It is never easy for kids to move… at least it isn’t after about the time they start walking… but we don’t have to make it tougher.
Of course, as with many things in life, there are two distinct schools of thought…
Tag Archives: kids
Best Time to Move With Kids
- Wednesday, 09 October 2013 10:10
- Written by Lane Bailey
- 0 Comments
Wayback Wednesday… Great Schools = Great Tool
- Wednesday, 22 February 2012 08:00
- Written by Lane Bailey
- 0 Comments
Image via Wikipedia
Last year I had a quick little post about one of the tools that is easily available to everyone… for free. And we like free tools. Since I posted that, we’ve moved. And just like I counsel prospective buyers, we spent a LOT of time looking through GreatSchools.org to find out about the schools in the areas we were looking. We eliminated a lot of houses because we weren’t sold on the schools.
Even if you don’t have kids, schools are an important consideration. When it comes time to sell, a prospective buyer might have school age children… and if the schools in your area have a top rating, there will be more demand in the area. If the schools are bad, less demand and lower prices. Of course, keep in mind that schools move up and down in the ratings all of the time. Also keep in mind that “Your Mileage May Vary” on schools… a great teaching in an average school might work out better than a crappy teacher in a top-notch school. And school boundaries change over time as demographics shift and schools are built and closed.
Gwinnett County has a pretty good school system compared to others in the Atlanta area. And within Gwinnett, there are a few clusters (we organize schools based on what high school they will feed to) that out-perform. And within those clusters, there are some middle schools and elementary schools that out-perform others in the same cluster.
My best piece of advice is that #1 isn’t the thing to focus on. Focus on long term trends for the school and the area. Schools pop in and out of the #1 spot all of the time, but there always seems to be a core group of schools that are near the top. When you are looking at having kids in school for the next 14 years (our situation), looking past this year’s #1 and seeing schools that have decades in the top tier becomes more important.
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- Wayback Wednesday… REOs and Credit Pulls (lanebailey.com)
Wayback Wednesday… The Dad Seminar.
- Wednesday, 28 December 2011 08:00
- Written by Lane Bailey
- 1 Comment
Let me start by saying Thank You to my Dad. I miss him just about every day, and I had NO idea how much he did, hid, put up with and shouldered… without ever saying a word.
Last year I wrote a post about our last trip to Disney World… specifically about the “rolling dad Seminar” that I was able to engage in.
“Rolling Dad Seminar, you say?”
You have to check out the post to see the details, but the short version is that there seemed to be a lot of clearly defined “Dad Duties” in the parks. And I watched Dad after Dad performing these tasks… sometimes I was right along-side, performing the same tasks for my family. And while we were engaged in the “wait” portion of “hurry up and wait”, I talked with a few other Dads… and it was a LOT of fun.
We talked about vacations, family, cars (of course), work, rides… ALL kinds of stuff. One of the funniest things that happened was a “walking-by high-five” with a Dad I met in a ride line. He’d managed to score some prime Fast Passes for a show with a VERY long wait. My wife raised an eyebrow as I walked by the stranger and just high-fived him.
There are a few other little tidbits you might catch in the original post…
Wayback Wednesday… A Gift That KEEPS On Giving…
- Wednesday, 21 December 2011 08:00
- Written by Lane Bailey
- 0 Comments
Image via Wikipedia
This is the time of year when everyone is thinking about gifts. Some are buying, others are thinking about what they might be getting. Some may be doing some of both. There are lots of types of gifts. The first thing that many of us default to are the big screen TVs, hi-po car parts and video games… maybe even some socks and underwear. Most of us don’t think about gifts to our community.
But those can be some of the best gifts… and we can give them for almost free.
I have been volunteering for Junior Achievement for the last few years. It is incredibly rewarding walking into a classroom and getting the AMAZING reaction from the kids. They are so ready for a “new” adult to come and talk to them about business and economics. Seriously. Actually, they are ready for someone to talk to them about almost anything. But I can tell you that they REALLY want to learn, engage, share and grow.
Getting more volunteers for JA would be a great thing, but honestly, there are a lot of opportunities to gift that kind of gift to the community. Scouting is another great option (I’m involved with that, as well…). There are local community centers, senior centers, parks… there are a LOT of ways that you can give something to the community.
Many of those opportunities magnify that gift… kind of like a corporate match, but in effect rather than cash. As an example, for the two volunteer programs that I dedicate most of my time to, JA and Scouting, have the added value of making a real impact in the lives of kids. JA plants the seeds of entrepreneurship in youngsters, while Scouting fosters leadership and responsibility. Both of those things are long term gifts to the community that pay back MUCH more than the meager investment we adults make in the kids.
Last year I wrote a little about my experience with JA. Check it out. Find your local chapter. Or get involved with Scouting (Boy, Girl, Venturing, etc.). You don’t have to have a kid in the Troop, Pack or Crew… just a desire to make a positive impact and have a great time doing it.
The Scariest Day of the Year in Atlanta…
- Monday, 31 October 2011 08:00
- Written by Lane Bailey
- 0 Comments
Image via Wikipedia
Yep, it’s today. And while it IS because it’s Halloween, it has little to do with ghosts, goblins and spooky beings from the Netherworld. It has to do with the little people that many of us have living in our homes… and their candy gathering activities this evening.
It is the same story every year. The afternoon traffic is INCREDIBLY bad. Parents are all rushing to get home in time to take their little Darth Vaders and Cowgirls and Prince Charmings out Trick-or-Treating.
There are a couple of choices…
- Skip the office completely. Work from home or whatever.
- Get out a bit early. Traffic will likely be an hour or two earlier than usual.
- Stay a little later. That traffic will finish up an hour or two ealier than usual, too.
Above all, remember that there will be a lot of kids walking around at dusk and a little later. Some parents might not be watching as carefully as they should… and the kids might not be thinking about cars as much as the next candy score.
Be careful out there… don’t have the wrong kind of scary Halloween.
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