freesia
-
Posts
7,696 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Classifieds
Store
Posts posted by freesia
-
-
1 hour ago, athena1277 said:
Have you checked to see if your current insurance even covers them where they are in college? I know sometimes there are issues if they go to school in another state.
I also want to say that it stinks that they have to pay to use the campus health center. At my DD’s school it doesn’t cost anything. Although because it’s a small school, they have somewhat limited hours. Sometimes she still has to go to the local urgent care.
My son’s college didn’t accept his insurance (not an exchange plan—long story.) However, it only cost $35 when he went for an appointment when he had bronchitis. So, often, it’s super cheap.
-
1 hour ago, SKL said:
You mean ACA / Obamacare? My family wouldn't qualify for any subsidies.
Have you checked if it would be less expensive and better coverage? It may not be, but Our coverage without subsidies would be less than what our church paid for dh’s insurance at our previous church by about $10,000 a year.
-
1 hour ago, SKL said:
As a small business owner, I pay a lot for health insurance, despite deductibles that leave most of my kids' costs essentially uncovered. The university plan is currently less than $4,000 per year ($8,000 for my 2 kids), and the deductibles are lower. I think I'd save money putting them on the campus plan (though I would need to do an analysis to confirm).
If I did that, though, would it be difficult to put them back on my plan should anything change? I could still put them back on when a new plan year begins, right?
Does anyone do this? Talk to me about pros and cons.
Could you all go on the health exchange? We’ve had a great experience with that. You might get better coverage.
I haven’t used the university health plan but it sounds like a great option in your case. You should be able to add them when your plan has its open season or they loose the other insurance (graduate, take a leave of absence or a break.). We’ve spent the last year adding and dropping children several times with no problem ( I could tell you why but it would over complicate what I’m saying.)
-
Since about 2004. I don’t think I posted much for years, though. I was more active on the Sonlight forums.
-
2
-
-
Ds has one more final on Friday. I’m picking him up and we are having dinner with his girlfriend’s parents. We won’t get home until late and then I have to get up at the crack of dawn to take dd15 to her soccer game and then swing by and get dd21 from the airport. She just finished her junior year.
From the little I get from ds, I think he’s doing well enough to keep his scholarship which is all I care about. He’s going to be a sad boy without his gf all summer. He didn’t get an internship he’d been interviewing for so hopefully he can get a job easily when he gets home.
-
2
-
-
Oh my goodness yes, Chris. Of course I remember you. I will be praying for you.
-
On 2/28/2024 at 11:57 AM, freesia said:
Updated first post
Bumping for my final edits and to see what everyone else is doing
-
In my limited experience, it’s been done both ways. Dh is a pastor and he has even done “secret” weddings where the couple’s officiant of choice wasn’t legal to sign the wedding license so he marries them and there is another ceremony with another service. Sometimes people have courthouse weddings and then a church wedding at a later date—often in another country but not always. My LDS friend marry at the temple and then gave a reception at a later date. So, they can do whatever they feel like. The only one I felt sad about was my cousin who had a courthouse wedding and planned to have a later reception, never did have the reception. I don’t know why, but I felt bad for her. Everyone should be celebrated even if it’s a small celebration.
-
1
-
-
That sounds like a great idea. I’ve done that with Saxon over summers to get a day free during the school year. This summer I’m going to do field trips and movies about uS history to clear a day a week. I’ve also used a week in summer for science experiments one year.
-
1
-
-
1 hour ago, missymeunier said:
Thank you! I was looking at this one. It makes me feel better to hear from someone who has used it :).
I’ve used it, too. It’s a good program.
-
-
7 minutes ago, bolt. said:
I thought it was a fairly widespread approach, so I'm not surprised that the USA has found some way to reduce the expense of parenthood.
It's interesting that the USA does it as tax credits -- Does that mean lower deductions off every paycheck (more per month) or a bigger tax refund (once per year)? Are the credits 'worth more' to people in higher tax brackets than lower ones? I suppose that parents who don't make enough money to pay significant taxes get other low-income targeted benefits of some kind? I wonder what the pros and cons are for making it a tax-reduction strategy over a direct benefit strategy. (Just general curiosity -- no need to answer if you don't know off the top of your head.)
It’s been 16 years. Here is the link https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/child-tax-credit. You can do it either way. We had our employer take out less each paycheck by lowering our deductions. Other people like getting money back. There are other credits low income folks can take ( and medical care and supplemental mental food benefits)
-
42 minutes ago, bolt. said:
In Canada (my country) the parents of children have been entitled (since the 2nd world war) to a program of monthly payments to help offset the cost of being parents. The amount of these payments (from token to significant) and their ties to various things (such as parents' incomes, the ages of the children) and who qualifies has varied widely based on who was in charge of the country and what their priorities are.
This is a pretty standard governmental response to declining birth rates in cases where a declining birth rate is deemed detrimental to the country, and when the optics of such an offer look good politically.
Shockingly "throw cash at the problem" has been a very effective solution historically!
The chances of Canada increasing child payments as children become increasingly unaffordable (and potential parents become increasingly unwilling) is really quite high. They are likely to just bump the numbers until the birth rate lands where they want it.
What are the chances of a program like that in the USA?
They also quietly tweak immigration numbers -- but I doubt that would fly right now for you guys.
