By Elayne Pearson, Special Needs Safety/Preparedness Specialist, CAS

More than one mother recently confided that getting her children ready to enter school with its fees, clothes, and required items was a real financial burden—and those students weren’t even in high school yet.  I recalled those same September concerns years ago, knowing taxes were also due in November, and Christmas was just around the corner.  With four amazing daughters, including Heidi (our beautiful daughter with Down syndrome and late-onset autism) my husband Rod and I felt so blessed, but our budget and stress levels were very stretched. With Heidi’s special needs for good quality vitamins/food, calming craniosacral therapy appointments each week, and educational toys and more – my motto, “keep it up!” served us well. Today’s parents can live this way, too, with some of our common sense advice.

TIDY UP – One of the best money savers is keeping your home organized so important items don’t accidentally get damaged among the clutter, or lost, resulting in duplicate purchases. Individuals with autism often obsessively hold on to odd things, creating more chaos, so set boundaries.

BUY UP – Buy in bulk and when items go on sale, but if it’s packaged food, watch for an almost-expired date. You don’t want a bunch of peanut butter jars in the pantry that are going to go bad before you can eat them.

CLEAN UP –  After you use a tool such as a saw, or an appliance like a blender, clean it well and store it away from moisture, etc. and they should serve you for several years.

COOK UP –  Sure, it saves money, but if you’re not itching to “cook from scratch” please realize it’s much healthier for people with special needs, like our Heidi, who are often pretty allergy prone. Home cooking usually has much less chemical additives for color, flavor and preservatives, so it’s a true win/win.

BREW UP – Some folks use their tea bag twice to stretch their dime, so doubling up is another tip. I’ve discovered the healing effect of herbal teas, and really enjoy a nice mug of peppermint tea to pick me up, or licorice root tea to calm me down. Licorice root (not the red candy, but in capsule/tea form) is a natural adrenal support (our anxiety mechanism) and I believe this supplement helped reduce Heidi’s extreme anxiety.

CUT UP – Don’t be seduced by credit card offers on TV or mail. Consider “plastic surgery” on extra cards you already have—they actually make a great guitar pic.

ADD UP – Rod and I really wanted to give our children the same blessings we experienced of having our mom stay at home—and were willing to live sensibly on one income. When you actually add up the additional expenses of a mother committing to outside employment, it doesn’t usually make sense.

READ UP – Richard Paul Evans, author of The 5 Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me for Women advises couples considering the mother to enter the workforce to honestly add it all up: daycare, wardrobe, travel, and meal expenses. Plus, the second income creates additional taxes to owe—and may put you in a higher tax bracket. Analyze your money matters to determine if you are paying interest with debt, or earning it with savings and investments, etc.

DIVIDE UP – With the unhealthy super-sized portions at most eating establishments, Rod and I often opt to simply share a meal and it’s just right. If we each order, we take home leftovers for lunch the next day. To be healthier we just say no to dessert, soda pop, tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.

DOUBLE UP – Making a double batch of a casserole or other food and freezing one is easy and helps you avoid the temptation to spend money eating out. Just warm it up and dinner’s ready.

BUY UP – With so much waste, why go buy some new item, if something is great but not being used anymore? Thrift store shopping offers unique back-to-school clothing, inexpensive household items, and helpful books.

GROW UP – Maybe you can’t manage a full garden or orchard with your loved one with special needs, but a few large potted plants on the patio, porch, or apartment balcony can harvest some yummy, almost free, organic food.

OFFER UP – Rod and I have always tried to give a little something whenever there was a charity or fund-raiser. Even if your cash flow is at a trickle, you can donate time or volunteer items you do have, like extra paper products or distributing posters, etc. You’ll be blessed for serving.

PULL UP – Going to the movie theater is exciting, but remind your family you can pull up plenty of entertainment on YouTube, etc., on your computer without spending a penny. Consider putting the unused money in a decorated goal jar.

SEW UP –  I’m not saying we should sew denim pants or men’s dress shirts, that’s beyond anyone I know! Yet, sewing is a fun skill for your home, plus mending clothing is a real money saver.

SWAP UP –  Sometimes bartering with a friend or neighbor is a happy arrangement. There was a time I gave free haircuts to my friend’s kids in exchange for her teaching piano lessons to my girls.

WAIT UP – Patiently waiting for clearance sales for future birthday and wedding gifts is great, but before you tuck them away, perhaps label bags and keep them in a reasonable place so they’re not forgotten.

