Welcome to my August diary! Some visitors, family catch ups, an interesting storage cage money loss/side hustle story, net worth update, puppy training, school camp for Andy and lots of new TeachingBrave articles!
My Personal Update
I had a couple of visitors this month! My mum came to stay with me for a few days as she came to Sydney for her grandaughter’s (my niece’s) first birthday! We had a beautiful celebration for little Lily and she received a ridiculously gorgeous, extravagant and amazing present from her uncle (my brother) – a remote control Mercedes which she sits in, while an adult ‘drives’ the car. Like I said, ridiculous but amazing! It was nice to see mum and spend some time with her and other family, especially for beautiful events like this.
I also had a friend from interstate come and stay and we enjoyed some dinners out, caught up with some mutual friends and had lazy mornings, full-body massages and watched movies. The best thing was, I didn’t need to consult anyone for time off work as working from home on websites allows me that flexibility.
There was also lots of puppy training and time for some home truths – I need to make more of an effort in my dating life. Working from home has reduced the amount of time I’m out and about, and I end up getting the shits with online dating sites, so then I just end up, well, not dating. While I’m happy with my life and it’s a full life, I feel like I would like to get back into the dating scene. Dating can be so hard! But ultimately, I would like to be in another relationship someday, and that won’t happen if I work from home, and in my spare time.. stay home.. hahaha. Anyone else feel me?!?!
Money
Time for another net worth update!
I’m not sure about others but with the drop in the share market, my net worth has dropped slightly. In April of this year I recorded a net worth of $439,272 which was an increase of around $17k since December last year. It also took into account the listing of my website business, and the valuation of my property which was an increase from what I estimated. My Net worth as of Aug 2022 is now $437,522 which is a drop of $1750 since April. This is largely due to my Superannuation having a large market drop, as well as a drop in my shares. I am assuming my home is worth around the same as a few months ago and that my car, website and belongings are worth around the same. My savings have also remained consistent, with a healthy Emergency Fund of about $25k. I used the Money Smart website’s net worth calculator which is FREE and easy to use. You can find it HERE.
Here’s an interesting story for you.. A couple of years ago, I decided that I didn’t need all the space in my large storage cage which I have in the garage area of my apartment building. This storage cage is about the size of a whole garage and could fit a small car. I didn’t have much stuff to store myself so I decided to try to rent it out privately. After advertising on Gumtree, I found someone who was happy to rent the space from me for the storage of his office equipment and other household items. He paid me for a few months upfront and for a year and a half, he paid me $150 per month, consistently. I thought this was an awesome side hustle idea! Until.. he disappeared!
I tried contacting him several times after he stopped paying me but his phone had been disconnected! I never got any other details from him other than his phone number (big mistake!) and he was so consistent with paying me, that I wasn’t concerned. After 6 months with no payment from him, no contact at all and no signs that he had been to the storage cage, I decided I had to do something! I asked around for advice and even called the police for advice. I had a duplicate key for the cage and after looking at a few of his items, realised that some of it was quite valuable. What choice did I have?!! The police told me that officially, they couldn’t help me as it was a private agreement and therefore a civil matter for which I would have to pay for legal advice. Unofficially, the same officer told me just to try to sell his stuff and try to regain back some money for the payments he had failed to make. This is a tricky situation, but I have started doing just that! I have sold a few items and regained back a few hundred dollars so far. It feels very strange to sell his items, but at the same time, if I wanted to sell my apartment, I would have to pay to get rid of his stuff! If I ever rent it out again, I will get a driver’s licence copy, and several other contact details. I learned from my mistake! And I’m still selling items. Have you ever come across something like this?? What are your thoughts?
You can read my top 17 tips for selling items online HERE.
Parenting and Co-parenting
Andy finally got the opportunity to go on primary school camp! I still remember my camps to Hill End in Year 5 and Canberra in Year 6. Andy is off to the central coast and was SO excited, especially after missing out on camp for the last 2 years due to Covid. I was equally excited for him, knowing that primary school camp is like a rite of passage and so good for his feelings of independence. He only left yesterday so I’m looking forward to the full update when he returns home. He was most excited about the bus trip with mates, adventure activities and late night chats in the cabin with his friends. I think I remember all those things too.
