How many foster children are living with you?
Posted By: Been there, done that have you? on 2007-10-27
In Reply to: Why don't we care for the ones already here? - Glory1863
The two comments made after my initial post left me so frustrated that I debated on responding. In the real world, most consider me to be kind hearted and easy going. For that reason, I usually avoid controversial issues for the sake of arguing.
This particular subject matter just hits very close to home and I have zero tolerance when misinformed people offer unwarranted advice. I feel it's very inconsiderate. The OP just asked about companies with insurance plans that covered IVF. She didn't come here asking for opinions or the blessing of MT Stars. What she is going through is difficult enough without complete strangers (probably sitting home with their 2-3 kids)telling her that wanting to start a family with her husband is completely unnecessary. I'm still amazed at how cold people can actually be.
Now to respond to your post.
First of all, if you did any research at all on the foster care and adoption systems in this country, you would not only be saddened, but you would not have posted. I'm not trying to be mean at all, but you are truly so misinformed that I don't know where to start.
My husband and I actually looked into foster parenting and even took the classes. We have a couple of friends as well as my in-laws who are foster parents. First of all, becoming a foster parent IS NOT a permanent situation. The small percentage of adoption that does result from being a foster parent can take up to 5 or 6 years! Plus, a very high number of foster children have special needs, severe behavioral problems, or mental issues caused from abuse. I do have one daughter who was 4 at the time we were taking classes. After spending years being protective parents, researching, and taking classes,we were afraid of exposing our small child to the abuse (physical, mental, sexual, drugs), that put these unfortunate children in foster care to begin with.
Yes you are right about so many beautiful children that need homes. There are literaly 1,000s of childless couples in this country that would love nothing more than to get serious about caring for them. Have you tried to adopt in this country? Good luck if you decide to take your own advice. You are looking at a long waiting list, tons of red tape and buracracy, not to mention a few grand. Oh and there is that chance after you have brought that sweet child home and bonded with him/her, that the crack-head bio-mom will decide she wants to play house and ger her an attorney (that you are paying for with your tax dollars.) After the court hearings are finally over (1-2 years later) you can kiss that little one good-bye. I've seen it happen to people very close to me...not on Lifetime. It does happens.
Seriously, why do you think so many Americans pay obscene amounts of money for international adoptions? Think about it.
Out of curiosity, do you have children?
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You must not have children. sm
Would you actually turn down a job that paid $14 an hour and have your family starve. Some people think $14 an hour is really good. I do, however, think this is a low wage for QA; I just think one should really think about what they are saying before posting it. If someone is incapable of transcribing anymore and has a family to feed, then they may have to take $14.00; especially, where I live, there are not many jobs that pay that!!! even hard labor, factory, shift jobs The average wage in my town is about $12.00
Yes I have children that I raised alone
and the last one grew up and left in 1994. Back then people did not take junk pay for work. They refused it and back then we got what we asked. Maybe you were not a QA person then (neither was I BTW), but when I decided to go for it, I got still only half what I earned as an MT with over 25 years of acute care experience, any work type. It's not the average wage in your town. It is national and I find that no matter who you work for, you can get a decent wage...well almost...if it weren't for you who take less money. It was easier two years ago.
It's all in how you learn to negotiate.
Please rethink that $14 and not a penny less than $15 bottom cuz if you do take $14, that makes them think the wage is ok.
I am on your side, but please think hard about this.
what do you do for insurance with 3 children?
Nm
Say what you will...our children will be running
that nursing home you'll be in some day. Better to treat them well and take care of them now than to wish you did later. By the way...I'm guessing you have a dog or cat instead of kids?
If you're old, have no SO, and have no children go
for it. If you have children, are married or hope to be one day no way. You can probably manage for a few weeks before everything starts falling apart, your house is a mess, you're eating at your desk, you start yelling at anyone who dares speak to you because you're working.
Also, taxes will kill you. I've worked lots of OT, 2 jobs, and taxes took a big chunk and for what I went through I didn't have much to show for it.
You could do second job as a trial and maybe you'd like to quit job #1 or maybe you decide you don't like job #2 and you've BTDT and got it out of your system.
I hope you don't have any children - you
certainly set a bad example for their future.
Unless you have small children SM
at home and really don't want to put them in daycare, PLEASE consider a different field. Transcription is drying up in the US. There is no future in it. Find a career that cannot be outsourced.
