RESUMELANGUAGE

The Negative Impact of Gadgets for Children

June 3, 2022 Comments Off

The negative impact of gadgets for children include the potential to cause behavioral disorders, obesity, sleep disorders, and harmful to the brain.

Impact of gadgets

Gadgets, whether it’s mobile phones, tablets, to laptops, are items that are difficult to separate from everyday life. This tool is also familiar to children. From elementary school children to kindergarten though, many have their own gadgets.

Behind the benefits and entertainment they get, do you know that there are many negative effects of gadgets for children?

The dangers of gadgets for children are generally related to their impact on children’s health, both physically and mentally. For example, unrestricted use of smartphones by parents can lead to addiction.

The negative impact of this smartphone certainly has a negative impact on children’s mental health. As a parent, you must be aware of these dangers.

As mentioned earlier, the negative impact of gadgets on children can be seen from two aspects, namely children’s physical and mental health.

Here are some explanations about the negative impact of using gadgets on children on these two aspects.

1. Potential Impact of Gadgets cause behavioral disorders

The dangers of cellphones for children have the potential to cause behavioral disorders. A study in Japan involving 1,642 grade 1 elementary school children tried to find a relationship between the use of smartphone technology and the development of children’s behavior.

The results of this study indicate that the use of gadgets regularly and frequently is associated with behavioral problems in childhood.

The unrestricted use of gadgets also makes children vulnerable to pornography which also has the potential to cause behavioral disorders in children.

2. Potential Impact of Gadgets cause gadget addiction

Reporting from Anadolu Agency (AA), many Indonesian children suffer from mental disorders due to gadget addiction.

AA also reported that gadget addiction was experienced by around 25 percent of patients from the pediatric polyclinic at a hospital in Bogor, West Java, in 2019. As a parent, you need to anticipate the influence of gadgets on this child.

If your child shows the characteristics of gadget addiction, such as excessive use of gadgets every day, angry when asked to stop or have their gadget taken, to show aggressive behavior, you should immediately take the child to a psychologist to find a solution.

3. Potential to experience cyber bullying

Talking about the dangers of cellphones, many people often forget about social media. In fact, this is where all kinds of dangers lurk for children, from the threat of pedophilia to cyber bullying. All of these can take a toll on your child’s mental health.

Therefore, you must explain the negative impact of gadgets on this child so that they can avoid it. You can also turn on the parental control feature to monitor the use of gadgets in children.

4. Potential to cause sleep disturbances

One of the negative effects of playing cellphones for too long for children is the disruption of the little one’s sleep.

Unrestricted use of gadgets can cause children to stay up late, be it playing games, chatting with friends, or accessing social media.

If this condition continues, the child’s physical health can be disrupted. They can get tired easily, feel tired all day, forget easily, and find it difficult to learn.

The negative impact of gadgets on children also triggers various mental problems, such as anxiety and depression.

5. Potential to cause obesity

A study conducted in the United States showed that children who spend time in front of a gadget screen for five hours or more every day, have a greater tendency to consume sugary drinks and rarely do physical activity.

The study found that children who used gadgets on a daily basis had a 43 percent increased risk of obesity, compared to children who did not use gadgets at all.

You need to be aware of the negative impacts of using HP or other gadgets. If allowed to continue, it is not impossible obesity can occur and threaten the health of children.

6. Potentially harmful to the child’s brain

The human brain is considered sensitive to electromagnetic radiation so that items that emit electromagnetic waves such as gadgets are considered dangerous, especially for children.

Electromagnetic waves emitted by gadgets are considered to be able to interfere with children’s brain activity so that it has a negative impact on their learning abilities and has the potential to cause behavioral disorders.

Parents need to consider the various positive and negative impacts of gadgets on children. This is done so that they can take advantage of the gadget and avoid its negative impact.

If your child is already addicted to gadgets or the habit of using the gadget can’t be stopped, you should take them to a child psychologist to get the right treatment.…

Competition is very Beneficial for the Child’s Development Period

June 2, 2022 Comments Off

The benefits of participating in a competition with healthy competition include enabling children to learn about themselves and parents to identify and guide the child’s personality.

