HoweEnterprise.com
July 26, 2021
Child tax credit: What’s the deal? Hey Taylor: Child tax credit... what’s the deal with it? Do I need to do anything, how much is it, how Taylor does it all Kovar work? — Christina Hey Christina: Great questions! People talked about this a lot when the original stimulus bill was signed, and now the child tax credit rollout is beginning so it’s time to refresh on what exactly is happening. Income-dependent credit. Just like the multiple stimulus checks Americans have received, eligibility will depend on how much you make. Individuals making less than $75,000 and couples making less than $150,000 a year can expect to see $300/month per child under six and $250/month for each kid between 6-17. Households with higher earnings will still get the previous $2,000 tax credit, but won’t see the monthly payment totaling the higher amount. Effect on taxes. If you hear someone saying you’ll have to pay the money back, that’s a misrepresentation. Previously, parents would get a tax credit for their dependents. In this year’s stimulus-based model, the credit goes up and comes by way of monthly checks/direct deposits. That means the money you might be used to seeing on your tax return will have already hit your bank account. It could also get a little sticky for people who jumped into a new income bracket between 2020 and 2021. Nothing’s
ever neat or easy when it comes to taxes, and these payments could present a minor nuisance when you file in 2022. Still, the money is part of the stimulus payment and shouldn’t be viewed as any sort of loan. It’s yours.
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Living with children
Your obligation. If you filed your taxes, you probably already have money in your bank account. If you didn’t, you can go to the IRS.gov site to apply and get the money you’re owed. If you don’t like the tax part I mentioned above, you can join the 1 millionplus people who have already opted out of the monthly payment and just want to get this money as a credit when they file taxes. That step can also be taken through the IRS website.
Q: Our fouryear-old, an only child, is giving us fits. As a toddler, he began ignoring us. That evolved into downright John refusing to do Rosemond what we ask, as in, “I’m not going to” and just plain “No.” It seems like the nicer we are to him, the meaner he is to us. In addition, his tantrums when he doesn’t get his way have become Class 5 hurricanes that last until we give in. We know we shouldn’t—give in, that is—but his fits just wear us out. There is no doubt that he’s in complete control of our home. Is it too late to turn things around?
Hope this answers your questions. If you’ve already received your payment, I hope you and your kids are able to put it to good use!
A: Not at all, but taking your son out of the driver’s seat is going to require a complete parenting makeover, starting with how you give him instructions.
Legal Disclaimer: Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar.com or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901.
Two words pop out in your question: “ask” and “nicer.” They may well hold the key to solving your problems. In the first place, asking a young child to do something is akin to lighting a fuse on dynamite. The fact is, you want your son to obey. To obtain obedience, your instructions should be delivered in short, authoritative sentences, as in, “It’s time for you to pick up these toys.” Your desire to be perceived as nice people is understandable, but something along the lines of “Hey, how about let’s pick up these toys now, okay buddy?” gives him tacit permission to respond with something along the lines of “I don’t want to,” which just happens to be the default response for a child your son’s age. In short, stop asking your son to cooperate and begin telling him exactly what is expected. I call it “Alpha Speech.” Trust me, that
alone is going to cut his disobedience in half—if you stick to it— with a couple of weeks. In the meantime, when he disobeys, confine him to his room for thirty minutes, defined by a timer set outside his door. Prior to using his room for time-out, however, you need to reduce its “entertainment value” by at least ninety percent. In other words, make it boring. Alpha Speech and an immediate, meaningful consequence should do the trick, but mind you, things are likely to get worse before they get better. A child who’s in “complete control” of the home isn’t going to sit well when his parents begin taking back that control. Which brings us to his magnificent tantrums. In that regard, let’s not make things complicated. His room, after you transform it into his boring room, can also serve as his Tantrum Place. Every young child needs a safe place where they can protest not getting their way as long and loudly as they want. Immediately—and that is the key—upon the start of a tantrum, march him to his room with the instruction to stay until there’s no more tantrum left in him. It shouldn’t take long for your son to discover that disobedience and tantrums are going to get him nowhere fast. When that happens, he will be a much happier camper, believe me. Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond.com, parent guru.com. John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of family psychology. In 1971, John earned his masters in psychology from Western Illinois University and was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society.
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