Purchasing Car Insurance: What College Students Should Know

Line of cars awaiting Covid-19 mobile testing. Photo taken 07-10-20.

Florida law requires drivers to have car insurance that provides financial protection in the event of a mishap. This 4-page publication provides an overview of auto insurance requirements in Florida as well as a glossary of car insurance terms for college students. Written by Nicholas Horvath, Jorge Ruiz-Menjivar, and Sarah M. Ellis, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, January 2021.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1493

Cottage Food in Florida

Cottage food preparation at the communal kitchen at Fifth Generation Farms in Lake City, Florida. Photo Credits: UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones

In Florida, individuals can manufacture, sell, and store specific types of cottage food products in their primary home kitchen in accordance with Florida Statute 500.80. This new 3-page fact sheet, written by Sarah M. Ellis, Jennifer Hagen, and Matthew D. Krug and published by the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, provides basic information and resources for clientele who are interested in starting a food-based business out of their home kitchen. This document is one in a “Florida Food Entrepreneur” series, which seeks to assist new and established food entrepreneurs by providing information on topics relevant to food-based businesses.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs425

Gender Affirmation Surgery: Financial Considerations

January 2007 calendar, During the excitement of the holiday season, many people overspend. Bringing this and other debt under control often seems like a daunting task. IFAS Extension family economics programs are helping people regain control of their finances by providing money management tips for reducing debt. UF/IFAS Photo by: Thomas Wright.

This 3-page factsheet provides a brief overview of gender-affirming medical care, expenses, and funding options. A glossary with key terms discussed in this publication is included at the end. Written by Chloe W. Swearingen, Megan Donovan, Jorge Ruiz-Menjivar, and Sarah M. Ellis, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, November 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1492

Homeowner’s Guide to Selecting a Pest Control Service

A house fly perches on a soft drink can in this file photo by University of Florida entomologist Jerry Butler. The tiny white spots are flecks of powdered sugar from an earlier stroll on a jelly doughnut. In a new study, Butler and colleagues tested house flies captured outside restaurants and found they often carried harmful bacteria, including five species never associated with flies before.

While you can prevent pests from infesting your home, you might need the services of a professional to evict them if they have already moved in. The pest control industry in Florida is the largest in the nation. How do you choose the best pest control company for you? This 6-page fact sheet written by Faith Oi, James E. Davis, John M. Diaz, Sarah M. Ellis, Randall A. Cantrell, Nelly Nelson, and Judy Corbus and published by the UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department is full of practical tips and advice to help you choose a reliable and effective pest control service to help you kick out any uninvited crawlies.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1269

Strategies to Fund Your Child’s College Education: Using Savings and Tax-Advantaged Vehicles

Students look at the College of Agriculture building.

It is never too soon to explore funding options for college educations, whether your child is a newborn or is in middle school. You are more likely to be prepared to fund your child's education if you start planning earlier. This new 4-page document describes and discusses several accounts that allow you to pay for college while taking advantage of tax and savings opportunities. Written by Jessica McCumber, Jorge Ruiz-Menjivar, Martie Gillen, and Sarah M. Ellis, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, June 2019.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1484

Positive Discipline: Behavioral Management Skills for Parents and Teachers, Part 3: Fostering the Parent-Child and Teacher-Student Relationship to Build Responsibility

Figure 1.  Parents and teachers need to be clear about their expectations for children and students. Credit: Thinkstock.com/iStock/natasaadzic

Tell me and I forget,
Teach me and I may remember,
Involve me and I learn.

The general goal of healthy parenting and teaching is to produce children and students who can think critically, make good decisions, and become independent, accountable, responsible, and contributing members of society. Part 3 of this Positive Discipline: Behavioral Management Skills for Parents and Teachers series covers tips and strategies to help parents and teachers build critical thinking and positive behavioral skills in children. Several of these strategies that can help parents and teachers achieve these goals through “love and logic” are discussed in this 6-page fact sheet written by Victor Harris, Whitney Fung, Sarah Ellis, and Alison Schmeer, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, July 2015. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com/iStock/natasaadzic)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1460

Positive Discipline: Behavioral Management Skills for Parents and Teachers, Part 2: General Approaches to Managing Behavior

Figure 3.  If a behavior is consequential, the parent or teacher will need to intervene.

When a child is locked in the bathroom
With water running
And he says he is doing nothing
But the dog is barking,
Call 911.
–Erma Bombeck

Research indicates that there must be at least an 8-to-1 positive-to-negative interaction ratio for parents and teachers to have a positive relationship with their children and students. Put simply, both verbal and non-verbal communication needs to be generally positive. Learning how to steer a child or a student toward managing his or her own behavior in healthy ways requires both knowledge and skills that make it easy to have positive interactions and behavior change. This 6-page fact sheet will help you identify specific approaches to successfully managing appropriate and inappropriate behavior at home and in the classroom. It outlines four principles of behavior management, and describes several strategies before providing a practice activity. Written by Victor Harris, Whitney Fung, Sarah Ellis, and Alison Schmeer, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, July 2015. (Photo Credit: Thinkstock.com/Jupiterimages/Creatas Images)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1459

Positive Discipline: Behavioral Management Skills for Parents and Teachers, Part 1: Types of Misbehaviors and Keys to Success

Figure 3.  Successful parents and teachers are encouraging and engaged in children’s educational and extracurricular activities.

“Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories.” — John Wilmot

Parents and teachers often experience a lot of insecurities, especially with regard to helping children manage their own behaviors. Not surprisingly, there are many similarities in the skills that effective parents and teachers use to help children manage their own behavior successfully. Building a foundation for healthy and effective parenting and teaching begins with understanding some different types of misbehaviors. This 4-page fact sheet discusses four common types of misbehaviors, encourages the reader to identify healthy and unhealthy practices, and continues with key factors of effective parenting and teaching. Written by Victor Harris, Whitney Fung, Sarah Ellis, and Alison Schmeer, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, July 2015. (Photo credit: Thinkstock.com/iStock)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1458

The Impact of Fathers on Children's Well-Being

father talking to young son.American families have changed dramatically over the last century. Currently, about half the children in the United States will live apart from their fathers some time during their childhood because their parents have separated and the proportion of births to unmarried women has risen from 5 percent in 1960 to 41 percent in 2011. But a father who is absent from the household may not necessarily be absent from his child’s life. This 5-page fact sheet provides a brief summary of the history of fatherhood in America and discusses the importance of involved fathers, and how mothers, other family members, and adult role models can make a positive impact in a child’s life. Written by Sarah M. Ellis, Yasmin S. Khan, Victor W. Harris, Ricki McWilliams, and Diana Converse, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, October 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1451