Competition

Opinions about introducing healthy competition to children from an early age are quite diverse. Some said that the benefits of participating in competitions for children were numerous, including giving real-life lessons about winning and losing, while others felt that competition could have a negative impact on their little one’s growth and development.

The experience of each child and parent regarding competitions conducted from an early age can indeed be different. Basically, it depends on the approach of the parents and the adults around them on how to introduce competition to their children.

There are a number of benefits that children can get by participating in competitions, such as:

1. Children can learn about themselves with Competition

By competing, children will be able to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. When experiencing defeat, children can also know how to deal with the negative emotions they feel due to defeat and loss.

In addition, children can also learn to increase self-esteem (self-esteem) and most importantly, can overcome fear and dare to face challenges. Children will learn to motivate themselves to overcome obstacles, and to be calm and effective under pressure.

Children will also learn that doing their best in a competition can provide a pleasant feeling. This can encourage children to be more courageous and face challenges more often, in order to enjoy these positive feelings.

2. Parents can identify and guide the child’s personality

By observing children, you will find out how they deal with problems. Even if your child doesn’t say something, you can understand how they solve problems and spot something wrong.

If you find your child looking scared, upset, unsportsmanlike or unmotivated, then this is an opportunity to advise your child to have a better mentality when facing challenges.

This can also be a time for parents to learn to provide appropriate support for their child, thereby encouraging learning without harming their child’s self-esteem. Parents must also learn not to teach their children to compete for acceptance and love from their own families.

3. Strengthen the bond between children and parents

The benefit of participating in the next competition is that it makes children learn a lot about relationships. You can help your child learn about sportsmanship, so that communication between parent and child can improve.

The child’s ability to deal with victory and defeat well can also replace sibling rivalry with love and empathy.

Comforting each other when they don’t win, celebrating victories together, and providing encouragement will strengthen the emotional bond between parent and child that can last a lifetime.

4. Children learn positive values gained through competition

When schools hold friendly competitions, this has been proven to increase curiosity in children. In addition, the benefits of participating in competitions will also be able to make children learn about:

Introspect yourself to find a solution instead of blaming others
Effective communication and cooperation
Endurance and perseverance
Unique skills according to the type of task, game, exam or sport being performed.

5. Children learn to cope with stress

Stress can be felt not only by adults, but also by children. The way children react to victory or defeat can be good or bad, depending on the motivation that adults provide.

Competitions that are child-friendly and not too competitive can be chosen to help prepare them for various difficulties that may occur in the future.…

Parenting Patterns and Their Influence on Development

June 1, 2022 Comments Off

Parenting is a process in which parents nurture and educate children from birth to adulthood. This can affect a child’s physical, emotional, social and intellectual development.

Parenting

Many studies have examined the impact of parenting on children’s lives in adulthood. Because, this is considered to have a crucial role in the growth and development of children, especially at an early age.

In general, a positive parenting style will also produce a positive impact. Positive parenting is described with warmth, but still has boundaries so that parent-child relationships are well established.

Different types of parenting

Talking about what parenting is, the notion of parenting is the process in which parents nurture and educate children from birth to adulthood. This can affect a child’s physical, emotional, social and intellectual development.

Parenting usually displays two characteristics that focus on the demands of the child and the response of the parents to the child.

Here are the various parenting styles that you need to know.

Authoritative parenting

Authoritative parenting is also known as democratic parenting. In this parenting pattern, two-way communication is established between parents and children.

The character of authoritative parenting is a balance between being assertive, but also warm and supportive. Children are given strict boundaries and rules, but with clear explanations and reasons why these rules must be obeyed.

In this parenting style, parents are quite involved in the life of the child. They are willing to listen and consider the child’s feelings, and encourage him to be independent in making decisions.

While authoritative parenting styles tend to be assertive, they are unobtrusive and restrictive. The discipline method used is to support, rather than punish.

Authoritarian parenting

In authoritarian parenting, parents have a high level of control over their children, but are not responsive.