I loved this when we were in Canada. However, practically speaking, there were tax credits when we moved to the states that weren’t there in Canada that ended up amounting to the same amount of money. I had been concerned about the loss of the supplements and that we’d have less money, but it really was quite equal.
-
1
-
-
CBT absolutely helped me when faced with facts I couldn’t change. Even though I thought I knew all about how to confront disordered thinking on my own, having someone else to help was a game changer. I wish I’d gone years earlier. I hope you find someone to help. I’m so sorry you are struggling.
-
6
-
-
If Gen X was a small generation—which we were, it seems natural that there would be fewer of our children. So our children collectively would have fewer children than the millennials did. I don’t think that is the whole reason, but it is part of the reason.
-
3
-
-
25 minutes ago, Teaching3bears said:
I don’t know if they qualify because their disabilities are so great but I would like that for them and will look into it. Maybe not in the summer, but maybe starting once a week during the year.
I worked briefly in group homes for autistic people. They were pretty disabled. Are you connected with your state’s disability office?
-
1
-
-
Are there any sheltered work places for your sons to join? If they like being productive, I would think it would be a good road to consider.
-
With my boys, having them exercise before school worked best.
How about Teaching Textbooks for math? 7 sisters homeschool has bundles for ELA that would be straightforward to use. Alternatively, Lantern English has full year English for around $325. They have quarterly classes that are affordable, too.
I have used a lot of different science and honestly find Apologia with the notebooks the most straightforward to use. It’s written for homeschoolers. I just discuss places where our family disagrees.
Guesthollow Biology is also straightforward as is their world history.
-
-
I loved the years we did Sonlight. I can’t see your child’s age from my phone, but, especially in the early years, do what brings you joy. It is most important to be consistent and make progress in math, learning to read and writing. The rest is honestly gravy. Sonlight is full of rich books. Even after we “left” Sonlight for my oldest, all my youngers read our favorite Sonlight books and used parts of the Cores. It is definitely rigorous and rich enough to use through your child’s education. We only switched to join friends in a co-op which my oldest needed at the time.
I would also encourage you to try to take a deep breath. There’s no perfect out there. The curriculum is not what will define your homeschool. New things will pop up. You and your child will change and need new things. I used to make pages of long term curriculum plans. I found that, particularly in high school, we never followed them. (And I am a huge planner.)
-
5
-
-
21 minutes ago, Scarlett said:
How would you suggest someone go about providing him support?
This is my question to everyone, too. It’s not that he’s ASD, it’s that he is using drugs and bringing possibly unsafe people to the property. Yes, he needs to support but that doesn’t mean he gets to do exactly what he wants and treat people however and everyone just has to live with it.
-
10
-
1
-
-
8 minutes ago, Scarlett said:
I don’t think she wants to. She wants to keep living in a dream world where he will get his act together and take care of himself.
Don’t all mothers want this for their kids? It is an awful situation. I think your dh is doing the right thing.
-
3
-
1
-
-
The first thing I would do is sort out what credits you are giving him from this year. Next, I would make a clear simple plan ( like you are asking us to help with.) If all those co-op classes have homework—that is a lot for most 14 year olds to keep track of.
I would make sure he has a plan book. I would plan a check-in meeting with him once a day. I would also consider doing one subject with him. I read science to one of mine and was his lab partner. Working independently on all subjects can be really hard for some kids.
That said:
English: I found Sharon Watson’s Illuminating Literature easy to use. I would allow him to listen to the audio books. For writing—if you can, work with him. Start with solid paragraphs. Consider IEW, it’s good for struggling writers. Sharon Watson’s writing would work, too, but back up to Jump In.
Science: Biology —preferably one you can read to him or that has an audio component.
History: I’m thinking of doing an American history this year with documentaries, movies and discussions with more in depth research once a month. I haven’t put it together yet, but I think there are history through movie classes available. In terms of hours— you are shooting for 150-180 in core classes. So more time in getting things done may be irrelevant. Does he expect to work at least 6 hours a day?
( I just reread about you not wanting outsource or things you put together oops I’ll leave this here anyway.)
Foreign Language: This is harder to do without outsourcing. My dyslexic used Aim Academy Spanish. Otherwise,I’d explore something like Manga or Duolingo. I like Ulat, but find it works better with my involvement.
Consider a PE credit He can listen to his literature as an audiobook while he runs or uses the elliptical Exercise is excellent for focusing teen boysMost of all, have clear work hours where no screens are allowed. Have times you check in on him for progress reports. I also suggest all computer work be done in a room where you are. Plan fewer threads for him to keep track.
The bonus of this year is that you and your son learned a lot about what works and doesn’t work for him!
-
1
-
-
2 hours ago, heartlikealion said:
Ok I am just gonna drive down Wed night to see ds that Thursday for his birthday (not til May). He’s still interested in go carts so I plan to take him to this place that does that. They also have laser tag so I’ll suggest that as well. One go cart ride & one laser game won’t take long. They have a roller coaster there… might talk us into that.
I went to a wellness visit and had abnormal results. Now they wanna do a colonoscopy. I literally had normal results last year so whatever the case I’m catching this early I guess.
I liked because of your plans with ds. I’m sorry about your medical test being off. I’m glad you are getting care for it.
-
1
-
1
-
Do anyone's kids use the college health plan instead of their work-attached health plan?
in The Chat Board
Posted
Then can if your work health insurance does not cover family. I have no idea how that works in your case.