My DD is in kindergarten, since the beginning of this school year, my daughter and this girl in her class clicked and always seem to get along, holding hands together after school at pick up, my daughter always speaks positively about her and I also volunteer in the classroom occasionally and I never saw any issues between how they interact. My daughter also has several friends in her class from preschool/baby years she gets along with. One time, I volunteered, the girl had come up to me asked me if my daughter and her could have a play date, so I said of course, so I approached her daughter’s mom during pick up one day, about possibly setting up a play date and she quickly replied and said when the weather is warmer. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. Then I started noticing whenever my daughter is hugging goodbye to her friend, her mom seemed really uncomfortable would gesture her daughter to stop hugging and quickly walk away. My husband even noticed one time at pick up the mom was not so friendly to him when he tried to greet.
Later my daughter mentioned her friend’s mom volunteered in class and she was not being nice to her, that she kept talking to my daughter in firm voice, kind of made her sad. I said ok, well maybe she was trying to be professional.
Recently I received an email from the mother out of the blue (this is one of the first contact we’ve made) saying there was an incident during recess where my daughter was crying for her best friend when her friend was playing with other girls and she feels my daughter only likes to play with her and not include everyone else. In the email she asked if I could have a conversation with my daughter about making new friends. I was a little confused because the same day my daughter didn’t mention anything about the incident and said she was crying that day because she was upset about not being able to finish worksheet in class. I responded saying sorry about the incident and I’ll talk to her and the teacher.
I emailed the teacher asking about the incident to better understand the issue. The teacher responded short message saying they like to play together and that seems to be going okay. Her teacher and assistant teacher will monitor situation next few days and let me know if we need to action further. To me, the teacher didn’t really seem concerned of their behaviors, and when I ask my daughter about how she feels at recess and her friends, she doesn’t say she’s jealous or feeling sad and says she’s pretty happy playing. Of course at this age, I know a lot happens during the day and as they spend many hours together during the week at school so some days can be worse than others. I try to take my daughter’s words with a grain of salt. That said, I think my daughter is well socialized, she is involved in sports and other activities outside of school where she has social circle, she also has older sibling and she knows how to stand up for herself if needed.
Now I’m kind of feeling annoyed maybe the parent is just trying to manipulate the situation because she simply doesn’t like my daughter playing with hers for some reason. I’m disappointed for my daughter because this girl is her first best friend. I talked to her about making new friendships but my daughter just seems confused because she says she does play with other friends and even other friends from another class. How can I get my daughter to steer away from friend at this age? I don’t want any more trouble over nothing.

Good morning neighbors,
I'm writing here because I'm desperate for help and insight when its comes to my daughter. She is 6 and a kindergartener at CVG.
She has a diagnosed mood disorder and were currently undergoing an autism diagnosis. She has an iep. She is currently only allowed to go to school from 845am to 12pm. She is sent home once a week for bad behavior (hitting teachers, hitting students). The lights, the noise, the over stimulation triggers hwr to go non verbal, hide under Desks, hiss and growl like an animal and she'll begin to throw things or deliberately bother others.
Due to this behavior, her gen ed teacher struggles to maintain peace in the classroom. So, my daughter bounces from a para (whos working with 4th and 5th graders who evidently cuss at my child when she irritates them), the school counselor, the receptionist and the principal. I think they hand her a worksheet to scribble on. In 3 months, she has brought home one peice of school work. One of the staff told me, she's not learning here- she's just running around the school, not getting anything done (another issue she has is running out of the room).
I've asked the teachers, where do other kindergarteners go who are like this? Certainly there are kids similar or more challenging than her- where do they go?? I get silence. Nobody seems to know what to do with her.
They say the resource room isn't appropriate because the older kids are triggered by her and this could be dangerous for her.
So, I'm wondering if anybody reading this has been down my road before?
I'm a single mom, struggling to find the time and energy to fight for my child. I'm making enough to pay my bills and cover an emergency, but other than that- I cannot afford a private school. I do have state insurance though and it's pretty generous.
Also, as a side note- she does not have these episodes at home anymore. The last time she had one was about a year and a half ago when we were staying in an air bnb. I've taught her how to read and how to do basic addition and subtraction with an abacus. So, she is teachable and she can learn in the right environment, with the right person. As a side note, I do work from home and have set up a little "school" next to my desk. I've been teaching her an extra hour a day to try to make up for what the school ia shorting her.
Another side note, over the years she's had two psychiatrists, two behavioral coaches (mostly coaching me so I can help her) and completed the Emotional ABCs program. I've read several of the "best" books and read countless studies. She is not on medication although I'm at a breaking point and seriously considering it because I'm feeling that the risk now is overshadowed by the potential reward (she's able to integrate into society).
I know this a lot of text, so thank you if you made it this far! Very grateful for any info or wisdom you can pass along.

Last year my daughter attended kindergarten at the elementary school that's like 2 minutes from home. We live in the side of town that's lower income, especially the large low-income apartment complex that's a block away. I got tired of her being bullied with no repercussions, I got tired of her and other smart kids being ignored because teachers were forced to focus on the kids going wild, so this year I decided to transfer her to a school that's about 15 minutes away that's much better regarded. It's in a better side of town and felt better when we toured it. She says she loves her new school, so I figured I made the right call but I still wasn't sure since we did take her away from some of her friends there.
But this year I also started working as a sub. I've subbed in her old school many times, but not as much in her new school until I picked up a long term librarian job where I go between her old school and her new school (a wonderful coincidence).
Dude. The difference between the schools is incredible. At her old school, I regularly have to send kids to the office because they're incredibly rude and do their best to prevent me from teaching. My library assistant is so burnt out. She doesn't have a work space and has to basically just pile things around her on the desk. They send her out on so many duties she's only with me half the time) that she's basically useless to me. When I collect worksheets from the kids, half the time it's unreadable scribbles if they actually write anything down. I go home much more frustrated and grumpy.
At the new school, the kids are much more respectful and actually seem to care about consequences. My library assistant is AMAZING, super involved and we have a fantastic office where she does so many crafty things for the library. The library itself is much nicer, the work the kids do is much better, and even the trouble kids are better because I have more support. Even my rough days at the new school are better than the better days at the old school. I can do so much more with these kids because I'm not as concerned about them destroying the library and I don't have to stop to tell them to STFU as often.
I feel bad for all the kids who want to learn at the old school, especially the 5th and 6th graders. One of the 5th grade classes even managed to chase off their teacher, which is why I got my gig in the first place because the librarian went to cover that class for the rest of the school year. I know that so many of those kids come from rough homes and don't have positive role models at home to teach them how to be decent people, which breaks my heart. There's a few 5th graders in particular that I've developed a rapport with, especially after I admitted to having ADD during a lesson because I was teaching them tips for doing research and I told them I write things down because otherwise I don't remember shit.
I won't say the new school is perfect (the class sizes are a bit bigger than I'd like), but now that I've spent a lot of time going between them, I am happy with my decision to transfer my daughter. Her teacher is able to give her more attention, she's being challenged (my daughter is very bright), and she has made many friends who are positive influences on her.
I just wish the education system wasn't so intrinsically unfair.

