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2012
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Learning how to raise successful children
Nationally recognized pediatrician and author Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg will speak in the Washington D.C. area about how to raise successful children and build resilience. The Parent Encouragement Program is offering a 20% discount on tickets for DCUM readers, for both the evening talk at the Bullis School, on Wednesday, Oct. 24, and the morning talk at the Woman's Club of Chevy Chase on Thursday, Oct. 25.
PEP offers DCUM readers a 20% discount on upcoming parenting talks.
When I first heard that Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg was coming to speak in the Washington D.C. area, I thought: what can an expert on adolescents say that's relevant to me? My girls are barely 6 and 8 years old, and we're (I thought) far from needing a toolkit for parents of teens. But my favorite volunteer cause, the Parent Encouragement Program, is bringing him to town, so I picked up his book, "Letting Go With Love and Courage," and signed up to interview him for a Washington Parent Q&A on his advice for building resilience in children.
New Book Explores Balance for Women Attorneys
Susan Smith Blakely offers female attorneys practical and workable solutions for true work-life balance.
Jessica McFadden of A Parent in Silver Spring recently had the opportunity to interview Susan Smith Blakely, the author of the new book Best Friends at the Bar: the New Balance for Today's Woman Lawyer. Blakely lives in Great Falls and has turned to writing after retiring as a law firm partner after 25 years of private and public practice.
A follow-up to her first book, Best Friends at the Bar: What Women Need to Know About a Career in the Law,
Get Your [Marital] Flu Shot
It only takes 30 seconds a day to inoculate you and your loved one from this season's "relationship flu."
The flu is on its way.
I don’t just mean the seasonal flu virus, the one that billboards and news reports are encouraging you to inoculate your kids against. I’m talking about the flu that many marriages and partnerships come down with at this time of year. The one where all your energy gets tied up in helping the kids back to school, leaving nothing left for the person who balances the other side of the family seesaw.
In my counseling office, where I work with both individual parents and couples, the stress of this annual transition is on full display right now. Symptoms of this partnership flu may be irritability, isolation, or full blown lack of intimacy. But there is something simple you can do to vaccinate your marriage against coming down with this illness. It’s also quick, free, and even fun to do.
Top 10 Estate Planning Mistakes
During my time as an estate attorney, I have seen many people make many mistakes when it comes to wills and trusts. I have posted this article in an effort to prevent you from making similar mistakes. What many fail to realize is that this is not about death or a morbid fascination with such events. Rather, this is about about empowerment and making sure that you save your loved ones from having to deal with these issues after the fact.
Avoid these10 Common Estate Planning Mistakes
As a Personal Family Lawyer®, I see many of the same estateplanning mistakes made time and again by people who either fail to planproperly or who use “do-it-yourself” estate planning websites or forms in an effortto save money.
Without professional guidance, this can cause more problemsfor your heirs and end up depleting estate assets by far more than what youcould potentially “save” by doing it yourself online.
A qualified estate planning attorney or Personal FamilyLawyer® can help you avoid these 10 common estate planning mistakes:
1. Failure to leaveany written documentation of your assets, including a list of your onlineaccounts and passwords
2. Failure to let
Washington Nationals Offer DCUM Discounted Tickets
DCUM Users can receive discounted tickets for the remaining Nationals games.
Are you ready for some baseball? Yes, the season is coming to an end. But, standing atop their division, the Washington Nationals' season will likely not be ending with the regular season. If you'd like to catch one of the games that may lead to a Washington baseball team's first winning season in decades, you can now receive a discount off the price of a ticket. When purchasing tickets from "http://nationals.com/tickets" simply enter the code "CASEY" to receive an exclusive DCUM discount.
A full details available here: 
DCUM Nationals Discount.
You've hired a nanny...now what?
I've worked for GTM Payroll Services for 11 years and one of the most common questions I've heard over the years is, "I've just hired a nanny. Now what do I do?" From reading many of the posts on this site, I've come to understand how familiar that question is and that many people are in the same situation, wondering what their responsiblities are. I am hoping this article helps.
So you’ve decided to hire a nanny; you’ve made an offer and it’s been accepted. Now what? Chances are that you’ll now need to become familiar with the term nanny tax. According to IRS Publication 926, once an employee is paid $1800 or more in compensation from one employer, those wages are subject to Social Security and Medicare tax withholding. Employing someone in your home is a genuine business and is recognized as one by the federal, state and local governments.
Usually one of the first questions to come up is: Does the nanny file her own taxes – or do I? The answer to that is household employers are ONLY required to withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes for a nanny. The nanny is responsible for filing his/her own Federal and State income taxes. However, although employers are not required to withhold income taxes, when clients ask us, we usually recommend doing so. This way, nannies are not left with a big tax bill to pay when they file their tax return.
Top 7 Things to Know Before Hiring a Wills, Trusts or Estate Attorney
As a wills, trusts and estate attorney, I have come to realize that many people are unsure of what criteria to use when deciding which attorney to hire to help them protect their family. I hope this article helps to describe a few of the things that any parent should take into account when deciding whether to hire a wills, trusts and estate attorney at all.
The Top 7 Things to Know
Before You Hire a Wills, Trusts orEstate Attorney
You shouldconsider several different questions before you sign an agreement with anyattorney, but this is even more important when it comes to hiring a wills,trusts or estate attorney. This attorney will address sensitive family andfinancial issues that range from helping you pass assets on to your childrenand close family members, to protecting you from unnecessary taxes, to helpingyou determine the best person to make medical decisions on your behalf. This iswhy you need to know the answers to the seven questions discussed in this
