Teats

I agree with Madea about breast feeding. They make things that allow modesty while doing this. Use one, or a bath towel, etc.

Free lunches. Polk County does free lunches during the school year for all students. In the summer there are locations that provide free lunches for kids. It's a HUGE help to those of us that work, don't qualify (because we work) for food stamps, and scrape by. We had one of Marc's boys with us all summer, and the other 2 off and on throughout the summer. We struggle as it is, but try paying child support on the boys, while trying to support and provide for them in our home for extended periods of time. Any body wanna guess how much food 3 teenage boys require? Suffice it to say, I APPRECIATE the fact that there was a place very close by, where they could eat lunch free. They didn't eat there every day, but it was still a huge help to us financially. Also, our kids would go over and help the lady that ran that facility almost every single day, whether they ate there or not. Unloading, assisting other smaller kids, clean up, etc.
 
I think if a mother is going to breast feed her child in public, she should do so discretely out of respect of others in that public place. The letter that was written to her was polite and respectful. How she and others reacted afterward was rude and disrespectful.

I think we all believe kissing is a natural thing to do, but when you see a couple seriously making out in public do you not find their actions disgusting because they are doing it in public?

People conversing with each other is normal as well, but when you go to a movie and two people continuously talk through the movie do you not find they are being disrespectful to everyone else in there who also paid to see the movie?

I think one of the problems we have in this country is too many people are not concerned with how their actions affect others.
 
Madea said:
I have zero problem with breastfeeding. My kids understand breastfeeding. Completely. However, I don't want them or me to see your breasts in public. Use a cover or a top designed for breastfeeding.

That's my right. :p

The free lunches are a whole nuther rant.

Tonight while googling to determine the price of my new high school student lunch I ran across an interesting statistic. 45% of the kids at my son's school receive free or reduced lunches. More surprising was that the national average is 42%.
Click to expand...

I was shocked by this and looked up Pauldings numbers. http://app3.doe.k12.ga.us/ows-bin/owa/fte_pack_frl001_public.entry_form (on the pull down screen I used last year, 2013, and Paulding, 710)

:faint WOW. I thought families had to be at poverty or less to get FRL? Isn't that about $35,000? I just know that looking at this data it just seems messed up. Half the kids in Paulding come from families that make less than that? Just randomly thinking out loud, I really need to look up the numbers.

I found the info:

Household Size* Maximum Income Level (Per Year)
1 $21,590
2 $29,101
3 $36,612
4 $44,123
5 $51,634
6 $59,145
7 $66,656
8 $74,167
*For households with more than eight people, add $7,511 per additional person. Always check with the appropriate managing agency to ensure the most accurate guidelines.
 
ShoeDiva said:
I found the info:

Household Size* Maximum Income Level (Per Year)
1 $21,590
2 $29,101
3 $36,612
4 $44,123
5 $51,634
6 $59,145
7 $66,656
8 $74,167
*For households with more than eight people, add $7,511 per additional person. Always check with the appropriate managing agency to ensure the most accurate guidelines.
Click to expand...

What is a family of one? Isn't that an individual? Would that be a teenager who doesn't have parents? Let's say the minimum family size is two (single parent, one child). If you work 30-40 hours a week (MANY employers now regulate hours to keep them under 40 so they don't have to mess with insurance issues because of... well, you know) and make ten dollars an hour with two weeks off a year, you make $20,000 a year or less. Even two parent households with one child with workers who make around $10/hr are still under the guideline. It's not a drastic guideline. I'm surprised more people don't sign up. I think many people who are eligible go ahead and feed their own kids so they don't have to do the free lunch thing at school.

In case you want a piece of the pie: The schools don't check the information. They aren't allowed to. Many illegals give false Social Security numbers and are allowed in the program. Like all federal programs it is seriously flawed. Plus, all that canned food and high sodium content isn't good for kids. They are better off with a PB&J and water and bag of carrots.
 
CeeJay said:
ShoeDiva said:
I found the info:

Household Size* Maximum Income Level (Per Year)
1 $21,590
2 $29,101
3 $36,612
4 $44,123
5 $51,634
6 $59,145
7 $66,656
8 $74,167
*For households with more than eight people, add $7,511 per additional person. Always check with the appropriate managing agency to ensure the most accurate guidelines.
Click to expand...

