Living on food stamps

[tinkermom23]

Keep us posted.

 

[nunzia]

This sounds like a great lesson that will serve your son all of his life!

How old was your son when you started this project?

Speaking to the falicy that people on food stamps are struggling to get by...
We have owned apartment buildings for the past thirty years. Approximately two thirds to three quarters of our tenants benefit from government programs.

Not a week goes by that we don't witness someone trading a trip to the grocery store using their food stamps for cash/material goods.

Whenever we get a new tenant,9 times out of 10, we or our managers are approached with a trade of food stamps for rent. For example, we are usually offered $100 of grocery purchases for $75 reduction in rent. It is a currency. Most food is procured through church run programs.

Yes...my DIL was approached by an acquaintance who flat out said she needed to buy drugs and she'd give her $100 of food stamp benefits for $50 cash. We constantly have people coming in for assistance with multiple adults living in a home..none work, all get many different types of aid and yet..need food vouchers, rent assistance, utility assistance (we see a flood of these after the time of year when apparently utilities cannot turn off unpaid utilities because of weather..these bills ae huge and no attempt has been made to pay them for months)
We do serve meals and give food vouchers..many other churches have food pantrys..I remember a time when we had some bags collected to take to the church down the street for their pantry....guy came in wanting food..we offered him stuff from the bags..none of that looked any good so he left..we also have deliveries from the food bank for the weekly meal our volunteers prepare and local stores that donate. Some folks come in weekly to prepare damaged donated vegetables to take to the orphanages in Mexico (not an easy feat since the orphanage is in Juarez)
Anyway..abuse is rampant...if we could only help those along who truly need help we'd all be in a better place and not have so much dependency. OP..I sure wish you'd write a lesson plan for this and put it on a homeschool website.. still in the great idea camp

 

[SaraJayne]

Pretty sure it is educational for kids to plan meals, make a budget, discuss poverty, read recipes, cook, shop in the budget, make decisions about what to eat on X amount of money, create price books of what is cheaper where, analyze what worked and didn't work, learn unit pricing, weighing and measurements, handling money, adding purchases up, making choices on activities we do because of funds, cut coupons, make inventories, write lists, research how lifestyles have changed in modern history, discuss needs and wants and research and write on modern day poverty. Millions of people drive a car, speak chinese, or do some sort of high skilled job, doesn't mean it is not educational for my kids to learn about it.

There is a very wide gap between learning to live/grocery shop on a budget and pretending you live in poverty to teach some weird lesson to your children.

 

[pocomom]

There is a very wide gap between learning to live/grocery shop on a budget and pretending you live in poverty to teach some weird lesson to your children.

Don't get the hostility, or why you think I'm teaching a "weird" lesson to my kids but if our project offends you feel free to not follow. Also, to point out AGAIN, my kids will not live in poverty for a month- we are exploring poverty while reducing our food and "Extras" budget significantly to help foster the discussion and learn some critical skills.

 

[chimilady]

OP, you could even expand on this. Have the student pick an occupation and research salaries for that occupation, then housing, transportation, and utility costs.

Then, create a budget based on all of that.

For us, that's a 9th grade curriculum. My friend teaches this in HS and it is absolutely important to teach how choices directly affect the rest of your life. I think it's a little advanced for a little one though.

 

[crisi]

There is a very wide gap between learning to live/grocery shop on a budget and pretending you live in poverty to teach some weird lesson to your children.

I'm not sure why that is a weird lesson. Poverty is a culture, and anthropology is all about studying cultures. What is different about exposing your kids to poverty - and having them "live it" than in sending them to live overseas for a while as a Foreign Exchange Student, or sending them on a mission trip where they will live with and help the poor in New Orleans. When my kids were little, we never did it, but there was a camp through one of the historical organizations - you'd send your kids off for a week to spend the day living like the would have on the Minnesota prairies in the 1860s and 1870s.

 

[Marionnette]

Don't get the hostility, or why you think I'm teaching a "weird" lesson to my kids but if our project offends you feel free to not follow. Also, to point out AGAIN, my kids will not live in poverty for a month- we are exploring poverty while reducing our food and "Extras" budget significantly to help foster the discussion and learn some critical skills.

I think you need to define the "critical skills" that are your objectives.

Are they supposed to be learning decimals in math? What are they supposed to be studying in history/social studies...European history? American history? World Cultures? What about their science objectives? Are they supposed to be doing earth sciences? space? an environmental unit?

I know that homeschooling in my state requires portfolios to be reviewed by the school district and testing of the student every spring. I would be more concerned about how this kind of lesson fits with the educational objectives the children must meet to satisfy the requirements. As you probably know already, homeschooling parents can't just teach whatever they feel like teaching. There's a lot of documentation involved. You might want to present this idea to whatever network of homeschooling parents that you communicate with. They will be able to help you round out your lesson plans so that you meet the requirements.