Are you really mother to 6 children?
nm
Go for it! Children love being with
other children if you have to put them in day care. I raised 3 boys but only 1 went to daycare. He turned out to be the most social person I have ever met. The other 2, well, they are nice kids, but don't really know how to socialize that well. I worked from home for 20 years and it was tought. It will also give you some free time from the kids that is desperately needed nowadays.
You have to think about the future, not the present. Don't listen to the naysayers in these messages. Think about the future of your family.
It's unfair to say it's only people with children.
I think the above poster is correct that it's the perception that you can work when you want to that has caused this, not just people who have kids. I have a transcription service and some of the worst offenders don't have any children at all. Even in the real world I always saved my vacation days, etc. to use for my children's school events or whatever and took time off for my kids because they are my no. 1 priority. That has never interfered with my fulfillment of my job duties, even when I worked outside of the home.
I've hired anywhere from someone straight out of school to older people nearing retirement age and some of my best ICs were mothers. Some of my worst included one gal who wanted to party every night of the week and couldn't work the next day with a hangover, an older lady who got tired earlier in the day than she thought she would so she had to stop work early, and yet another lady who had marital problems and used an argument with her hubby as her excuse not to work on any given day. I can give more examples, none of which involve kids. Most of the women with kids did well because they knew how to organize their time, worked when kids were asleep or at school since they knew it was their only chance to get it done, and they were adept at multitasking.
What you are really seeing is a lack of work ethic in general, in all different professions. So many want to get rich right now but they don't want to have to work to do so. We live in a drive-thru, high-speed society and everyone wants everything RIGHT NOW with the least amount of effort possible.
Geez, nothing like that for me. I have employee+children
nm
I love my children but having a child does not mean
everything is honey and sunshine. I really think nothing anymore about people who say they do not want. I think they are being realistic about a job you give yourself to for 18+ years, sometimes with not the most pleasant of outcomes in a relationship when a person who wants other things strives to have what they want and what they need. I used to think people who said no children were selfish- I understand their statements now. Motherhood is very much played up as far as I am concerned. Most of these posts are speaking from having young babies, toddlers before teen years and grown- those are the really good years. No pity needed nor wanted. My children had a very priviledged upbringing.
My children are insured by their father and I purchase my
insurance. For vacations, I work an extra day a week for a twice a month for a couple months going into the month of my vacation. As for holidays, I usually work them. I look at it as being blessed enough to have a job at home where I can be with my girls and so if my usual days off happen to fall on the holiday, I usually volunteer to work 1/2 day, usually in the evening of the holiday so I can have the day with my girls and I work after they are in bed. Hope this helps!
I believe those were on the test for psych work because a lot of children
nowadays are watching shows such as Spongebob and using the X-Box, Playstation, etc., and they just want to make sure that you know all the new stuff out there that they will be using in their dictation. I've done psych. work before and they use a lot of modern jargon in their dictation.
No worse than screaming children in the background!
When you've done this a while you can block anything out.
What kind of future do our children and grandchildren have? sm
To begin with, they will be burdened by taking care of their elderly parents and grandparents who devoted their lives to working hard to make a living, only to have that living yanked out from under them.
Unfortunately, it seems that the philosphy of our government is to run all over the globe taking care of other countries while allowing our own people to slip further and further into poverty. I wonder how far this will have to go before the powers that be open their eyes and see what is happening to our own country?
I have been in this business for 15 years and am less than 20 years away from retirement age. According to my last Social Security statement, I will have to work until age 66 years 10 months before I can draw full Social Security and, if I can keep the arthritis and the carpal tunnel away and keep my wits about me, I can even earn a couple hundred more at age 70 IF there are even funds left in SS at that point. With the pushing of the retirement accouts by the federal government, my money says there won't be any money when I get ready to draw it.
Children's Health Insurance Program
You didn't say whether you needed the insurance primarily for yourself or for your child. If the need is primarily for your child, please look into your state's Children's Health Insurance Program or CHIP. This is for children in families that earn too much to be eligible for Medicaid but cannot obtain or afford health insurance for their children. In Illinois, the program is called All Kids, and the governor is actively trying to get the word out, since many people don't know about the program at all or assume it is part of Medicaid and requires you to be in dire poverty which is not true.
Single mom, homeschool all 4 of my children AND work. it can be done
x
A job is not an afterthought to me. I had a FT MT job before my children and CHOSE to work PT so I
can enjoy them. I think anyone with children can understand that. I do take my job seriously and work and am a high producer. I enjoy my job but I also enjoy my other FT job, which is my children!