What is a family of one? Isn't that an individual? Would that be a teenager who doesn't have parents? Let's say the minimum family size is two (single parent, one child). If you work 30-40 hours a week (MANY employers now regulate hours to keep them under 40 so they don't have to mess with insurance issues because of... well, you know) and make ten dollars an hour with two weeks off a year, you make $20,000 a year or less. Even two parent households with one child with workers who make around $10/hr are still under the guideline. It's not a drastic guideline. I'm surprised more people don't sign up. I think many people who are eligible go ahead and feed their own kids so they don't have to do the free lunch thing at school.

In case you want a piece of the pie: The schools don't check the information. They aren't allowed to. Many illegals give false Social Security numbers and are allowed in the program. Like all federal programs it is seriously flawed. Plus, all that canned food and high sodium content isn't good for kids. They are better off with a PB&J and water and bag of carrots.
Click to expand...
Hard to argue with those numbers, they look about right to me. If you've ever been a single parent or even a couple with a kid (or two) making very little income it's nice to know the kids can at least eat a decent meal. I've seen too many struggling parents pinch corners to save money, often they pinch from the grocery list just to make ends meet. The kid's development suffers as a result which can often lead to health issues later. I'd rather my tax money go towards feeding kids than providing cell phones and EBT cards to the parents.
 
CeeJay said:
ShoeDiva said:
I found the info:

Household Size* Maximum Income Level (Per Year)
1 $21,590
2 $29,101
3 $36,612
4 $44,123
5 $51,634
6 $59,145
7 $66,656
8 $74,167
*For households with more than eight people, add $7,511 per additional person. Always check with the appropriate managing agency to ensure the most accurate guidelines.
Click to expand...

What is a family of one? Isn't that an individual? Would that be a teenager who doesn't have parents? Let's say the minimum family size is two (single parent, one child). If you work 30-40 hours a week (MANY employers now regulate hours to keep them under 40 so they don't have to mess with insurance issues because of... well, you know) and make ten dollars an hour with two weeks off a year, you make $20,000 a year or less. Even two parent households with one child with workers who make around $10/hr are still under the guideline. It's not a drastic guideline. I'm surprised more people don't sign up. I think many people who are eligible go ahead and feed their own kids so they don't have to do the free lunch thing at school.

In case you want a piece of the pie: The schools don't check the information. They aren't allowed to. Many illegals give false Social Security numbers and are allowed in the program. Like all federal programs it is seriously flawed. Plus, all that canned food and high sodium content isn't good for kids. They are better off with a PB&J and water and bag of carrots.
Click to expand...

:)) I thought that odd.


I did not realize they did not check the info because I have seen ones come back as no. (well parent comes in the office asks why they were turned down) And I agree on the food, it has become increasingly worse as the years have gone by and I am not sure what they consider healthy because the stuff I have seen I would not eat.
 
Our church did a wonderful thing with MUST Ministries this year. They delivered lunches to kids in Paulding every day during the summer so the kids would be guaranteed one meal a day. MUST Ministries identified the kids and the neighborhoods and provided the lunches, people at our church delivered them faithfully every day. I'm proud of the folks at MUST Ministries and those in our church who stepped up. Taking care of hungry kids is a great thing.

As for the cost, the daily cost for lunch for the princess at school is $3.00 a day. I'm not sure what the public schools charge, but growing up in a family with 7 kids - that can be pretty steep for some.
 
J-man said:
Hard to argue with those numbers, they look about right to me. If you've ever been a single parent or even a couple with a kid (or two) making very little income it's nice to know the kids can at least eat a decent meal. I've seen too many struggling parents pinch corners to save money, often they pinch from the grocery list just to make ends meet. The kid's development suffers as a result which can often lead to health issues later. I'd rather my tax money go towards feeding kids than providing cell phones and EBT cards to the parents.
Click to expand...

I always liked the kids better than the husband, raised two to adulthood and one well on the way. Never signed them up for free lunch, even when I was super poor. I could never bring myself to let somebody else feed my kids. Could never make myself walk into a welfare office, either. Just cleaned houses on the side when I needed more money. There were some lean years, very lean years, and I went without some things, but it was worth it. My kids didn't grow up thinking of themselves as poor or low income or free lunch kids. That is something to consider. The grown ones do well now, aren't caught in a cycle of poverty. Free lunch isn't an option to them, jobs they have to suffer through and careful spending instead.

