Sunday, December 30, 2012

Out with the Old, In with the New



It’s the end of the old year, and the beginning of the new year. But what makes a year? And does it matter? And what was that about the end of the world because the Mayan calendar said that? And what calendar is right? Let’s spend a little time on time.

Connect:

Create:

Care:
  • Calendar activities are not very meaningful for children younger than six years old. They CAN understand the concepts of before, after, and later. Families can take pictures of the day’s activities, and put them on a calendar as a way to concretize the day’s activities. A good article about calendars and child development is found at http://www.isbe.net/earlychi/pdf/beneke_calendar_time.pdf
  • One way to show that you care about others is to remember their special days. You can make a family calendar using tools at www.calendarhome.com/
  • Celebrate! Almost every day has special meaning for someone. Locate an event for each day of the year, and figure out a way to celebrate it: http://www.earthcalendar.net/index.php
  • Care for your body by keeping fit. You can use http://www.bam.gov/sub_physicalactivity/physicalactivity_activitycalendar.html to create a personlized physical activity calendar.
  • Calendars often have great pictures. You can recycle them as pictures for your walls or the walls of institutionalized people.

Careers:
What are some careers that link with calendars? Try historians and astronomers as a start.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

‘Tis the Season for (Wise) Shopping!



Ok, the holidays are for family get-togethers and fun, not about material things. But, let’s face it, shopping is one component of the holidays. Learning how to do comparison shopping and other responsible shopping behaviors is a gift that can last all year (even a lifetime) –and can save some family stress….  These activities give your family a chance to talk about finances within a pleasurable framework – and consider ways to use money wisely.

Connect:
* What are your shopping habits? Do you make smart choicees? Compare your shopping habits with these consumer tips: http://www.homefamily.net/?p=342
* How do you do comparison shopping? As a family, you can create criteria for judging products as well as determining how to compare them in terms of features and csosts. http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/shopping-websites is a website that lists popular comparison shopping websites. Compare the prices of items you might want to buy – between websites.
* Similarly, http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/coupon-websites lists popular coupon websites. Some people save money by using coupons, which are becoming a big trend online. Here are some of the websites that focus on coupons: Have a family discussion about the pros and cons of couponing (remember that sometimes a brand coupon costs more than a generic brand –and that a coupon might entice you to buy something that you wouldn’t have purchased otherwise; companies aren’t stupid….).
* Online shopping has become increasingly popular. Some people even buy diapers online! What are the cost benefits – and other considerations, such as turn-around time and convenience? Take a store such as Target, and compare their online prices with  in-store prices. Make sure you calculate in the cost of driving as well as shipping.
* Companies have many ways to entice you to buy something. Find out some of their strategies at http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=465
* Do you save money when buying something used? Think about the pros and cons of buying used items (such as hidden wear and germs versus lower price and “better deals”).  Even a car in perfect condition, and never driven, depreciates over a year (meaning that it is financially less valuable). You can find out about cars and other consumer savvy tips at http://www.cybraryman.com/consumerism.html
* Many appliance and other hardware salespersons offer service contracts to help cover the costs of repairs that happen when the product’s warranty runs out. Should you buy these service contracts? The Federal Trade Commission has some good tips on such contracts: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0240-extended-warranties-and-service-contracts

Create:
* http://www.natefacs.org/JFCSE/vol19no2/v19no2Wheeler.pdf offers a number of activities for teens to do to learn good consumer strategies.  
Can shopping dull your creativity? Your family can debate the following article about consumerism vs creativity: http://voices.yahoo.com/consumerism-vs-creativity-10807277.html
* Have you ever taken a poll online or been asked about your favorite movie? Increasingly, companies use social media as part of their marketing strategy.  These companies can get free input from their current and potential customers, which can then help them develop and sell more desirable products. It makes you feel like your opinion counts, and it’s a relatively cheap strategy for companies too. Look at what the media are saying about teens and marketing: http://www.talentzoo.com/digital-pivot/blog_news.php?articleID=13197 and http://www.ypulse.com/. How does that make you feel? How do you want to act, based on that information? 
* What are the cost savings of  making a cake “from scratch,” buying a cake mix (and needed ingredients), or buying a ready-made cake? Don’t forget the cost of electricity for baking, and the cost of water for clean-up!  Find out more at http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=5350 and http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=4623
* Say you like to sew. What if you want to go into business selling something you’ve made? What’s involved? Find out how to starting a clothing link business at http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol66/clothing.htm.

Care:
* What are some ways to spend money AND care for the planet? NBC News offers ways to shop in order to save the world: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24622958/ns/business-retail/t/shopping-literally-help-save-world/#.UNKW_HfNmSo
* Want to make over $40,000 from saving less than 50 cents a day? One way to care for your family (and yourself) is to save, the earlier the better.  See how your money can grow by starting early: http://www.massmutual.com/planningtools/educationalarticles/articledisplay?mmcom_articleid=a09730e5e885a110VgnVCM100000ee6d06aaRCRD
* Want to save the planet AND save some money? One way is to save on home energy costs. You can find out how much electricity a TV or refrigerator uses per hour. You can also research ways to conserve energy uses, and test a couple of ideas over the  month to see if  the energy bill declines. Start by conducting a home energy audit:  http://www.earthcarecanada.com/EarthCARE_Resources/home_energy_audit.asp .  Then look at: http://www.tvakids.com/electricity/conservation.htm and http://energy.gov/public-services/homes

Connect:
Are you a savvy shopper? Do you know what sells? All along the way in shopping there are jobs: from manufacturers to transporters, from buyers to marketers, from displayers to sales and financiers. There’s bound to be a job that involves shopping.  Here is a starting list of possibilities:
http://www.bls.gov/k12/money.htm