Momma Stuff

I was overwhelmed with all the participants we had last week. Got a pretty good insight on parent’s routines and what they felt about it. I hope this week we’ll have more participants.

Here’s the drill:

The aim of these questions is to share opinions and experiences among moms (or dads) in the blogosphere.
Each week a new question will be posted and I’m inviting mom and dads to answer and share their thoughts about it.
If you are participating, leave your links in the comments section.
Link back to this site inviting other parents to join the fun.
Try to visit the other participants…you will love their answers, that’s for sure.

Now, for this week’s question: What are the names of your kids? Who picked them? Any significance of that name/s?

I’ll post mine soon.

Popularity: 9% [?]

There are numerous factors that contribute to increasing drug abuse. Among these are disillusionment, depression, and a lack of purpose in life. Additional reasons are economic problems, unemployment, and poor parental examples.

Some who have difficulty with human relationships use drugs to help them cope in social situations. They believe that drugs boost their confidence, making them feel witty and likable. Others simply find it easier to use drugs than to accept responsibility for taking control of their lives.

But there is still hope for those who fall prey. There are Substance Abuse Rehabs that can help. These facilities help people stop drug abuse by treating it the core of the problem.

These offer Drug Treatment Program which are very effective. Most of their graduates have remained drug free and became productive members of society. The most effective ones are those Residential Drug Treatment. This is because of the safe and tranquil atmosphere of the rehab campus.

This is a light on the tunnel for those who want to pick up the pieces of their lives and change for the better. It is not easy to quit so professional help is needed. The core problem of the addiction should also be addressed. This will help people who have hooked before not to fall back.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Reading is a great past time. It gives you knowledge, inspiration and new ideas. It has been my habit to read whether it be books, magazines or journals. We also try to pass this habit to our two-year old son. We bought him children books and we read to him before he goes to bed at night.

I like inspirational or self help books in particular. So I was intrigued when Oprah book club added this new book entitled  A New Earth, Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose. Reviews are good saying that it helped them relieve stress in their everyday life. Now I’m thinking if this is worth reading.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Each year heart attacks take the lives of 200,000 persons in Germany. What is the main cause? “Stress,” reports the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, since working in Germany demands “total commitment, constant stress.” Stress at work results in a high rate of absenteeism through illness and can lead to burnout. Every second nurse suffers from symptoms of stress, and 1 teacher in 3 takes early retirement, many because of “nervous strain.” Health insurance companies are studying how to diminish stress at work. One study, carried out among several hundred medium-sized firms, pinpoints what appears to be a contributing factor: Of the workers surveyed, 44 percent never received any commendation at work.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Washing machine and a dryer are one of the indispensable tools of a busy homemaker. We save time by loading our soiled clothes and let it run while doing other things around the house. So imagine our dismay if our dryer breaks down. I have a friend in the US who tried to save cost by fixing it by replacing her busted Maytag Dryer Parts.

I think this is good because it can save us a lot of money rather than buying a new one. Why discard when you can still make use of the appliance and with a little replacement it will still run like a dream? She told me that easyapplianceparts.com is a website in the US where she gets reliable appliance parts. They guarantee customer satisfaction and you can return them if it is not working without any difficulty.

I hope we also have something like this in the Philippines so I can still salvage some of the appliances at home that needs repair.

Popularity: 10% [?]

While we are on the subject of cars, let’s delve into another aspect of buying, that of auto loans. It is also best to shop around and see who offers the best rates. There a numerous sites that offers free and instant quotes so that you can compare each one.

What if you are stuck with a bad credit auto loan? According to what I’ve read, the best way to get out is by refinancing it. When you do this, you get another loan to help you pay the old one. It helps in a way that it can extend the length of paying time and also lower the interest rates that will translate into lower monthly payments. By making the monthly payments more affordable for to pay, this is the best path to take to get out of debt.

You can also save some bucks. By how much depends on factors like your current interest and how much balance there is remaining. But on the average, it is estimated at $100 per month.

You can readily check if you are qualified and get some ready quotes as well by visiting car insurance sites. This is great because you have an option to pay your ageing debts.

Popularity: 12% [?]

I’ve been thinking of homeschooling our little boy at least for his preschool years. I’ve reading some materials about this and here is something worth sharing about this topic.

Home schooling takes, “not just courage, but stamina, inventiveness, and steady nerves,” says Christianity Today. So if you are contemplating home schooling, think realistically about the commitment involved. Diligent effort and good organization will be needed to keep up with chores and other family responsibilities in addition to providing a daily academic program for the children. “You might be working so hard you’ll feel like quitting,” Ray said. “It’s very demanding.”

Next, find out the home-schooling laws in your area. For example, in the United States, home schooling is legal in all 50 states, but the levels of regulation vary considerably. In some places, teaching your child at home simply means notifying the local school superintendent and filling out a one-page form. In other states, a parent must be a certified teacher to qualify for home schooling. Determine what local policy is so that you can comply with all the legal requirements.

Then, consider the cost. Shopping for teaching materials presents one of the greatest challenges in home schooling—especially if funds are limited. “You are a sitting duck for educational suppliers,” warns A Survivor’s Guide to Home Schooling.

While some suppliers charge a modest tuition fee, other home-teaching programs cost hundreds of dollars. Standardized tests, which home schoolers are required to take annually in some states, can cost up to $50 each. New textbooks, work booklets, and other materials will be needed year after year, so a carefully planned home-school budget is a must.