There are young children who have hearing issues
from babies on up. Why do you think this is age discrimination and why would you say sue?
Wow, expecting a gift. CHILDREN expect gifts. Maybe..
your gift is the fact that you have a job during this current economic crisis. If you get something, fine; if not, are you going to quit? You still have 4 days to wait by your mailbox for your gift, if you should get one.
also, the original poster asked how to stay production with small children...
not whether or not MTs are being exploited...
Stop putting up with adults who are children. It is IRRESPONSIBLE to go to a payday loan place. sm
As transcriptionists, we have options. We can take on more work with the company we are with, move to another company, get a second job, get our own accounts.
If everyone would be mature and take responsibility for themselves, there would be no problems.
By the way, for your information, I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF 3 WONDERFUL CHILDREN and I have been for many years. Transcription allowed me to buy a house, pay my bills and be able to buy nice things. I knew when I was getting divorced that I either needed to cut corners or earn more. I did both. My kids and I live in a nice home but my girls share a room and my son has his own. I pay cash for cars and drive them until they cannot be driven or are not safe. We eat at home with home-cooked meals rather than eating out, except when celebrating something like a birthday or good report cards or an award one of them receives. They have nice clothese, a clean house and everything they need. I work while they are in school but make every minute of my work day count, and I have an extra job that I work on weekends in the early mornings when they are sleeping and evenings when they are asleep. We have friends, go to church and have a close family. I have never had child support and have never had to be on welfare.
I budget carefully and have a savings account. I only make 35,000 a year on average but I make it work.
Excuses are just that. People need to do for themselves. If they have medical issues or a tragedy, that's one thing, but so many of the people I have worked with just spend all their time whining and none of that time making their lives better.
I am not going to apologize. I am not a mean person, just tired of hearing people complain about EVERYTHING in this profession. Yes, it has changed, but we still have options. Many other fields do not.
Isn't that what we do for a living?
That's why keyboards were invented.
They will not hire MTs living in CA or CT.
nm
How can she pay living expenses on that? nm
X
making a living
Is there anyone out there supporting themselves and able to make living with a transcription company? i I have been wanting to make a switch but need a push. thanks so much 
making a living
I have been an independent contractor for over 20 years (MT for 30) and have 5 kids which I have raised alone with no support from their dad. I have bought my own house, have a decent car, pay all my bills and my kids have many excurricular activities (which runs into moocha dollars). Hope this answers your question.
making a living
I would definitely recommend Transtech for you, and if you are full-time, they offer you benefits, and can provide you with a computer if needed.
Decent living..
In short....the answer about Is it possible to make a decent living with them, without having to work 40 or 50 hours per week?.... NO 
This is where living in a certain state...
makes a HUGE difference in such things. I currently pay for the insurance for my husband and I (no kids but still need family plan) through DeVenture and it costs me a brutal $136 per WEEK, and the copays for office visits and drugs are still hefty. This is one of the main reasons so many people in this state (Maine) are uninsured...it's just too frickin' expensive
MQ looking to earn a living
With ASR making money is getting tougher and tougher. Years of transcription experience counts for nothing here.
You either need a job to fit your cost of living or a cost of living to fit your job. sm
While I agree that you cannot live in California on $35,000 a year, no one is forcing you to live in California. Suze Orman says either find a way to lower your expenses or find a way to earn more money. It's common sense :)
There was a post a few weeks ago about not everyone being cut out to be an MT. I agree.
The original poster needs to stop whining and either get a job that pays more or get a new career. She can make $15,000 on minimum wage at a mall or Walmart.
BTW, it was insulting of her to say that MOST woman don't need to work. How dare she? In this day and age, most adults need to work. This is not 1958, this is 2008. I am not a bra burner, but my husband and I both make similar money, clean the house, cook, raise our 3 children. I am just lucky to have a job where I can work from home. I hated commuting anywhere, hate traffic, no patience.
But that doesn't mean that I work less. I treat my job like a job. I work in my home office but I work all day. I do not do laundry, chat with friends, cook. I go to work each day by getting ready as if I were leaving for an office, pour my coffee, make sure I have everything I need and start. I take bathroom breaks and a lunch break and take the full hour that I would somewhere else. I work 8 full hours as I do not include my lunch hour, so my day is 8 to 5. When I am done for the day, I turn everything off, leave the room and close the door, as if I were in an outside office.
My husband has a salary of $71,000 and I make near the same as him each year. I do not work overtime except very rarely, an occasional Saturday here and there, just like if I were on salary in another profession.
