By: P.B.J.

Beneficial… that’s the word I would say best describes what investing at a young age can be for you. This can happen in many different ways, whether financially, learning to organize yourself for the future, patience, and multiple other attributes. In this blogging series, we will tell you why you should invest at a young age and how to use your money to its fullest potential in the world of finance.  I know, I know I haven’t even convinced you why you should invest your money, and I’m already trying to tell you how to use it. From now on, I promise I’ll only tell you why investing is beneficial.   

Learning Patience

Learning patience at a young age will help you throughout your entire life. I mean, literally, you will need this skill forever. Although you or I might not like it,  patience is a necessary skill to have when investing. Investing your hard-earned money is already tricky. There is a chance of losing it. Invested money can’t actually be relied on because you might lose it. So never invest money that you can’t afford to lose. It’s also hard because choosing what to invest in is brutal. But then, putting it into a business where you have no control over the money, like in the stock market, you must realize there is a risk. Knowing you could lose it is excruciating. Hopefully, by the time you finish this series of blogs, you will be able to research what you’re investing in and be confident in your investment. This helped me a ton when I first started knowing what I was investing in and if I knew it was worth the risk. It gave me the patience to sit by and let my portfolio grow on its own.

Creating profits

We are finally here for what you are really reading this blog for — making money. Whether you are young or old, you need money. Everyone does, whether you need to buy your first car or put down another payment on your house; money is a necessity throughout life. So why let your money just sit around? Put it to good use; let it work for you. 

The average gain on the stock market yearly is ten percent!  This is no guarantee that you will make money; investing is risky, but now is the time to do it. When you are young, you have no bills to pay weekly and more time to research what you’re investing in. Let your money work for you.

Researching 

To make profits in investing, you need to know what you are investing in and how much to invest. To know all these things, you need to research them. This is probably the most essential thing to do before investing your money. 

Research is a very useful life skill. People who want to succeed at something invest time into it. By learning what you can get out of it, you will understand how to best earn back your money, plus more. You never know how much earning potential you have until you try. Starting your journey into investing will help you learn the easiest and most efficient way for you to research something.  

Final Thoughts

By now, I’ve convinced you why you should start investing at a young age. If you are still on the ropes, all I ask is for you to consider the pros and cons of investing and explore your options.  I really hope that you are willing to put in the time and effort. Succeeding at making money and finding financial freedom will provide you with opportunities bigger than you could ever dream of.

By: Rebecca Mountain (Pen Name)

Hi! My name is Rebecca. I am an 8th grader in North Carolina. I love art!

Let’s talk about art, but more specifically, blending colors. I like to paint instead of using markers and colored pencils because I find this medium easier to use. When you blend paint, something magical happens. It’s kind of hard to explain. But once you experience well-blended art, you’ll understand. 

 

I am sure that my tips can help you blend markers and colored pencils as well. Blending colors isn’t hard. You just have to have fun doing it. One thing that you should pay close attention to is the colors that you are blending.

Some colors make brown when you blend them, and you don’t want to make your art look muddy. For example, purple and yellow make brown, so you won’t want to blend those, unless you are trying to make a color look like dirt or chocolate. Yellow and green don’t make brown so those would be good to blend instead. If you aren’t sure which colors make brown and which ones don’t, you can look at a color wheel. It is a chart that shows primary colors and what they make when mixed. It can also show you what colors compliment each other, and which don’t.    

There are two reasons to blend paint. One is to make a new color, and the other is to make the lines between two paints look great. Artistic people blend colors because they want two colors to come together without the colors mixing completely. A good way to start is to get two colors that you want to blend. Let’s say that those colors are pink and blue. You can begin by building up the colors. Then when they are opaque, you can blend.  

                           

Next, dip your paintbrush into the pink, and then you can brush it lightly on the blue. Then dip your paintbrush into the blue and start mixing them. Make sure you don’t have a lot of paint on the brush because the blue can easily cover up the pink since it’s darker. When you blend, you want to make sure that you don’t have a lot of paint on the blended area. 

Let’s say that you over blended. That means that one color has taken over the other color. Say the blue took over the pink, then you can go back over the blue with the pink. When you do this, make sure you don’t have a lot of paint on the brush, and be sure you don’t completely cover the blue. Try to blend them into each other again and try to use smaller stokes. 