The character of authoritarian parenting is to apply strict rules without explaining the reasons behind the rules. When children fail to follow these rules, usually parents will give punishment

Authoritarian parents tend to control life and emphasize their power over their children. Most importantly, children must obey them.

They demand that the child makes no mistakes, but provides some direction on what to do or avoid.

Permissive

The next types of parenting are permissive. Permissive parenting is characterized by low demands on children and high parental responses to children.

Parents with this parenting style are warm and caring, but tend to be weak in applying rules and discipline to their children. Instead of being role models, they act more like friends.

That’s why permissive parents rarely enforce rules and boundaries. They do not control their children’s behavior and very rarely give strict punishments, and you can even say they tend to always obey their children’s wishes.

This parenting style tends to make children have a lot of freedom and not get supervision.

Ignorant

The character of the negligent parenting style is the absence of demands and responses from parents towards their children.

In this parenting style, they are not involved in the child’s life and do not want to know about the child’s needs. It is characterized by few demands, low response, and very little communication.

Parents with negligent parenting also do not apply rules or boundaries, do not meet the emotional needs of their children, and expect their children to take care of themselves.…

Get More Out Of College With These Tips

January 3, 2018 Comments Off

Do you feel it is time for you to pursue your goals in education? Have you always wished that you’d gone further with your education? College could be your answer. If you truly committed and prepared to get started in college, read on. You certainly deserve a chance to strut your stuff.

Toiletries are a vital essential for the beginning of college. Their importance cannot be understated, and they can easily be used quickly. Consider buying in bulk as a means to save money.

Research all available funding options to help with your tuition costs. Lots of people fail to understand that scholarship funds are often quite plentiful. You can get help for school that does not have to be paid back.

Map out your classes and schedule before the first class. This will help you to get to your classes on time. You can also find libraries or cafes on your route to study or eat lunch at if you have time.

Only study where you can really focus on the materials. Dorm rooms tend to be too loud and busy for you to focus. Look for a quieter area that is free from interruptions. Your best bet will be the library. You may also want to consider purchasing noise-reducing headphones to help you study in peace.

Did you know that where you sit can actually impact the success you’ll have in your classes? Sit in the front to show your teacher that you mean business. You will feel more like a part of the class, and you will have an easier time asking questions.

Eat breakfast before taking a test. Even something small like a yogurt or apple can help. A growling stomach is the kind of testing distraction that you can easily avoid with a little preparation. Therefore, it is advisable to eat a breakfast with plenty of protein to help keep your mind alert.

Make yourself acquainted with all your class professors when the term begins. Be aware of their office locations and their phone numbers and emails so that you can easily contact them. You must develop good relationships with your professors so that you will feel comfortable talking with them if you need help or an exception on a due date.

If you have a credit card, pay off the balance each month. By doing so, you avoid the risk of late dues or unnecessary fees. Generally, you should only use a credit card when an emergency arises. While it may be tempting to pull it out for entertainment purposes, remember that your primary goal at college is to learn. Having to deal with money problems is not helpful.

Now that you’ve learned some things about attending college, you should feel comfortable about the process. You aren’t the only one. A lot of people have decided to return to school many years after. There is no need to be fearful. With dedication, you will join the ranks of those who have made successful choices for their future.…

Further Your College Education With These Tips

December 18, 2017 Comments Off

College is definitely a challenge. Many people fear that they will fail. Don’t make the same mistake. Success in college isn’t all that difficult so long as you’ve got the right information. The following article has all the information you’re going to need.

Toiletries are a vital essential for the beginning of college. This is an area that you may not think a great deal about, but you will find toiletries run out quickly. You should buy plenty of the essentials.

If you’re having troubles getting good grades, check if your school offers courses on study skills. Even students that did extremely well in high school may have a hard time adjusting to college expectations. These courses will give you the tools that you need for college success.

Be sure to eat well while in college. The term “freshman 15” exists for a reason. Make sure to be mindful of your eating. Stay away from fast food, junk food and other terrible choices. Although it may be cheap and quick, this kind of food is not nutritious.

