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Hug your kids at home, and belt them in the car

March 1st, 2017 Posted in Uncategorized
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That day we pass our driving test, get our license and the keys to our very own car is more than just a pass, more than just a rite of passage and a thing to do; it is a child’s first step to freedom. It allows them to explore the world a bit more, gain some independence and financial freedom, and it allows you – the parent – the chance to have a little more time for you.

However, as wonderful as cars are, they are also extremely lethal and demand respect and responsibility. After all, they are still one of the biggest killer’s in the world and can destroy more lives than just those involved in a crash.

What’s more, those between 15 and 25 are at the most risk. That is why it is so important you teach your children the importance of road safety and responsible driving from as early as possible. It is all too tempting to treat these machines as toys, but they aren’t and it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure this message is understood.

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Teenagers Feel Invincible

Teenagers tend to take more risks than anyone else, and that is because the area of the brain that is supposed to aid in good decision-making isn’t fully developed until the early to mid-twenties. That makes this quite a tricky topic to navigate because teenagers aren’t able to fully understand the potential dangers of driving. According to the experts at The Brown Firm who specialise in the law and automobile accidents, teenagers are also susceptible to seeking new sensations, which will see them test the boundaries and take risks. Of course, not all teenagers will exert the same level of risk-taking tendencies, but it is still imperative that parents are aware of these personality traits. As such, you should reinforce safety requirements such as seatbelts, mirrors, speed limits, drink driving and the use of cell phones at the wheel. All of these need to be taken seriously.

Inexperience Is An Issue

We all learn from experiences, it is the most beneficial means of learning; learning by doing. Driving is no different. An experienced driver learns how to handle a blowout, icy conditions, wet roads and more. An experienced driver knows what to look out for and can almost preempt an accident and thus do everything they can to avoid one. They have reflexive skills that come with time. Teenagers don’t, and this inexperience makes up a huge percentage of car crashes, which is why parents need to be proactive when it comes to helping their teens become more knowledgeable and experienced behind the wheel. Get them to put in their two pennies worth from the passenger seat when you drive around town. Get them to point out potential hazards and get an understanding of different traffic conditions. Then go out with them on long and short journeys where they are driving and see how they do, offer them guidance on certain things and how they could have better handles a certain situation. Give them confidence as well as an understanding of defensive driving skills and why they are so important in their well-being. A great rule to learn, and one that has certainly stuck in our heads since childhood, is that it’s better to be ten minutes late in this world than to be ten minutes early for the next.

Peer-Pressure Is A Killer

We have a duty, as parents, to teach kids how to handle peer pressure, because it can have a huge influence over our children, and that can be bad if your child is driving a car. There is a huge difference between cool and safe when it comes to youngsters and cars, and so kids may try to impress their friends with foolish behaviour. Luckily, recklessness seems to have calmed down since we were at school, and caring about things has gained a sort of kudos that wasn’t around a few years ago. But it is worth teaching your children the results of driving too fast and not wearing a seatbelt. This could be done by showing them statistics, or crash videos, or going to seminars where people talk about how a crash ruined their life. These may seem like drastic measures to take, but the safety of your child could demand that sort of approach. It is better to be safe than sorry after all.

Have Them Prove Themselves

Driving is privilege, not a right, and that is something you and your kids need to understand. S such, it could be worth emphasising this and explaining that your child needs to gain your trust and respect before they can enjoy the full freedom of life on the road.

 

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The Financial Error’s Of The Lion King’s Mufasa

February 24th, 2017 Posted in Uncategorized
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There’s much we can learn from The Lion King, Disney’s 1994 classic. It’s a tale of redemption, of overcoming all the odds against you, about fighting for peace,…and about how you should never fully trust your brother, especially if they look evil and everything they say is said with a vague threat implied. But there’s something we shouldn’t take from the film, and that is: financial advice. Yes, a whole lot of mess could have been avoided had Mufasa just been a financially responsible parent. Alas.

The Financial Error’s Of The Lion King’s Mufasa - lion image

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Investing in Property

‘Everything the light touches is our kingdom’, and thus implied, all yours Simba. Only, Mufasa didn’t actually invest in the land he was claiming was his; he just assumed it was his. That the zebras and giraffes didn’t put up a fight will not stand in the court of law. He should have acquired a deed to the land, which would have been very profitable. Also, the hyena hideout? We see a rustic getaway away from the heat, right in the heart of safari land. Imagine what that’d go for on AirBnb….

Securing the Family’s Future

For a guy with an obviously evil brother, Mufasa sure was pretty lax about securing the family’s history. Should he have put the time into looking for selectquote insurance? Of course he should. Instead, he was thrown from the edge of a canyon to his death and his family was left with nothing. His son has to spend his entire childhood hanging out with a meerkat and warthog. All because he didn’t have five minutes to spare….

Teaching Simba about Taxes

Mufasa didn’t teach Simba about taxes because…he didn’t have the foresight to think they might be useful! As king, all he had to do was enforce taxes, even a token gesture of taxes, and he might have spared his son his later hardships with the IRS (unreleased Lion King sequel – Simba and the Jury). If kids learn about taxes when they’re young, they can avoid the same fate as Simba. They’re a natural part of life, just like the circle of life they sing about so passionately during the film.