When it comes to making your blended paint look great, there is no stopping point. When you think it looks good, then it’s done. Your art should be based on you and what you like. The point of art is to be creative. The most important thing is to have fun with your artwork. Now you should try it for yourself — it’s pretty awesome!

Do you want to learn how to skate? My name is Zeek, and I am a middle school student who loves cheeseburgers! A little bacon and mayo on top, and you’ve got the best burger ever. Besides cheeseburgers, I love to skateboard. Before we get started, let’s talk about safety. You’re going to need some equipment. Safety matters, and you need to always make sure you are taking care of yourself and not getting hurt. I’ll tell you about it later. Skateboarding is hard, and when you’re first getting started, it takes practice just to even stand on the board. But stick with it, and you’ll have a lot of fun. It took me several days to learn how to ride and balance at the same time. Keeping your head, arms, and legs from getting hurt is important.

First things first, you need to get a skateboard, and you need to wear good shoes. There are a lot of places you can get a board – Walmart, Target, Best Buy, yard sales, Goodwill or other second hand shops, Dicks Sporting Goods, Amazon, eBay, or even Wish. Four wheels are all you need at first, but the better you get, the nicer you will want your board to be. You don’t have to buy an expensive one to get started. Now you need some gear, for instance, shoulder pads, helmet, wrist pads, knee pads – you know, the safety stuff…that’s about it.

Remember I said it took me several days to learn to ride? Don’t be upset if this is hard. It’s going to take a lot of practice. Don’t start by a busy road or on a hill. Find some flat space and practice practice practice. 

To get started, just stand on the board and try to move around a little. Try to balance on the board. Even before you get the wheels moving, find your balance and move your body around a little.

Next, let’s get a little more complicated – stand on the board, put your foot on the ground, and push off. If you have trouble balancing while you’re riding, throw your arms up like you would be standing on a curb or balance beam. It’s kind of like walking on a tightrope. 

Then just practice for a couple of days. You are not a professional, and you’re not going to learn overnight, so just take it slow and practice until you’ve got it right. 

Stopping a skateboard is another important skill. Be sure you know how to stop. You can step on the back. Don’t let yourself get out of control. This is the most important part of skating. Practice when you’re barely rolling, and know how it works before you take off fast.

I want to tell you how to jump a speed bump. You stand on the skateboard, put one foot on the back end of the skateboard, then put your other foot on the other end of the board. Now you push down on the back end and jump at the same time. While you are in the air, push down on the front end. You know you have done it right if the front wheels land first and then the back. Try to stay balanced and try not to fall. Be sure you brag to all your friends about how you can land a skateboard now.          

The next move is a nose-grind. It’s almost the same thing as what we just did on the speed bump. It has the same jumping step. So do the same steps as you would do when you jump a speed bump. The only other thing is just trying to make your jump higher so you can reach the rail. Then you just push down on the front foot. Your bragging rights just got even bigger!

Now I’m going to teach you how to do a kickflip. You do the exact same step we already learned, but this time you kick sideways. 

Sometimes when you’re riding down the road, you might find a bump or a hole you need to avoid. If you are just trying to go over a speed bump, all you have to do is squat while you are riding. Stay away from holes. Your tire can get stuck, and you are going to fall – no questions. 

If you are too scared to try a nosegrind or a kickflip, you need to make sure you get extra practice. Try going to a Walmart parking lot and attempt each move. The concrete parking blocks are great tools to help you learn using different parking lot heights.

 If you want to learn how to ride on a halfpipe, I’ll give you a few pointers. It is very tricky, and it takes a lot of practice. Stand on the board, put your foot on the ground and push off. You’re going to feel your body falling backward. At that moment, tilt forward, just a little, and squat quickly. Now, just ride until you get to the other end. 

Should I tell you how to pop shove? I think I will. What you want to do is put one leg on the back end of the board as you’ve done.  Put your other foot on the other side of the board, push down on one end, then turn the board around two times, then shove it down your front foot and try. Be careful! It is very dangerous. It is one of the most complicated tricks, so you’re going to need a lot of practice.

 Now let’s learn more tricks. This next trick is kind of simple; it’s going to be you on your board going up and down a ramp. When you are going up, lean forward and squat…when you are going down, squat down, lean forward, stay balanced…that’s basically it. But as I said earlier, throw your arms up like you would be walking on a curb.

