Cultural centers and festivals are available in most cities and can be quite a bit of fun. While it’s easy to spend money at some events, there’s generally things you can do for free as well.

You may get to listen to the music of a particular culture or see traditional dances. You could learn a traditional art or craft.

This can be a great chance to talk about your own family’s cultural heritage or introduce the kids to a new one.

School is out or going to be out soon for much of the country. Summer’s almost here.

Have you signed up your kids for swimming lessons yet?

I consider swimming lessons one of the most important activities you can sign your kids up for. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a pool and don’t live near an ocean, lake or river. I just think it’s important that kids know how to swim.

For one, they may have friends who have a pool. If not now, then later in life.

You could also at some point move into a home with a pool or near the ocean, a lake or river where your family might want to go swimming.

Or your kids could just finally convince you that it’s time to go to the city pool.

I’ll be the first to admit that swimming lessons in the early days do not give me peace of mind. Far from it. They make me worry more!

When kids first learn to swim just a little bit, they’re overconfident. I feel that this makes them more at risk. They swim into deeper water and may be more inclined to try a pool out without supervision. But it’s necessary so that they can learn to be stronger swimmers and cut the risk down.

We have rules about swimming in my family. While we do not have a pool, my inlaws do.

Rule #1: Children are not allowed in the pool without an adult. Not even a toe or fingertip.

Rule #2: Children will obey the adults supervising them in the pool.

Rule #3: There will always be at least one adult whose sole job is to watch the kids in the pool. One adult per child is better, with each adult assigned to a particular child.

Rule #4: Children will obey their swimming instructors during swimming class.

Rule #5: No running near the pool.

My kids know that if they break a pool rule, they will not be allowed to go swimming the rest of that day and likely not the next time everyone else goes swimming.

You may also want to check out PoolSafety.gov, even if you don’t own a swimming pool.

If your kids aren’t in swimming lessons yet and are not strong swimmers, get them signed up. Lessons at community and city pools are generally more affordable than private lessons, of course, but they also fill up quickly in the lower levels. Check your city’s website to see what’s available in your area.

Working as a mobile notary may sound pretty easy, but it has its challenges. One of my cousins did it for a time and gave the business up. Even though the pay per notarization can be quite good, it’s a lot of driving at the last minute, and sometimes it’s hard to collect the money you’re due.

Most states will limit what you can charge to notarize something, and it will probably be a very, very small amount. States may or may not limit what you charge for travel.

However, if you add in the duties of a signing agent, you can earn a better living.

Skills Required

A notary must be commissioned by their state. You can learn how to do this in your state by going to the National Notary Association website or by checking your state’s website. Instructions may be in the Secretary of State section, Attorney General section or elsewhere on your state’s site.

The requirements may vary from state to state, but the basics will probably be along the lines of:

• You are at least 18 years old.
• You are a legal resident of that state.
• You have never been convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors.
• You complete the training for your state, which may be online.

Common Expenses

You will need some basic supplies: notary seal, notary journal, fingerprint ink, notary bond, errors and omissions insurance, business cards and marketing expenses.

You will need a reliable vehicle and have travel expenses as you go to customer sites.

Possible Income Streams

Your income as a mobile notary is often determined by limits set by the state. Plain notary services are often very limited as to what may be charged. If you work as a loan signing agent you can generally earn significantly more money.

Related Scams

According to my cousin, the biggest problem was simply getting paid once she started working. You may have to be very strict with your clients about when you expect payment and keep excellent records so that you know what you have coming to you.

You should also be aware of the possibility of training scams. Check with your state so that you know what is required. In many states it’s a pretty simple process to get started.

Also make sure your insurance is from a reputable company. You will want errors and omissions insurance to protect yourself in case you make a mistake.

Recommended Reading

Tid-Bits For New Signing Agents

A post over on Jessica Knows about her experience with some reporters misreporting how she discloses on her blog got me thinking about how mom blogs in general seem to be the ones getting an awful lot of the attention when it comes to disclosure issues and advertising. There’s been a lot of talk lately about more regulation of social media marketing and how bloggers disclose. For some reason, mom bloggers seem to be a popular focus of attention.