I am not perfect, but I love my job and do it well. I also know that MT'ing is not for everyone, although it seems as if a lot of MT's who are not very good at their jobs have a sense of entitlement.
Try living in Delaware where the just
1,100 workers worked their last day on Friday. What do they tell their kids. You are worrying about a measly Christmas bonus and jealous of CEOs? What about these auto workers?
Have some dignity and stop with the 2-year-old me, me, me. Be lucky you have an income and are not being told sorry this is your last day a week before the holiday season.
No one is ever just happy they wake up in the morning these days. It's always want, want, want... 
Not sure what us living in the same state has to do with anything. sm
Everyone's experience with a company is different. I think it just all depends on what your specific needs are. It's disheartening when I hear that other people have had a bad experience with a company that I think highly of.
It's because they are living in a falsehood.
If the person just does a one liner to sound like they are bragging, they are just trying to ruffle feathers. Don't believe everything you read on this board. Its anon and it is open to the public.
Living Wage
I don't know exactly what I would call a living wage for a weekly amount. I can tell you that for my family of 5, the GOVERNMENT says that if I make less than approximately $40,000, that I qualify for various forms of government aid due to low-income status.
$40K divided by 52 weeks per year works out to about 1700 lines per day at 9 cpl.
If you're only making 5 cpl (case in point: That recent ad on the Jobs Bank!), then you would need to type 3076 lines per day in order to keep a family of five above the cut-off for food stamps and free lunches!
I think a living wage is
1 thousand dollars a week.
I guess I'm living proof
that past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior. Did you ever have your days in the beginning when you could have been one of their cheerleaders? I know I did. Yet, I still saw those unhappy posts and, rather than automatically think they were lying, instead I wondered how they got so unhappy. I think I found the answer.
Variables in cost of living
Some states sound good, but then check out the taxes - real estate tax, personal property tax, sales tax, cost of heating/cooling, transportation, license plates, insurance, etc. A lot of it balances out in the end. Some states have outrageous license plate fees, (I paid over $600 for my car last year). I also get a personal property tax bill each year for everything including my dishes and silverware. State income tax is out of sight. Cost of heating in winter is unbelievable. I have to have 2 sets of tires for the car, 1 for winter, 1 for summer. I have to have 3 complete wardrobes for the weather changes.
How do they make a living if they don't get paid for their
services. I don't know that they get a percentage of the line rate, doesn't make sense that it would be like that, but I'm sure they get a flat fee. The MT doesn't pay, the company does. I didn't ask them about getting paid because that was none of my business. Maybe they don't get paid unless the MT accepts a position. A lot of companies offer referral bonuses, could be the same thing with TM.
We have to make a freakin' living
..
living "in the sticks"
I too live where there is no DSL or cable option. I use wild blue satellite. It is fairly affordable, though more expensive than DSL, but it works great - I started out downloading with dial up, and the difference is wonderful. You can Google search wild blue to check out the service closest to you.
does anyone know the cost of living in Bangalore? I need a job... lol nm
x
Cost of Living Increases
I work for a large MTSO and after four years have not received a cost of living increase. Is this standard operating procedure? Things cost more than they did four years ago. Do you think CEO is getting the same pay as four years ago? Any thoughts?
barely making a living
Used to make a decent living but lately (past 2 years) have not. Major pay cuts in all 3 jobs (per diem to hourly and page count to line count) and big expense of benefits for single mom and 2 kids.
I sort of lost all my incentive and feel very used. Thought my salary would increase over the years (or at least stay the same), not decrease. Keep trying to get motivated but can't seem to get there.
I am currently employed by a national, benefits are $550 a month and I have no control over how my lines are being calculated, plus it is on a 74 character line, not even 65 so my lines in my pay are way lower that what the company is calculating already.
Recently tested and interviewed with another national but they pay per page (which was way less than my page rate 10 years ago) and beneftis were more than $600 a month.
Any suggestions and ways to get motivated again would be appreciated.
Yes, you are living in a dream world, but you might get 11 cpl
nm
Terrible....can't make a living on that.
`
See the TransRAD ad for 7 cpl? No one can earn a living on that! If you see this
and when you can't make a living anymore--sm
due to schloping American jobs to third world countries..it will be too late for ANY solution.
Can you make a living at home?
I have been an on-site MT for 15 years and have clinic-only experience in several specialties. I am considering a change to working from home. I am wondering if it is possible to work from home and still make good money. Do you folks feel that you do just as well as you would working on-site?
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