Skip to main content

Back to Normal?

In case you did not notice, I had a few weeks off from the blog. I took my own advice and did a "staycation" of my own. I had family come from out of town to celebrate an achievement, and it was wonderful. Unfortuntely, all good things must come to an end, summer included. 


So, back to school it is. But it sure isn't back to school like every other year. There are new pieces at play in this old game, and every district is tackling the challenges differently. 


Many, but maybe not all, of my suggestions from last August (see Is it August Already?!? dated 8/9/2019) will work for school clothes and supplies, but we have something exciting to add to the mix this year–masks!


I don't want to wear them very bad, and I'll bet most kids don't either. Parents, be patient with your children. If you or a friend/family member sews, let your child pick out a fun pattern or two. Check Pinterest. There are also lots of people advertising masks for sale in Facebook groups, Etsy and other online spots. You might even want to splurge a little; I recently saw some masks that had clear plastic in the center so you could see the smile of the one wearing it. I really might be tempted to pay a little extra for those. 


This is going to be an odd start for most of us. Don't be too hard on yourselves or your students. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Books Equal Bucks

 In November PBS always hosts their  Annual Reading Marathon . “Wow. That’s the  second  time this month that our financial blogger has gone off the rails regarding blog topics. What does reading have to do with finances?” My answer? Everything. Establishing good reading habits in children–reading 20 minutes a day–can literally change their financial future. Good readers do better in school. Good readers are more likely to graduate from high school. Good readers will probably make more money as adults. Reading changes EVERYTHING          . That being said, books  can  be expensive, but they don’t have to be. Libraries are some of the best resources for book access–they play SUCH an important role in our community. You can also share/trade books with your neighbors, friends, and family members (just make sure you have a good system for tracking book ownership). Second-hand stores or garage sales are awesome places to s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bon Voyage

Many of you are aware that I like to travel. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting a few foreign countries and taking a handful of cruises, and I intend to do more in the not-to-distant future. Because you know me, you know I don’t finance these trips–I plan ahead and save for them. And if you’ve followed my blog for a while, you are also aware that I do use one credit card for which I earn flight miles, and I use this card on the trips where I see the world. There is one thing about my credit card for which I am especially grateful–whenever there is suspicious activity on my account, I get a text notification. The credit card company recognizes that charges abroad MIGHT NOT BE LEGIT, and they send me a message. All I have to do is confirm that it is, in fact, me that made the peculiar purchase, and I’m good to go. If I did not make the purchase, I respond in kind, and my card is deactivated. Note to self and others: one could avoid these potential interruptions if one calls credit car...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Marshmallow Experiment

In 1972, Stanford did a study about delayed gratification with children. It involved giant marshmallows and testing their patience.  You can see a short YouTube video about the study here . Basically, the kids who could sit alone with a giant marshmallow without eating it for a certain length of time were rewarded with a second giant marshmallow. Fun, huh? Some kids could be patient and reap the rewards; some could not. I was a small child when the study was conducted, and I wonder which side I might have been on. I HAVE learned to be pretty patient as an adult. One of the areas in which I’ve seen improvement is in finances. I have become a good money manager–I could be paid once annually and budget so that I won’t run out before year’s end, including having enough money to pay my own quarterly taxes–self-employed people do that. Speaking of taxes, I try not to overpay so that I qualify for a “refund,” because the government does not practice The Marshmallow Experiment. Huh? ...
Post a Comment
Read more