Eat breakfast on test days. A fruit, a yogurt and some toast is all you need to remain focused. Your stomach can be a huge distraction when you are trying to take a test. At least eat something small to keep from being distracted.

Hop on the bus. It may not take any longer than driving yourself. You save time because you are not looking for parking. You won’t have to spend money on parking and fuel. It’s environmentally friendly, too.

When thinking about housing arrangements for college, be sure to give careful consideration to whether or not you will need your vehicle. Highly urbanized environments might prove challenging places to find free parking. You may struggle with paying insurance, gas, and registration, especially if you don’t have a job.

Buy your textbooks second-hand. The cost of new books is high. If you are already paying a fortune for college, you probably need to save all the money you possibly can. Many sources online sell textbooks affordably. Used books are much cheaper than new.

Don’t buy books unless you’re sure that you will need them. You may find that you don’t actually need the required books at all. For internet classes, this can be especially true. Sometimes, the analysis you find online or get from your teacher will suffice.

Try registering for classes that you are interested in instead of opting for “easy” classes. You can be greatly rewarded by stretching yourself. You will get much more out of the education you pursue.

Buy textbooks secondhand. School books are expensive and new ones can cost a small fortune. You can get used books and save a lot of money.

High school reputations mean little in college. Most of your new peers came from similar backgrounds and will not be impressed by your accolades from high school. Push yourself harder and try some new things instead of doing the same things you did in high school.

After reading the article, you should know that college graduation is something you can do. Use the information here to get you to the point that you have a diploma in your hand. Enjoy your this time in your life.…

Homestay – The BEST Way to Improve Your English!

October 1, 2022 Comments Off

We have been a HOMESTAY family for almost 20 years now. Our children – now adults – have grown up with having Homestay guests being a part of our family from the time they were just starting school. We have learned much from having these many and varied guests over the years, and hope that they feel the same!
At the beginning, we took our very first Homestay student because it seemed like a fun thing to do for a couple of weeks. Our kids were 6 and 4 years old, and our student was 14 and from Japan. Her English was what I would call ‘survival English’ – obviously a million times better than our Japanese, which was non-existent. Looking back, I think we learned as much that first time as she did. We learned that apparently at that time (1993) children were not taught the ‘evils of smoking’ in school as they are here. I vividly remember waking up in the middle of the night smelling cigarette smoke. When I confronted her, she knew she shouldn’t have been smoking, but did not seem to understand how upset and concerned I was. We learned about gifts and Heather especially learned her first couple of Japanese words. We did – overall – enjoy the experience, and knew we wanted to do it again!
We moved, and in a new city were very close to the university. Over the next few years we had a large number of Homestay guests from a variety of programs. We had college students, university students, and high school students. We had Homestay students for a weekend and we had ones who stayed with us for two years. Sometimes we just had one student, and sometimes we had four at one time. Looking back on those 9 years in particular, we learned a lot, and our children definitely learned a lot. And – we hope our students also learned positive things from the time they spent with us. During those years our Homestay Guests were from Germany, South Korea, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Venezuela, and China. We also accumulated many Homestay Student Gifts! For a couple of years I also worked as a Homestay Coordinator for a private Homestay organization. That was both fun and challenging.
Another move – this time to be closer to my mom. Initially the house wasn’t ready for students, but after some renos we had two more bedrooms for Homestay students. Because we had no transit service, it was a natural to have Homestay Students from our local high school. Our kids were in high school at that time, and it was definitely a morning rush to get 3 or 4 kids ready and all on the school bus. We had a brother/sister pair from South Korea, and a boy from Thailand, and a boy from Mexico – all for the full school year. We also had a boy from Germany and a boy from Brazil for single semesters. During that time we also had Homestay guests from WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) and HelpExchange – basically free room and board for help around the house/property. Those were adults, travelling around the world – from China, Korea, England, Ireland, Germany, Brazil, Italy – and more!
And – guess what – another move! Almost two years ago we moved into town from our acreage, and now live within walking distance of shopping and a bus stop. This opens up opportunities to have Homestay guests who would not otherwise have been interested in staying with us. Since being here we’ve had several guests through’ HelpExchange, several short-term Japanese teen students, and two full-time International high-school students. We currently have a 17 year old girl from China, and last year had a boy from South Korea.
In the past couple of years we’ve also started doing HOMESTAY TUTORING – sort of like Bed & Breakfast combined with English as a Second Language training. We’ve had a couple of families stay with us, and last summer we had a middle-aged teacher from Switzerland with us for 2+ weeks.
It is the truth that by being a Homestay family you bring the world to your home. We do enjoy having the teenage Homestay students, but I think overall our favourites are now our HOMESTAY TUTORING guests. Most of them have fairly good English, and really do want to learn. They also know a lot about their own country and culture, and are eager to share that with us. We’ve had some great conversations, and some great times showing them special places here on Vancouver Island.
Would I recommend being a Homestay family to others? Most definitely YES!…