My kid is in TK and she loves school! Summer is coming up and I want to keep the momentum going with everything she’s learned. In the past I’ve used workbooks from Target that were preschool level. I know they have kindergarten level too. But I’m wondering if anyone has any recommendations for something with more structure than just a worksheet. I’d especially like to work on her reading abilities (she’s so close!)
And obviously it’s summer and let kids be kids and all that. We have plenty of fun, I just want to keep the learning momentum going.

Hello,
I have a friend in Latin America who is an English teacher for kindergarteners. She contacted me because she recently learned that kids in the USA are taught phonetics and phonics growing up, while people in Latin America are not. Now she wants to learn how to teach these topics and maybe take a course online or watch videos that teach her this. She also wants to know where she can find resources such as worksheets, flashcards, and stuff that she can print out for her students.

Hi; I’m a 41 year old mom that was diagnosed with adhd in my early 20s. I have been ion and off meds since then, and am currently on medication. I see many adhd behaviors in my son, who just turned six. His kindergarten teacher has shared some concerns but told us that we should be looking for him to increase his times of focus in 1st grade. He broke his collarbone recently and wasn’t able to do gym or recess. Multiple bites have come home about him being silly and distracting in class and lately he’s been getting notes home from his reading teacher about not completing his worksheets. He has said he just doesn’t feel like finishing.
At his well child check last week, his doctor noticed he can’t sit still and recommending him for adhd testing. Can a diagnosis be accurate at six? I feel like I think it’s adhd because I’ve been hypersensitive to it and watching. However, many of his behaviors are totally normal for a high energy six year old. What is the best way to know what is normal versus not at an age where a child should be free to be childlike?several times he has disrupted the learning of others. I feel bad about that. I really am hesitant to get him screened because I don’t want him labeled or subject to stigma I was. Am I being ridiculous? I go back and forth because o feel like knowing early can help us and him - so things won’t have to be as difficult for him, so he can understand what works for him and doesn’t, and for him to be able to make this his super power not something to feel bad about.
Does anyone have experience with screening or parenting young children suspected to have adhd? As someone who has been medicated and felt not like myself on them, my hear breaks to potentially medicate a child who can’t article that is happening. I want to help him not blow out his spark. I know I am overthinking this, but just wondering if anyone can provide some advice from their experience. TIA!

I am an experienced English teacher from the UK. I came to South Korea just before Coronavirus started, and I have been here ever since.
I spent a large part of that time at a large hagwon (language school), teaching 5-7 year-olds in the mornings, and some older kids in the afternoon. I gained some satisfaction from that job, although there were occasionally issues.
That job ended. Now, I am at a different kindergarten. I am teaching 9-5, whereas, I taught from 9 to 6 before. In some ways, it is a lot easier at the new place. However, sometimes, rules are less clear.
The question I have is about the age groups. Previously, I taught 6-7 year-olds at an English language kindergarten. Now, the main focus is on 3-5 year-olds. Some of my classes have a story book chosen by the Korean teacher, and nothing else. But I have to find materials to go with that. I am starting to do so. I look at Cocomelon, Super Simple Songs, and the Singing Walrus, for songs. But I rejected some for being too difficult.
I understand that these classes need to be more physical and interactive. But can you recommend websites for songs related to 5 years old and under? Also, can you tell me where I can get worksheets I can use with those younger kids. Too many worksheets assume some literacy. I am teaching classes based on themes, not phonics. Thank you for your assistance.

My son just turned 4 last month. I am planning on having him start transitional Kindergarten in a few months (we live in CA). To help him prepare, I signed him up for a city program (3-5 year olds) for 2 hours twice a week where they practice writing their names, tracing, counting, etc. Every time I pick him up, the teacher says he did no work and his worksheets are all blank.
When we are at home, I try to practice writing, letters, etc. and he refuses for me as well. The only thing I can do to motivate him is that he must write his name or some other small activity before he can watch a tv show.
He absolutely loves building, working with tools, and being outdoors, but he could care less about letters and numbers. I’m concerned that if he goes to TK and he continues to refuse to work, it will harm his confidence and the situation will get worse.
Does anyone have suggestions for motivating him? I’ve tried to do fun activities, candy rewards, toys, BOB books, Hooked on Phonics, etc. I’m not sure if I’m just approaching everything incorrectly. Does anyone have any tips or resources they suggest?
Edit:
Thank you all for your feedback here. I think my takeaway from all of your comments is that he is not developmentally ready for writing, worksheets, etc. I will say, I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure that he stays on track and doesn't fall behind. When we go to this class it just breaks my mom heart seeing all of these kids walking out and the teacher telling the parents how great their kids did, but she hands me blank paperwork saying he did nothing. It just makes me feel like I'm doing things wrong, but he is probably right where he needs to be developmentally.

