If you read the rest of that NHTSA link it goes on to further explain that once your kid hits height/weight thresholds for their present seat, then you can move up to the next progression as long as you're in those age windows. So the chart is not really telling people to move up solely based on age. It may not be ideal, but since each seat manufacturer/model has slightly different height/weight recommendations, its hard to put out "definitive" guidance.
You're not arguing with me but you keep throwing that at me to basically say I'm either wrong or no one agrees. Like Name P. Redacted said when within the limits rear facing is safer end of story. That is not debatable. You can find whatever chart out there that says it's okay but that doesn't mean it is the safest. Again I moved my kid early, not acting like I'm perfect. But the question was asked and there is no one size fits all aside from the SAFEST option being keeping them rear as long as possible.
If I wanted to say you are wrong, I have the vocabulary to do so. I agree with you. I said “no one agrees” to back up my claim that “You will never get near unanimous consensus on this.”. And that is why I also posted the link from the NHTSA. Leave in rear facing ad long as possible. It is what we did even though our kid is a freak on the size scale. But, still plenty of people/groups/sources will still tell you you can do otherwise. That is it, that is the only point I was making.
Can do is different than it being the safest option. I really don't get the pushback here. Even from your NHTSA link: To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements
Took the 2.5 month old on his first flights last week, had connecting flights both ways but he handled it like a champ. Each leg was only ~1 hour so that made it easier but he mostly slept or fed the entire time except for about 5 total minutes of crying across 4 flights. Trying to get him used to it and take these trips before he's mobile and it's a bigger pain in the ass.
Ok narrowing down July trip with 2 kids. Options we are leaning to are Boston and Chicago...or stay in Orlando. But kinda want to get away. Kids are 2.5 and 5 so leaning Chicago with multiple navy pier, zoos, museums, aquarium, and whatnot. Maybe swing by and catch a #Chicago Cubs game. We're bad at making up our minds.
This post from another thread reminds me of a great time last night, in which I got in trouble with the wife. We had burgers. Levi ate his burger patty but stalled on the bacon and fried potatoes. My weird dad brain immediately thinks of this song and how “bacon & potatoes” is phonetically similar to “apples & bananas.” So I immediately starting singing this song and start subbing in the vowel sounds into “bacon and potatoes.” All was going well. Started with long A. Then long E. Then short I… Me - “I like to eat eat eat bicin & pititties” Wife [not happy] - “Aaron” Me [laughing] - “what, it is the song?” Levi [starts laughing loudly] “titties, titties, titties.”
Had to give my daughter the literal heimlich yesterday after she started choking on some bacon and couldn't clear it. Dad once again proving he's a superhero
3-Day Holiday weekend: Son wakes up at 5:45 AM each day Today: Had to go into his room and wake him up at 7:15 so he could get to Kindergarten on time.
Thanks for the reminder. I’ve been holding off on 529s until a good pullback and here we are. This is the best use of $20k for my kids because of the tax free capital gains. You da man (for inadvertently reminding me).
33 years on earth before being a dad : broke a bone twice in my life 20 months as a dad : broke a bone twice directly related to being a dad. After tripping over something at 2 am trying to feed my son and breaking two toes when he was baby, last night he flailed his head straight backwards into my nose that I'm now pretty sure broke it (doesn't seem like a bad break so I haven't gone to doctors yet)
Fucking hell, I just had him solo for 12 days while wife was in S Korea on work, he surely wore me down before delivering that knockout.
Let's talk savings for your kids. I'm going to start a 529 plan soon. But that is exclusively for education. I'll open a bank account for her as well. Money in the bank account will go towards a car one day and other expenses. How much are yall shooting for for college? I read $60k for 4 year public and $100k+ for private. I'm thinking $100k ? How much are yall shooting for in terms of non 529 savings /savings account? Maybe another $100k by the time they turn 18? What big ticket expenses $10k+ are out there other than car/college/wedding that need to be on my radar? Alternatively you could just have a 529 plan and pay for everything else that comes up out of your regular savings and just put all birthday money etc from family into the 529 account.
Bank account gives jack shit ROI. Seems silly to set up an account for the purpose you’re talking about — compared to when they’re older and you want to teach banking/financial principles. Just pay for things normally but maybe increase the baseline dollar amount you keep in your emergency fund. Also who knows how the next two decades will go but those tuitions are laughably low and arent far from what college kids are paying now.
Just checked four years of tuition at Kansas’ premier institute of higher learning K-State is about $42k.
I've heard people say they are shooting for $200-300k but that seems crazy. If my kid wants to go to a super expensive out of state or private school they better get some scholarships .