LOOK UP – One of the most important financial patterns we’ve implemented over the years is to study things out and pray over potentially large purchases, such as a new/used car, appliances, or buying/building a home. We seek vital guidance from a loving God above who wants us all to live in peace and not financial bondage when possible. Gratefully, it’s paid off for us, and I hope these ideas help you, too.

Keep it up!

Elayne Pearson, Special Needs Safety/Preparedness Specialist, recently presented at the of the National Autism Society of America Convention.

For speaking invitations, email:hiddentreasuresofhealth@yahoo.com

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Once again, we are at the time of year that brings about so many mixed emotions for professionals in the education field; The beginning of a new school year. The smell of fresh markers, the sight of a completely clean classroom, a desk without piles of paperwork are all soon to be fleeting things as the momentum of the school year kicks things into high gear. For some educators who are taking on new positions or responsibilities this year, there may we waves of apprehension wondering how everything will manage to get done on time. Others who have been in the field for a while may wonder how they can incorporate new ideas into their lesson plans to keep students interested. There are so many different situations going on and everyone is different.

It is in the cold December months that people sit around making resolutions about the next calendar year and things they wish to accomplish. These New Year’s Resolutions are sometimes the only time of year people sit down to analyze their behaviors and make a plan to change things. Since the beginning of the school year is also a new beginning, it is the perfect time to resolve to make some changes for the betterment of yourself and your professional development. Just like resolutions, it is the small steps we take that make the larger change to our lives. Below is a list of examples of resolutions provided by professionals who work in the education field in various ways.

1. Take the time to read one piece of material relevant to the professional development of my classroom or job a month. Things move so quickly in the school year, we can sometime blink and it’s winter break. Making the commitment to actively learn more about techniques to improve your professional skills while still in the classroom is beneficial for two reasons. One reason is you may make a stronger connection to the material while you are seeing things firsthand in your job environment. The second reason is you are able to directly apply the work you are learning about to your life without much of a delay. Try looking up books, articles, blogs, or even look at how a certificate program may benefit your career development. There are lots of different resources out there any your place of work may even provide some if you ask.

2. Set a daily deadline to finish work by that specific time each night. It’s important to unplug and set boundaries separating your work/home life. It is possible to get so involved with paperwork or lesson plans that you work through dinner or stay up so late that work bumps into bedtime. Setting a time to put away the work allows you to relax more and take care of the things you need to take care of in your personal life.

3. Resolve to not be so hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes and it is rare for things to be completely “perfect” even when we work really hard on it. It’s important to learn how to take a step back and look at what worked and what didn’t work so we can learn from the experiences. The next time you try, you may end up with completely different results.

4. Resolve to not bring your home life to work. Along the same lines of creating boundaries at home, it is important to create boundaries at work. This applies to both the setting directly working with students such as a classroom or in interacting with your colleagues. There are times and places to address your personal life with work friends, but it should never impact your job performance or work relationships. Try to take a few moments before going into work to breathe deeply and cleanse your mind for the day. It’s not that you are avoiding your personal life, it’s that your job and the people you support need your full attention.

5. Take the time to look ahead at the future. Summertime is often the time when people give serious reconsidering to their employment options and their career paths. However, if we spend the time to think about what do we want out of our careers during the school year there are many more resources we can utilize. Perhaps scheduling a conversation with the head of a department or your professional mentor can help open your eyes to new job opportunities. You will never know what is out there until you begin to look for new opportunities.

6. Understand fully that changes in our students do not happen overnight and there are occasional setbacks. This one is the most important one what talking to my peers in the education field. It can be discouraging when no tangible progress is made for a student, especially when there is a need to document the progress for official records. Change takes time and there are so many factors out of our control as we work to help students become their personal best. There are also occasions when even with the best support, there are regressions in skills or behaviors. Take a second to see if there is something wrong with the support or if there may be another reason for this temporary setback.

You may only have one or two resolutions when you make your own, but they should be tailored to you and what you want to get out of the school year. Look back on what some of the events of the last school year that left an impact on you. Were there some challenges you wish you had handled differently? Was there a professional success you wish to obtain more often? Take the time, before the school year kicks into high speed, to look at where you want to be at the end of school year. Just like we see in our settings, change can happen for anyone if we provide the proper supports. Reach out to your colleagues or superiors to let them know you have some professional goals you want to achieve this year and you may be pleasantly surprised with the support you receive.

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