Outsmart The Game Industry and Teach Kids how to Budget

IS YOUR KID A GAMER?

Well all but one of my kids are. My husband is a gamer also. Therefore, this holiday, one of the major gifts requested are either a game systems (PS4 - which I'm not going to get) and video games for our varous game systems: PS3, WiiU and PSP systems

THE PROBLEM WITH GAME SYSTEMS all parents must be aware

Credit Card Charges requested for added game features

Access to Porn through the web access features

Introduction to New and Not So Nice People through Online Gaming

HOW TO COMBAT THESE PROBLEMS

Credit Card Charges

- Purchase a RECHARGEABLE VISA or MASTERCARD gift card for your kid
  - Have them decide how much of their allowance to put on their 'game credit card'
  - Have them hand you the cash they are placing on the card
  - Have them protect and track spending on the card with a weekly budget sheet of purchases

Access to Naughty Sites

- Stay in the room with your kid while they play
- Disconnect access to internet or purchase games where this feature isn't needed
- Purchase software that monitors use at the server level

Introduction to New and Not So Nice People

- Do not allow kids to hook up microphone devices
- Be present while they are gaming as sometime they can text others during the game

WEEKLY WRAP UP

New Initiative for the kids

Allowance! Yep, now they get a weekly allowance $2 a day provided they finish their chores.
They can put it in their piggy banks
Update their weekly spending budgets
Put it on their Credit Card for gaming or online purchases

Field Trip! at Bounce place. The kids met with other homeschoolers who loved the bounce center that was filled with inflatables.

Only problem was there weren't many kids there that was 13ys or 11yrs like my kiddos. So they didn't meet a new friend but just played in the space filled with other kids playing. They said they had fun, but that they didn't want to redo this trip.

This Friday, we are getting together with other homeschoolers to sing carols at the Senior Center. Then attend the after party. This Saturday, includes a laser tag birthday party, a Teen meetup for Tiger Lilly and Ice skating on Sunday.

Work this week.

Speed Racer, 6th grader

Loved his Minecraft Homeschool Viking class. Only problem was his access to Minecraft was stunted due to our LapTop mishap. So he finished up all his quizzes but didn't get to build his last 2 projects.

We had a light week since we didn't do Mango Languagues (Spanish) this week. However, he did finish all his work without a hitch or complaint.

He also finished up some of his 1st semester classes. I reviewed our new products for the coming semester (1) CleverDragons.com (2) Wordsmart (3) Simply Music, with him and he is really excited to try them out.

Tiger Lilly, blended 9th grader

She finished up quite a few courses this half of the school year.

She finished up these semester 1 classes: Economics, American Government, Logic (with Currclick), Python Programming Part 1, Sociology with Udemy and Youth Digital Mod Design was yesterday.

I also reviewed several classes for her for next year: (1) Python Part 2 with Landry (2) Money Doesn't Grow On trees class with Currclick.com for only $15 for 10 online classes (3) Psychology with Currclick

She is getting more independent and requires less oversight now since I require to see her class notes and homework prior to her moving onto her next set of subjects.

WORKING PARENT's LOG

Meals. I did a lot of quick prep meals this week. A trip to Costco and BJs Wholesalers gave me access to some already prepared meals. Also, I stopped at Let's Dish (a place where you prepare your own freezer meals) and picked up some already prepped meals. Yeah, it was a crazy week for meals and these options were more expensive but I had to do it.

Cleaning. I did some decluttering in my living room. To my Hubba's dismay, I cleaned out a huge box he had there that he moved from his previous job. He stated he would do it, but it's been 6 months and I couldn't take it anymore. So, after his gentle scholding, he asked me to show him where I placed the stuff in the box. The clothes are piling up again and I hope to wash them this weekend so we can pack for our Holiday Trip and Cruise.

Work & Life Balance. This was good this week. I was even able to squeeze in several lunch dates with co-workers during the week. I did have to sacrifice earning extra hours for my vacation later in the month, but it was worth it. Usually, I'm worried about layoffs at my job this time of month, but the assignment I'm on is pretty stable until next summer. Therefore, I wanted to make the time to celebrate.

Lesson Planning. Lesson Plans are finished through Jan 9th. I'm waiting til that week is over to see if I have to augment the schedule a bit. I've already had to change the first week of January because my Tiger Lilly wanted me to 'Add Back A Class'?! Yes, add one. People think I give her too much but the child is a machine! So, I added back Adventure Novel.

Rest. This week I got plenty which was so great! 6 hours a night rest actually made me accomplish more this week.

Marriage Check Up. Date Night is planned. Seems like Friday evenings work best for us and our 'sitter'. So once we finish up with the kiddos activities tonight at 8pm, Hubba and I are going to another Comedy Show.

