FamilyLifeResourceGuide by Colorado Springs Gazette, LLC

Raising a child is no small task. Though it is no surprise that parenting requires a substantial investment of time and energy, the financial cost of raising a child might raise more than a few eyebrows. According to the SmartAsset 2024 Study, the median annual cost to raise a child in the United States in 2024 was $22,850, and that figure was considerably higher in many states.

Commitment and discipline are vital to getting across the financial finish line when raising a child, and that includes finding a way to finance a college education. Data from the College Board, a nonprofit that studies trends in the cost of a college education, indicates the cost of tuition and fees varies widely depending on the type of institution. Tuition and fees at an in-state fouryear public school cost a little more than $11,000 during the 2023–24 school year, while it was nearly four times as much ($41,540) at a private nonprofit four-year institution.

Financing a child’s college education can seem like a daunting task. However, an array of strategies can help parents save more for college.

Take advantage of a 529 plan

A 529 education savings plan is an increasingly popular way to save for college. The Education Savings Programs at Bank of America reports that 529 plan assets increased from $88.5 billion in 2008 to more than $446 billion in 2023. A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged investment program administered by a state. When funds withdrawn from the plan are used for qualified expenses, such as tuition costs, then the earnings are free from federal income tax obligations. There are distinctions between 529 prepaid tuition programs and 529 savings programs, so parents are urged to discuss those differences with a financial advisor so they can choose the best plan for their situation.

Redirect extra income to a college savings plan

Parents may have “extra” sources of income that can be used to fund college savings. Annual bonuses, money distributed through statesponsored property tax relief programs and even money freed up when kids graduate from daycare and into elementary school can be redirected

into college savings plans. Redirected daycare expenses may be particularly savvy, as parents know the cost of daycare is considerable. In fact, a recent report from Child Care Aware of America indicated the cost to place two children in child care exceeded annual typical mortgage payments in 45 states. Once kids are out of daycare, parents can redirect some or all the money they had been spending on child care into college savings plans.

Do not go it alone

A 2023 survey from the College Savings Foundation found that 45% of parents would request that family and friends contribute to a child’s 529 plan in lieu of the standard gifts given to children for their birthday, special events like graduation or during the holiday season. This practical yet less traditional approach can pad college savings plans by a considerable amount over the years, and close relatives might be more than happy to help parents fund a better education for their youngsters.

College is an investment, but being strategic can help defray tuition costs. ■

to ensure work-family balance

Individuals have to juggle different responsibilities every day. Those with full- or part-time jobs, children, spouses or partners, or aging family members who require assistance will often find they are pulled in different directions. In many cases, work takes priority over family time because people rely on their jobs for the income that funds their lifestyles. Rather than jeopardizing that income, certain individuals will make time concessions that favor employment over personal relationships and family time.

Recent data indicates that many people are trapped in unhealthy worklife balances and cannot find the time to unwind and enjoy themselves. The e-commerce company Groupon asked 2,000 Americans about stress at work and 60% indicated that pressures and responsibilities of the workplace and home life do not have boundaries. Learning to balance work and life better may come from following these tips.

1. Find more time

While there is no way to add extra hours to the day, you can add extra hours to your schedule. One way to

do so is to wake up earlier or stay up later than the household. Some people prefer the quiet time to get things done while others are asleep. If you can afford to shave an hour from your sleeping schedule (provided you already are getting enough), this approach can make a significant difference.

2. Limit distractions

Distractions pull attention away from tasks and that can make it harder to complete jobs on time. Schedule tasks that require your utmost concentration when others are not around. Perhaps this means coming into the office during off-peak hours or waiting until a spouse or the kids go to their respective places of work or school before you start on things that require greater concentration.

3. Establish your home priorities

Schedule your home priorities just as you would work meetings and other responsibilities. While you may not be able to attend every sports practice or game, make it a point to get to as many events as possible. Put it in the calendar or planner as a must-do.

4. Maximize your PTO

Chances are you are entitled to a certain number of days off. Do not squander the opportunity to use these days. It will not make you a hero if you give up on time off. Map out priorities for the next couple of months and see where your time away from work will be needed. Then utilize PTO for these events as well as vacations.

5. End work at a certain time

There is a saying that “work expands to fill the time allotted.” It is easy to let work infiltrate home time, especially for those who are remote workers. Set a distinct end time for the job and reinforce it by turning off your computer or other devices or physically locking the door to your office. Schedule tasks directly after work that are important to you, so you will not be tempted to continue working.