A Chemistry Tutor Can Aid A Student’s Progress

September 29, 2022 Comments Off

Students come across many difficulties on a daily basis while trying to comprehend all of the information that is thrown at them. This is no more so true than in the field of chemistry. Many students are taking their first steps into an advanced science class and can get instantly lost without someone to lend a hand. A chemistry tutor can be that helping hand and help your child to more easily digest the information and retain it in a way that it will make sense to your child.
Up until this point in your child’s academic life science was just a general class where most things were just pretty much glossed over without going into any great detail. Chemistry changes that. For almost every student that needs to take any type of advanced science classes chemistry is going to be the first stop along that path. Brand new subjects can be overwhelming for anyone and a chemistry tutor will be able to make it seem much less daunting of a task.
So how exactly do you figure out if your child is going to need a chemistry tutor?
1. The first place to look is of course the most obvious, your child’s report card. Falling grades in chemistry or a chemistry grade that seems to be consistently lower than the grades he gets in other classes should be taken as a sign that he needs some help.
2. Does he rush to get all of his other homework done on Friday right after school but his chemistry book stays closed on his desk all weekend? Let’s be honest, no kid likes homework. But if he is consistently avoiding homework in one subject then he is most definitely having a problem in that subject and could benefit from a chemistry tutor.
3. Almost as obvious as a bad report card is a note from his teacher. If you get a note from his teacher telling you that he is having problems in chemistry class or requesting you to come in and meet with the teacher then you need to take the situation very seriously. His chemistry teacher may come right out and suggest that you get him a tutor and may even be able to suggest someone.
4. Is your child home schooled? Many parents are home schooling their children these days but as the children get older and the subjects they need to be taught get more and more complicated many parents are finding themselves trying to teach something that they don’t understand themselves. A chemistry tutor would be a very good solution to this problem.
5. Grades in advanced classes like chemistry are an important consideration when it comes time to get into college. If your child has aspirations of going to a selective university with tough admission standards it may be of use to hire a chemistry tutor to help him improve his grades even if they are already good. Even students at the top of their class can find ways to improve their grades and themselves with help from the right chemistry tutor.…

Marketing the Professional $40-$55 an Hour Tutor

September 27, 2022 Comments Off

One of the most critical considerations if you’re going to charge a rate of $40-$55 an hour as a tutor is the marketing plan. How will you let everyone know about your great tutoring service? Well, let me show you.
Why do we market?
Simple answer to a simple question: We market so that people know about our business and use our services.
Who do we tutor?
The conventional target market for a tutoring service is the following: K-12 private and public school students. However, this is not the only market that needs tutoring. Do you have a large college population in your region? You may want to market your services to them as well.
What do we tutor?
You can tutor Math, Science, English, History, Foreign Language, Standardized Test Preparation, etc-anything and everything that a student could potentially need help in. There are a host of Standardized Tests aside from the ACT/SAT including: GMAT, GRE, LSAT, GED, TOEFL, AP, etc.
How do we Market to our Chosen Demographic?
Once you have pinpointed your target market, it’s time to consider how to reach that demographic. There are an assortment of marketing methods that you need to be aware of in considering how to reach your demographic. Here are four good mediums for marketing your service:
#1: Newspaper AD–Have a well-developed, professional banner ad in your local newspaper advertising your tutoring service. Run this ad on a consistent basis for 6 months to a year tracking how many customers have called you from looking at your newspaper ad.
#2: Direct Mailing–A direct mail-out is a fast and inexpensive way to reach your target audience. Call a direct mailing house to do a search for all homes with high school age students in your zip code. Then do a mail out. If it’s ACT/SAT time of the year, make ACT/SAT preparation your top priority in your mail out.
#3: Brochures–Leave professional brochures at your pediatrician’s office, dentist’s office, toy store, etc., anywhere and everywhere where moms and dads of school age children congregate. Of course, you must ask the owners of these facilities permission to leave the brochures before doing so.
#4: Give Speeches-PTA groups, Churches, and business groups always welcome guest speakers. Faculty in-service meetings are also a good place to give a guest lecture.
I hope this has been a helpful article on how to market yourself as a professional $40-$55 an hour tutor. Good luck!…