You’re asking details for things that will vary wildly from family to family so it is gonna be tough to build a consensus. For reference each of my kids’ 529 plans started at $100/mo and increases by $25/year. No clue what the projected value of the funds will be when they mature, and I’m sure I’ll have to tweak the monthly payments at some point, but it’s what works for us now.
Planning for college is a crapshoot for myriad reasons. My sister is a CFP/CPA and she has horror stories of wasted money. I’d be careful thinking about putting six figures in a 529. Her advice to me was to use 529 as a baseline fund and plan to subsidize in other ways. It’s hard to get out from under an overfunded 529.
I don't have a dollar figure in mind. It's impossible to project what higher ed will look like in 18 years. I do know for Ohio I can deduct up to 4k from our income if we put it in the 529. So aiming for that every year
Took my kids to Chicago at similar ages. Stay somewhere on Michigan Avenue and most of what you’ll want to see is in walking distance. This was like 10 years ago so maybe things have changed but back then I bought the City Pass booklet to a bunch of different tourist venues. It helps you skip the line for things like the the museums and the Willis Tower. The kids will love the Field Museum and the aquarium right next door.
There is no telling what college costs are going to be in 18+ years. If they continue at the rate they have been increased since 2010 then we are all screwed. My guess is they will level out at some point. I have been doing $150/month for each kid into each 529, the rest of my savings going into index funds. As others have mentioned i'm planning on subsidizing my kids college through both. If my kids started college this year I would tell them I will pay for all your in state needs, but if you want to go out of state then you better have a damn good reason and/or some form of financial aid.
We set up a 529 that we put money in monthly. The goal is to have $50-60K in there by the time he is eighteen. I also pay into an investment account that by the time he is eighteen I will be able to take cash out to make up the difference if it is necessary. I'd love for him to be able to go where ever he wants and not saddle him with any loans for undergrad. If he decides to go to UF where his mom went, then it will be pretty cheap with Bright Futures picking up 75% of the tuition(if that is still a thing in 12 years).
I guess the biggest advantage to not doign a brokerage account is the brokerage account is after tax dollars and the 529 is pre tax dollars and the growth might not get taxed either. I'd say you are pretty safe with at least $50k in a 529. Even in state isn't going to be cheaper than that.
Looking at the University of Alabama it is $25k for tuition, fees, room ,board, books, trapsortation , misc, and loan fee estimate for a total of $31k for in state a year . It's $51k out of state. Probably similar for other in state schools.
Florida public schools are still pretty inexpensive compared to other states I think. Tuition is around $6,500 per year for in-state and around $28K for out-of-state.
I say this out of kindness, but how much reading have you actually done on 529 plans? You seem like you're just wading into the waters. 529 contributions are federal post-tax, their growth is tax-free if used for qualified education expenses. There is not "maybe" or "might be". It's outlined in law.
Instate at UF=$22k per year for tuition, books, computer, housing, food, transposition, clothing /maintenance, personal https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/cost/
that's my bad. Yah after tax. Got it flip flopped. And yes I am just now wading into it. That's why I am asking questions.
We’ve been on summer break for a week already. After 2-3 days of my kids getting up at 6am to watch tv, I just started lying to them. “We have to get up early tomorrow to take care of some things. No tv and just a quick breakfast so we can hit the road.” My 7yo just got out of bed
We stopped putting money in 529 due to uncertainty and hoping our kids get scholarships or Bernie's ghost will someday get elected president and all public college will be free. We do have family members who contribute to it and there was a sizable initial investment that will hopefully grow into something substantial, but the wife and I decided any funds we personally contribute or cash gifts from family that's not specified for 529 will go to an investment account we'll use for large expenses - cars, first home, or just straight cash when they reach certain age.
Anyone got one of these? Just noticed a nice hidden spot (decent sized) of dried milk under the car seat in my truck. Will probably need to spot treat that to get it out. Looking to prevent spills and stains as he gets older and we have our second.
Use the NY or Virginia plans for 529s. Set up an UTMA if you're going to park money for cars, etc. Your broker can handle these for you if you like spending 125+ bps on it, otherwise you can do the 529 directly with the State programs and setup an UTMA through Fidelity. ETA: If you have more than one kid, the beneficiary of the 529 can be changed to a younger sibling if the elder child gets scholarships, etc.
I deposit $5k per kid per birthday in their 529 starting with their birth. It may change at some point but seemed like a nice round number to accumulate from and I didn’t want it too high/low. We are in the California 529 plan because I liked the investment options and fees.