Getting a Tax Credit for Your Kids
July 24, 2007
Getting a Tax Credit for Your Kids
by: Richard A. Chapo
As you know, raising a family is a full time job and can put stress on your finances. Fortunately, you can claim a tax credit to help cut your IRS bill if you have kids.
Getting a Tax Credit for Your Kids
With a tax deduction, you are reducing the total amount of adjusted gross income you have. For instance, if you earned $50,000 dollars in 2005 and take a $1,000 deduction for something, you’ll have to pay tax on $49,000 dollars in earnings. Put another way, the $1,000 tax deduction will save you a hundred dollars or so in the amount you have to send to the IRS.
A tax credit is a beautiful thing. It is designed to reduce the amount of taxes you on a dollar for dollar basis. Taking our example above, you would not deduct a $1,000 tax credit from the $50,000 you earned. Instead, you would go to the tax tables and determine the amount of tax you owe on the $50,000. Let’s say the tax tables reveal you owe $9,000. You would reduce this amount by the $1,000 tax credit and pay $8,000 dollars to Uncle Same. Put another way, tax credits are tax deductions on steroids!
Make Your Baby Shower a Success with the Perfect Table Setting Decorating Idea
July 24, 2007
The perfect table setting decorating idea will be determined by three main things. First, by where the shower is being held. Second, by the theme you have chosen for your baby shower. Thirdly, by the tastes of the guest of honor and the guests you have invited.
Listed below are the items you will need for a successful table setting. Keep in mind that your own decorating idea/s will have a bearing on the table arrangement. Only you know the guests, the mother to be and family members. The items suggested below are only that, suggestions. They are to be used as hints to help you plan a successful baby shower.
- Table Cloths: Linen and/or lace tablecloths would be used for a formal setting. For an informal party use paper tablecloths, or sheets with a design that fits the theme.
Millions Have Misused ADHD Drugs
July 23, 2007
Millions Have Misused ADHD Drugs
by: Jeannine Virtue
A study released this week estimates that more than 7 million Americans have misused Adderall, Ritalin and other stimulant medications used to treat ADHD, and that 75,000 showed signs of addiction to stimulant medications.
This recent study, published in the online journal “Drug and Alcohol Dependence,” culled data from a 2002 national survey of about 67,000 households. Research found that men and women were equally likely to abuse ADHD medications but that women seemed to be at a greater risk for dependency. Men, on the other hand, seemed to be at a greater risk of abuse.
A surprising aspect of this study was in revealing who is most likely to misuse stimulant drugs. Most often, college students abuse Adderall and Ritalin in an attempt to boost their academic performance. A previous study showed that stimulant drugs are most commonly abused in highly competitive colleges, with B-average and below college students twice as likely to illegally use prescription drugs.
Parenting—Roots And Wings
July 23, 2007
Parenting—Roots And Wings
by: Kim Olver
I’m sure many of you have heard that old Hallmark card adage that goes something like this: Parents give their children two great gifts—one is roots, the other is wings. This is what I address in this article.
As parents, we pray for our children’s safety, health and happiness. We do everything we know to help make these things happen for them.
At some point in our lives, we developed the principles and values that guide our life decisions. Our parents and/or caregivers certainly had influence over this but not complete determination. Some of us gladly adopted the values of our parents and continue to live by them today. Some of us so completely rejected our parents values that our decisions are determined by doing the exact opposite of what we believe our parents would do.
Most of us, however, are somewhere in the middle—we have accepted some of our parents values and rejected others. This is a normal process of development. As parents, though, we really fight that period in our children’s lives when they are attempting to differentiate themselves from us.
Pushchairs, Strollers, Buggies - Important considerations before you buy
July 23, 2007
Pushchairs, Strollers, Buggies - Important considerations before you buy
by: Mark T Hartshorne
Should a pushchair by practical or pretty? How about easily collapsable or extremely cheap? With hundreds of pushchairs/strollers/buggies available the only way to know what is most important is to ask the parents?
There is a myriad of pushchairs and strollers on the market. Wonderful sounding names such as Bugaboo and Cosatto. Most parents will know of Mamas and Papas - but what are the most important aspects to choosing the right pushchair for your child or children?
Is a pushchair or stroller a fashion statement? You could be forgiven for believing that it is. Many new pushchairs boast ultra-modern designs, colour changing abilities and they come with a price tag to match.
I first became interested in pushchairs when I became a father - obviously! - and like many parents fell into the marketing trap, choosing a pushchair for all the wrong reasons. The right reasons for choosing a pushchair are weight - it should be light, mobility - it should be easy to push, price - it should be affordable and sensibly-priced, it must meet safety standards and it should be a manageable size.
