5 Tips on How to Prepare For Your Kids' College Education

How to Keep School Children on TaskMany kids only start thinking about college education when they reach high school. As for parents, it is a different story. College education costs are not going to get lower when your kids grow up. In fact, the costs increase as the inflation goes up. Thus, it is better to start early for you as a parent to start planning for your kids' college education fund even when they are still babies.

The problem is that many parents have no clue about how to save money for their kids' college education. These tips can give you a head start in the process.

- Research on the various college saving plans. Currently, in the market there are so many different types of college saving plans that offer different advantages. Study them and select the best one that suits your requirements. These plans offer attractive tax benefits which you can ask a financial advisor to help you if you do not understand how it works.

- Choose a prepaid college tuition plan instead. These plans give you the option to lock in the current college tuition costs which you do not have to deal with the increasing cost later. Furthermore, you do not have to select any college first at this stage. As the plans are managed by the states, the student is only allowed to choose any public college within that state which his tuition plan indicates. However, if he wants to go another college of a different state or private college, he has to pay more.

- Start early. When your kid is still a baby, it is the best time to get started. This allows you to put money into the children college saving fund every month but a lesser amount compared to parents whose children are in grade school and they have to put in a bigger amount to save for the kids. You have a head start and by the time your kid is ready for college, you have a healthy college fund for him or her.

- Put regular savings into your kids' college education fund. Every month, you can put aside a fixed amount of money from your paycheck to your kid's college education fund which you set up for them. When you get a bonus or money incentives, you should put some of them into that saving accounts. Bear in mind to keep within the annual contribution limit to avoid any unnecessary penalties.

- Use parent's name for the college savings accounts. Why? This enables the parents to control the money or else the kids may use the money for their fun.

Now, you have realized that saving for your kids' college education requires a lot of planning and it is at your advantage to start early. By choosing a suitable college savings plan and regularly putting money into the account, your kids' college education is ensured.

To find out which college savings plan meets your specific requirements and is most suitable for your kid, visit Student Loans Mentor to get the latest information. Also, do check out how Grants and Savings Plans can help you to stretch your dollars and increase your savings.

Children's Book Publishing

Children's books are among the top selling books in the publishing business. It's no wonder. Children have loved stories for thousands of years, passed down through the centuries by their parents. Haven't you made up an entertaining tale for a child somewhere along the way?

Today, children's story books have the most fantastic illustrations, with glitter, pop-ups and hologram effects which can certainly capture the attention of any child. Parents can't resist these books and friends and family members love to give them as gifts to young children. So, the children's book publishing market is booming.

In the not-too-distant past, the children's book publishing industry was dominated by the big "houses" of publishing. With net technology, graphic design software and e-book compilers, you can start your own children's book publishing company, offering both hard copy and electronic formats. If you're really on a shoestring, start out with an e-book only format.

If you're so lucky as to be both an artist and writer, you've got a lucrative, entertaining and soul-stretching online business venture just waiting out there. Enough of the starving artist!

If you're not so gifted, the worst case scenario means you'll need to hire a professional illustrator or graphic designer and an editor who can polish your story. If you're not web-savvy, you'll need a web designer as well to put your page up. If you think you've got the ideas that will appeal to your audience, your investment will be worthwhile.

One low budget advertising campaign that produces significant amounts of traffic to your site consists of articles pertaining to your product subject. For example, if you're selling a children's book telling the story of migrating whales encountering the joys and dangers of their journey, write an article targeted to educational sites. Write a piece that shows you've done your homework, have accurate facts and have a passion for your subject.

Your subtle advertisement is contained in your byline. "Mary Jones writes children's books, specializing in animal stories and ancient myths. Mary's books are widely admired for their accurate depictions..." You can see how you'll garner attention from potential buyers with a simple article posted on article directories.

In this scenario, another effective marketing strategy would be to submit articles to newsletters pertaining to parenting, books or children's education. Offer your article for free, the only condition being that a byline and link to your site be included.

The children's book publishing industry is making a transition to the electronic and digital world, with all the magic the new technology offers in visual pleasure for children everywhere. If you're looking for a home-based business that puts a little good in the world, think about children's book publishing.

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How to Keep School Children on Task

The biggest complaint I get from parents is that their child has a lack of focus and cannot stay on task long enough to get their work done. Parents even admit that they get so frustrated by their child's inability to stay on task that they often end up doing their child's homework just to help the problem go away!

There could be many reasons why a child finds it difficult to stay on task. Children find it difficult to stay on task when the task is boring and repetitive or they don't know why they have to do it. Children who have a poor sense of responsibility may not take ownership of the task and wait until someone does it for them. But the main reason children find it difficult to stay on task is because they don't understand what they have to do.

The problem is that when children don't finish their work they miss important learning opportunities and may never get the grades they deserve. So, rather than nagging your child to complete a task or even doing it yourself here are some things you can do if your child finds it difficult to stay on task.

1. Make sure that your child knows what they have to do.
Try asking your child these questions;
* What do you need to do?
* What can you do to solve this problem?
* Are you sure you know how to do this?
* Do you need any help?

2. Set a goal.
Children quickly get off task when they are unsure about what result they are aiming for. Make sure that your child understands the goal of any piece of work. The goal may be to write five pages, finish a worksheet, plan a project, study for a test. Make sure that you child will recognize when he or she has reached this goal.

3. Help your child set up steps to reach the goal.
Students need to see how small steps can help them reach big goals. When your child can see small steps that he knows he can do he will not be overwhelmed by the larger task.

4. Celebrate each step.
Check lists are good for this. Write out the steps your child has to go through and check them off when they are completed. This provides your child with the encouragement he needs to go to the next step.

5. Keep a record of progress.
Nothing succeeds like success. Keep a list of all the tasks your child has completed. That way he will know that he can stay on task and that he can get his work done.

If, after trying all these steps, your child still has difficulty staying on task the chances are that he or she has a learning difficulty of some kind. You need to discover what it is and what you can do about it so that your child can get back to learning as soon as possible.

Dr. Patricia Porter is an educational consultant who specializes in working with parents who are concerned about their child's education and want to know how they can help your child learn in the most efficient, effective ways possible.

If you are interested in knowing more download her free 'Parent Starter Kit' at http://www.leading2learning.com.