Now, I know that an article by a teen about chores could sound like a “Let’s abolish chores because I dislike them” article, but it isn’t.  Now that I have said that, let me begin:

I understand that chores are very important because they teach you responsibility and to work for things, but they can be flawed.

First of all, I don’t believe in not getting anything for chores.  Now, you don’t have to provide direct payment, but some reward is required.  For example, I have a deal with my parents so that I do chores, and in return they will…

The summer can be a rather long and boring time for some families, because, no matter whether the kids will admit it or not, without school, they get very bored.  There are some methods to handle summer boredom, but many will empty your bank account.  I have some ideas for summer fun that can help take care of bored kids on a budget.

• Go hiking.  Hiking in almost all places places is free, except for some parks.  The best part about hiking is that there’s such a wide range of hiking trails that you can find one suitable for everybody….
  
  

Summertime, when the kids are home from school, can be a real challenge for parents. If you are fortunate enough to have a stay at home parent in your family, then you have probably skimped and sacrificed to make that possible. And the way things are right now, not many of us have a lot of extra money to spend on entertaining the kiddies (or anything else) right now. But keeping the kids cooped up in the house won’t last more than a week with most families.

Fortunately, there are some great low-cost and even free avenues…

I just got back from the 8th grade  field trip to Washington, D.C.  Long distance, over-night field trips are a blast!  Unfortunately, they can be tricky, so I am going to post some tips and tricks on the trips.

• Pack well: Getting there and finding out you lack an important item stinks, to be blunt.  Make sure you pack everything you need, but not too much either.  Only pack what you need and a little extra, not everything you own.
• Bring a good amount of spending money.  Pack more than enough, because running out can put you in  trouble.  Some kids…
  
  

When it comes to our children we want the best for them.  Often the “best” are things we didn’t have as young ones.  Maybe they’re even the things we valued the most.  Either way we want to give our children the best lives and prepare them for the future the best we can.

Two things I want to pass on are, first, love and, second, the knowledge to become financially secure.  My parents and family gave me more love then I knew what to do with.  We weren’t an affectionate family and with three brothers, emotions were not shared as…