Let’s be real, lesson plans can be great, good, bad, ugly and downright messy at times. I know walking into a classroom that things for subs never quite go to plan. I have had lesson plans on a post it note and one that was 38 pages long.
Most of the teachers that I have made friends with have the emergency lesson plan for unplanned absences. They usually have the schedule, info on helpful students, info on students who may throw furniture around and the really good ones email or attach the lesson plans to the postings. Where to find things, and so on so forth.
I picked up 3 days of kindergarten in a row for the same teacher. (WTF was I thinking)
Today I got like an outline of a lesson plan. Half of it I had no access to because the slide shows or websites were not included. None of the worksheets were labeled. More than half of them didn’t have instructions. There was no details, and looking at the next two days, it’s a basic outline where everything was left blank.
I pride myself on how well I can stick to a lesson plan. I work hard to build rapport with teachers and schools in my district, but it’s so damn hard to feel effective and have classroom management when I have no clue on what’s actually supposed to happen. The other kinder teachers couldn’t help because they didn’t understand the lesson plans either.
I have two more days ahead of me where I just have to wing it and hope this teacher provides me with a good feedback score. I also have to put in feedback and everything in my soul wants to bash the whole thing, I tread carefully in how I word my feedback, I love my job and I don’t want to burn bridges in certain schools.
I’m just so frustrated.

In my last post I wrote about the Norwegian tax system. So for this one I figured I would write about the benefits and safety net programs that many of those taxes provide for. Basically all these benefits are for citizens/eu/eea people only but it's an insight to what benefits you or your family could get if you make the move and become a citizen. All currency conversions done as of April 2024.
Healthcare
Norway has a universal single payer health insurance model, which most people rely on and use. Only about 10% of the population has private supplementary coverage.
The healthcare system covers most medical services such as primary care, hospital care, mental health services, prescription drugs, rehabilitation, specialists, emergency services, pregnancy care, home care, hearing, travel expenses, children and young adult dental. On top of this you are also eligible for a European health insurance card which grants you access to medically necessary care within all EU/EEA countries in addition to the UK when traveling. In addition to this Norway also has reciprocal agreements with Quebec and Australia which grants access to medically necessary care in those countries when traveling abroad.
There is cost sharing involved, however all yearly cost sharing is capped at a max of 3,165 NOK (~287.27 USD). There are also groups of people/services with no cost sharing involved. These include pregnancy care, in-patient hospital treatment, healthcare for children under the age of 16, mental healthcare for children under the age of 18, occupational injuries, ground and air ambulances, prevention and treatment of transmittable diseases, and home healthcare services. In addition to this recipients of the minimum state pension are exempt from cost sharing for covered prescriptions.
Dental is a gap within the healthcare system, however some groups do get coverage. Children age 0-18 get dental covered for free from the healthcare system. From ages 19-24 the payment must be 25% of the rates set by the Helse-og omsorgsdepartementet (ministry of health and welfare). Those who live in a nursing home and the mentally disabled also get their dental costs covered.
There is also dental coverage for the following groups of conditions.

1. Rare medical condition (ask the dentist about the conditions that are on this list at any time)
2. Cleft lip-jaw-palate
3. Tumours in the oral cavity, adjacent tissue or in the head region in general
4. Treatment to prevent infection in connection with special medical conditions
5. Diseases and abnormalities in the mouth and jaw
6. Periodontitis
7. Tooth development disorders
8. Bite abnormalities (dental braces/ jaw orthodontic treatment)
9. Pathological loss of tooth substances due to attrition/erosion
10. Hyposalivation (dry mouth)
11. Allergic reactions to tooth restoration materials
12. Tooth damage related to a recognised occupational injury (the occupational injury must have been acknowledged by NAV and the dental treatment must have a connection to the occupational injury)
13. Tooth damage related to an accident that is not an occupational injury
14. Inability to care for oneself due to permanent illness or permanent disability
15. Full or partial loss of tooth, without own teeth in the lower jaw (and unable to use loose-fitting prosthetic)