I know everybody isn't like me, people have different situations. But it really is something to consider when you are raising kids. Can you afford them? Should you have more? Should you take a crappy job you hate? Should you not buy stuff you really don't need (or stuff you might need) and never eat out? To me it was worth it. It was the right path.

Now our country is so poverty-benefits based that people don't think about just dealing with less money and doing without. Maybe that is entitlement or maybe that is just how it is now. Not really sure. But I'm never scared about my future because I know I can do it, even the hard times.
 
CeeJay said:
Never signed them up for free lunch, even when I was super poor. I could never bring myself to let somebody else feed my kids.
Click to expand...

^^This^^

Granted...I might not have been in as desperate a situation as some people, but I have struggled. But the thought that feeding or taking care of my kid was someone else's responsibility never crossed my mind. It's my responsibility, the buck stops here. I always did and always will find a way to take care of my family.
 
Let's not lose the fact that our God tells us to help the poor. Sometimes, we get so focused on our abilities to care for ourselves and our families, that we forget that there are people out there that do need help. (And I'm not referring to those who take advantage, but about hungry kids).
 
deewee said:
I'm guessing we're awful parents because our kids ate free lunches over the summer.
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Yep, you're horrible parents... You made sure your boys got something to eat, how dare you!

:snick_bunny

(and I'm only kidding)
 
LisaC said:
deewee said:
I'm guessing we're awful parents because our kids ate free lunches over the summer.
Click to expand...

Yep, you're horrible parents... You made sure your boys got something to eat, how dare you!

:snick_bunny

(and I'm only kidding)
Click to expand...
Actually they found the food themselves. Those boys can always sniff out food! The lady that runs it told them they are always welcome, and we appreciated her kindness to our boys. :)
 
deewee said:
I'm guessing we're awful parents because our kids ate free lunches over the summer.
Click to expand...
Did they have on Nike shoes and do you have a big screen tv? :coffeespit
 
J-man said:
deewee said:
I'm guessing we're awful parents because our kids ate free lunches over the summer.
Click to expand...
Did they have on Nike shoes and do you have a big screen tv? :coffeespit
Click to expand...
Why yes, they do have Nike tennis shoes...several pair each. Wanna guess who bought them? Their mom, not us.
 
deewee said:
I'm guessing we're awful parents because our kids ate free lunches over the summer.
Click to expand...

But were your breastests covered?
 
It's hard to discuss these issues without offending people. We're all different. Some of us figure if they are serving the food go ahead and get you some. And that's fine. Some of us wouldn't let our kids near the place, especially if we have food at home. I don't know who is right or who is wrong.

They have a couple programs around here to give school supplies to the "needy." I think a few big churches around Dallas do that in Paulding still. I had to laugh because a few of the parents were complaining on Facebook that they got more "free" supplies last year and how they were going to have to go buy some things this year themselves. I guess it doesn't occur to them that those supplies are donated by people who actually buy them and maybe those people can't afford to give as much this year.

I don't give as much as I used to. I don't give at the checkout line at the store anymore or through my check to organizations. I'm not sure what they do with the money. And forced charity through taxation kills my giving spirit a little.

Do you think government assistance programs affect children? I wonder if has an effect on motivation or self-esteem or self-actualization outcomes. This is PCSD first year teacher salary: 34,846.00. For a beginning teacher with a stay at home spouse and two kids, that would qualify them for free lunch. But do they really need the free lunch? Probably not.

I would like to understand people better on this issue but it's hard to ask people why they would take something if they honestly don't need it. Yes, free stuff would help every family, but not every family does it. Why do some and not others? It is hard to talk about because there is an inherent judgment: YOU do that and I don't. It's hard not to sound like that. I think you would have to see my face while I'm asking to know I really do just wonder. For my part, the idea that nothing is free, that it comes from some other person who wasn't asked to donate is what stops me (along with not wanting my kids to ever think they are poor or that I can't take care of them).

If free lunch eligibility were set at the poverty level instead of 150% of the poverty level, nobody would even question it. I wouldn't.

I don't feel guilty that I prefer to feed my own kids. I just don't. And I'm not going to get sucked into feeling badly about not taking stuff I don't really need. I would feel badly if I DID take something I didn't really need. If you really need it, you shouldn't be offended. But if you don't REALLY need it, it probably doesn't hurt to at least think about it.
 
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