams, I saw some less than stellar coaches that berated their players. Make sure you have a coach who encourages and supports the children.
If you belong to a church, consider having your children join some of the church activities. My daughter sings in our church choir and attends practice once a week. My son is part of the teen group. The teen group meets once a week for 1.5 hours, and they also participate in service activities and weekend retreats.
Church activities are typically free except for special events like retreats.
If you’re looking to get your child in an activity or two but you’re worried about the cost, rest assured that there are many low-cost after school activities for kids. You’ll be glad your kids are more involved, and your kids will likely enjoy being out with friends doing something fun. Plus, you’ll be laying the groundwork for college admissions, if that’s something your child wants to pursue in the future.
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.
How much is that puppy in the window? The one with the waggly tail?
We all know that classic childhood song, but most of us don’t do our shopping at pet stores anymore. And even if we did, how much the puppy costs shouldn’t be your first concern.
The global Antibody Library Technology Market report scrutinizes the market behavior and the manner in which the market has been performing and responding to various situations. Along with the usual market taxonomy, the report encloses growth rate comparison, current and future lookout, and year-on-year progress. All of the market insights are presented in terms of volume and value (MN/BN USD). [Read more…]
Do you have little ones? Maybe your eldest child is reaching the stage of their development where they are starting to understand the value of money. If this is the case then you may want to start teaching them about the rights and wrongs of spending. But teaching finance for kids can be tricky in this ever-changing world of bitcoin crypto-currencies and digital banks like Revolut and Monzo.