And BTW, no, I won't be joining you in your challenge. First of all, because I don't believe that SNAP is intended to provide all the food a family needs. It is meant to supplement a grocery budget. And secondly, I grew up in a family that was just a hair above qualifying for Food Stamps, which means that we didn't eat as well as the kids who were on assistance. I've had my fill of meals consisting of canned tuna, spaghetti noodles with margarine and saltine crackers thrown in just to fill our stomachs because that's what was on the shelf when the money ran out. I'd only revisit those days if circumstances forced me to do it. And I certainly wouldn't subject my kids to eating like that if I can avoid it.

 

[DonnaL]

I see people quoting SNAP benefit amounts varying anywhere from $200 to $800 monthly. As a retired caseworker for a state Dept. of Public Welfare, just would like to point out not every family of four gets $700 or $800 monthly. It is a sliding scale depending on the amount of income minus allowable deductions, which are usually a set amount for housing/utility costs, child care costs, and very little else, coming in to the household on a monthly basis which sets the amount of SNAP benefit. The only households of four which would get the max benefit would most likely be households with $0 to very little income and the benefit would go down as the income level goes up. Also, I believe there is still a resource/asset limit...not really sure, which at the time I retired was about $5,000 per family in my state.....meaning assets/resources (savings, vehicles, etc) could not total more than this amount. That said, I really do see the need to educate school age children in the manner you are doing and applaud you for doing so. Our schools no longer teach the basics we learned......balancing a checkbook, keeping a household budget, etc....some schools are no longer teaching cursive writing.

 

[davedmaine]

Does this mean you'll teach the kids to smoke and take them for tattoos?

 

[SaraJayne]

I'm not sure why that is a weird lesson. Poverty is a culture, and anthropology is all about studying cultures. What is different about exposing your kids to poverty - and having them "live it" than in sending them to live overseas for a while as a Foreign Exchange Student, or sending them on a mission trip where they will live with and help the poor in New Orleans. When my kids were little, we never did it, but there was a camp through one of the historical organizations - you'd send your kids off for a week to spend the day living like the would have on the Minnesota prairies in the 1860s and 1870s.

I grew up one step above poverty. I have absolutely zero desire to re-live it or somehow think it is some valuable life lesson for my kids.

Using a budget, yes. The way the op wants to go about it, no.

 

[Granny square]

This sort of unit works great for homeschooling. Practical problem solving and use if math in real life is a skill that is lacking in society. Similar to graduates who can't compose a simple ofc memo.

In our state you can show progress through a portfolio review which this could easily pass if done well or through a standardized test which tests on skills that could easily be interjected into the program. I'm assuming the op knows the standards in her state.

 

[rockawaybeachgirl]

First, I have to say I think there are some strange responses to what I view to be a very well- reasoned intention. I grew up pretty poor and I think it would do my kids good to be exposed to bit of it. My 9 year old visited south africa last summer ( where her grandparents live) and volunteered with her aunt in some of the poorer areas - and it had a profound (good) affect on her. Anyway,

I just wanted to mention, for those wishing for some more financial education for kids, my firm has devoted millions of dollars and man hours to accomplish our biggest goal over the next 3 years - increasing the financial literacy of our youth. They have developed a tailored curriculum for grades 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 in areas such as debt, budgeting, basic economics , etc. Additionally, they have given every employee 40 hours paid time to go out and teach these classes ( on top of training). Since it's a subject I am passionate about, I think that's pretty awesome. I won't say my company's name but we are a Big 4 accounting firm. Coming soon to a school near you

 

[MrsPete]

We now have a generation of school-aged children who are being raised by parents who "missed out on" necessary lessons in personal finance. Their parents, by and large, are living paycheck-to-paycheck, and they can't figure out how to change it, so it's pretty clear that these kids aren't going to get these lessons at home. At the same time, they're getting messages from the media telling them to buy-buy-buy because "they deserve it" or this product will make them happy, sexy, bring them love, whatever.

I'm having a hard time understanding why a couple posters are against teaching kids methods of living frugally. I think we'd be better off if all kids were learning more about this topic.

 

[mks18412]

I bet you didnt think you would get some much criticism from this post... I think its an excellent idea. This is a life lesson and more than likely will not learn anything like this school. Ignore all the negativity.

 

[nchulka]

I think you need to define the "critical skills" that are your objectives.

Are they supposed to be learning decimals in math? What are they supposed to be studying in history/social studies...European history? American history? World Cultures? What about their science objectives? Are they supposed to be doing earth sciences? space? an environmental unit?

I know that homeschooling in my state requires portfolios to be reviewed by the school district and testing of the student every spring. I would be more concerned about how this kind of lesson fits with the educational objectives the children must meet to satisfy the requirements. As you probably know already, homeschooling parents can't just teach whatever they feel like teaching. There's a lot of documentation involved. You might want to present this idea to whatever network of homeschooling parents that you communicate with. They will be able to help you round out your lesson plans so that you meet the requirements.