This drives me nuts. Mom bloggers are far from the only ones getting merchandise to try in order to review it. That’s something that has been going on for a long time in many other areas, as commenter Crunchy Carpets pointed out, and as I’ve been wondering as well. I’ll quote her, as she has it right:

What I am curious about is why the ‘mom’ bloggers seem to be getting more heat about reviews than other areas on the blogosphere. Are the male tech writers getting scrutinized by mainstream media and the FTC? They all get sent free stuff. Are the video game or movie sites getting grilled for their ‘promotional’ efforts. They all get sent free stuff.
Movie sites get sent to sets and on press junkets and given all sorts of freebies in return for ‘good reviews. Their morals have been argued about for years. It is all nothing new.

All this doesn’t mean that I don’t agree with appropriate disclosure. It just means that I don’t see why it’s suddenly a big deal when mom bloggers get the things other sites have long been getting.

It strikes me as sexist too.

Momblebee makes similar points, as do some of the other commenters.

Free samples have been given in exchange for review for a long time, longer than blogging has been around. It’s nothing new. Perhaps the only new thing about it is that just about anyone can start a blog, and not have the costs associated with starting a print magazine or newspaper. It’s very open.

Yes, that means some people will lie about the products because they think only a good review should be posted. Yes, some people will be fooled into buying things they wouldn’t have if an honest review had been posted. Goodness knows that dishonest reviews are common enough in the work at home arena!

But does that mean we need special disclosure rules?

I tend to think not. I would expect the standard rules on making false advertising claims should be sufficient. Best aimed at the blogger, and at the advertiser more if there seems to be a pattern of encouraging false claims. It’s awfully hard for advertisers to control what bloggers say, after all, and still keep things honest in both positive and negative comments about the product.

There’s no doubt that the internet is very much a wild frontier in many ways as of yet. It’s much harder to control what goes on when it’s so easy for content to be created. That’s not a call for speedy, harsh regulation. There’s an advantage to the wild growth and free flow of information that the internet provides.

Should buyers beware when they read online reviews? Absolutely.

Should reviewers disclose if they got products free or have a relationship with the business whose product they are reviewing? Of course.

But no matter how the disclosure is done, it comes down to a matter of trust. A good source will be trusted with or without the disclosure.

A bad one may be trusted once or twice, but if they share false information people will learn. Certainly not as quickly as the FTC would like, but that’s going to happen even with regulation, as new sites and blogs will pop up faster than they can be reviewed… not to mention everything that is based from outside the United States.

Much as one might like all reviews to be honest, it’s not going to happen.

As a blogger or business owner, all you can do is keep yourself honest. Being transparent about when you get something for free is a generally good idea. If nothing else, it will help you if the FTC does keep getting serious about this. It also makes it clearer why you’re talking about a product that maybe you wouldn’t have otherwise. Say what you really feel, even when it’s not 100% positive.

Of course, the focus on mom bloggers may in large part be simply due to the media. And if you think the disclosure issues are going to be a problem, you’ll also want to pay attention to the part about “atypical results”. Lynn Terry has a really good post on this issue. The FTC doesn’t even want atypical results to be used, even if they’re your own experience. They only want typical results, which strikes me as beyond problematic. How can you discuss your own experience then? How do you know what’s typical?

If you review products, whether you’re paid to do so or just receive them free, or even if you’re hoping to get an affiliate commission for sales through your links, it’s really going to pay to think about what you’re saying. Have a disclosure policy and stick strictly to it.

And, of course, keep paying attention to the story as it develops. It doesn’t matter what kind of blog or site you have, if you’re talking about products you need to know what’s might impact your business.

I got thinking about this job due to my oldest sister. You see, she is a work at home computer programmer, and not a freelance one. She has a regular employer.

As with many work at home jobs, this can be done as an employee or purely freelance. You might telecommute part time and be in an office the rest of the time. But as computer programming really doesn’t require a lot of face to face interaction, it’s about perfect for working from home.

Qualifications/Training Needed?

You need to have the skills for the particular type of programming you’re going to do. In many cases, a college degree is necessary.

Job Duties

Programmers will generally have to code, test and debug according to the needs of their employers. You may be modifying existing programs or helping to start an entirely new program.

Even from home, you are often a part of a team of programmers working together on a particular project. You will need to know how to cooperate and plan as necessary with your fellow programmers.