Mental Health, Continuing Education, and the X-Men

September 27, 2022 Comments Off

Mental Health, Continuing Education, and the X-Men

Professor Xavier is the professor and head of the Xavier Institute, a home and training center for many of the X-Men that were once runaways or abandoned by their families. As he is an expert in mental health, continuing education standards of these runaways while helping them harness and control their mutant powers in an ethical way was the reason for establish the Xavier Institute. As a result, veteran X-Men have been supervised and trained at the facility, going on to battle villains and make the world a place in which mutants and humans can coexist. Some of these included Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, Gambit, Beast, and Wolverine.

With extremely powerful telepath that can read minds, control others, and influence decisions by other people; as a long time scientist, he is also an expert in mental health. Continuing education standards in the Institute was his top priority, often staying behind while younger trainees were sent out to battle Magneto and other Sentinel robots. A large part of this reason is that professor X is a paraplegic, bound to a hovering “wheelchair”. In the films, Professor X is portrayed by Patrick Stewart, which has an uncannily similar look to Professor X’s original drawing that stayed consistent throughout the years.

As proponent of the development of mental health, continuing education for his mutant students was a large concern for the good professor. Often compared with Dr. Martin Luther King in personality and philosophy, Professor X attempted many different methods to find the underclass of mutants and offer his assistance in any way possible. While many turned him down for a life of crime or even to join up with Magneto, Professor X constantly used a telepathic device called Cerebro which allowed him to find the location of strays, dropouts, and undisciplined mutant youth around the world. After locating them, teams of X-Men would often approach them, offering a safe home for education and training at the Xavier Institute.

Beast, a professor and long-time friend of Professor X, often taught educational courses to new recruits at the Xavier Institute. Aside from this, Beast was also tasked by the professor to develop various technologies that would help young students harness and protect themselves from their often-unruly mutant powers that could cause harm to themselves or others. A good example of this was the development of a shielded gauntlet he invented for Surge, a young mutant who could not initially control large electronic blasts that she absorbed from various sources.

The Xavier Institute is extremely important to the X-Men series. Scenes often take place within the institute, either in the classrooms or training center, and were even featured as a setting in many of the films. Absolutely essential to the much of the settings of the X-Men Universe since the 1960s, the world of the X-Men we all love could never have been fully understood without the foundation of the Xavier Institute.…

Continuing Education Requirements for Structural Engineers in Illinois

September 25, 2022 Comments Off

Continuing Education Requirements for Structural Engineers in Illinois

Illinois requires continuing education to help safeguard life, health, and property, and to promote public welfare. To demonstrate continuing professional competency, the licensed engineer must earn 30 Professional Development Hours (PDH) per renewal period, which is two years in the state of Illinois.

Continuing professional activities which satisfy the professional development requirements are as follows (provided these activities are relevant to the practice of structural engineering): university sponsored courses, self administered courses (such as videotaped courses, or correspondence courses), seminars, in-house programs, teaching, authoring published papers, receiving US patents, and active participation on a committee or holding office in a professional or technical society.

The board does not pre-approve any Continuing Professional Competency activities. It is the responsibility of each licensee to determine if the claimed PDH meets these requirements.

