Critical Illness Insurance – Do It For the Kids!

Have you ever worried about what would happen if you became really ill? There are new life insurance products on the market that provide for loved ones in the event of an untimely death or prolonged absence or illness. If you are sick for a long time how will you make money?
Until recently insurance firms have been focused on products and services that ease the burden of illness and accidents. The newest product to come out of the industry has been critical illness insurance so that your dependent children are well cared for after you are dead. This is news because there has always been critical illness insurance for adults but something for children has been needed for a very long time.
The good thing about this insurance is that it brings money to those who need it the most. Without financial worries people feel that they are in control or like they have more choices in life. It helps them recover sooner because they are not stressed out by worrying about money all of the time.
One of the companies that is offering this new insurance is Desjardins Financial Security. It offers an insurance product called Harmony critical illness insurance product. It covers the same 25 illnesses as Desjardins' adult coverage in addition to six child specific conditions including cystic fibrosis, autism and type 1 diabetes.
If a child is diagnosed with a critical illness it can become a real problem for the entire family because more often than once a parent needs to take three months to even a year off to care for the child. Most families need a double income to survive nowadays. Without insurance these families end up having to sell a house in order to deal with the expense and time needed away from work to care for the child that has been struck down by a series illness.
Usually the payoff with this type of insurance is a lump sum is somewhere between $25,000 and $250,000 a year. That money is of great assistance if you happen to be unable to work because of illness.
Unfortunately too many moms these days can afford this type of insurance even if it is a good idea. The problem is too that many children may hot develop the illnesses covered by the plan. A good insurance plan like the Harmony Generation has structured the plan so that the person who invests in it is gradually paid back the total cost of the coverage by including a return of the premium options. This means that if your child does get sick you do get a great portion of the money that you invested in the insurance plan back. The insurance is usually good until he or she reaches the age of 24 years.

Books for Troubled Kids

Sometimes you end up trying to help a kid that is going through a very troubled time in their life because of a divorce or a death. It could be your own child or the neighbour's child but you still want to help. However sometimes you feel completely helpless because it is hard to communicate with the upset child or see the world through his or her eyes. Thankfully there are some books out there on the market that can assist you with this type of situation.
A common situation is the one where you end up being the stepmother to a new kid through marriage either because of a death or divorce. There is a really good book on this topic on the market. It is called 'The Good Stepmother: A Practical Guide' and it by two women who have been there. The authors are Patricia Adams and Karen Savage. Every issue is discussed in this book including the ex spouse, children who act out their resentment and money issues. You are basically taught how to handle these situations so nobody is hurt, resentful or traumatized as a result of the big change. The chapters on how to handle the ex are also very important as you can save the children involved a lot of stress during the divorce and remarriage process if the two of you can learn how to get along.
Some kids really have a hard time adjusting to a divorce. A child can isolate and refuse to communicate to you. In this case you might want to purchase 'What's Going to Happen to Me? When Parents Separate or Divorce. This is a paperback by Eda LeShan that is directed to kids who are eight years of age or older and who are hurt and mystified by the divorce process. It is just a great all purpose book about the subject to give to any child as it explains what goes on and helps the child feel more emotionally secure.
If you have a depressed kid or one that just seems woefully ignorant of how to handle the issues that he or she might be facing. Heartbeats and Other Stories by Peter D. Sieruta is a classic book about a set of twins that go through all of the issues such as temptation to suicide, teen pregnancy and feeling picked on or lonely. Most kids identify with the two main characters which is reassuring and educational for them.
If you have a new baby you will love the funny and helpful book by Edward R. Christophersen Baby Owner's Manual. The illustrations and photographs in this book are wonderful and will help ward off that case of post-partum depression after you have been up all night for months. It is always good to know that others have been through same stressful experiences that you have just after having a baby.