Are you ready to learn how to do an ollie? You put one foot on the back end of the board, then you put your other foot on the other end of the board, push down on the back end. Once you are in the air, push down on the front end. Once you l, and just keep riding. Once you practice, you can show off.

         Our last trick is one I made up. It is called over the rail. You ride till you get to a rail, and you just stand on the board, jump over the rail, but keep your skateboard on the ground. When you are coming down, you try to land on the board. Then to celebrate, do an ollie, and your friends will think you are an expert. They will want you to teach them, and maybe you can write a story one day as well. 

         So, you think you are ready to skate? If you are, I hope you are good, and hopefully, you got at least three tricks down. One day you should teach other people your skills.

By: Amanda Roberts

Hello! My name is Amanda, and I have some great tips and advice based on my life that I want to share with you. I want to show you how to face any challenges that we have to go through in life.

Let me tell you about me. I am an online student, not because of the pandemic, but because I live very far away from my school. I know what you are thinking; how does that work? Why didn’t you just go to any other school closer to your house? Well, this may sound silly, but it is because I love my school so much that I am willing to take the classes online just for that! I love the way that they teach. I love my friends, and I genuinely love everything about my school.

          Anyway, I recently started middle school, so WOW! BIG challenge! Like surfing the ocean! Right now, I have been in middle school for 2 months. Now that I have understood how it works and that I am familiar with my schoolwork. And my teacher, I love it! I feel like I am doing really good too. But I didn’t always feel like this…so keep reading for more big waves headed my way. 

         HONESTLY, when I first started, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t make it, but I had to start somewhere. Because fear was not going to help me in anything (always remember that), I decided to put on my big girl pants and surf through my first wave. 

The first week of school was a little intense for me because I wanted to take a really great workshop. It was only available for me to take during that specific week. I decided to do it, even though I knew it was going to be complicated. In my case, I ended up finishing my weekly assignments on the weekend and during late hours each night. Finally, I finished, and when I did…I am telling you, it felt great! I was so proud of myself!

I could only get online for my class’s morning meetings for a short time each day, and then I had to leave to go to the workshop. I’m going to be honest and tell you that juggling all of that work was more difficult than I expected it to be, and I felt kind of alone trying to make it all work out. If you are going through something similar, remember that it might take some extra hard work, but we can always make it if we put our minds to it. NO MATTER WHAT. 

         Since then, life has gotten easier. At first, it seemed like I was asking questions from my teacher about every 5 minutes! And it is true, I asked a lot of questions, but those first questions were the ones that helped me learn and understand the work better. Thanks to all of our communication, I barely ask any questions today because now I know the answer. So, if you ever feel guilty about asking a lot of questions, don’t – as long as they are appropriate. Questions really help because the smallest things can make a difference.

Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” This quote means that if we want to grow up to be better…and great people, we have to work hard for that because no one else can do it for us. That’s you and me, even if we’re just kids, we can make the world better. It can be our world or someone else’s, but it is our responsibility. 

         I found myself really worried that I wasn’t going to get it all right. I think lots of teenagers, and preteens too, get overly anxious. So if there is one thing that I learned about these types of situations, it is that fear can make us do some really silly and crazy things. And guess what, all that fear is only in our heads. If we want to grow up to be amazing adults, we’ve got to learn to be brave and just keep going no matter what hard, hard challenges we have to face. 

         If you are struggling with insecurity, I want to encourage you to keep pressing on. It’s hard growing up. But hard things make us stronger. You can do it! Don’t forget that.

by: Izzy Fizzy Googlemen (Pen Name)

Organization is really important in life, and it is worth your time. I like it a lot because it is lovely to come home after a hard day at school when it is clean at home. I love that our house looks nice, and I don’t really have to do anything – that doesn’t happen very often, so it’s nice, especially on the weekend, or when I have other things that need my attention. Knowing that I get to spend my time on anything I want is wonderful. 

When I organize and sort clothes, hang pictures, and put things away in my room, I find out that it looks way neater and nicer. I also notice that I rarely asked the question, where is it?

 I watched a TV show on organizing. It helped me out. It is called Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, and it taught me to put my odds and ends in clear bins and get rid of stuff that is not needed or that I don’t even use. You might be surprised how much junk you have. I even realized there was trash inside drawers. I gave clothing to someone that could use it, and I sorted through my massive book collection. Who even needs this many pens? I found that other people in the family could benefit if I put things in a central location. Surprisingly, I found it easiest to get rid of stuff when I asked one simple question. Does it bring me joy? Purging is just as important as organizing, and it helps with time management too.