Any copay involved with groups 5 and 6 are subject to the cost-sharing cap.
Another gap in the system is most vision care is not covered unless you have very limited vision. However the government will cover most of the costs associated with children's glasses.
Healthcare sources:
https://www.helsenorge.no/en/payment-for-health-services/exemption-card-for-public-health-services/
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-centecountries/norway
https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1021&langId=en&intPageId=1759
https://www.helsenorge.no/en/payment-for-health-services/who-pays-your-dental-bill/
https://www.nav.no/briller-til-barn
https://www.helsenorge.no/en/patient-travel/about/travel-to-the-following-treatments-is-covered/
https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=559
https://www.helsenorge.no/en/patient-travel/about/patient-travel-for-foreign-citizens/
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/reciprocal-health-care-agreements-visiting-from-norway?context=22481
https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citizens/health-insurance/social-security-agreements-other-countries
Higher Education:
Higher education, including undergraduate, vocational school and graduate level education is tuition free in Norway. Typically the only fee one has to pay is a semester fee. For example at NTNU, a university in Trondheim, the fee is 700 NOK (~63 USD) per semester which amounts to 1,400 NOK (~126 USD) per year. Most universities in Norway have a mandatory fee around this amount, however other than this cost, for the most part, everything else is covered for education costs themselves. Unlike some other countries, there is also no limit on how many degrees or years of education someone may get from a university with no tuition fees. In the US typically after you get your first degree you are cut off from most forms of financial aid, so if you want to make a career switch down the line it's not so easy if you aren't in a good place financially.
The government also supports students with a loan/grant program known as lånekassen, which can be used for undergraduate, graduate, and vocational school. The amount varies, for example someone who is attending an undergrad program can get 60,676 NOK (~5,507 USD) as a grant and 91,014 NOK (~8,260 USD) as a loan to help cover living expenses over the course of the school year. Typically the way it works for all levels of education is that 40% of the loan is converted to a grant. The grants are also usually means tested, for 2024 if your parents earn more than 806,902 NOK (~73,507 USD) you aren't eligible for the grant, however loans are not means tested and are available for everyone. You can also get additional loans and grants if you have children, as well as an extra grant if you have a reduced functional ability.
The repayments for loans are also calculated based on the amount of loans you have received. Since a bachelors degree is 3 years long, if you were receiving 3 years of 90,014 NOK (~5,507 USD) you would have a total debt of 270,042 NOK (~24k USD). The repayment at the current interest rate of 4.765% would be ~1,900 NOK (~172 USD) per month over 18 years. Payments can also be deferred for up to 36 months for any reason. The interest rate is based on top five mortgage offers on the market, so because interest rates have been going up it has been lower in the past couple of years. There is also an interest deletion safety net based on sickness, low income (limited to 36 months), unemployment, birth (interested deleted for 12 months after any birth), education, caring for a close family member, etc. You can also have the debt forgiven or be put on a repayment plan if you are experiencing persistent difficulties in making repayments due to your financial circumstances. And of course these are all just for living costs, the education itself is tuition-free. You can receive this support for up to 8 years, with the year limit being allowed to increase if your studies were delayed because you were sick, had a child or had a disability.
There are also certain other forgiveness programs, if you live in certain parts of northern Norway, you can get 20% of your loans forgiven every year. If you are a doctor in certain municipalities up to 30,000 NOK (~2700 USD) can get cancelled per year. If you become disabled you can also get all or part of your debt deleted, depending on income.
Higher Education sources:
https://i.ntnu.no/wiki/-/wiki/English/Semester+fee+and+registration
https://lanekassen.no/en-US/grants-and-loans/income-and-assets/
https://lanekassen.no/en-US/gjeld-og-betaling/unemployed-aap-sick-and-low-income/income-limits-for-interest-deletion/
https://lanekassen.no/en-US/gjeld-og-betaling/unemployed-aap-sick-and-low-income/
https://lanekassen.no/en-US/gjeld-og-betaling/interest-rates-and-fees/historisk-renteutvikling2/
https://lanekassen.no/en-US/gjeld-og-betaling/finnmark-or-nord-troms/
https://lanekassen.no/en-US/gjeld-og-betaling/doctors-in-selected-municipalities/
https://lanekassen.no/en-US/gjeld-og-betaling/disabled/
https://lanekassen.no/en-US/gjeld-og-betaling/Repayment-deferral/persistent-payment-difficulties/
https://lanekassen.no/en-US/rules-and-regulations/tildeling/del3-kapittel10/how-long-you-can-receive-support-fo
Maternity/Paternity Leave
To get family leave you must have had a certain level of income, that income being at least ~59,000 NOK (~5,300 USD) for six of the last ten months. The length of leave is 49 weeks with 15 weeks being reserved for each parent at 100% pay, or 59 weeks with 19 weeks being reserved for each parent at 80% of pay. The maximum amount of pay you can get is 6 times the G amount (basic amount of the national insurance scheme), which is equivalent to ~711,720 NOK (~64,596) USD.
For example at 100% pay, the mother is required to take at least 3 weeks before birth. Then after birth the mother and father get 15 weeks they can take at the same time. Then following this there is an additional 16 weeks that can be shared between both during what is known as a "common period", however one parent must be working during this period. The amount of weeks can be longer if taken at 80% as well.
Maternity/paternity leave sources:
https://www.skatteetaten.no/en/rates/national-insurance-scheme-basic-amount/
https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1123&intPageId=4704&langId=en
https://www.nav.no/foreldrepenger#hvor-lenge (in Norwegian)
Childcare/education
Childcare is heavily subsidized by the Norwegian government, starting in August 2024 the maximum price that can charged for the first child is 2000 NOK (~181.52 USD) per month. For the second child a 30 percent discount is applied making the second child cost 14000 NOK (~127 USD) per month. The third child and any additional child attends for free. On top of this for families who are low income they qualify for 20 hours of childcare free of cost, income limits vary by municipality. There are also reductions in payment available if costs for childcare exceed 6% of income, so no family will have to pay over 6% of their income for the cost of childcare. On top of all that childcare fees are only charged for 11 months each, with the 12th month being free. Recently certain parts of northern Norway have also begun to receive childcare without any costs. The only additional costs other than these fees is the cost of food, which in the case of one American woman living in Bergen is about 30 USD extra a month. Once the child has aged into the primary school system, the cost of education is free.
Childcare sources:
https://www.oslo.kommune.no/english/kindergarten/prices-and-payment/
https://www.fredrikstad.kommune.no/tjenestebarn-familie-utdanning/barnehage/betaling-for-barnehageplass/ (in Norwegian)
https://www.udir.no/regelverk-og-tilsyn/barnehage/foreldrebetaling/ (in Norwegian)
https://www.alta.kommune.no/pris-og-redusert-betaling.558281.no.html (in Norwegian)
https://www.scarymommy.com/parenting/childcare-costs-america-vs-norway
