Your Strengths, Your MoneyWritten by Darlene Arechederra
Need a few extra bucks to help pay down debt or build up your emergency account? There are some simple ways to do it without working another job or being away from children even more. Using your *strengths*, brainstorm ways to zero in on new sources of income. What ARE Your *Strengths*? -- What are you really good at? -- What do your friends/coworkers compliment you about, over and over? -- Are you a perfectionist in certain things? -- What things do your friends/family tease you about, or find irritating, because you do these things so well? Do you Enjoy Working with Numbers? If you're great at balancing your checkbook, you could pick up a few extra dollars each month balancing for friends who hate doing it themselves. A gentleman I know used to order pizza for bank teller in exchange for keeping his checkbook balanced for him. He hated doing it. The teller found it very easy. Perfect fit! Are you Artistic? Perhaps you're a penny-saver. You've created a beautiful decorative container to hold your pennies. Would they make nice gifts for others? Make some extras and see how they sell at Christmas bazaars. Give away as gifts to nieces, nephews, grandchildren. Others may see them and want one. Some may take them to school and show them around. If you make it fun for kids to use them, parents will greatly appreciate it. In meantime, children are learning a great savings habit. Are you a Perfectionist? Can't stand a dirty car? Is your car always spotless, inside and out? Next time someone compliments you on it (or wishes their car looked great like yours), let them know you'll keep theirs up to snuff for a few bucks every week or two. Their friends and neighbors will notice, and before long you'll have created a steady stream of income. Around here, salt and chemicals need to be removed on a regular basis during snow season.
| | Are Your Children Ready for School?Written by Dorothy M Neddermeyer
Spiral bound note book, 3-ring binder, 3-hole lined paper, pencils, pens, erasers, crayons, stapler, scissors, paste, book bag, pencil case, shoes, socks, underwear, shirts, pants, skirts, jacket, uniforms.... Check, Check, Check..., everything is ready. Or is it? I head a report on radio yesterday, "School supply sales are down from last year." I am perplexed. What benefit does that fact make in anyone's life? What is purpose of reporting this? How will that information help me or anyone else? As I mused about this inane topic, I realized most important information for children returning to school is not reported. The most important information parents and children need when going to school is how to protect children from sexual abuse perpetrators. Every year throughout world several hundred children are sexually abused (sexually assaulted) by teachers, bus drivers, janitors, or other adults associated with your child's school experience. To adequately prepare your child for school you need to prepare your child to protect him/herself from cunning sexual abuse perpetrators. How can children protect themselves? First and foremost we need to accept fact that sexual abuse perpetrators may seem very average and ordinary to world. In spite of all reports of sexual abuse by pillars of community-teachers, clergy, coaches, we still want to cling to belief that a sexual abuse perpetrator is disheveled man with a scraggly beard and wearing a dirty trench coat. We find it very difficult to believe people we like, admire, trust and work with would do such a heinous thing. The frightening truth about sexual abuse perpetrators is that within their belief system they do not hold beliefs reflecting society's moral and ethical values. Sexual abuse perpetrators frequently pass lie detector tests because their moral and ethical values do not reflect standards on which test is based. They feel no inner conflict with what they have done, therefore in their belief system they are not lying when they state, "Never ever. I could never harm a child or anyone. It's not in my heart. That is not who I am." Most perpetrators go to great lengths to present themselves as exemplary people; teacher, who frequently stays after school to help a child having academic difficulties or gym teacher/coach, who takes special interest in a budding athlete. I am not suggesting that everyone who does these things is a sexual abuse perpetrator. Insidiously, perpetrators demonstrate right, moral, and exemplary behavior to develop credibility and establish proof of their love of children, thus thwarting any suspicion of wrong doing; and to have access to lure innocent, trusting child. Perpetrators frequently take jobs which afford easy access to children-child care workers, teachers, coaches, etc. Second, we need to know definition of sexual abuse. "Traditionally, incest [sexual abuse] was defined as: sexual intercourse between two persons too closely related to marry legally--sex between siblings, first cousins, seduction by fathers of their daughters. This dysfunctional blood relationship, however, does not describe what children are experiencing. We need to look beyond blood bond and include emotional bond between victim and his or her perpetrator. The new definition relies less on blood bond between victim and perpetrator and more on experience of child. Incest is both sexual abuse and an abuse of power. It is violence that does not require force. Another is using victim, treating them in a way that they do not want or in a way that is not appropriate by a person with whom a different relationship is required. It is abuse because it does not take into consideration needs or wishes of child; rather, it meets needs of other person at child's expense. If experience has sexual meaning for another person, in lieu of a nurturing purpose for benefit of child, it is abuse. If it is unwanted or inappropriate for her age or relationship, it is abuse. Incest [sexual abuse] can occur through words, sounds, or even exposure of child to sights or acts that are sexual but do not involve her. If she is forced to see what she does not want to see, for instance, by an exhibitionist, it is abuse. If a child is forced into an experience that is sexual in content or overtone that is abuse. As long as child is induced into sexual activity with someone who is in a position of greater power, whether that power is derived through perpetrator's age, size, status, or relationship, act is abusive. A child who cannot refuse, or who believes she or he cannot refuse, is a child who has been violated." -E. Sue Blume, Secret Survivors
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