Finding work-life balance can take time and require breaking established habits, but it is one way to reduce stress and feel more personally satisfied. ■

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” — Confucius

SAY ‘YES!’

to the Y this summer!

for busy people EXERCISE

Lack of time in the day to get enough done is a common lament. Work, family and social obligations have made many individuals busier than ever before, and that can eat into the ability to find time for daily exercise.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says adults need to get at least 150 minutes of moderateintensity physical activity per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity. For the moderate-intensity recommendation, that boils down to about 21 minutes per day, which is manageable even for the busiest of individuals. Here are some ways busy people can get the exercise they need.

■ Wake up early. Starting your day 30 minutes early can allow you to fit exercise in before a day becomes hectic. Put workout gear out the night before, and when the alarm sounds in the morning, get up and

out, whether it is to head to the gym or go for a morning walk or jog.

■ Use your lunch hour. If you are not a morning person, use a portion of your lunch break for exercise and then eat your lunch afterwards.

■ Take part in high-intensity workouts. High-intensity exercise regimens typically pack exercises into routines that get the heart rate going but do not require a lot of time. They may only be 20to 30-minute sessions, which is doable for most people.

■ Recognize exercise comes in many forms. Many people would be surprised that activities they engage in each day can be classified as exercise. Intense gardening or lawn care sessions and even home cleaning and improvement projects can work the body. Also, exercise can be built into regular activities,

such as taking the stairs rather than an elevator or parking further away to ensure a lengthy walk.

■ Consider doing the “Daily 50,” an informal exercise routine that can occur anywhere and utilizes body weight to get the job done. Exercises can include 50 squats, 50 lunges, 50 wall push-ups, 50 crunches, and/ or holding a plank position for 50 seconds. Some also perform 50 knee lifts or hold a wall sit for 50 seconds. These exercises do not require much time and work most of the major muscle groups.

■ Exercise as a family. Turn family leisure time into enjoyable exercise time. Take hikes, go for bike rides or even kayaking trips together to get everyone up and moving.

Busy people can make time for exercise with some easy solutions. ■

Imagine a hidden world filled with creative and inspirational artistic experiences for everybody, right in your backyard. Welcome to Green Box! Just 20 minutes from downtown Colorado Springs, you can find Green Box in the picturesque mountain town of Green Mountain Falls.

Green Box is where art and nature collide, providing exemplary visual and performing arts experiences through events including an annual Arts Festival, children’s summer camps, and year-round public art installations.

If your child loves to paint, dance, act, or create, Green Box’s summer camps offer a magical space where learning and joy come together naturally. The popular Green Box Arts Camp for rising 1st–5th graders runs June 17–27. Here, experienced instructors will guide creative campers in discovering new talents and developing existing skills across dance, visual arts, music, and theatre. Each day offers a perfect balance of structured artistic exploration and joyful outdoor play, including stream visits, hikes, and

mindfulness activities. Clowning Around in the Woods for rising 6th-9th graders runs June 4–13. This camp is led by professional actors and clowns and explores Shakespearean text, improvisation, and clowning. No experience needed — just a love for laughter!

The Annual Greenbox Arts Festival, from June 27–July 12, is two weeks filled with world-class performances, visual art installations, live music, health and wellness activities and other exciting events in a uniquely beautiful setting. This summer, events include world premiere performances by Colorado Ballet and a new 6,000-square-foot visual art installation. The diverse musical lineup spans family-folk, classical, experimental, jazz, and world music traditions. Additional offerings include yoga sessions, guided hikes, various arts classes, and familyfriendly events.

Experience the place where creativity and community converge for curious audiences of every age!

Learn more and register today at greenboxarts.org. ■

Transform the daily grind to a philosopher shares 3 strategies

BY LORRAINE BESSER, MIDDLEBURY THE CONVERSATION

Imagine it’s Monday morning, too cold and too dark, but once that alarm goes off, you know you’ve got to rally. The kids have to get to school. You’ve got to get to work. And, of course, your ever-growing to-do list hangs over your head like a dark cloud, somehow both too threatening to ignore and too threatening to start its tasks.

On days like this, you may be grateful simply to make it through. But then it begins, all over again. While you can’t escape the grind, you can transform it. The latest psychological research on the good life points the way: By shifting your mindset, you can make your day-to-day more interesting and create psychological richness within your life. Psychological richness describes a robust form of cognitive engagement. It’s distinct from happiness and meaning, but just as important to the good life.