The above listed activities are limited as follows. The licensee can claim a maximum of 2 PDH’s per committee membership or office held in a professional society up to a maximum of 10 PDH’s per renewal period. A maximum of 10 PDH’s per renewal period may be earned from completion of self-administered courses, provided each self-administered course includes an exam graded by the sponsor. A maximum of 10 PDH’s per renewal period may be claimed for in-house courses.

This is slightly different than the continuing education requirements for professional engineers in Illinois, as professional engineers aren’t limited to 10 PDH’s in the in-house and self administered course categories. Professional engineers are limited to a maximum of 8 PDH’s for participation in technical societies.

Continuing Professional Competency activities must meet general criteria to be deemed acceptable by the board in the event of an audit. The activity must contribute to the advancement, extension or enhancement of the professional skills and/or scientific knowledge of the licensee in practice of structural engineering. It must foster the enhancement of general or specialized practice and values of structural engineering, related sciences and engineering ethics. Finally, it must be developed and presented by persons with education and/or experience in the subject matter of the program.

Illinois allows licensees exemptions from the continuing education requirements under four specific circumstances. First, A non-career military licensee serving on active duty during a substantial part of the renewal period is exempt. Second, A licensee who has experienced serious illness or injury of a nature and duration which has prohibited completing the continuing professional competency requirements verified by a letter from a physician to the board is exempt. Third, A licensee with a physical inability to travel to the sites of approved programs documented by a currently licensed physician is exempt. Finally, Any other similar extenuating circumstance my be grounds for exemption. The board must be notified that the licensee plans to claim an exemption prior to license renewal.

The statutes provided by Illinois concerning continuing education requirements for structural engineers are confusing, but follow these three simple rules and you’ll pass an audit with flying colors. First, keep careful documentation of all of the activities you complete, and maintain your records for a minimum of four years. Second, do not claim more than 10 hours of in-house training, 10 hours of self administered courses, or 10 hours of technical society involvement in any given renewal period. Third, take advantage of continuing education. No matter which way you look at it, you have to complete 30 hours every two years. I’d recommend taking quality seminars provided by AISC, SEAOI, ACI, or any other reputable society to ensure you’re on top of the latest developments and trends in structural engineering.…

The Smart Tax Professional: Advising Clients on How to Make the Most of Tax Refunds

September 23, 2022 Comments Off

The Smart Tax Professional: Advising Clients on How to Make the Most of Tax Refunds

Helping people invest in their futures by putting their federal tax return to work for them is one way for CPA, enrolled agents and other tax professionals to retrain clients and build a strong, competitive tax business. According the IRS, the average tax refund in 2010 was just over $3,000. That figure was up over 5% from 2009, due in large measure to a host of tax credits associated with he $800 billion government stimulus, and most people used their refunds to either pay down debt or to save.

What about this year? Well, let’s say that trend will taper off. The National Retail Federation recently surveyed 10,000 consumers and found that while the majority will still opt to save or lower debt with their refunds, the percentage of those choosing to spend their refund check this year surged 12.5%. A whopping 14% of Americans will invest their refund on a big-ticket item like plasma TBW, a luxury vacation or that insanely expensive sofa from Restoration Hardware. While these purchases may be cool, and are also a sure way to spruce up a home or give someone a much-needed and deserved break, there are better ways for people to spend their cash.

This is something that tax professionals like the CPA, the IRS enrolled agent and registered tax agent understand and encounter in their tax continuing education Tax CPE courses required for their professional certification typically cover top investment strategies for taxpayers, including how to leverage tax refunds as a way for building toward the future.

Below are seven suggestions in this respect that tax professionals should pass on to their clients when delivering the good news about an impending federal tax refund.

Financial Literary Training

These are financial courses — usually free or very low cost — that help can help taxpayers learn more about managing money, budgeting, checking and savings accounts, etc. Several courses are available, such as FDIC Money Smart, a financial education program through the federal government. Tax professionals looking to build a productive relationship with clients would be well served to encourage this important step.