Equipment Needed

Your basic needs will of course be a computer and a high speed internet connection. You may also use programs such as Skype to keep in contact with your employer and coworkers.

Where to Search for Jobs

Not all of these sites focus on jobs you can do from home, but it’s worth searching all around when you want to work from home.

Craigslist
FreelanceAuction.com
Dice.com
GetAFreelancer.com
Hire My Mom
Go Freelance
Telework Recruiting
Elance
Guru
LimeExchange.com
Monster
Job.com
oDesk.com
Project4Hire.com
RentACoder.com
ScriptLance.com
SearchWebJobs.com

Ever wonder how things are made? Well, you can watch the TV show How It’s Made, or try seeing it in real life.

Many factories have free or low cost tours available to the public. There’s even a website, Factory Tours USA to help you find factory tours in your area.

A personal favorite is going to the Tillamook cheese factory up in Oregon. It’s a pretty simple, self guided tour. Sometimes they even have cheese tasting going on, and the ice cream shop there is dangerously good.

How does your resume look? Do family and friends as you to help them get their resume in order when they’re job hunting? Why not make a business out of resume writing?

Skills Required

The ability to write a great resume is the most obvious skill required. This includes being able to slant a particular resume so that it emphasizes the skills for a particular job, not just writing a generic resume.

You should also be able to write a good cover letter and maybe even help people learn how to hunt for a job. The more range you can offer job seekers, the more you can earn.

You will need to be able to draw out from people what their skills really are. Not everyone will be thorough enough in listing their skills in whatever baseline resume they give you. A good resume writer can ask questions to learn about more skills and maybe even experiences that should be listed.

Common Expenses

You’ll need your computer and internet connection, of course, plus Microsoft Word or other word processing software. These days a domain name and hosting are pretty much a given, as these will allow you to get clients from all over, rather than just locally.

You should also get business cards and flyers that describe your services so that you can target locals. The internet is a wonderful thing for home businesses, but that does not mean you should neglect the potential that local business brings.

Possible Income Streams

Your primary income will of course be your resume writing services. You can add in fees as relevant to writing cover letters and job hunt assistance.

You should also be aware that some job boards offer small commissions for people to post their resumes on them. While these affiliate programs won’t generate much, it’s a little something.

Recommended Reading

Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer
Cover Letter Magic: Trade Secrets of Professional Resume Writers
Start Your Resume Writing Business

I mentioned that Lenore Skenazy’s book Free Range Kids had come out recently. Well, I was quite delighted when Lenore contacted me and offered a copy of it to review. You’d better believe I was interested in having her send me a copy.

I just finished reading it, and I loved it. Thanks, Lenore!

I know it’s really hard to not be overprotective of your kids. There are so many people encouraging parents to be overprotective. But, as Lenore points out in both book and website, crime stats as a whole and against children are down to the 1970s levels. It really is NOT more dangerous out there than when we were kids. We are simply more aware of the dangers and childhood in general has been made so much safer that we get a little nuts about even the small dangers.

A very good point is that kids need to be allowed to take risks. Children grow up and become adults, and if they haven’t learned to be safe on their own before they grow up, how will they cope?

And then there’s “Stranger Danger”. A point made in the book is that kids are far, far more likely to be killed in a car accident than by a stranger. They’re also far more likely to be abducted by family than by a stranger. Yet which do we worry about.

Yes, it’s dreadful that it happens to anyone’s child, and a nightmare for the parents who must live through it. But the odds are much against it being your kids.

Reading this book gave me some great ideas. I loved the idea of a camping birthday party, which was mentioned as something one mom would only let her daughter do if she came along and they camped together in a two person tent. I’m pretty sure her daughter would have been safe with all the other girls and I think as soon as I’m insane enough to want to deal with a sleepover with a bunch of sugar crazed little girls I will have to suggest this idea to my daughter. Because I am not as concerned with whether or not it would be safe as I am with how much sleep I would get.

Just think back to the things you did as a kid when you  were 5, 6, 7, 8… a teenager… you get the idea.

Are you protecting your kids from doing the same, even the good, safe fun stuff? Why?

Free Range Parenting is not about letting your kids run wild and doing whatever they please. It’s about letting them do the things children have not only been allowed to do but been expected to do for generations. Giving your kids a combination of more responsibility and freedom is a good thing.