Another way to organize and get things straight is by getting a planner. I like paper planners, and some people like digital planners. Planners are really important, especially in education. Planners are very important because you do not have to stress over remembering the things you have to do. My friends like to use stickers and colorful pens, but I do not have time to. My teacher prefers a desk calendar, and my dad uses a calendar on his phone. Whether you use paper, technology, stickers, or alarms, organizing your schedule removes stress from your life and allows you to breathe deeply, knowing you have all of your appointments, assignments, and activities under control. I highly recommend using a planner in school or work.

Organizing is very time-consuming and requires focus, but when you are finished, you will be glad you did it. I had to take time every day to find stuff that did not have a home, but now that I have organized and labeled everything, it is so easy to find things in their home.

 I like organizing things in rainbow order because the colors are very helpful when you need to find something. Organizing things in rainbow orders is very helpful for kids or toddlers, but I personally like it. Colors make everything seem happier.

 One time my mom surprised me with organizing my room, and to this day, I have not changed it because it looks way better than it used to when it is organized. My mom organized my room because it helps me be a happier, healthier person, and it may help you too if you try it. She found out that it makes you less stressed when your room is clean, and I like it more when I have less stuff because I started to notice things and care for them. It is so cool when you use all of your stuff, and you do not waste space on the other stuff you didn’t even know you had.

 Organizing is used everywhere; for example, the world would be chaotic without organization. The USA uses it in the government in wars, taxes, and many more. Organizing is important if you want to get a good job, especially when you have a lot of paperwork.

 I love organizing, I love seeing the conclusion, and I love buying things used for organizing, but some of you might not. A way that helps me enjoy organizing more is to do it with a friend or a family member; you might be an introvert that likes to be alone. If you are, you can listen to music or watch your favorite TV show.

 Keeping your house organized is really hard. A lot of people have a hard time with bargains and clearance sections. One of the reasons keeping spaces organized is hard is because you buy stuff or keep stuff that is unreasonable or that you will never use, so you should try to enjoy organizing because to keep your house clean, you will probably need to purge or organize at least once a month. Make organization a habit. 

My biggest problem with keeping my room clean is that I do not really have time to put stuff up or do the laundry. What helps me is to put on my list of chores that I do monthly.

I hope you have found this very helpful and that it has inspired you to go and organize your house.

 

 

Author: Patty O’Furniture (Pen Name)

Hi there! My name is Patty O’Furniture. I am from PCMC, which is a Montessori Christian School. I am currently in the tenth grade. I love sign language. It has helped me learn so much about communication. I have some hearing complications, and I will tell you more about that later.

My journey with sign language has been fun, and I realize how easy it is. I’d love to share some ways to get started. Sign language isn’t as complicated as it looks. I have been learning sign language for 3 years now, and not to brag, but I’m pretty good at it.

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Let me take you back to my first encounter with sign language and deafness. When I was 5, I moved in with my dad. He was a huge bodybuilder back then, and he was super conscious of all of our health and eating habits. We drank tons of water. We even had a freezer full of frozen Gatorade. He was serious about many healthy things, but he didn’t realize my ear health was in trouble. He was really into music, so he had one of those loud sound systems. Rap music has a lot of bass in the music, and he played it so loud that it shook the house, his car, and my eardrums too. This was not a good thing for a five-year-old to hear every day for hours a day. Eventually, after living with him for 5 more years, that affected my hearing. 

When I turned ten, I moved in with my mom, and she noticed that my hearing was getting worse and worse. When I turned twelve. My mom was getting phone calls from all my sixth-grade teachers saying that I should check mine. So eventually, my mom took me for a check-up on my ears, they put me in a soundproof booth with headphones, and every time I heard a sound, I had to raise my hand. They wanted to take a closer look – they told my mom I didn’t do very well. They took me into another room and looked into both my ears. They said my left ear was not bad, but my right ear was not hearing anything at all, and my eardrum was busted. 

Then they told my mom that over the years, my hearing had been getting worse, and that there’s a chance that I could lose all my hearing. This started my interest in sign language. Now I am fifteen years old, and I am deaf in my right ear, and have lost some hearing in my left ear, but I can still hear most things. People have very low patience with hard-of-hearing people, or even deaf people they just don’t understand.