And BTW, no, I won't be joining you in your challenge. First of all, because I don't believe that SNAP is intended to provide all the food a family needs. It is meant to supplement a grocery budget. And secondly, I grew up in a family that was just a hair above qualifying for Food Stamps, which means that we didn't eat as well as the kids who were on assistance. I've had my fill of meals consisting of canned tuna, spaghetti noodles with margarine and saltine crackers thrown in just to fill our stomachs because that's what was on the shelf when the money ran out. I'd only revisit those days if circumstances forced me to do it. And I certainly wouldn't subject my kids to eating like that if I can avoid it.

This varies widely by state. In my state, Missouri, homeschooling parents can teach anything they want. The only requirement is that the parent document 1000 hours per year of learning time. There is no one that ever looks at this, it is your own personal log. You do not send it in to anyone or have anyone review it. The only reason to keep it is so that if anyone should ever question whether you have actually home schooled your child you can show it to them at that point. I am homeschooling for the first time this year and was actually pretty shocked to find this out. I have many friends who home school and none have ever had anyone look at it their log. I'm guessing no one ever ask unless there is a case where neighbors think maybe there is neglect/abuse going on and the authorities are called in to look in on the well being of the child.

To the OP, I think this is a great idea

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I'm not sure I really see the point of using a "food stamp" budget for this curriculum, but I do see the intentions and think it's a good idea. I think it would work just as well if you gave your child your typical grocery budget and then let them make a menu and shop (with your supervision of course). You could give them nutrition guidelines for their menu and list.

I'm not sure what the food stamp budget really would teach them, even if they were in that circumstance chances are that wouldn't be their budget because it would still depend on their family size and income, I just don't see what they would learn from that, are you trying to prove a point that they should be glad that you aren't on food stamps?

 

[Colleen27]

I'm not sure why that is a weird lesson. Poverty is a culture, and anthropology is all about studying cultures. What is different about exposing your kids to poverty - and having them "live it" than in sending them to live overseas for a while as a Foreign Exchange Student, or sending them on a mission trip where they will live with and help the poor in New Orleans. When my kids were little, we never did it, but there was a camp through one of the historical organizations - you'd send your kids off for a week to spend the day living like the would have on the Minnesota prairies in the 1860s and 1870s.

I think far too much is made of poverty as a culture, since that tends to refer only to narrow sections of the poor in America (specifically the urban minority poor). And I think a far better lesson is in the sameness - the ways in which poverty looks just like we do - than in the differences. Poverty in America isn't an ethnic or geographic "other" and shouldn't be presented as such; that only reinforces the idea that the poor are different (and by implication inferior) which fosters disdain rather than empathy or compassion.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

We now have a generation of school-aged children who are being raised by parents who "missed out on" necessary lessons in personal finance. Their parents, by and large, are living paycheck-to-paycheck, and they can't figure out how to change it, so it's pretty clear that these kids aren't going to get these lessons at home. At the same time, they're getting messages from the media telling them to buy-buy-buy because "they deserve it" or this product will make them happy, sexy, bring them love, whatever.

I'm having a hard time understanding why a couple posters are against teaching kids methods of living frugally. I think we'd be better off if all kids were learning more about this topic.

I'm not sure how many people can relate to this, but I was never taught about money or frugality by my parents except to be encouraged to save my allowance. My parents did not talk about money, it was none of my business how much money they had, how much things cost that they bought and they would have never told me that we couldn't afford something or even that it wasn't in the budget. The answer was simply "no" and that's that. Looking back now I can see some of the things they did that were frugal like gardening, but I didn't see it as saving money then. I did not learn to compare unit prices for items at the grocery store until I was 12, another relative showed me to do it when I was shopping with him. It was very much a taboo subject in our home. My parents were older, they had me in their mid-thirties.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I'm not sure how many people can relate to this, but I was never taught about money or frugality by my parents except to be encouraged to save my allowance. My parents did not talk about money, it was none of my business how much money they had, how much things cost that they bought and they would have never told me that we couldn't afford something or even that it wasn't in the budget. The answer was simply "no" and that's that. Looking back now I can see some of the things they did that were frugal like gardening, but I didn't see it as saving money then. I did not learn to compare unit prices for items at the grocery store until I was 12, another relative showed me to do it when I was shopping with him. It was very much a taboo subject in our home. My parents were older, they had me in their mid-thirties.

My mother was raised as you were where money was taboo to talk about. They had money and so it wasn't a issue. It did not serve her well to never talk about money. My husbands mother just constantly says they do not have any money but then is whatever she wants and gives outrageous gifts and so her actions are different than her words and so my husband assumed for a long time that when I said we had spent our budge that I had money stashed somewhere and was lying. So he simply continued to spend what he wanted even though I said there was no more to spend. We have been together 12 years and it took a long time for him to realize that I do not stash money in some secret way without telling him. The way his mom talks about money is just as dysfunctional as not talking about it at all.

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[Granny square]

How frustrating!

We have been guilty of saying we "can't afford" something and found that one of my kids worries far too much about purchases. Now doing a lot of discussion about budgets and "not afford" means not in the budget.