Summer is almost over and for families with little children, the hunt for a reliable daycare center is on.

Finding a daycare is not as easy as some people think. Parents are especially picky about this because they will be entrusting their children to someone else. That someone else have to be qualified and truly capable of taking care of their most precious ones.

A friend of mine thought that having a daycare just a few houses away from them would be a blessing. In fact, she was complacement and appease knowing that the lady who runs it is someone she happens to be friends it, being a neighbor.

But as it turns out, the decision to leave her daughter with the neighbor who runs a daycare center wasn’t exactly good for her. Because it’s basically a business, the mindset of the neighbor, whom she taught was a friend, was to run the business without regard for anything else.

When a new child came in and needed to be in the daycare longer, thus more hours and more fees, my friend’s neighbor had to let go of her slot, opting for that other family. Because they could offer more money.

Another friend had sent her child to a daycare center where there was little regard for cleanliness and sanitation that every time her son comes home, it seems that he’s always infected with someone’s cold or cough. She had to report the center for this, and was resented by other parents who were less understanding of the situation.

Do you have horror stories about daycare centers? What’s the best advise you can give to parents finding one?

By first grade, a child can understand the idea of exchanging money for goods. An Allowance reinforces this concept and boosts your child’s budding math skills in an exciting, real-world way. Simply counting cash will be a thrill to your child, and he’ll improve his ability to compare prices and learn the value of coins. Kids this age are also eager to have some money of their own. They sense that making spending decisions is an important step toward growing up, and it’s one that they’re ready to take. In giving allowance, choose an amount you can afford to hand out every week. If you don’t have any idea how much to give you can check around to find out the going rate in your neighborhood. Always consider how the money will be used. If it’s simply meant to cover the cost of an occasional candy bar or toy, you’ll likely give less money. You don’t want your child to be frustrated because he has too little money or overwhelmed by too much.

To teach your child the value of money, you can ask him to earn his own money. Your child needs to understand that they’re a family obligation. If you reward him for doing chores, he may decide that he needs to pitch in only when there’s a payoff and that is not a good lesson to teach your little one. Parents can give their kids a chance to earn extra cashas long as it’s handled separately from the allowance, and if your child cuts corners on his responsibilities? nudge him back on track by taking away his priviledges such as watching tv, or playing outside.

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Playing is one way of nurturing your relationship with your kids,  so choosing the toys that is appropriate for them is very important.  As a parent, you should know the toys that will  offer fun and knowledge to your little ones.

The following are just few questions to know if it’s the right toy to buy for your kids:

• Is it appropriate for his/her age?
• Is it educational?
• Is it safe for your child to play with it?

Spending money for the right toy will save you a lot of energy.  Toy guns are a big no-no for your little boys because it only promotes violence. Always keep in mind that what your child plays, it reflects what his surrounding is, or what kind of people is he with, or maybe what lifestyle he has. Choosing the right toys will help you and your child understand each other.

price: $39.95

This hopscotch carpet  makes them go crazy with numbers. Children ages 4 and up will enjoy jumping and counting with this colorful carpet. This is made of soil resistant nylon material that can be played outside of your house. Your child will learn the numbers from 1-10, and the primary and secondary colors with no pressure at all. What’s more fun about this is that adults can even play with it, they’ll have a fun bonding time with their kids.

This product has been a great motivation especially for preschool students. Lakeshore has been producing varieties of materials that will help the little ones to learn new things with excitement. You can visit them at  www.lakeshorelearning.com

Great recommended read from around our network:

Geeky and Fabulous Toys for Tots

Eco-friendly Toys

Spending Time

Image Courtesy of CoolBaby.com

Kaboost is an alternative to booster seats or  high chairs.  The idea is that it has these adjustable arm things, so that instead of raising up a short kid by putting him on a booster chair or even in a high chair, you just raise the chair up, so the child sits squarely in the chair and at the right height just like everyone else.

Now, I’m not saying it’s not a kind of cool idea.  It does make it so that a little kid can sit on a chair  like everyone else and not be set apart or infantilized by having a special baby-ish chair.  And it does, admittedly, reduce the chances of the booster chair sliding sideways off the big chair and the kid landing on the floor.  In addition, it’s all plastic, so it won’t do any damage to your carpet or floor.  And it’s portable, so you can take it to a restaurant or Grandma’s house or whatever.

But this is one of those things that makes me wonder why bother with it?   At $37.95 each, you have to have some extra pocket change to get one, anyway–and that puts it in my category of things rich parents buy not because their kids really need them, but because they have the money to buy them.

For $37.95, my kid can sit on a couple of phone books.  I did a pretty thorough search, and I came across no reports of any child being injured by sitting on a phone book, and no reports of any child’s self-esteem taking such a hit that they grew up to be mentally unstable.

So, rich parents, knock yourselves out.  Kaboost seems like a cool thing to have.  I think the rest of us will just stick to normal booster chairs and their inexpensive substitutes.

There’s not a parent out there that needs to be reminded that times are pretty tough right now.  More and more families are struggling financially, trying to either get on their feet or stay there.  People miss a payment here or there and credit scores tank, which hits the entire economy.  After all, if your credit is bad, you can’t get a car or a home equity loan or buy a new house or get a credit card to fund your vacation.  And the more money you’re not spending in the marketplace, the less money all those people out there are making in their turn, as well.

There are some sites that can help with that.  One of the best new sites that I’ve come across is CashSubsidy.com, The Cash and Finance Blog.    This site has several things to offer a parent who’s trying to keep finances on track. 

First of all, there are articles about everyday family things, such as wise management of finances and the pros and cons of using a debt consolidation service.  It also covers the general state of business and the economy–in a general overview sort of way, giving us enough information to keep un knowledgeable, but not so much that we can’t get through it. 

It defines terms for its readers, as well as offering resources such as books, links, and information about conferences and other financial helps. 

Keep in mind this is a new site, and its resources are still growing.  Still, with the way it’s begun, parents will find this a helpful place to start looking for the guidance they need to stay on their feet financially.