Child benefits
Giving birth is completely free of charge in Norway. Once you have a child you are eligible to receive monthly payment from the Government. For a married couple the current rates are 1766 NOK (~160 USD) per month under the age of 6, with those over the age of 6 up to age 18 getting 1510 NOK (~137 USD) per month. These payments are tax-free and there are also supplements for single parents available.
https://www.nav.no/en/home/benefits-and-services/relatert-informasjon/child-benefit https://www.nav.no/satser#barnetrygd (in Norwegian)
Workers Rights
Norway has extensive workers rights. All workers are entitled to 25 paid vacation days per year. Because the law counts Saturdays as days though, this ends up being 21 days of paid vacation per year. Those over the age of 60 get an extra week in addition to this, so they get 26 days of paid vacation days a year. These days accrue during your first year of work, so you get the vacation days starting your second year of work. On top of this workers also have 10 paid public holidays per year.
For working hours in Norway regular working hours are 9 hours per day, 40 hours per week. This can include a 30 minute break which is paid if you are required to stay at the workplace or be available for work.
Norway also has extensive overtime rules. Overtime is only permitted under certain circumstances such as when there is short staff, unexpected increase in demand for work, or seasonal fluctuations. All overtime must be limited by law, the limits are 10 hours in a 7 day period, 25 hours in a 4 week period, and 200 hours over a 52 week period. Cumulative working hours, or total hours worked including overtime, cannot exceed 13 hours in a 24 hour period, and the average cumulative hours cannot exceed 48 hours in an 8 week period. On top of this all overtime must be paid with a 40% premium on top of your regular salary. The only exempt groups from this law are senior posts or particularly independent posts. Particularly independent post, according to the government entails the following.
"A particularly independent position implies a clear and obvious independence or independence in how and at what time the employee organizes and carries out his work tasks. The employee himself must assess and decide the need for his own work effort and be relatively free to decide when the work is to be carried out. For example, lawyers with their own portfolio and process responsibility will in many cases have a particularly independent position."
Given the average Norwegian works only ~35.5 hours a week, these overtime laws seem to be well designed and enforced. You also have the right to refuse to work overtime for health reasons, and social reasons such as caring for young children or family events.
While Norway does not have a national minimum wage there are minimum wages applied to some sectors such as cleaners, construction workers, hotel workers and some other sectors. For example an unskilled construction worker with 0 experience in construction is entitled to 214.90 NOK (~19.50 USD) per hour. I have a link to all these rates in the sources.
Norway also doesn't have an at-will work policy, you can only be fired for good cause. Good cause includes reasons such as a necessary downsizing of the company or a breach of the employment contract. On top of this a notice of dismissal is required between 1 and 6 months depending on age and years on the job, with the right to keep the job during the legal proceedings in relation to the termination.
These are all just the basic minimum required by law, with 50 percent of workers in a union and around 70 percent covered by a collective bargaining agreement many workers get expanded benefits on top of these minimums. These can include higher retirement contributions, 5 weeks paid leave, and 37.5 hour work weeks, higher overtime pay among other things.
Workers Rights sources:
https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/1995-02-24-12
https://www.uio.no/english/for-employees/employment/working-hours-and-absence/holiday/holiday-pay/calculation-examples.html
https://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/en/working-conditions/working-hours/
https://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/arbeidsforhold/arbeidstid/ledende-og-sarlig-uavhengige-stillinge (In Norwegian)
https://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/en/working-conditions/working-hours/overtime/
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20230920-1
https://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/en/working-conditions/pay-and-minimum-rates-of-pay/minimum-wage/
https://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/en/working-conditions/dismissal-with-notice/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1356735/labor-unions-most-unionized-countries-worldwide/
https://www.ilo.org/digitalguides/en-gb/story/collective-bargaining-recovery#extensive/cb-coverage
Sick leave
For the first 16 days of sick leave, the employer is responsible for covering the salary. For the first 3 days of this sick leave, self-certification can be used for a sick note. This means no sick note is required. Self-certification can be used for up to three calendar days in a row, up to four times a year. After this is reached you'll need to receive a sick note from a doctor. Once you get on the sickness benefit you can be on it for up to 52 weeks with up to 100 percent of your salary covered. Once this time period lapses, if you are still sick you can either receive disability or a work assessment allowance depending on your condition.
You are also eligible for benefits to stay home to take care of a sick child age 12 and under, or chronically ill/disabled child 18 and under, with 10 paid days off for families with 1-2 children, and 15 paid days off for families with 3 children or more. Extra days may be granted in the case of a child with a chronic illness. Sick notes are only required from the fourth day, with pay being based on whatever salary you have. In addition to that you can get 60 days of leave when you have a relative in the final phases of their life.
Sick leave sources:
https://www.nav.no/en/home/benefits-and-services/Self-certification-egenmelding#chapter-3
https://www.nav.no/en/home/benefits-and-services/Sickness-benefit-for-employees#chapter-1
https://www.nav.no/omsorgspenger (in Norwegian)
https://www.nav.no/samarbeidspartnepleiepenger-sluttfase (in Norwegian)
Disability benefits
Those with disabilities can get disability payments from the Government, the amount you get can vary depending on your previous income. The general rule is that it is 66% of your income up to 711,720 NOK (~64,531 USD). There is also a right to a minimum payment which is twice the National Insurance Scheme basic amount which as of April 2024 is 294,178 NOK (~26,700 USD).
If you have a disability that can be improved over time, you are eligible for a work assessment allowance. The amount you can get is a similar to the disability benefit, The general rule is that it is 66% of your income up to 711,720 NOK (~42,633 USD). There is also a right to a minimum payment which currently is twice the National Insurance Scheme basic amount which as of April 2024is 294,178 NOK (~26,700 USD) for those 25 or older. For those 25 or younger you can get up to 2/3 of this amount which is ~198,118 NOK (~17,352 USD), once you turn 25 you can receive the higher minimum amount. This benefit does require you to work towards improving your work status and meeting with the government (NAV) to setup a plan to do so and attend meetings.
Disability benefit sources:
https://www.nav.no/uforetrygd/en
https://www.nav.no/aap/en
Unemployment Insurance
You are eligible for unemployment insurance if you were laid off, terminated for reasons that weren't your fault or lost more than 50 percent of working hours. You are also eligible if you resigned from your job for reasonable cause such as health issues or workplace bullying. If you did not have reasonable cause for resigning, or you were terminated for something that was your fault, you are eligible for unemployment insurance after 18 weeks.