High-Yielding Savings/Checking Accounts

Most financial organizations, such as banks or credit unions, offer savings or checking accounts. Encourage clients to place their new-found cash into a high-yielding savings/checking accounts where they can better interest, though this may sometimes require them to look beyond traditional brick and mortar institutions. Additionally, opening a savings or checking account allows other financial options? direct deposit and purchasing U.S. Series I savings bonds.

Individual Development Accounts

An IDA is a special savings account that has a matching funds aspect. Each time a person adds to the savings, they match the deposit.

Home Ownership Programs

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development has programs available for low- to moderate-income individuals and families to make affordable housing a reality. Coupled with the tax benefits of the first-time homebuyer credit, using a tax refund to purchase a home could be a home run.

US Savings Bonds

Buying a US savings bond can be a valuable asset building option. Starting a savings program can provide many benefits, such as saving for a down payment on a home, higher education or buying a reliable car.

Split Refunds

This option allows taxpayers to split a refund into as many as three accounts. For example, they could deposit a portion of the refund into a checking account, some into an IRA account, and then buy savings bonds with the remaining amount.

Savings/Investing

Tax professionals should consider encouraging taxpayers with refunds to explore the following investing opportunities:

Contribute to an IRA. If a taxpayer qualifies for a tax-deductible IRA, they have until April 15th to contribute and claim the contribution for your current tax return. Alternatively, they could opt to put the tax refund into an IRA for the following tax year.

Open a Roth IRA. Even though taxpayers cannot deduct the contribution from their taxes, the Roth IRA provides a tax-free way to save for retirement.

Contribute to a 529 Plan. Not only will taxpayers be investing in their children’s college future by doing this, but many states offer plans with tax advantages, such as upfront deduction for contributions and income exemption on withdrawals.

Purchase CD’s. This option will allow taxpayers to establish a CD ladder for continued returns.

As competition among tax professionals grows, advising taxpayers on how to wisely invest their tax returns will help set you apart from the pack.

IRS Circular 230 Disclosure

Pursuant to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service Circular 230, we inform you that, to the extent any advice relating to a Federal tax issue is contained in this communication, including in any attachments, it was not written …

All About Soccer Drills

September 21, 2022 Comments Off

As we all know, soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Millions of people from all walks of life enjoy watching it because it is exciting. To master all skills of the game, it takes some effort and dedication from a player. There are a few drills that anyone can use to improve on his/her soccer skills. In fact, most of them are tailored with the amateur in mind.
Controlling the ball
To do this, one needs to have a partner and if not, a rebound board. Having control of the ball is very important because once one is able to take full control of the ball; he/she can be able to learn the next move. The player learning ball control spends time kicking the ball off the rebound board and trying as much as he/she can to control it when it comes back. The secret is using just one touch to kill the speed. Once one is able to control the ball effectively with the feet, it will also be possible to control it with other parts of the body like the chest and also the knees.
Passing the ball
This is another very important drill that each and every football player should know. This should be done by standing ten feet apart and trying to pass the ball to the next person. Once the ball arrives at one player, he/she should try to pass it to the next person as fast as possible. With more progress, the players can move further apart and continue with the drill until they become efficient. Both passing and controlling the ball are fundamentals and therefore each soccer player should be good at them.
Heading the ball
This drill requires two players and one ball. One player throws the ball into the air to the other player who heads it back. Both players should take chances to practice so that they both become good at it.
Dribbling the ball
This drill needs a few cones and a ball and it can be done by as many players as possible. The cones should be set out in a straight line approximately 4 or 5 feet apart. The players should take turns running with the ball between the cones and at the same time keeping the ball really close to the feet and under control. The players should increase on the speed so as to be able to perfect their dribbling skills because they are important when tackling opposition.
Once the players have perfected dribbling between the cones, it is important to set small opposition teams so as to be able to know how to get past another player. One player takes on a defender’s role and tries to stop the other. An area should be marked in which the players must remain. Any coach watching should from that point will get an idea of who are his/her best strikers and defenders too. The above drills are in most cases used on players who are beginning to play soccer. However, even advanced players in the game still use them for regular practice.…