Not Working Hard

Mufasa and his family did have a pretty idyllic life when they were all alive, as did the other animals in the kingdom. But this would have eventually cost them: because it was wildly, recklessly unsustainable. To gain financial freedom, you have to be ready to work hard while you’re in the prime of your life, saving each and every week. Doing the bare minimum needed to survive – like Mufasa – will eventually cause financial difficulties.

One Thing He Got Right

We would be unfair on Mufasa is we didn’t give him credit for the one thing he most definitely got right. By teaching Simba not to have more than this share (in the scene where he explains how everything lives in tandem), he’s telling his son to live within his means, which is what all our children should know!

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Teaching Your Kids to Take a Stand Against the Bullies in Life

February 24th, 2017 Posted in Uncategorized
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Bullying is something we see in all walks of life and at all ages. The exact cause of bullying can be related to problems in someone’s life, but when you grow up into an adult you’ll realise that some people are just chaotic and spiteful. At a young age, a bully is usually formed due to neglect or bad parenting, but when someone grows older there is really no excuse to resort to playground tactics and tyrannising others—it’s just childish.

However, teaching your children how to deal with the bullies in life is going to be a key component in their development. Whether it’s bullying within the school, at university or in the workplace when they grow older, there are some basic foundation elements that will help them deal with all forms of bullying.

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Teaching them about respect

Respect is something that should be taught at a young age. Far too many parents put a heavy emphasis on respecting elders or seniors, but you should also be teaching children about respecting their classmates and even those who are younger than them. Age shouldn’t be something that sets you apart from others or something that makes you feel superior. It’s a sign of how long you’ve been on this earth, but that has no real bearing on your status over others.

We see this a lot in the workplace. A senior member of staff will try to exert his or her power in status over others, or an employer might give ridiculous orders and think they are above everyone else. While there is a need for leadership in the office, there’s a distinction between a good leader and a tyrant and this is what your child should be learning.

Seeking help

If the bullying has gone too far and your child feels like they are in danger, then it’s best to teach them to seek help. Speak to a parent, a figure of authority such as a teacher, or an older student such as a sibling. It’s best that your child doesn’t bottle up those emotions to a point they feel lonely.

Later on in life, we might experience similar bullying from our employers or people that we work with. For instance, you might have suffered an accident at work and your employers might not believe that anything is wrong with you and force you back to work. You can deal with this in the same way a child turns to a figure of higher authority—by contacting a lawyer such as Jacob Partiyeli to give you advice and help you deal with workplace bullying and also your injury.

Making a stand

You should be teaching your child not to succumb to the demands of bullies and to make a stand for themselves. If they believe that something is unfair, then they need to act on it. For instance, if they are being pushed around at school, teach them to calmly ask the bully to stop. If they see someone else being bullied, then they should attempt to help that person. While making a stand and protecting someone else can be a gamble, they can help that person in other ways such as comforting them and making friends with them.

Again, this happens later in life too. You might see an employee being shouted at or ridiculed at work because of his or her choices, but instead of joining the bullying your child should learn about respecting that person and making a stand.

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Help Your Friends In Times Of Need

February 22nd, 2017 Posted in Uncategorized
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Friends are an important part of the structure of our lives. Some friends can even be closer to us than a lot of family members, especially if we connect with those friends on a level which cannot be replicated. Friends can help us out when we are in dire straits and need an extra helping hand, financially, socially and with personal issues. Friends are people we can reach out to when situations have occurred in our lives which we feel too embarrassed or awkward to speak about those situations with family.

We all know a friend who we can call and they will pick up immediately. We all know a friend who, even if we have not seen them for a while, can connect with immediately upon seeing them again. People like these enable us to live happier lives and also allow us to be the people who we want to be without trying too hard to be someone we are not. In short, friends are a great addition to have in our lives.

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So, when our friends are in troublesome situations of their own, we may feel more inclined to help them out if they have helped us when we were in need. Some friends may not ask you directly for help, but if you know a friend well and have a good relationship with them, they may not need to say anything and we will know something is wrong.

Helping a friend can include financial solutions, advice, guidance and the ability to be there when they need us. For example, if they are short of money for whatever reason and need to pay off a bill, you could lend them the money. If they have not got a great knowledge of cars, and you tend to know more about that subject than they do, speak to them about the best car finance deals that you know of. If they are going through family issues, provide them with an outlet to talk about the problem and be there for them if you sense they are feeling in need of some company.

Some friends can be people we have known for a long time – say, since school, college or university – while other friends can be people we have known for a short amount of time but connect with on a level which is reciprocated and appreciated.

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Allowing ourselves to branch out and meet new people is a great way of developing social relationships with people. If an acquaintance asks you to go for a coffee, a walk or even to a bar for a few drinks you may not feel that inclined to say yes but you should really take any opportunity to meet as many many, and new, people that you can. You never know, you may meet your new best friend after deciding to join them for a drink on a whim. Surrounding yourself with like minded people is a good way of developing your social circle and well being.