The amount you can generally get is 62.4 percent of your past yearly income, or the average of 62.4 percent of your income over the past 3 years, whichever is higher, up to 711,722 NOK (~64,000 USD). You will also get supplements if you have children. If you had an income above 237,240 NOK (~21,528 USD) you can receive benefits for 104 weeks. If you had an income below that amount, you can receive benefits for 52 weeks. While receiving benefits you must be applying for jobs and accepting jobs made available to you.
Unemployment insurance sources:
https://www.nav.no/dagpengeen
General Safety
Statistically speaking Norway is a very safe country, to give you an idea Norway had the most violent year last year in over a decade with a grand total of 38 murders. For a population of ~5.457 million people that is a homicide rate of ~0.7 per 100k people. To give you an idea, one of the safest cities in America, San Diego had 45 murders last year despite having a lower population than Norway at ~1.38 million people. In Portland a city with ~635,000 people there were 73 homicides in 2023. Most American cities have much worse murder rates both in a sheer numbers perspective but also from a per capita perspective. If Norway was a state it would have the lowest homicide rate in the US. Norway's roads are generally safe as well with one of the lowest road fatality rates on earth.
General Safety Sources
https://www.statista.com/statistics/670978/number-of-people-killed-by-firearms/
https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2024/03/29/sdpd-crime-numbers-2023-drop
https://www.opb.org/article/2024/01/24/portland-crime-violent-homicide-gun-statistics-reports-murder-oregon-police/
https://ourworldindata.org/graphedeath-rates-road-incidents
Pension
The Norwegian pension system is split up into 3 different sources, the state pension, your work pension, and individual savings.
The state pension is based on contributions you have made throughout your working years and can vary based on the year you were born. For those born after 1963 the minimum pension that you are guaranteed after 40 years of contributions is ~210,418 NOK (~19,097 USD) for those who are married and ~227,468 NOK (~20,645 USD) for those who are single. The retirement age is currently 67 and linked to life expectancy, however if you have sufficient earnings you can start getting the pension at age 62. Those who are 67 and older and have a pension lower than the minimum because of a shorter period of residence can also get a supplemental benefit that makes ones income equal to the guaranteed minimum, subject to income and asset tests.
In addition to this there is the work pension, otherwise known as the occupational pension scheme. Your employer must contribute at a minimum 2 percent of your income. This 2 percent minimum applies up to a maximum of 12 G or 1.4 million NOK (~127k USD). Any additional benefits offered by an employer for this work pension must be applied to all employees at the company. The maximum contribution to this scheme is 7 percent of income up to 7.1 G which is ~842k NOK (~76k USD). With an addition limit applying between that amount and 12 G or 1.4 million NOK (~127k USD) of 18.1% of the amount between that range.
The final aspect of the pension system is private savings which individuals make to private retirement accounts on their own. The maximum amount that can be deducted from your taxable income for this purpose is currently 15,000 NOK (~1,316 USD) annually.
https://www.nav.no/minstepensjon
https://www.nav.no/en/home/benefits-and-services/relatert-informasjon/retirement-pension-for-those-born-in-and-after-1963#chapter-1
https://www.skatteetaten.no/en/person/taxes/get-the-taxes-right/employment-benefits-and-pensions/otp---mandatory-occupational-pension-scheme---when-youre-employed/
https://www.tekna.no/en/salary-and-negotiations/pension/how-pensions-work-in-norway/
https://www.tekna.no/en/salary-and-negotiations/pension/#occupational
https://www.skatteetaten.no/en/rates/maximum-annual-deduction-for-payments-to-an-individual-pension-scheme/
https://www.nav.no/supplerende-stonad-over-67/en
Elder Care
Most elder care involving home care/assistance is provided for free by the municipality. Home health services including help getting up and going to bed, personal hygiene, going to the toilet, dressing and undressing, eating and health care are provided free of charge. Other services such as cleaning, washing and changing bed linen, throwing away rubbish, washing up, ordering food can have some form of co-payments. Depending on your income and municipality charges can vary. For example in Trondheim, the maximum co-payment for the lowest income bracket, income at or below 237,240 NOK (~21,500 USD), is 230 NOK (~20.88 USD) per month, while the maximum co-payment for the highest bracket, 474,481 NOK (~43,108 USD) and above, is 2815 NOK (~255 USD) per month.
Nursing home stays are also subsidized by the state. Generally for long term stays the way it works is you get a free amount of 9400 NOK (~853.16 USD). Then the amount above that up to 1 G, or 118,620 NOK (~10,766 USD) requires 75% of the amount going towards to cost of a nursing home. Then the amount over this up to the cost of the nursing home itself requires 85% of the amount going towards the cost of a nursing home. This also only takes into account income after tax. This system is also only on income, no assets are taken into account and the government won't go after your estate after death. This covers most of the costs, for example in Bergen it will cover all linens and towels, personal hygiene items, cost of glasses, hearing aids, medical supervision, cost-sharing for specialist services, transport to specialist treatment, as well as necessary dental care. In addition to that it covers TV and Internet along with furniture as well as assistance towards the costs of haircuts and podiatry care.
Within Bergen short term stays are also capped, for example a short term stay of up to 60 days in Bergen will come with a cap of 163 NOK (~17 USD) per day. For any stay above 60 days the cost sharing previously described is applied.
https://www.trondheim.kommune.no/aktuelt/om-kommunen/priser-avgifter-og-gebyrehelse--og-velferdstjeneste (in Norwegian)
https://viover60.no/artikledette-ma-du-betale-for-en-sykehjemsplass/ (in Norwegian)
https://www.bergen.kommune.no/innbyggerhjelpen/helse-og-omsorg/helsetjenestesykehjem/egenandel-for-opphold-pa-institusjon (in Norwegian, list of covered services can be found in the Hva dekker egenandelen? (what does the deductible cover?) section)
Welfare support
Other than the various social programs already discussed, there is also a last resort support for people who have little to no savings and nobody else to rely on. If you meet these conditions the government will cover only the bare essentials, these being the cost of your housing, electricity, clothing, communication and food. While you are receiving this support you'll have to be in education or searching for work. However, for those in a bad situation it can help, and it’s probably part of why there aren't that many homeless in Norway. The scheme is also going to expand to take into account phone, internet and moderate transportation costs starting in July 2024. Along with this they can also cover any medical cost-sharing and dental costs while you are on the benefit. The welfare support unlike most other forms of support in Norway are checked for assets, so you'll truly have to be in a bad situation to receive this benefit. However some forms of benefits are not taken into account during the calculations, for example the monthly child benefit from 2022 is no longer taken into account.
Welfare support resources
https://www.nav.no/okonomisk-sosialhjelp/en
https://frifagbevegelse.no/nyhetefolk-pa-sosialhjelp-far-mer-se-hva-det-betyr-her-6.158.1010255.e51b7f557b (in Norwegian)

