25 Things You Must Know Before Moving to Miami - Miami Beach 411
25 Things You Must Know Before Moving to Miami
25 Things You Must Know Before Moving to Miami
You Probably Won't Listen, But You Can't Say You Weren't Warned
Thinking of moving to Miami? That’s cute. I give you two years.
“But wait!” you say. “I like sun! I like palm trees! Heck, I even like Cuban food and Salsa dancing and got a B+ in 12th grade Spanish! I KNOW Miami is the place for me!”
Think again, oh freezing cold northerner. There are reasons the average American doesn’t stay here more than a couple of years, and it’s not because they hate 80 degree days in December.
If you came here for a week and thought Miami was your new home, here’s 25 realities you need to accept before you make our skyline your background on Facebook (even though you probably already have).
1. Jobs are scarce – People are always trying to move here. Businesses – at least ones that don’t involve
– are not. You do the math.
2. You have to
to survive – Everyone in Miami knows the slowest way to get from Point A to Point B is by .
3. Nothing runs on time – This becomes infuriatingly clear the first time you arrive on time for dinner – starving - and have to wait an hour and a half until everyone else shows up.
4. It’s frustratingly transient – Living in Miami for an extended period of time is kinda like being the last guy alive at the retirement home.
5. You will be an outsider – You won’t understand the water cooler banter. You won’t be able to make small talk with strangers. And you won’t get unfunny jokes that people laugh at anyway. Actually, this one might be a plus.
6. Everyone lives at home – Getting the third degree from your date’s father didn’t end when you graduated High School! People in Miami live at home until they’re, like, dead.
7. Salaries don’t come close to cost of living – Employers seem to think $30,000 a year is perfectly reasonable when a decent apartment costs a grand. They must figure everyone is living at home.
8. Offices are like zoos – The only way your workplace’s loud music, noisy phone conversations, and Spanglish yelling across cubicles will seem normal is if your previous workplace was a dog kennel.
9. Everyone is short – If you’re male and over 6 feet tall, you will generally have every guy in the bar trying to fight you by 2 a.m. If you’re a girl over 5’7”, you will never wear heels on a date again.
10. People flake – Whenever a Miamian makes plans with you, make backup plans. And when those original plans come through, flake on your backup. It’s a vicious cycle, I know.
11. We air condition the ever loving soul out of everything – Jackets have two uses here: Movie theaters and that day in February.
12. FPL will ruin your weekend – Air conditioning units use only slightly less energy than Abrams tanks. So when that first $250 power bill shows up on a Friday, it’ll sting hard.
13. Never believe anyone who says “I can get you in” at a big club – Because he can’t. And neither can
14. It’s not diverse – Miami is two-thirds
Hispanic. A majority figure on par with those bastions of diversity Tulsa and Salt Lake City.
15. Everything involves drinking – You know you’ve lived here too long when you start pregaming ballet recitals.
16. Nobody moves fast – If you enjoy listening to the lady at the front of the checkout line discuss her entire family with the cashier, this actually won’t bother you.
17. It Floods – It rains here. A lot. I mean, so much they’re building a .
18. You won’t go to the beach after your first year – And every time you plan to, it will rain.
19. Clubs are for tourists – You think anyone who pays these rents can afford a $12 Bud Light?
20. The Spanish thing is no joke – How many 20,000 square foot stores can you name in your hometown with all their signs in Spanish? Because I can name infinity plus one.
21. Miamians are dumb. Really dumb. – A friend who’s lived here his whole life recently told me “You’re the only person I know who reads books.”
22. Most of those cars are leased – Miami is a great testament to what $299 a month* can get you
23. Lying is perfectly fine – If people here ever told the truth, you’d never know everyone lives at home, leases a BWM, and can’t get you into a club.
24. It’s trashy – We are the birthplace of . You’re welcome.
25. You’ll never want to leave
- But you will anyway.& That’s just how it goes.
*One at this price. $4599 due at signing. Price does not include tax,tag, title, dealer fees, rims, tints, systems, custom paint, and airbrushed murals of Conan the Barbarian
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Curse of cursive handwriting
Why do we teach children two different systems of handwriting? (C) Cybrarian77
There’s something deeply peculiar about the way we teach children to play the violin. It’s a very difficult skill for them to master—getting their fingers under control, holding the bow properly, learning how to move it over the strings without scratching and slipping. But just as they are finally getting there, are beginning to feel confident, to hit the right notes, to sound a bit like the musicians they hear, we break the news to them: we’ve taught them to play left-handed, but now it’s time to do it like grown-ups do, the other way around.
Alright, I’m fibbing. Of course we don’t teach violin that way. We wouldn’t do anything so absurd for something as important as learning an instrument, would we? No—but that’s how we teach children to write.It is great to see that you are enjoying the Prospect website.
