You could win All-Star tickets & prizes

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Diane Hicks

For baseball fans in Southern Maryland, what better game to catch than the Atlantic League All-Star Game, where you can see the League’s best playing together on one night. Which is why we’re celebrating our partnership as the Official Bank of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs with an All-Star contest!

Prizes
Enter our Blue Crabs Contest and you could win a grand prize family four pack of tickets to the 2013 Atlantic League All-Star Game at the home of the Blue Crabs – Regency Furniture stadium, Wednesday, July 10.

In addition to the grand prize, six lucky winners will receive a Blue Crabs baseball hat as part of a weekly drawing every Friday from May 24 through June 28. Continue reading →

Children: How to Become a Babysitter

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Diane Hicks

Is someone in your family ready for that first babysitting job? Babysitting is almost a rite of passage for tweens and teens. But, just like with any other job, babysitting has its rules!

That’s especially true in Maryland, the only state in the country that dictates that babysitters must be at least 13 years of age. But, being mature, reliable, capable and age 13 isn’t all it takes to be a good babysitter. Training and knowledge are key components of success for a youngster’s “first real job.”

Continue reading →

Savings Tip – Check Out Your Local Library

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Diane Hicks

Looking for fun and free educational and entertainment opportunities for your children? Good news, you can find all of that with a visit to your local library.

Most locations offer free concerts or story times for younger kids, like Saturday Story Times available at the Charles County Public Library. Not only are these events cost effective, they are also influential in getting kids interested and excited about reading at an early age.

There’s always something for teens and tweens too! Game night and a cooking workshop are just two events coming up at Prince Frederick’s Calvert Library.

Most events are usually held at the same time on a regular basis, which can grant moms and dads the ability to arrange a carpool; saving some busy parents another valuable resource – time.

Do you visit your local library?

Children – Why Entrepreneurship Is Great for Youngsters

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Diane Hicks

Does your teen have aspirations of starting the next Facebook? Do you have a little one interested in selling lemonade on the front lawn? Embrace it! Entrepreneurship can help young children acquire a vast skill set befitting whatever career path they choose to explore. Here’s how you can help foster your daughter or son’s entrepreneurial side.

Learning experiences, not mistakes

Encourage your children to take risks and be unafraid to fail. Mistakes are a part of life, and early on children should see a mistake as an opportunity to improve . Help them learn by looking at what went wrong and brainstorm alongside them, ways to do things differently next time. Such exercises also play a role in nurturing their problem solving abilities.

Continue reading →

Allowance: Your child’s first step – to money management

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Diane Hicks

If your child is old enough to understand the concept of money, it’s probably time to start thinking about allowances. Most experts suggest you start a youngster’s financial literacy lessons early, by stressing saving, sharing and spending that allowance.

The first thing to determine is how much and how often? Continue reading →

Savings Tip: Comics from KidsUSA.gov

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Diane Hicks

Did you know that the federal government has an official web portal for kids?

Designed for students through Grade 5, tweens and young teens in Grades 6 to 8, parents and teachers, the site has enough kid-friendly information, facts and figures, quizzes, games and videos to keep youngsters occupied for a good stretch of time. Continue reading →

Teach your kids about credit cards

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Diane Hicks

You can’t teach kids to swim without getting them into the water. The same thing could be said of kids and credit cards. Until they have one, you might never be sure they’re really ready to handle it. The only way to find out is to dive in! Continue reading →

Savings Tip: Make your own Halloween costume (without going overboard!)

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Diane Hicks

Are you tired of paying “an arm and a leg” for kids’ Halloween costumes that get worn once or twice around the big night, and then are either outgrown or out-of-favor for a repeat performance the following year?

Do you have any of the following around the house: a recycling bin, duct tape, trash bags, empty toilet paper tubes, paper grocery bags, hot glue gun, magic markers, Velcro or cardboard? Continue reading →

Money Management Tips for College Children

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Diane Hicks

While the upcoming years will prepare you for your future, you don’t want to let financial difficulties weigh you down when you graduate. Which is why we have pulled together the following tips to put you, and keep you, on the right financial path! Continue reading →

Kids: First job? Tips for saving money

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Diane Hicks

For many teenagers, the hardest thing about earning money is learning to manage it wisely. Until they had their own money, Mom and Dad were their own private bank. Money appeared like magic whenever they asked, as long as the request was reasonable.

Now that they have their own payday, they tend to want to hold on to their earnings. To save, you ask? Not necessarily! Chances are they’d rather squirrel it away for that next trip to the mall with their friends. And then there might just be nothing left until the next payday. Continue reading →