Money, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Help Your Mother Prepare for Retirement

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Help Your Mother Prepare for Retirement Mother’s Day is almost here, so start shopping for the flowers or candy for Mom. But this year, why not also go beyond the traditional? Specifically, if your mother is still working but getting close to retirement, consider providing her with a gift that can help make her days as a retiree more pleasant. Here are a few suggestions: Contribute to her IRA. As long as your mother is employed, she can contribute to an IRA, and she may already have one. If so, help her fund it for 2016. You can’t contribute directly … Continue reading Help Your Mother Prepare for Retirement

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Raising teenagers in North America: why the constant fight with Haitian-parents?

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Leaving Haiti to settle in North America brings many different challenges for parents. While parents struggle to make ends meet, they have to constantly worry about the impact of the American culture on the values they learned in Haiti. The constantly changing limits of sex, drugs, and gender are great source of frustrations for parents who lived in a country where conversations about sex were limited; drugs usage were low or non-existent, and gender lines were rigid. The cultural difference is an important factor that affects teenagers and Haitian parents. Haiti is a conservative country. Conversations about sex are so … Continue reading Raising teenagers in North America: why the constant fight with Haitian-parents?

EducationLeave a comment

Kreyol or French: Communication in Haiti is more than a language issue.

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The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw Growing up, I used to hear my Dad say often to some people: “Sa’m di ou fè a, sé pa li ou fè” (You did not do what I told you to do). What if Haitians did not have a language problem? What if the real problem was communication? Many people thought that the inability for the general population to speak French instead of Kreyol was an handicap to the development of the country. They started to push kreyol into classrooms and … Continue reading Kreyol or French: Communication in Haiti is more than a language issue.

Lifestyle5 Comments

5 reasons why many of our Haitian-American women are still single

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Haitian-American single women have a very challenging time in finding suitable partners. If you ask them why, they will reply “Oh well, I couldn’t find the right guy” or “I don’t have time for a relationship” or “I’m focusing on my career” and so on. But are these the real reasons why more and more Haitian-American women are single? The numbers do not lie, here are 5 reasons why they are still single. Check this out! 1. Less men are available. Haitian-American women are less likely to date outside of their community than Haitian-American men. There is not an equal … Continue reading 5 reasons why many of our Haitian-American women are still single

Raising KidsLeave a comment

Say good bye to spanking

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Many Haitian parents will not believe that it is possible to raise children without spanking or other corporal punishments.  These parents know of no other way to discipline their children.  In Haiti, even when wrong, spanking is permitted. In some circle, spanking your kid is a sign of love.  A sign that you are ready to do everything necessary to make sure they are raised right. In the US and many other countries, spanking and corporal punishments are not acceptable practice.  Parents can get punished for recurring to these abusive methods.  We would like parents to understand that when they … Continue reading Say good bye to spanking

Fun ActivitiesLeave a comment

Fun Indoor Activities for your Kids – and Yes, Television is not Included

haitianparents

  There are plenty of ways to entertain kids throughout the seasons and away from television or video games.  Reading is an all time favorite, but I do admit that even the best book can get you bored.  What else to do with the kids, simple: 1- Have a tea party.  Iced tea makes a perfect refreshment any time of the year. Have your kids prepare a large jug of iced tea, slice the lemon, and use some fancy tea cups.  Set the table very nicely as if you were going to receive someone very important. Then, drink the iced … Continue reading Fun Indoor Activities for your Kids – and Yes, Television is not Included

EducationLeave a comment

How many languages should we teach a child to succeed in 2035?

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Among bilingual parents, the dilemma over how many languages to teach their children is more pronounced nowadays. Some parents think that speaking English is enough and will help children make friends faster in school or daycare. Other parents think that having a child learn a second language will provide them a competitive edge later on in life. Before we move on, we need to explain the term bilingual. The Census Bureau states that about 20% of Americans are bilingual. That number represents only the people who speak another language at home and does not include anyone who has learned to … Continue reading How many languages should we teach a child to succeed in 2035?