In collaboration with Shigehiro Oishi and his research lab, I’ve investigated whether the field of positive psychology has largely overlooked an important dimension of the good life. As the philosopher on our team, I had two directives. First, I helped to define the concept of psychological richness and understand what distinguishes it from happiness and meaning. Second,

I set out to explore why psychological richness is valuable.

Our initial studies found that people value experiences that stimulate their minds, challenge them and generate a range of emotions. Many would choose a life full of these experiences, which we describe as psychologically rich, over a happy life or a meaningful life.

This insight points to the important role psychological richness can play within the good life, but it stops short of explaining why it’s good and why people ought to make space for psychological richness within their lives. These are value-laden questions that can’t be answered through empirical research. Their answers are found instead through philosophical analysis.

My philosophical analysis suggests that psychological richness is good for you because it’s interesting. My book, “The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It,” shows how to add psychological richness to your life by making it more interesting.

One of the easiest ways to do this is by embracing a mindset characterized by curiosity, creativity and what I call “mindfulness 2.0.” When you bring these three perspectives to your day-to-day, you

transform the grind into endless opportunities to experience the world as interesting. You develop the capacity to enhance your own life.

Mindfulness 2.0:

Noticing without judging What I call “mindfulness 2.0” means bringing nonevaluative awareness to the world around you – paying attention without judging.

Familiar from mindfulness practices, it’s a form of noticing that brings forth details you typically overlook: the texture of a houseplant’s leaves, the faces of the strangers you pass on the sidewalk, the differing heights of the cans on a store shelf. By bringing these details into your awareness, you stimulate your mind, allowing you to engage mentally with your surroundings in an active manner. Noticing things through mindfulness 2.0 is the first step toward having an interesting experience.

A good place to practice mindfulness 2.0 is during your morning commute. Because it’s routine, you probably don’t feel the need to engage much with the details of what you are doing. Instead you’ll find other ways to pass the time, such as listening to the news or your favorite podcast. These activities distract you from the otherwise

make life more interesting — strategies to help you attain the good life

boring commute by disengaging you from it.

But you can also get through the commute by engaging with it to make it less boring. Here’s where the power of mindfulness 2.0 kicks in. Through actively noticing things around you — be it the people clustered at the bus stop, or the traffic patterns created by a stoplight, or a flock of birds swooping overhead — you engage your mind and set yourself up to experience the interesting.

Curiosity:

Exploring through questions

Curiosity isn’t just for kids. No matter how much you know, there’s always something to be curious about — especially if you’ve learned to notice the details through mindfulness 2.0. Say you’ve noticed, during your commute, the group of people gathered around the bus stop. Now let your curiosity take off: Was that bus stop always there? How long has that exceptionally weird real estate advertisement been stuck on the seatback? So many people lined up this cold morning. You might wonder if you’d feel a little more connected if you were with them. But then you notice that no one is talking. Do they ride the same bus together, every day, without acknowledging each other?

Through asking questions, you ask your mind to consider something it hadn’t before. You create new thoughts, and if you let your mind keep going, you’ll have an interesting experience, all the while making that same commute. Even better, you’ll have created that interesting experience on your own. You’ve harnessed an ability to enhance your life, an ability that’s completely within your control.

Creativity:

Trying something new

While people often think of creativity as a talent, native only to artists or inventors, everyone has the ability to be creative. Creativity is a skill that involves forming new connections with your mind. You’re creative whenever you do something new or different. Whether it is painting a brilliant landscape or wearing a new color combination, developing a new dish or simply tweaking a recipe, it all falls under the umbrella of creativity.

When you are creative, in big or small ways, you generate novelty within your life, and this puts you on the path toward experiencing psychological richness. Novelty all but forces the mind to think and feel in new ways, stimulating that robust

form of cognitive engagement that brings the interesting. Even just a little bit of creativity will bring novelty to your day-today routine. Wear something you don’t normally wear. Add a little flair to your handwriting or choose a different colored pen to write with. Change the patterns on your screen saver. Notice the impact these little tweaks have on your day. Little by little, they’ll add up to make your day just a little more interesting. Everyone’s experience of what’s interesting is unique. There’s no one interesting experience for all of us, because the interesting depends entirely on how our minds engage, react and respond. Through developing mindfulness 2.0, and bringing curiosity and creativity to your experiences, you train your mind to engage, react and respond in ways that will transform any experience into an interesting one. This is the power a mindset can bring. It’s a capacity to enhance our lives that anyone can develop. ■

The Conversation (https:// theconversation.com/us) is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

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At the Hybl Center, EXOS provides a range of performance services, including one-onone coaching, group training sessions, and recovery therapies designed to help you perform at your best. From speed and agility training to injury prevention and recovery techniques, EXOS integrates science, data, and movement to elevate your physical capabilities.