Expressing Breast Milk: Pumping for Your Preemie
July 23, 2007
The shock and stress of having a baby born prematurely is difficult in and of itself to deal with. The frequent trips to the hospital are exhausting. And the worry you feel about the health of your son or daughter can be overwhelming. If you had hoped to breastfeed your baby, you will no doubt want to use a breast pump to initiate and maintain your supply until your baby is strong enough and developed enough to start short attempts at breastfeeding and hopefully eventually transition to exclusive breastfeeding, but until this point, a breast pump will be a necessity. The requirements of expressing breast milk in the early days and weeks post-partum can add additional stress to what is already a difficult time, but having good information on how to best establish your milk supply will assist you to build a strong milk supply and provide the best nutrition possible for a pre-term baby: mother’s milk.
Should You Take Ritalin?
July 22, 2007
Should You Take Ritalin?
by: Jeannine Virtue
At least 3.3 million Americans currently take medications to ease the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. The majority of these medications are amphetamine-based stimulants. The doctors prescribe these drugs, but that does not mean they are necessarily safe, says the Federal Drug Administration which is currently looking at placing strong warnings on stimulant ADD medications like Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta. An FDA advisory panel voted in February to recommend that all stimulant ADHD drugs carry a “black box” warning - the strongest possible safety warning - to indicate that the drugs may increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and sudden death.
Black box warnings are intended to alert physicians and patients that a drug may carry significant risks. The FDA advisory panel ruled on this black box warning after reviewing data concerning death and other negative heart problems associated with stimulant drug medication use. Although data varies between reporting agencies, 25 to 51 deaths have been attributed to ADHD medication use. Experts estimate that less than 10 percent of serious drug reactions are reported to the FDA, so the deaths and serious adverse effects are undoubtedly much higher.
Raising Baby On The Cheap
July 22, 2007
Have you ever read those reports on the cost of raising a child?
The last time I checked, I was told that it would cost the astronomical figure of $430,470 to raise my baby… and that didn’t include college tuition!
The people who come up with these figures must not be very creative. Some of the best things you can do for your child are free or very inexpensive. Here are some tips for raising kids on the cheap.
1) Breastfeed
You can save roughly $1,000 in formula costs alone in your baby’s first year by breastfeeding. Check out this report: http://www.natural-moms.com/cost_of_baby_formula.html
This figure doesn’t include the extra costs you would incur from Doctor visits and medications. Breastfed babies are less likely to need medical care and don’t get sick as often as their formula fed peers.
Formula feeding increases a baby’s risk of both acute and chronic health problems not only during childhood but well into adulthood. If you’re a working and breastfeeding Mother, you’re less likely to miss work than if you were formula feeding.
In addition, a breastfed baby can go straight from the breast to an open cup, thus eliminating pacifiers, bottles and sippy cups.
Teens And Blogs - Internet Safety Wake-Up Call
July 22, 2007
Teens And Blogs - Internet Safety Wake-Up Call
by: Rose DesRochers
In November of 2005, I read that a Roman Catholic high school in Sparta had ordered its students to remove personal blogs from the Internet, in the name of protecting them from cyberpredators. Which brings me to an important question, just how can you keep your child safe online?
The Internet is a “gateway” which leads the adult predator to your child. Parents need to recognize the need to better monitor their children’s online activity. I believe that websites like xanga, myspace, and livejournal, make it all too easy for sexual predators to prey on our children.
Children are vulnerable and they don’t realize that anyone can and most likely is reading their blog entries. Both my children have blogs, however they are under moderation by both my husband and I. Frankly, as a parent of two teenagers I believe that it is up to us as parents to educate our children about the online dangers.
Children’s blogs are a pedophile’s playground, because of the easy ability to look into a child’s world. As parents we can help our children stay safe while using a blog. For information about blogging safety please visit http://BlogSafety.com and http://SafeTeens.com.
Helping Your Child to Make Friends
July 22, 2007
Helping Your Child to Make Friends
by: Jane Orville
No matter how you decide to educate your child with Down syndrome, there will still be the issue of socialization - making friends. One of the biggest worries of parents with a Down syndrome child is:
Will my child be teased? How will I help my child with this and any hurt feelings?
Believe it or not, it is not typically the children you have to worry about - it is their parents. Most children will be accepting of your child. Parents, however, have often been taught that Down syndrome children need to be isolated and can’t do much. They may think that your child should not be included in activities with their child.
The best thing you can do is to invite other children over to play. Make friends with the other child and their parents. Let them know about Down syndrome. Help them to understand that your child is more like their child than different. It is amazing what happens as people begin to understand. Understanding leads to acceptance.
