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The SBfamilies.com Team

 by Otto Grozinger, Financial Services Professional

You've stocked up on Boudreaux's Butt Paste and diapers. You've bought the crib, Pack "n' Play, and stroller. However, no amount of planning will prepare you for the day when your child is born. All of a sudden, you're cradling another human being that will look up to you for love and guidance.

As your children travel the long and never-dull road from infancy to adulthood, you will nurture them, worry about them, scold them, and love them. Most of all, you want to protect them. You want them to grow up in a stable world, one in which they are physically safe and financially secure.

Safeguard your childrens' financial future: DRAFT OR UPDATE YOUR WILL, REVIEW LIFE INSURANCE, SAVINGS FOR COLLEGE >>>read more

Below is only a partial list of upcoming events and activities so be sure to click on our EVENT CALENDAR so you do not miss anything >>

Use the PARENT PLANNER to click on events and resources you are interested in and click PRINT MY PLANNER to print or email your list.

SCHOOL CALENDARS - AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
CAMP CALENDAR -  2009 PARENTS' PICKS

Eden Gardens Elementary Magnet - Tues., Sept., 29
South Highlands Elementary Magnet - Thurs., Oct., 1
Fairfield Elementary Magnet - Tues., Oct., 6

See Events Calendar>>> for details

Caddo Parish Magnet Program will begin accepting elementary magnet applications Oct. 13, 2009 for the 2010-2011 School Year. Deadline for elementary applications is January 16, 2010. Magnet Middle School applications will also be available Oct. 13 but the deadline is January 30, 2010.

We'll be posting more magnet information and links to applications in upcoming eNewsletters.

SWINE FLU!  The most dreaded words a parent hears lately.  It happened to my family and we survived.

When I first learned about the Swine Flu last spring I assumed it would remain far away from Louisiana.  Then, school began and it's everywhere in the Southeast.

Early Sunday morning, my son, Ben, woke up with a bad headache and a fever of a 100.2. I thought to myself, "OMG...what if he has Swine Flu? What will we do?  What if we all get it?  AAHH!"

We visited the doctor first thing and Ben was diagnosed with what we all feared, THE SWINE FLU!  I had a tiny panic attack!

Ok, now what?  Do we have to live in a bubble so others won't get it? I had to get the medicine and can't leave Ben in the car by himself (it's a law). Needless to say, shopping, picking up my daughter from school and other errands proved to be very challenging.

My husband and I got online and found www.flu.gov.  It has great information from the CDC and offers resources on how to protect your family from illness and what to do if you do get the flu. 

After 1 day of feeling really bad, thanks to his prescription and some good rest, Ben was back on his feet and ready to take on the world.  He was literally bouncing off walls with boredom while waiting to be fever free for 24 hours (school policy).

Hope you and your family stay healthy during this pandemic, but if you don't, rest comfortably knowing other families, like mine, have survived. 

 Jennifer @ SBfamilies.com

By Jenna McCarty

You may firmly believe that the only person qualified to care for your child is one who is directly responsible for his or her genetic profile. If that is your stance, I respect and applaud you and wish you endless rewarding years of uninterrupted, round-the-clock quality time with your offspring.

However, there may come a time-you have a proctologist appointment, your best friend gets arrested and you need to bail her out of jail, your partner is away on a business trip and you get invited to a Tupperware party-when you need an hour or seven of child-free time. This is, of course, just a vague possibility. But should it occur, rather than scrambling for last-minute help (everyone has caller ID these days, and trust me, no one answers when they see the name of a new parent flashing across the screen), it's wise to be prepared. Just in case.

If money is no object, feel free to start with a high-priced nanny service and interview nothing but their arsenal of thoroughly prescreened and overqualified applicants. You can also take out your own ad in the local paper, post one at a local college or on their web site, or try advertising free in SBfamilies.com Classifieds or a job site like Craigslist or Monster. Here's a sample ad you might want to consider >>>read on