The center also features customized fitness plans designed to address specific needs, whether you’re recovering from an injury, training for a specific event, or simply looking to improve your overall fitness. With EXOS, you gain access to unparalleled expertise in sports science, nutrition, and mindset, all under one roof.

Don’t settle for average. Transform your performance and health with EXOS at the Hybl Center in Colorado Springs — where your potential is limitless. Start your journey today and experience how EXOS can redefine what’s possible for you. ■

Raise the stakes of

Getting the entire family together can take a little effort. There is no shortage of activities that pull family members apart most days of the week, from work obligations to sports practices and school events. The United Kingdom-based media provider Independent reported in 2023 on a study of 2,000 parents with children at home. The study found families only spend six hours a week together, which is less than an hour each day. Furthermore, they only eat meals as a household four days out of seven. Eking out more time for family may be as easy as scheduling activities that everyone can rally behind. Family game nights give everyone an excuse to gather at least once a week. These tips can make family game night a cannotmiss activity.

START WITH SIMPLE GAMES AND BRANCH OUT. The first step to a successful family game night is choosing the right game to engage all participants. This can be challenging when there are young children, teenagers, middle-aged adults, and even seniors participating. Visit an independently owned toy and

Jovie matches you with qualified sitters and nannies in the greater Denver and Colorado Springs area, making your ever-changing schedule manageable.

694-2690

games store and pick the brain of the proprietor. He or she will likely have some suggestions to get you started. As participants become more comfortable, you can branch out with more games.

MAKE IT A RECURRING EVENT. Set a firm day of the week for the game night. This way participants will block out that date and time and make every attempt to attend. Treat game night like any other important appointment.

CONSIDER GAMES WITH MOVEMENT. Game night does not have to mean sitting around a board game, which young children who have trouble sitting still may characterize as a “bored” game. Games that get people moving, whether it is charades, drawing games or a game such as Twister can be more engaging. Game night also can take activities to a golf driving range or an arcade.

GATHER FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. Game night should focus on having the entire family together, laughing and competing in a good-natured way. It should not be a strict competition where winning is the only goal. Avoid the potential for sore losers who can sour game nights in a flash by letting

everyone know that fun is the foremost priority of the night.

OFFER PRIZES. Encourage participation with the lure of prizes at the end. Prizes will not just go to the overall winner; there can be humorous awards, such as the player who messed up trivia questions the most, or the one who rolled matching pairs of the dice most frequently. You can customize the winning categories depending on the game played so everyone gets a fighting chance at a prize. Keep awards simple, like candy bars or other appealing treats.

IDENTIFY A GAME MASTER. Every game night should feature a game master who presides over the rules of the game. The rules can be the ones strictly off of the information sheet, or the ones you customize for your own fun. The game master’s job is to make sure the rules are enforced, but also to determine when it is alright to let things slide.

Family game nights are a vital way to bring everyone together at least once a week in a manner that is entertaining and fosters solid family relationships. ■

METRO SERVICES

Board games remain timeless, despite the popularity of video games and mobile gaming. Ask any person about a favorite game they may have played, and it is likely that some traditional board games will be at or near the top of the list.

Some may be interested to find out which games were the most popular the year they were born or garnered their fair share of devotees during their childhood. Here is a look at popular games throughout the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, courtesy of researchers with Popular Mechanics.

1974: Connect Four combined the strategies of Tic Tac Toe and checkers into this strategic game.

1975: Pay Day involved getting through a calendar month paying bills and other expenses. It is basically balancing the budget in game form.

1976: Whosit? had players trying to guess their opponents’ secret identity.

1977: Electronic Battleship added noises to the regular game of trying to sink battleships to make play more exciting.

1978: Simon required players to improve their pace in this heart-racing memory game.

1979: Guess Who was another game of figuring out a person’s identity by asking questions.

1980: Can’t Stop had players rolling pairs to see how long their luck would last.

1981: Trivial Pursuit became the most well-known of trivia games.

1982: Sequence combined a card game with a board game and included up to 12 players for big game nights.

1983: Topple asked players to stack colored pieces high on the board without having the tower topple.

1984: Balderdash was all about having players bluff their way through definitions of words and more.

