Letting Go Of "Friends"

There comes a time in our lives when we should no longer tolerate certain types of people in our circle. Finding out who our true friends are is all a part of growing up and crossing over from child to adulthood. When we're young and just starting out in the world on our own without our parents telling us who to be or who not to be friends with, it's so easy to trust and believe that everyone who wants to be your friend wants to do so because they are genuine. As we get older we learn that there are a large number of people who have their own motives. We learn that the people that call themselves our friends aren't always who they claim to be. My question is...if you've been "friends" with a person your whole life but you one day wake up and realize that the friendship is not healthy or positive in any way and only one of you is benefiting from it...do you end it?

Summer Of My Life...

Hey dolls! I know I've been gone for a minute...but I'm back! I'm so excited for summer and all the new projects that I'm working on. I've been keeping them a secret...just in case they don't work out, I won't feel so bad. lol. One project that I will share with you guys is "The Summer Of My Life" project. This will be a new blog that will chronicle the events of my summer. I'll share pictures as well as the activities, vacations and any other happenings during my summer. I'm also involved in a movement called the "Murder Free Summer", with a friend of mine in my hometown of Annapolis and so I'll also be sharing the events and progress of that project with everyone. I'm hoping this will actually BE the summer of my life! I have alot planned for me and my son and I'm hoping it all works out. As my other projects start coming together more I'll share them as well. Stay tuned...

The Quality Of Our Children's Lives Is Declining

A direct result of this recession is that the quality of our children's lives is rapidly declining. There are approximately 15.6 million children living at or below the poverty line and as many as 500,000 children that are homeless right here in the United States. The increase of families in which neither parent has secure employment is steadily rising. There are also as many children living in households who don't have access to safe or nutritious foods. From 2007 to 2010 there has been an increase of about 750,000 children who are living in food-insecure households, which has a direct effect on their learning ability. Community engagement is also declining with cut backs of programs and the reduction of the employment of teachers...leaving children who are living in poor, chaotic homes with no outside resources. A report by the private philanthropy foundation of child development says that the effects of the decrease in our family economics will have a direct impact on the deterioration in our children's academic performance which will subsequently impact careers and ability to compete in the workforce when they get older. wow.

Teaching Your Children About Finances

We need to teach our children about the value and importance of not just knowing how to MAKE money, but also how to save and invest for their futures. They need to learn about the consequences of living beyond their means, living paycheck to paycheck and stacking debt on top of debt. Our children need to know how having the latest air jordans, the newest electronic gadget and the trendiest wardrobe is of little importance when they aren't educated, can't pay their bills or take care of a family. We need to make sure that our children are taught the lessons of money whether you have any or not. If you DON"T have any, then you need to share with your children your mistakes and provide resources for them to learn the things that no one taught YOU about finances. The future generation needs to know that are many other ways to become wealthy besides sports, music and television. As parents it is our responsibility to ensure that our children are knowledgeable about the opportunities that are available to them when they are educated and smart about their money.