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<img src="https://track.adform.net/Serving/TrackPoint/?pm=265909&ADFPageName=|||...||&ADFdivider=|" width="1" height="1" alt="" />19 Signs Your Child Is Being Bullied and What to Do about It
What's Happening in Character Education?
Warnings signs that your child is being bulliedIf your child is bullied it means that a peer or peers are intentionally causing her or him pain. Peer abuse! Just the thought can send shivers down our spines.
But the fact is 160,000 children skip school every day because they fear being attacked or intimidated by other students. Reports also confirm that bullying is starting at younger ages and is more frequent and aggressive than before. And the cruel behavior increases with age. Chances are your child may be bullied.
Also troubling is that our children don’t always tell us that they have been bullied. I’ve spent many a meeting with kids who were repeatedly victimized and in clear emotional pain.
“Why didn’t you go to a trusted adult for help?” I’d ask.
Their replies were concerning:
“I did tell my mom. She didn’t believe me.”
“I tried to tell, but I got too embarrassed.”
“If I told my dad he would have only made things worse by yelling at the bully.”
“Why bother? The stuff my mom told me to try wouldn’t work.”
Repeated bullying causes severe emotional harm and can erode a child’s self-esteem and mental health. Whether bullying is verbal, physical or relational, the long-term effects are equally harmful. Both boys and girls report high levels of emotional distress and loneliness as well as lower self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety and depression. Some situations the outcome is tragic: the child may take his or her own life.
So it’s time to get savvy and learn the warning signs of bullying. Bullying is always intentional, mean-spirited, rarely happens only once and there is always a power imbalance. The victim cannot hold his own and often will need adult help. Your child may not feel comfortable telling you about his pain, but if you know these signs your child is being bullied and tune in closer, you might be able to start
in your home.
Signs Your Child Is Being Bullied
Here are possible warnings that a child may be bullied and needs your support. Of course, these signs could indicate other problems, but any of these warrant looking into further. See my blog, Signs of Cyber-bullying for signs of electronic bullying. Every child is different and any child can have an “off” day, so look instead of a pattern of behavior that is not typical for your child.1. Unexplained physical marks, cuts, bruises and scrapes2. Unexplained loss of toys, school supplies, clothing, lunches, or money3. Clothes, toys, books, electronic items are damaged or missing or child reports mysteriously “losing” possessions4. Doesn’t want to go to school or other activities with peers5. Afraid of riding the school bus6. Afraid to be left alone: wants you there at dismissal, suddenly clingy7. Suddenly sullen, withdrawn, remarks about feeling lonely8. Marked change in typical behavior or personality9. Appears sad, moody, angry, anxious or depressed and that mood lasts with no known cause10. P headaches, stomachaches, frequent visits the school nurse’s office11. Difficulty sleeping, nightmares, cries self to sleep, bed wetting12. Change in eating habits13. Begins bullying siblings or younger kids. (Bullied children can sometimes flip their role and become the bully.)14. Waits to get home to use the bathroom. (School and park bathrooms, because they are often not adult-supervised, can be hot spots for bullying).15. Suddenly has fewer friends or doesn’t want to be with the “regular group”16. Ravenous when he comes home. (Bullies can use extortion stealing a victim’s lunch money or lunch.)17. Sudden and significant drop in grades. (Bullying can cause a child to have difficulty focusing and concentrating.)18. Blam feels “not good enough”19. Talks about feeling helpl runs away.
What to Do if You Suspect Bullying but Aren’t Sure
Kids often don’t tell adults they’re bullied so you may have to voice your concerns. Review the signs of bullying and then ask direct questions.
“You’re always hungry: have you been eating your lunch?” “Your CDs are missing? Did someone take them?” “Your jacket is ripped. Did someone do that to you?”
Watch your child’s reactions. Often what a child doesn’t say may be more telling. Tune into your child’s body language. Silence is often powerful.
If you suspect bullying and your child won’t talk to you, then arrange a conference with a trusted adult who knows your child. If your child has more than one teacher you may need to meet with each educator or coach. Keep in mind that bullying usually does not happen in all school settings and in all classrooms. The trick is to figure out if your child is bullied and then where and when it is happening so you can get the right help for your child.
Hint: If your child has a classmate, you might be able to gain more information from the pal than your own child.
Meanwhile, keep an eye on your child. Children who are embarrassed or humiliated about being bullied are unlikely to discuss it with their parents or teachers and generally suffer in silence, withdraw and try to stay away from school.
Stress to your child you are always available, are concerned and recognize bullying may be a problem.
Emphasize that you believe your child and you are there to help.
Please seek the help of a trained mental health professional if the signs continue, intensify, or your gut instinct tells you “something is not right with my child!” Please!
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