Community Corner

Moms Talk Around Town: Money-Saving Tips; Class Size in Schools; Racial Tensions Amid Students

Here's what parents, grandparents and others around southeast Michigan had to say in Moms Talk this week.

Farmington/Farmington Hills

Vera Lucksted: My best cost-saving tip is to read Frugal Family on Wednesday to find the deals!

  • Meatless dinners (like pasta with pesto or omelets made to order) also keep costs down, since protein is often the most expensive component of a meal. 
  • I've started coloring my hair at home every other treatment to save on what I spend at the salon.
  • We bake our own bread and rolls several times a month, and growing fresh vegetables and herbs in containers at home is significantly less expensive than buying at the store. Fresher and tastier, too!

Laura: We do a lot of the same as Vera. In addition,we grow a lot of our own veggies and hope to can lots this summer.

  • I shop secondhand for many of the kids' clothing.
  • I started seriously couponing over the last few months, mostly for personal care items — toothpaste, body wash and such.
  • We never pay full price for anything. Most things we need go on sale eventually.
  • I go to the Aveda Institute for haircuts and color at home.
  • We try to recycle and repurpose things, use reusable containers (water, lunch bags, etc.)
  • We cook as much as we can at home. Saving money has become a passion as much as it has become a necessity.

Mary Burck: Instead of getting a new car, we put money into our old Saturn with the hope that it will still serve us for a few years.

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  • My son is going to live at home the first year of college to save on housing and food. I got an Entertainment Passbook and try to use the coupons when I can.
  • I shop at thrift stores where I can.
  • And we gave up Peeps for Easter—LOL.

Carol Lundberg: One of the most important things I've done is to get serious about my savings account. It took a hit when our household got bitten by the unemployment bug. And in my opinion, the best thing we can do to save money in the long term is to have a little nest egg built up so we don't have to borrow or pay for small emergencies with a credit card.

We're also putting off getting a new car. We paid off my husband's car and had intended to just replace mine at that time, so we never have more than one car payment at a time. But instead, we're socking away what we would have paid to a bank, and when I need to replace my car, we'll have a fat down payment.

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Royal Oak

sarajames2: While it may be true that a great teacher can teach 20, 30 or 40 students, but just think of how much more attention a teacher can give to individual students in a smaller class? She/he will be better able to motivate the brighter student, yet have time and the stamina to give the extra time and attention to weaker students.

We in America say that our children are our greatest commodity, but our actions do not prove this. ... Republicans do not care because most of them can afford to send their children to private schools where the classes are SMALL! Yet they do not care about our kids. Think about this when you vote the next time!

Jennifer Acevedo: Are teachers in our district truly sacrificing? Can someone tell me how much they contribute to their health care? It seems like a cut to superintendent benefits and an increase in teacher contributions to health care could have lessened the cuts to our children's education. We are actually considering private school after this last round of cuts.

Jan Smith: While smaller classes are desirable, large ones are not unreasonable. Most of us boomers can remember having 50-60 children in our classrooms during the 1950s. We all learned everything, and the teachers kept order. Most of us went on to college and learned just as well in large lecture halls as in small groups.

Carol Osborn: As a teacher and a mom, I understand how important class size is. I've taught middle school for 15+ years and have had several classes with 40+ students. Those classes lost out on instruction, as I wasn't able to teach — I was there to warehouse children. My district and principal didn't see this to be a problem. There was no way I could reach every child in my class in the way I wanted. Taxpayers didn't receive a good return on their tax dollars that year. As a mom with a special needs child, there is no way I would want him to be in such a large class. Children are not machines. Teaching isn't a one-style-fits-all model.

Birmingham

Pam Houghton: I think the challenge is, perhaps, the lack of opportunity to cross the racial divide, since we are a predominantly white community. I think these are isolated incidents, but it doesn't hurt to take a look at our own belief systems.

Greg Thrasher: Negrophobia has a long and ugly legacy in America. Its shelf life is present even in Birmingham 2011. ... I am truly saddened by what is taking place in our schools, where young people are assaulted with this toxic behavior.

Jennifer Heard: I am very much appreciating what I am hearing of the teachers' and sports coaches' responses, their discussions with the kids, and also the kids' responses. Most of these kids feel part of a big family, and when one is hurt, they hurt with them.

White Lake

Katey Meisner: I've been fortunate enough not to have any experience with divorce in my family, but I do know what it's like to worry about your family and money troubles. I think it's really important to shield your kids as much as possible from financial concerns. If you are having difficulty in a marriage, I think it's really important to have the maturity and self-control to discuss it away from the children.

Paulette: I disagree, Katey. At 12, my daughter understands relationships and money, and to shield her from reality is not preparing her for life lessons. When children are old enough to understand math, they should be taught financial responsibility (not that every parent is actually responsible) and to know how to prioritize their spending, saving and giving.

But the subject is about divorce, and being from divorced parents and eventually being divorced myself, it's a fine line. Best advice I've ever got and given is this ... respect the fact your ex is everything to that child. As bad or good or indifferent as they are, that is still their mom/dad forever. If you can't put your own feelings aside for your child, it's a shame because they will "see" what they want, be it you bad-mouthing the ex or how the ex really is not worthy, etc. ... regardless, being a parent is teaching your child how to manage and behave in the world.

Huntington Woods/Berkley

Alissa Malerman: I want my kids to feel that I am approachable with any problem or concern. I want them to confide in me with all aspects of their life. Yet, I remember my parents telling me, 'Oh, this hurts me just as much as it hurts you.' Parents need to feel this. If I don't, then I am not setting enough limits on my kids.

Libby Turpin: There has to be a middle ground between barking orders and being a best buddy. It's hard to put restraints on the little dears, but that's our job.

Brighton

Tina DeBord: I think what helped the most was being in shape before pregnancy and staying in shape during pregnancy. I did yoga up until the day I went into labor, and I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight within days of giving birth. The last thing I wanted to do while I was nine months pregnant was exercise, but I knew it would be beneficial in the long run. Being in shape helped during labor, too.


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