3 mins read

How to Set Up a College Fund

One way to fund your child’s college education is to contribute to a 529 savings plan. While each state now operates at least one of these education savings plans, students can usually attend a college anywhere in the U.S. Although a 529 savings plan is designed similar to a 401(k) or IRA, the specific features and benefits vary among states. To get the most out of your investment and gain the maximum benefit these plans offer, it is important to understand how they work.

3 mins read

How to Choose a Career Path

You’re ready, willing and able to start college, but you’re facing a quandary: choosing a career path. You’re not alone; according to Doug Hewitt, coauthor of “Free College: The Resource Book,” almost 30 percent of first year college students have no idea what major to claim. By narrowing your fields of interest, you’ll find it less complicated to choose a career path that will satisfy you.

3 mins read

How to Fit a School Backpack

There’s a lot that students need to fit into their school backpacks these days–text books, note books, homework, pencils, pens, gym clothes, lunches, coats and even cell phones. However, if a backpack is the wrong size or is worn improperly, your child can suffer injuries to his back and shoulders. Selecting a backpack involves more than choosing one with a superhero’s emblem or a designer’s logo emblazoned across it; it must be measured and fitted properly to your child’s torso.

5 mins read

Helping Kids Understand the Dangers of Smoking

Every day, 3,600 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 start smoking, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A fact sheet on youth and tobacco use states that 20 percent of high school students in the United States were current smokers in 2007. Ninety percent of adults who smoke are likely to have started smoking as kids, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). These numbers are startling and continue to be a cause for concern. The fact is, kids continue to start smoking despite the fact that there is so much information and statistical data available that ought to deter them. It is the responsibility of parents, caregivers, teachers and mentors to help kids understand the dangers of smoking. This article offers tips and step-by-step instructions to help you in the process.

3 mins read

Internet Education for Kids

The Internet is an incredible tool for learning and communication, but just as in real life, there are places children shouldn’t go and things they shouldn’t see. While many schools are now teaching students how to be safe on the Internet, it is a parent’s job to be certain his child has been well-educated on Internet safety and use.