Parenting of my little fluffball has been getting a bit easier as we get to know each other! We try to be consistent with the puppy training but there’s so much to learn! I would love to hear from other puppy parents who are living in an apartment! Toilet training and sleeping we have sorted which is a huge plus, and while I thought we had some basic commands sorted, it turns out if you don’t keep up with these repetitively every day, sometimes your pup just decides they don’t want to listen anymore! Pup parents reach out!
Professional
I have been continuing to work from home managing a website portfolio, as contract work. This has allowed me to have flexibility in terms of my time which has been extremely valuable to me. I have also enjoyed the work and I’m learning lots of new digital skills!
I have also made an effort to continue relationships with friends and colleagues from my old workplace. I have received some VERY interesting feedback from some of them regarding the child care centre I resigned from. Only a few staff stayed on after I resigned and since then, more have resigned due to bad management and poor working conditions! In the current climate of a serious lack of educators in the child care industry, it baffles me as to why business owners are still treating their staff so poorly and not trying their absolute best to keep good staff!
Teaching Brave Update
GUEST POSTS:
During August I wrote an article as a guest post for Kiddipedia.com on Managing Allergies in Children in the Early Years. I discussed the importance of: Understanding the Allergy, Educating those who are caring for your child, Educating your child and ensuring you Always have medications handy and IN DATE. You can read the full article on Kiddipedia HERE. I also have a comprehensive article on Children and Anaphylaxis which I wrote for my blog. You can read the Anaphylaxis article HERE.
In August I published the following articles:
ACCS – What Exactly Is Additional Child Care Subsidy? – The Australian government can provide extra financial assistance to eligible families in the way of Additional Child Care Subsidy. There’s the grandparent subsidy, the transition to work subsidy, the temporary financial hardship subsidy and child wellbeing subsidy. Families must already be eligible for the Child care Subsidy to be eligible for ACCS. Full details in the article.
What Is Laissez Faire Parenting? Is It Bad? – It’s interesting to learn about and write about different parenting styles! Laissez Faire parenting is also known as permissive parenting. It’s generally characterized by parents having very few rules or boundaries for their children. There are pros and cons with this parenting style. Take a look!
Best Advice For New Parents – 10 Tips – I put these tips together after careful consideration of my own experience, those of friends and family, and after 20 years working in the early childhood industry. Tips include being aware of safety issues, trusting your gut as a parent, and asking for help when you need it! Check out the 10 tips and let me know what you would add!
Best Recipes For Messy Play – Playdough, Goop, Cloud Dough & More – This is a fun one! Messy Play is vital for little ones! I’ve always made my own playdough, goop and cloud dough and the kids have enjoyed giving me feedback on how successful the recipe was! Check out the best, easiest recipes for fun messy play!
What Is The Difference Between Authoritarian And Authoritative Parenting Styles? – More parenting styles. Who came up with these names? There’s actually a big difference between authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles. One is more balanced, whereas the other one is more dominating and may not allow for the child to have much of a ‘voice’.
What Are The Best Australian Prams? – There are several that really stand out! The Uppababy Vista is certainly a popular choice and an awesome design! It really depends what you are looking for in a pram or stroller but take a look at these top picks!
School Readiness Program; Best One For Pre-Schoolers – I have implemeneted school readiness programs for the past 20 years + in early childhood settings and have received very positive feedback from parents, as well as local schools. I always placed primary importance on social and emotional readiness before anything else. So in this article, I share what we covered in our school readiness program and why.
KIDS FIRST AID
Have you had a look at my Kids First Aid review?? I’m a huge advocate for having current, up-to-date First Aid knowledge as it saves lives. For those that don’t need to have an official First Aid qualification but who need to build their First Aid knowledge, this course is perfect. It’s only 2 hours, all online and delivered by paramedics. It covers the 10 most common emergencies involving children and signing up gives you lifetime access. You can read my full review of the Kids First Aid course here. If you’re interested to get started right away, you can sign up HERE. Don’t forget to use my promo code TEACHINGBRAVE for a $10 discount.
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Liz. : )
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