My Ultimate Favorites

• Pixel Thoughts is a website that offers an interactive, 60-second meditation tool to communicate worries and release bothersome thoughts
• <3 25 Daily Affirmations <3
• You feel like shit offers an interactive self-care game/guide with grounding exercises for people struggling with feeling sad or anxious.
• 24 Best Self-Soothing Techniques and Strategies for Adults
• Me Too: What To Expect When Reporting a Sexual Assault - This quick guide covers what happens after someone chooses to report sexual violence. It covers medical forensic exams, interactions with the police and legal system, and some grounding/coping techniques.
• Habitica Provides a free habit-building and productivity app that treats your real life like a game. With in-game rewards and punishments to motivate you to complete tasks in your life.
• Sleep Hygiene Tips Offers a one-page PDF that gives tips for healthy sleeping habits.
• The National Association for Self-Esteem Offers lessons, activities, and up-to-date research on how to understand and boost self-esteem.
• NAMI: Getting Treatment During A Crisis Explains how different mental health crisis response services work to help discover and choose which option is best for a person's current crisis.
• Volunteer Match Facilitates local and remote volunteer opportunities based on interests.

Journaling Tools

• Journaling App: My Life/My Voice App is a journaling app that tracks your moods, feelings, or experiences. You can write, voice record, or photo journal.
• Antidepressant Workbook:
  • For adults: The Antidepressant skills workbook offers a self-guide for managing depression through self-care and coping skills.
  • For teens: The Antidepressant Skills Workbook for Teens offers a self-guide for managing depression through self-care and coping skills.
• The What’s Up? The app offers methods to cope with difficult emotions through spaces to track habits, journal, and coping skills for de-escalation. (insert iOS or Android link)
  • ios: https://apple.co/3x7BQtc
  • Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jacksontempra.apps.whatsup&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1
• This article shares tips about how keeping a journal can help you understand and change your mental health, well-being, habits, and behaviors.

Workbooks

• The DBT Skills Workbook shares DBT exercises for learning mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation & distress tolerance.
• Looking After Yourself: Looking After Yourself is a website with workbooks to improve mental health with topics like assertiveness, perfectionism, and more.
• “Coping with Suicidal Thoughts” is a PDF workbook to support and go through exercises.
• Centre for Clinical Interventions: Offers a workbook, worksheets, and info sheets on improving self-esteem. Also provides a range of information sheets about psychological disorders for one's self and others.
• Objective Zero: Connects veterans, service members, their families, and caregivers to peer support via voice, video, and text. Also provides free access to wellness resources such as yoga and meditation.

Worksheets / PDFs

• This worksheet has you reflect on activities and circumstances that cause distress to think through outcomes and work through the feelings.
• Distress Tolerance is a PDF that teaches you how to handle and accept situations that are out of your control.
• Goal Breakdown is a PDF that teaches you how to break large goals down into smaller, manageable tasks.
• Ten Ways to Untwist Your Thinking is a PDF that teaches you techniques to manage negative thoughts.
• This PDF helps address distressing thoughts by suggesting several ways one can create distance from these thoughts.
• This PDF is a workbook that supports survivors in discovering their resilience and learning how to tell their stories with self-compassion.
• Assertive Communication: This worksheet is a guide on how to be a more assertive communicator.
• Stopping Stupid Thoughts is a PDF that offers an activity for coping with and conquering negative thoughts.
• Feeling Safe PDF is a worksheet created by Mental Health America that serves as a reflection activity to describe and process safety and coping. It includes questions about what can make someone feel unsafe and what types of coping strategies can be more positive/helpful.
• Conflict Resolution Skills Provides examples of healthy and unhealthy conflict management skills and steps to address issues in personal and professional relationships.

Email Newsletters / Freebies

• VeryWellMind provides articles, techniques, therapy tips, living well, relationships, and psychology. Their mission is to help people prioritize their mental health and find balance. (Daily emails)
• The Skimm is delivered to your inbox every morning and prepares you for your day in minutes.

Email freebie newsletters

• MySavings.com offers hundreds of coupons, free items, sweepstakes, and more. Daily emails with deals & freebies.
• Free Sample Party offers coupons, deals, free items and samples, sweepstakes, and more. Daily emails with top deals.
• https://freebiesinyourmail.com/

Hi! I have had chronic insomnia since as far back as I can remember. I would spend a long time lying in bed waiting to fall asleep, and for the longest time I thought everyone went through this. I didn't realize kids would actually nap during naptime in kindergarten, I would just lie down and pretend.
When I got a bit older, I remember the insomnia getting worse. In elementary school, it could take me around 3 to 4 hours to fall asleep most nights. On the worst nights I wouldn't fall asleep at all.
It wasn't until I was 12 that I learned what insomnia was and that I had it. That was when I started trying to fix the problem. I always had good sleep hygiene, that was never a problem for me. I would read before bed instead of watching TV, I had a routine, I used my be only for sleeping... but that wasn't enough. I started taking melatonin and it helped a bit, but wasn't the best option for me, I knew I needed more serious sleeping pills. I did see sleep specialists and therapists but no one ever recommendedme more than melatonin.
It was mostly under control until 2 years ago. It was my first month of college, and I got Covid for the first time. My body did not take it very well despite being vaccinated. I went back home to recover. That week was the first time in my life that I have ever taken a nap, that's how you knew I was SICK. It got to the point where I was unable to sleep for 2 days straight. On the 3rd day of no sleep, my psychiatrist prescribed me Trazodone, and it worked almost instantaneously. It took a while for my sleep cycle to normalize, since I became nocturnal after the "not sleeping for 3 days straight" fiasco.
I'm pretty happy on trazodone, it's been working fairly well for me, but I know my sleep still isn't perfect. I was definitely not getting enough deep sleep for a while. I think the years of insomnia have started to effect my brain negatively. I used to have a pretty good memory as a kid, but now I'm struggling to retain information. I was in my college performance of Pygmalion last week (I was Eliza Doolittle, best role I ever had!) and the week before the performance I was forgetting lines left and right despite months of memorization. The final performance ended up being great, but I'm still noticing my issues with memory popping up in other areas of my life. I know it's not too bad now, but I'm worried about the future. I'm only 20 years old, I'm too young for this!
I haven't really heard of many people struggling with insomnia since toddlerhood. I always felt kind of alone in my struggle. Has anyone else had a similar experience to this? Does anyone have any tips for memory retention? Or any tips for dealing with the exhaustion caused by years, of sleep deprivation?