Now I am teaching sign language classes to fellow classmates, and also people from my church. The first thing I think people should know is your alphabet and numbers 1-30. Many people make a mistake also by starting to sign without learning the background of sign language where it began.

I feel like there are some things you should know before you learn any language. Sign language started in 1755. The first form of sign language was in French, but only the alphabet was created by Charles Michel de l’Épée. He also began the first all deaf school in 1755. Now in 2021, sign language is only used by about 1% of people in the US. And not many more actually know it.

I always wanted to actually communicate with a deaf person just to see how my signing was. Then finally I met one. I was fourteen, and I was at church on a Sunday night. I looked over, and I saw this guy signing to people asking for help. Nobody knew what he was even talking about. In fact, all these people knew was that he was deaf. He was stuck, and so were they.

Then one of my friends ran up to me and said, “you know, sign language, come with me, hurry.” So I ran after her and met this guy, he was young, and we just talked for a few minutes, and then he left. I had a good time, and I’m sure he did too. Just having a “real” conversation can go a long way. 

Like I said before, I think everyone needs to learn the alphabet, so you can at least spell out words. You should also know a few basic phrases like “hey, how are you?” Learnings sayings is a great way to be sure you’re not lost, if you ever meet a deaf person. Try hard to help them know they are safe talking with you. Planning ahead is a great way to be sure you are prepared. Better safe than sorry, right?

We all need to respect deafness more because it’s hard to really understand how a hearing impaired individual feels, or what they are experiencing. It can be confusing if you get lost, or if they do. It’s kind of the same thing if you are in a foreign country, and would like to meet someone who knows the same language as you. Many people were born and raised deaf, and when nobody learns their language they feel left out.

I should also make this note: it is disrespectful to just walk up to a deaf person and start yelling at them, asking if they can hear you. Many people yell instead of really trying to communicate. That really doesn’t work. It really doesn’t matter how loud you shout; they still won’t hear you. SO STOP YELLING!!! I hope my sign language journey and tips help you learn something. 

Have a blessed day!

by: Carson Smith (Pen Name)

Hello! My name is Carson. I am a 7th grader from North Carolina. The school I go to is called Providence Christian Montessori Community. 

Hey! Do you want to learn to paint? First I need to tell you how the brush strokes work. You always want the brush to be on the flat side. You also want to go up and down. If you are going side to side then you also want it to be on the flat side. Make sure you use both sides of your paintbrush. 

Next, let’s blend. It is usually pretty easy but sometimes it can be hard. First, you will need the colors you will use. Put them on the canvas, then spread them around. Start to get the colors closer together. Then make the colors touch and they should start to blend together.

Most of the time people blend the colors too much, and they turn kind of ugly so don’t do that! I taught myself how to blend, but I also sometimes watch videos on how to paint for beginners. Try different colors and you’ll get it. Also, just try a drop of each color. A paper plate is a good place to practice. Don’t ruin a canvas by putting too much paint on it, or by blending paint that doesn’t look good.

My parents were always supporting me on my art.  I always thought I was doing something wrong so I found a bunch of videos on how to paint, and look at me now – I’m the one who is teaching you!

I would recommend you showing all the paintings that you’ve done. Even if they are not good, you will get better. Showing them off will give you a lot more confidence. There are a lot of steps in painting and a lot of pressure so I want you to take things slow if you are a beginner.

Mixing colors can be super hard! It’s such a pain if you mess up. When I was a beginner I used a color wheel (it really helps). Now I just think of the color I am trying to make, and when I have the color pictured in my mind, I gather the colors needed to make the color. Sometimes I don’t pick the right colors so I have to start over, and even with this much experience, I have to get a color wheel. And sometimes I realize I need to use less of one of the colors in the mixture, so I start over for that too. That’s why it’s good to test just a drop at a time.

 When you are painting I recommend you listen to some music, or an audiobook you like it helps me to focus. Enjoy yourself and let your creativity flow.                                                            

Make sure you buy good equipment like paintbrushes, paint, and an easel. The cheap stuff can work in the beginning, but don’t skimp on paintbrushes. They will leave lines in your work, or even leave pieces of the brush on your canvas. Don’t ruin your masterpiece with cheap brushes. You can skip the pallet at first, but good paint and good brushes should be in your shopping cart from the beginning.

You might want to start with something simple, but try it – you might find out you’re amazing!

Now go have fun and paint!