Getting It All Done

The Secrets To Accomplishing Our Goals

I find that in life we tell others great ways to make their dreams come true ~ but we never do it for ourselves.

I've always dreamed big. Even though I began from very humble and trying beginnings as a child of a teenaged mom and single mother.

However, I NEVER heard my mom complain about taking care of us. Not one time. She worked 2 or 3 jobs at a time to do it.

Watching her, I realized, I could do anything I wanted ~ I just had to toss aside negative thoughts.

Daily Goal and To Do List

I make a goal list for the day. (1) Of things I need and want to accomplish (2) Of things my kids want to accomplish [I ask them]

All of those goals line up with our family goals in which my husband and I work on together throughout the year.

Teaching Kids to set Goals

I make it a point to help my kids to set goals. To teach them to navigate beyond their personal roadblocks to make their lives as fullfilling as they desire it to be.

Ways to Get Kids involved.

1) Have them help with the weekly lesson plan.
2) Have them name 3 things for the week they'd like to accomplish for themselves
3) Place their goal list and lesson plan where they can see and check off.

WEEKLY WRAP UP
We drove to DISNEYWORLD...on the Tue before Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Dinner ~ was at the Golden Corral restaurant. The food was great and the place was packed in Orlando, FL. We were able to bless our waitress with double our tip. I really wanted to considering the people next to us stiffed her on her tip. It was the best feeling in the world as she was ever grateful.

O_o and returned on Monday Morning at 3am ~ and YES I dragged myself to work by 7:45am.

And didn't spend 1 cent on Disney tickets. Cheap man's trip.
(1) Visit all the Resort Decorations
(2) Go to Celebration for Tree Lighting Ceremony and free activities
(3) Visit Campfire at Wilderness Resort with Chip N Dale - taking our own marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers for the campfire songs
(4) Downtown Disney where free entertainment abounds. ~ Now, to drive home. To the cold ~ but happy.

Kids Dancing The Night Away at DownTown Disney

Making Our Own Gingerbread Houses at the Resort

Board Game Mania Late Night

Crafts at the resort

Disney Resort Christmas Decoration Self Tour

Work this week.
One of our LapTops bit the dust! Eeek! and it really set us back a bit. Thankfully, my oldest daughter, Rose, was able to take it to her college for a 'free' repair. But it was wasted. The laptop was dead. Luckily, Walmart had a sale and the kids and I put our funds together to purchase a replacement for $299.

Field Trip! BUST! We planned to go to the Imagination Station for a viewing of 101 Dalmations!
BUT, I overslept a bit, and the weather was so bad that we wouldn't have made it to the show in time.

So....we all went back to bed.

It was planned to be a special treat since we have our very own Dalmation.

The kids had a light day of work that day, but we still accomplished over half of our work which was great.

Speed Racer has been working very well independently but due to the lack of his own laptop, he had to do his computer work with me on my computer which made our nights longer.


Tiger Lilly is in the home stretch for her 1st of 3 block schedules for this school year.  She'll be finalizing some of her courses. Now she is packed with subjects til our vacation in 3 weeks. After that she'll start her Winter College Course, a Landry course and a Currclick class for the Spring.

WORKING PARENT's LOG

Meals. Another bad week of planning since we didn't get home til early Monday morning and I had to run in to work with just 3.5 hrs sleep. However, I did get to the store that evening and got some meat with some quick marinades to make the week of cooking easier. The rest of the week we had a great homecook dinner that my Tiger Lilly prepared.

Cleaning. Didn't happen. The house is a mess. We plan to tidy up this weekend since my son Razor Ray will be painting my living room.

Work & Life Balance. This week was rather light. I only worked 9 hours on Monday and Tuesday was off work for our family field trip. And work was not very challenging since I had mostly yearly training to finish. I flexed my hours the remainder of the week which ended up pretty good.

Lesson Planning. I finished our lesson plans all the way through January 8th. We'll be taking off from schooling from Dec 22nd to Jan 3rd so that made it easy. Also I did a template for our 'light' January schedule and our Spring schedule.

Rest. Failed at this on Monday since returning from Disneyworld at 3 am and barely sleeping. Thankfully, Tuesday I was off work and able to sleep in a few extra hours. I stayed up late with my hubby watching movies on Wednesday (he suckered me into it.) Everything was back on track for me by Thursday and I was getting a comfortable 6-7 hour night sleep. Whoopi!

Weekend Plans. Date Night with hubby Friday! Kwanza celebration after my Tiger Lilly takes the SAT on Saturday, ending with taking my dog to the vet on Sunday.