I have a few coworkers that go above and beyond on a daily basis. We are kindergarten teachers, and they are CONSTANTLY talking about how they go home and work for the entire night to prepare extra DIY activities, powerpoint slides, modifying lessons, and making anchor charts and other graphics for their lessons. They will even share how they make their children at home do some of the work for them such as cutting, coloring, making charts, etc. This is fine, but it becomes a problems when they shame me and others for not doing the same.
They will talk about what they have prepared for the day. They will mention all of these extra activities and charts and games and lesson extensions they prepared and came up with. If I mention that I just follow the guide and lessons the district and school gives us directly, they’ll get mad at me. “No!! That’s not enough! The students will not learn as effectively that way!” Then suggest I create or do certain activities that would take HOURS to go home and make. If I mention how time consuming doing that everyday is, they’ll say “but think about the children!! It’s not about us!!” I get this response a LOT. Me saying “Yesterday, I went home and spent the whole day with my boyfriend!” Can somehow lead to “when did you have time to plan?? THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN!!!”
Sometimes due to holidays, we might get a day off right? We’ll come back from a 3 day weekend and my coworkers will come back with just piles of things. Charts and games and activities for ages. Theyll start explaining all the things they did. If they realizes I didn’t bring a bunch of stuff, they’ll be like “what did you even do with our extra day off?” In a snarky tone…And I’m like… relax???
As a first year teacher and someone who values my free time, I mostly use the materials and the premade lessons that the district and the schools provides me with. If the lessons say “make an anchor chart”, I make one. If the lesson says “give this worksheet”, I make copies and give it. This means I go home, look over the lessons for an hour, get any materials it says I might need, then relax for the rest of the day. Sometimes, if I feel a lesson is lacking, I will do something a little extra or make an extra anchor chart or two that I feel would help them a bit… but it is most definitely not an everyday thing like for others. This is the only thing that’s keeping me sane as a first year teacher.
At the beginning of the school year, I cried DAILY. I couldn’t stop thinking about work. I was constantly thinking about what I SHOULD be doing and how I could do more for my job to because they tried to convince me I was never doing enough. To them, if you are not spending most of your time at home preparing to teach, then you are not an effective teacher. I had to have a lot of talks with myself to get to where I am now. I am relatively happy, not overly stressed, and always prepared for the next day of work.
At the end of the day, are my kids growing? Yes. Their test scores say they are. Are my observations good? Yes. The principal and assistant principal have told me they’re proud of my level of growth as a first year teacher. They’ve expressed many times that they think very highly of me. Do I get paid the same as my coworkers who go the extra mile? Yup. Pay scale changes for no one. Am I happier than my coworkers? Honestly it definitely seems that way. I give myself time to relax and unwind daily. If I did what they did, I would still be crying everyday.

I apologize in advance for my rambling. I'm writing this as much for me as I am to get dragged on the Internet... A little over two years ago, we fostered two toddlers that we eventually adopted. They both came to us with glasses, so at the beginning we focused on helping them learn to wear their glasses while dealing with some of the other issues that they needed support with. I know that their vision is a struggle for both of them, but now one is in Kindergarten and the other is in Pre-K.
I am still learning to understand what they see and cannot see. In the beginning, they wouldn't watch TV shows. Once we got their glasses from their birth family and practiced wearing them, their interest in TV suddenly took off (TV became our reward for wearing glasses). We've learned since that both children were shielded from light for most of their first two years developing extreme photosensitivity and myopia. The photosensitivity has waned over time. The kindergartener is corrected to 20/80 and has a fairly pronounced nystagmus. My Pre-K child had glaucoma at birth and several eye-related surgeries for clogged tear ducts and is corrected to 20/130.
I'm struggling to figure out how to advocate for my children. Neither has had a functional vision assessment, and the school keeps putting it off. Their main struggle right now seems to be reading - my Kindergartner can read letters if they're very large, but has trouble with the worksheets the school produces for him (many of them are unmodified unless the VI teacher does it - I have been modifying most of the worksheets he brings home myself). I'm not sure what I need to be asking for aside from giving him worksheets he can see. A functional vision assessment definitely. Should my younger child (or both, really) be learning Braille along with print?

My oldest is in kindergarten, and she’s been doing addition and subtraction in her head. Simple stuff like adding up the cost of items in her fake shop and giving me change. Slightly more complicated stuff like adding dice in Yahtzee.
I did start seeing dice counting worksheets like a month after we started playing Yahtzee so clearly that’s been a teaching method.
Genuinely curious how other peoples kiddos are doing because this is like, astonishing to me. I can’t tell if I have the “my kid is awesome” blinders on or not. She really likes these types of challenges so I provide her fun workbooks, color by numbers with math problems, etc to do at her leisure. I am not intending on drilling her on multiplication tables. I’m just shocked every time she adds five dice in her head in ten seconds or less.

Hi all! Does anyone have a child currently or recently enrolled in College Gardens? How are the class sizes these days? I know the school is now significantly under-enrolled since Bayard opened, but are the class sizes still large?
Any thoughts about the principal leaving or other recent changes to the school?
Does anyone have an opinion about the school's IB program and its value vs. the regular curriculum? I'm happy with my kid's current MCPS school (new building, small class sizes, competent teacheadmin), but at least in kindergarten the number of repetitive, boring worksheets that come home and the amount of screen and laptop time that occurs is far from ideal. Though maybe that's similar across the board, including CGES....
Thanks for any insight!