Even if you’re not sure that you’re up for a free range parenting style I encourage you to check Free Range Kids out. You’ll get some great food for thought about the many things you really don’t need to worry about, as well as some of the things you should be concerned with. After all, not every bit of protection you give your kids is unnecessary.

Many people think about product assembly or crafting when they start looking for work at home jobs. It sounds great, getting paid for your artistic skills.

Unfortunately, this is one of the most heavily scam-ridden areas of the entire concept of working at home. The number of legitimate employers in this area is exceptionally low. But people keep on looking because they’re comfortable with their creative skills and may even have real talent.

In general, if you want to use your crafting skills, think about starting a business selling your own products on Etsy. Your odds of making money are probably quite a bit better.

Qualifications/Training Needed?

This will depend somewhat on what you are doing. In general you will need good manual dexterity and an eye for detail.

Job Duties

Assemble products to the standards required by your employer. This may include sewing, gluing or other crafting skills.

This is where the big catch comes in for the classic scams . Working up to the standards is essentially impossible. Since you often pay for your supplies and will only get paid when your work is accepted, it’s easy to lose money and incredibly hard to earn anything worth the time you spent.

Equipment Needed

Depends on what you are assembling. A sewing machine if you do sewing, for example.

Where to Search for Jobs

Good luck! Legitimate jobs are very, very few and far between on this one. But if you must search, don’t call it crafting. Be more specific, or search for “artisan”, “seamstress” and the like. There may still be scams, but you’ve improved your odds.

Try job boards such as Craigslist and Monster, but be aware of the standard signs of a scam. Finding this kind of work takes a great deal of caution and skepticism so that you do not merely fall for one scam or another.

Related Scams

The majority of positions in this field have the potential to be a scam. Don’t pay to show you’re serious. Research any company you are considering contacting, especially before you send any money. A Google search on the company name plus scam should give you a good starting point; if not, start asking at the forum and see what others can come up with for you.

I’m pretty obviously a fan of stay at home moms. Wouldn’t run this site if I weren’t. It’s an important job and one I wouldn’t trade without a lot of pain. But I’m also not as insistent as some that moms should stay at home with their kids.

It’s a very personal choice to me.

Now if you change that to should a parent stay home with the kids while they’re young, you’ll get stronger agreement from me. I do think that when possible one parent or the other should be at home. But it doesn’t really matter to me which, so long as the one who can best care for the kids is the one doing it.

Yeah, most often that’s going to be the mom. But two of my sisters have their husbands as the at home parent, even when the kids were babies and breastfed. It took some extra work for them to pump enough milk for their babies, but they both did pretty well at it.

Now, take a book such as Dr. Laura’s In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms and I can see good and bad to it.

Yes, many stay at home moms do need support. There are many people who make it a harder choice than it should be. Even now I sometimes get asked about when I’m going back to work… despite earning a reasonable amount at home. Still haven’t reached my goals that I discussed back at New Year’s, but I’m always working towards it. I’ll get my income up higher on a regular basis yet!

I’m not exactly a Dr. Laura fan. She has some good points, but then loses me entirely other times, such as the time she scolded a mother for working 4 hours a week outside the home. That’s rather extreme. As I recall, the mom taught an exercise class of some sort. Not exactly the kind of thing that will traumatize a child.

Stuff like that is why I don’t listen to her show much. I prefer to relax when I listen to the radio.

I don’t consider working moms to be neglectful of their families. I’d better not – my own mother worked outside the home. Admittedly that was in part because my parents divorced when I was very young, but still she showed me that a mother can work outside the home and care very well for her family.

We were admittedly fortunate in our daycare and remained with one provider until my sisters and I were old enough to be home on our own. She was pretty nearly a second mom.

I know most daycare experiences aren’t like that. My mom was the only one of her friends who didn’t have to regularly change providers because their person quit.

With that kind of background I suppose that it’s no wonder that I support working and at home moms. It’s a tough world out there even when the economy is good.

In my opinion, stay at home moms should be praised. Working moms should be praised. Dads should be praised. Any parent who is doing his or her best to provide and care for their family deserves praise. No matter which way you go about it, it’s a tough, stressful job.