Chapel Hill NC Home Blog

Chapel Hill High School will host College Financial Aid Night on Thursday November 29th at 7pm in the Hanes Auditorium.  Students as well as their parents may attend.  Information will be given on how to apply for financial aid for college.  Representatives from a university financial aid office, the College Foundation of North Carolina and the Equal Opportunity Center will be there as presenters.

With the rising cost of a college education, this is one meeting you may not want to miss.

I’ve recently read several articles on childhood obesity.  After some research, I learned it’s a growing problem in North Carolina.  1 out of 5 of our school age kids are overweight.  The North Carolina School Board now requires 30 minutes of daily physical activity for elementary and middle school kids.  I think there should be a high school requirement as well.  More than 70% of our Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School teachers have completed training to provide healthier, more active classrooms.  These are all steps in the right direction however the CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends 60 minutes of exercise each day.

You are your childs best exercise buddy.  You can help them stay motivated by exercising together.  Get them involved in activities you may already be doing or allow them to make an exercise suggestion you can participate in together.  My daughter  asks if I can stay in the same room while she is on the treadmill or bicycle to help her stay motivated.   She also walks and runs with her friends.   

Sleep deprivation also plays a part in childhood obesity.  Tired kids are less likely to exercise and more likely to sit on the couch and eat junk food.  I do know when I don’t sleep well, I crave sweets, even early in the morning. 

Every step teachers and parents take to encourage exercise, promote healthy eating habits and get a good night sleep, are all positive steps in trying to prevent childhood obesity.

STACI 

What is the best way to prevent the spread of germs?  Most viruses are spread when someone sneezes or coughs.  The germs then drop onto surfaces that we touch.  Washing your hands with or without soap is the best way to remove most germs.  Cleaning surfaces such as doorknobs, desks, tables and countertops more frequently also helps.

There is a huge market for antibacterial soaps but do they really help?  Most infectious diseases are caused by viruses, not bacteria.  Antibacterial soaps are not designed to kill viruses.  Therefore it is best to spend your money on plain soap.  Research has shown that washing your hands with water or water and plain soap is just as good at removing bacteria and viruses that using antibacterial soap with water.

As you can see, the best way to stay healthy during the cold and flu season is simple; wash your hands whenever you can, cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze, dont send your kids to school when they are sick,  don’t share food and drinks, get a good night sleep and practice healthy habits.

Many parents are buying real estate for their college aged student.  For students, a house or condo allows them to pick their roommates and offers more services.  For parents, it may help to lower the cost of a very expensive college education.  If you do your homework, sometimes a house or condo may be less expensive than paying for dorm fees or apartment rent.

In addition to providing a place for your child to live, you also want a property that you can keep fully occupied and that will produce rental income to at least cover some of your mortgage, tax and insurance costs.

Before investing you must weigh the pros and cons of purchasing residential rental property.  You want property that is affordable and that wont be too difficult to sell after graduation.

Another advantage is that you may be able to deduct your mortgage interest, property tax and some other expenses.

First you should look into the real estate market in your target area.  Is it a growing community?  Will the house/condo appreciate in value over a short period of time or at least maintain its value?  An experienced real estate broker should be able to help you and provide you with this information.

Another idea is to put your childs name on the title.  It will help them to create a credit history.

Even in a slow market, over a reasonable period of time, most real estate tends to increase in value, so this idea may be just what you are looking for.