Of course, not all parents are willing or able to expend the time, effort, and money that experts say are required to make home schooling a success. “Home schooling is not for everyone,” said one 14-year-old girl who began home schooling when she was 7. “It takes the right circumstances, the right attitudes, and the right parents.” Self-discipline—by parent and child—can be added to the list too. The man quoted earlier said that to make home schooling work, “it takes a strong commitment.” He continued: “The real challenge is being able to devote the time to doing it and following through with it.”

Even ardent supporters of home education admit that home schooling is sometimes done in an ineffective or even irresponsible manner. Indeed, every year there are some home-school efforts that fail, leaving children ill-prepared to face future academic challenges.

Parents, who are ultimately responsible for the proper education and training of their own children, need to decide for themselves the type of schooling they feel will most benefit their family. So weigh all the factors carefully before deciding if you are ready to take on the challenge of teaching your children at home.

Popularity: 14% [?]

If you are thinking of buying a car then it is best to research not only the car that you are planning to buy but also something about car insurance cover. This is to ensure that you can get the best car insurance at the best rates too. If you try to research you can also factor this in when picking what car to buy.

For example, do you know that SUVs are harder to insure or more expensive? On the average it costs 10-20 percent more to insure a SUV than a regular car. This is because they cause more damage to other vehicles when accidents occur. Also, they are hot in the eyes of thieves and an insurance company will pay a lot of money to replace a stolen vehicle. The rule of thumb is the bigger the cars and trucks, the easiest and cheaper they are to insure, as long as they do not do heavy damage to other vehicles in an accident.

Also, if you are a careful driver, you are most likely to get a lower quote that those drivers with a lot of tickets. There are a lot of great tips out there for a cheaper car insurance rates and easy application.

It’s best to take a look at them and consider these points before buying a car.

Popularity: 14% [?]

We all dream to have our very own homes. But sometimes we are daunted by the hefty amount of money that we have to pay. Perhaps the primary consideration if you are contemplating a purchase is your financial position. What monthly payments can you afford? How much money have you for the down payment? If you do not have enough, what sources for funds are available to you? How will you pay the money back? How much will the interest cost?

You will want to examine the sources of capital that may be available. Loans may be obtainable at minimum interest rates through credit unions associated with your place of employment. Or you may find that if your credit rating is good, chances are you will be able to obtain mortgage loans. On the other hand, a relative may be happy to help out. But with the down payment borrowed, how can the homeowner expect to pay it back?

Some families have purchased houses that are sufficiently large so that a room or two can be rented to tenants. The income from the rental is then used to pay back the loan, while other expenses are met by the family’s regular income. Such a method has been a successful avenue to property ownership for some.

Popularity: 16% [?]

As a child, I experienced being lost. I can still remember distinctly the panic and the fear that I felt when I couldn’t find my mom anymore. There were a lot of people at the market that day and I thought I was holding my mom’s dress but when the lady turned her head, i realized that I lost mom.

I cried my lungs out and no amount of consoling from market people can make me stop. Thank goodness mom heard me and we were reunited. But this is not the story for most kids. Who knows if theses missing children falls into wrong hands: sexual molesters or kidnappers.

The tragedy of a missing child is a hard ordeal for any caring parent to face. Besides anguish of heart and mind, the parent often has to bear up under thoughtless and unkind remarks from others, such as: “He must be dead by now” or, “You have other children. Pull yourself together.” Many times there are threatening and crank telephone calls that annoy or send the parent off on a wild-goose chase. And since parents often abduct their own children, you may even be suspect yourself and subject to interrogation.

Perhaps worst of all is really not knowing. “Families whose children have been missing for long periods would surely prefer the finality of bad news to the anxiety of an unexplained disappearance,” states The Washington Post, “if that is the choice.” “A missing person is just such a horror because you don’t know anything about what has happened to him.”

So what can a parent do to establish child safety? Here are some of the things that we can instruct our children:

Always to take the same—and safest—route to and from school each day
To use the “buddy” system—always to be with a friend when they play, go to a store or movie—and not to go off alone
Not to let strangers touch them; not to accept money or candy from strangers
Never to go along with or accept rides from someone they do not know
To scream for help if a stranger tries to take them by force
To report any unusual or scary incidents to parents or teachers
How to use the telephone if they need help (Do they know their own number, their full name and where they live?)

Next is be prepared. While it may be unlikely that your child will be abducted, authorities suggest these precautionary measures:

Take a clear, sharp, full-face photo of each child at least once a year. On the back of the photo note the following current information for each child:
  Age
  Height and weight
  Hair and eye colors
  Clothing and shoe sizes
  Any distinguishing body marks
  Date picture was taken

Know where each child’s medical and dental X rays and records can be located. Obtain these before they are destroyed or you move to a distant location.

Keep an up-to-date record of any medicines a child needs and what the effects will be if not taken.

Take fingerprints of your child for positive identification in case of foul play or hidden identity. Fingerprinting each member of the family at the same time can allay a child’s fear and such identification is useful to have. With a little practice, parents can do this themselves, using an ordinary black stamp pad.

These can be taken cared of too if you obtain a child id from a child alert system. A USB will store all these necessary information of your child and will come in handy when you need to search for them.

For me it always pays to be prepared when tragedy strikes.

Popularity: 20% [?]