1985: Pictionary required players to channel their inner artists to draw the words on the cards so teammates could guess.

1986: Fireball Island involved moving around the board to retrieve a giant ruby from the top of a mountain.

1987: Jenga was another stacking game but instead of piling pieces on top, it involved removing pieces without toppling the tower.

1988: Mall Madness came out during the height of the shopping mall boom. Players used a credit card to buy everything on their shopping lists.

1989: Taboo forced players to try to describe the word on the card without using the forbidden words listed below.

1990: Crocodile Dentist required players try to pull out crocodile teeth without triggering the jaws to snap shut.

1991: Atmosfear incorporated an interactive component through use of a VHS tape. The Gatekeeper popped up on screen to keep the game unexpected.

1992: Terrace appeared as a prop on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and then gained popularity in real life.

1993: 13 Dead End Drive required players to escape from a booby-trapped house.

1994: Pylos involved being the player to place the last marble at the top of the pyramid. ■

MAINTAINING GOOD BALANCE is crucial as you age

BY ALBERT STUMM, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

To age well, geriatricians say one underappreciated key is maintaining good balance. In the U.S., 3 million older people seek medical care for fall-related injuries each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But geriatricians say falls are not inevitable. If you ever feel unsteady, speak with your doctor to rule out problems with blood pressure, medications and neurological issues. Then work balance-specific exercises into your routine. Stick with it. Some researchers say it takes 50 hours of balance training to make a difference. Taking a shower. Grocery shopping. Moving around the kitchen. Getting dressed. The underappreciated link between these mundane activities is good balance, which geriatricians say is key to maintaining an independent lifestyle as we age.

Lacking balance can be dangerous. But falls are not inevitable, says Roopa Anmolsingh, a geriatrician who created the Cleveland Clinic’s balance classes.

“Some people have a misconception that part of getting old is, you’re going to fall. That’s not true,” Anmolsingh said. “You can control how you fall, or if you fall.”

To prevent falls, geriatricians say people should start asking themselves questions about their balance as early as 50 years old.

Do you ever feel unsteady?

Besides muscles and bones, other systems in the body can affect balance, so it is important to have a doctor check you if you ever feel unsteady, even if only occasionally. The cause could be related to blood pressure, medication, inner-ear function, a nervous system issue or countless other potential problems.

Even if unsteadiness is not an issue, you can determine whether you still might need an intervention with an easy at-home assessment.

Standing next to a wall or something that can lend support if needed, raise one leg. If you can balance on each leg for 10 seconds, you should be fine, said Greg W. Hartley, a University of Miami professor of physical therapy specializing in geriatrics.

“If you can’t do that, then you should probably go see a physical therapist,” he said.

Another assessment, which Hartley recommended doing supervised, is called TUG, for “timed up and go.” Sit

in a chair and start a timer when you stand. Walk 10 feet (three meters), come back and stop the timer upon sitting back down. If it takes longer than 15 seconds, the risk of a fall is very high. Twelve seconds or less, the likelihood of a fall is almost zero.

The National Council on Aging offers an online resource to assess the risk of a fall with questions about medications, whether you worry about falling and if you have trouble stepping over a curb, among others.

What you can do to improve balance

Because muscle mass begins to decline in most people during their 30s, geriatricians say the best way to preserve good balance is to stay physically active throughout life. But it is never too late to start prioritizing it,

Anmolsingh said.

Tai chi and yoga are particularly good for older adults because they involve controlled movements while shifting body weight. There also are individual exercises people can work into their everyday lives.

Anmolsingh recommended standing on one foot while waiting in line at the grocery store. At home, try sitting up and down from a chair

several times without using arm rests. While holding onto a chair or the wall, do three-way leg lifts on each side, lifting a leg to the front, side and then back. At the kitchen counter, take a few steps to the side in each direction.

How often should you do the exercises?

For general physical activity, which will improve balance as well as mood and overall health, the National Institute of Aging recommends at least 150 minutes per week. That should include a mixture of stretching to improve flexibility, an aerobic activity increasing the heart rate and strength training with weights or resistance bands.

For balance-specific exercises, it is particularly important to do them regularly because it takes at least 50 hours of training to have a measurable impact, Hartley said. Besides strengthening the associated muscles, doing exercises repetitively for extended periods trains the brain to react properly when you slip or trip.

“Just like an athlete needs to do repetition to train for a sport, you’re doing repetition to train for everyday balance activities,” he said. ■

Albert Stumm writes about wellness, food and travel. Find his work at www.albertstumm.com.