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Preparing For The Big Milestones In Your Children’s Lives

February 1st, 2017 Posted in Uncategorized
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Having children means you need to be prepared for anything.  From the small problems we all share, like how to keep the magic of Christmas alive, to the larger problems that can crop up, such as medical bills.  As they grow older you will need to be prepared for heartaches, new jobs, fashion demands and the ever so popular gap year.

Let’s take a look at three of the big events that are bound to crop up as your children come of age and, how to negotiate your way around them.

Hit The Road

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One of the biggest events in your child’s life is going to be learning to drive.  This is their first opportunity to taste freedom.  No more worrying about lifts or relying on mum and dad to get them to the party.  Owning your first car is much more than it seems.

Getting young people on the road is not a cheap affair.  Driving lessons don’t come cheap, Insurance costs for new drivers are insane and quite often more expensive than the car itself.  Of course you are going to want to keep them as safe as you can so purchasing a cheap, second hand car might not be the route you want to go down.

Teaching your children to save from a young age will help bring the cost of getting them mobile down for you.  It is also really beneficial for them to experience the feeling you get when you buy something special with your own money.  They are far more likely to take care of it if they can place a value on the effort and sacrifices it took to buy it.  However, there are lots of incentives for taking out a finance deal on a new car.  Many manufactures offer a years free insurance on certain model in their range which takes one of the huge costs of driving away and gives you a year to build up no claims bonuses.  Perhaps you could take out the agreement and have your child pay the monthly payments to you from their earnings or, by taking on more tasks around the house.

Should you be buying a second hand car then you will need to consider the insurance costs.  Get online and research the best companies for getting them covered and consider all the options for helping them.  Whilst you cannot protect them when they are behind the wheel you can make sure they are covered for the emergencies that can happen.  If you can afford it, give them their insurance as a birthday or Christmas present or share the cost with other family members.

Of course all of this depends on whether they can pass their driving test.  Whilst driving instructors are the best educated to help them achieve this, relying on them can be a pricey business.  Once your kids have mastered the basics consider taking them out with you and letting them practice.  You will need to do your research too because most of us have picked up bad habits over the years.  Do not share these with your children!

The last area to pay attention to is car maintenance.  Teaching the basics of servicing is really important.  Tyre pressures, washer fluid, how to use snow chains.  All this stuff will ensure they are switched on if things go wrong.  Get them into the routine of regularly checking their vehicle over and also, make sure they keep water and a light snack in their glove box.

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Some of us won’t have to worry about our sons and daughters coming home to announce they want to take a break in their education.  However it is now a very common break to make and there are some real benefits to it.

Travelling the world to increase your cultural awareness and life experience can add a real boost when it comes to getting your first job.  There are loads of ways to ensure your children get a year to discover themselves whilst ensuring they don’t waste this opportunity or create a hurdle within their education.

There are various different routes your children can take.  Considering a volunteer package is a really fantastic idea and there are loads on offer which will support their education.  For sport fanatics there are opportunities to teach out in Africa.  Ghana welcome English teaching assistants plus there are numerous conservations projects.  Keeping it closer to home you could look at homeless shelters, wildlife and nature conservation groups or working with the vulnerable.

Financing a gap year can be hard.  So try to encourage your children to think about this and work out how they can fund their choice.  Perhaps evening work or part time work will help pay for flights or expenses.

Of course one of the biggest worries is what happens if something goes wrong whilst they are in another country.  Make sure they have a good insurance policy.  Failing that talk to friends and family to help raise money.  Depending on the situation you could even look at social media or crowd funding.  In absolute ‘back against the wall’ emergencies, you may need to consider a loan.  There are some great companies offering a variety of finance packages take a look at Swift Money Short Term Loans and work out if this is the right route for you.  Just make sure you have exhausted all options before getting yourself into debt.

Heartbreak Hotel

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The awful inevitable that at some point your son or daughter will turn up in your kitchen with that indescribable look of pain, comes sooner than you think when kids hit their late teens.  It is a part of life we all have been through and when it is the break up of your first love, it seems even more cutting than ever.

The most important thing you can do is listen.  Offer advice when prompted but be their rock.  Talking is the only way they are going to work through the devastation of a relationship break up.

There can be financial implications involved.  Perhaps the couple were living together in their first home, or had debts they shared.  So whilst listening to them, perhaps offer some logical advice.  It can help to be constructive if you are trying to heal a broken heart and financial pressures are only ever going to cause more tension.

It could be worth, depending on the age of your children, talking to the other parents to take the pressure off them by managing any financial affairs they have.  Allowing them to concentrate on the emotional affects not the financial ones.

Just try to remember that broken hearts do mend and with time they will find their own way through.  Girls are probably easier to support in times like this but boys will need your support even more.  Stay calm, because the truth is watching your baby feeling completely empty is one of the hardest things you will have to do as a parent.  You can’t fix this one, you can only make it a little easier.

Think ahead, stay prepared, research all your options but make sure you give your offspring a little push to be more financially and emotionally aware.

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