Ty Wilson Law - January 2020

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Your Compass MONTHLY

JANUARY 2020

FROM THE DESK OF Ty Wilson It is hard to believe I have lived through another full decade. Happy New Year and welcome the year of clarity 2020. A new year a new beginning. What are you going to do this year to accomplish your dreams? As my children grow up, I realize I will be looked at as, well, there is no easy way to put it but “old.” This has given me a new perspective on their outlooks, and I attempt to provide them less advice and instead become more inquisitive. I ask them how they see challenges and let them express themselves. I have to say, I am proud of them both. Struggle is what makes you better, stronger, and more self-reliant. That is the lesson. I believe as parents we can and should teach our children self-reliance. Do not give them everything; make them earn what they have. It may seem harsh, but I do not believe it is. I think it is important. I want my children to look back and say to their children and their children’s children that they have to work hard and earn their spot. No one will give them their dreams.

SHOULD YOU USE TECHNOLOGY TO TRACK YOUR KIDS? PROTECTION VS. PRIVACY

Back in 2017, an episode of the Netflix show “Black Mirror” put the issue of teen privacy on display for everyone to see. The episode is set in the not-so-distant future and follows a mother, Marie, and her daughter, Sara, as they navigate the daily drama of family life (with a twist). After 3-year-old Sara gets lost on a playground, Marie opts to install a microchip called Arkangel in her daughter’s brain. The chip lets Marie track Sara’s movements, look at the world through her eyes, and even censor the images she sees — all from a tablet. It’s an eerie storyline, and the invasive software soon interferes with Sara’s development to the point where Marie switches it off. That is, until teenage Sara starts rebelling against her mother’s rules. Then, Marie caves to the temptation to switch it back on again … and sees things she wishes she hadn’t. Arkangel isn’t real, but the idea behind it certainly is. A smartphone app called Life360 has gained traction with parents as a way to track the whereabouts of their kids in real time, get alerts when they’re coming and going from particular locations, see how fast they’re driving, and check the battery life of their phones. Motion-sensing cameras and facial recognition software in schools have also cut into teen privacy, and, in an age when every minor life event is chronicled on social media, parents have begun accessing those accounts to monitor their children’s behavior.

-Ty Wilson

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... continued from Cover According to Wired magazine, “In a Pew Research Center study last year, 58% of U.S. parents said they sometimes or often look at their teenager’s messages, call logs, and websites they visit. In a separate study from 2016, 16% said they used location-sharing apps.”Wired also reported that Life360 had more than 19 million monthly active users in 2018. So, is this surveillance a good thing or a bad thing? Life360 touts the safety perks and conveniences of its service: It can alert parents if their kids are in a car crash, help them find each other if they’re separated, and make it easy to network about errands. (e.g. A parent alerted that their child is at the store can then ask them to pick up an item.) But, while Life360 and apps like it can give parents a sense of security, they also raise questions about privacy and can cause friction within families. In an article for The New York Times, psychologist Lisa Damour writes, “Location tracking can, without question, damage the

It might seem like parents are in a no-win situation, but the Center for Parenting Education points out a solution to the protection versus privacy problem: balance. The difficulty is knowing how to strike it. “Few things get a teenager riled up faster than the sense that they’re not being treated like a grown-up and not being given a say in things that affect them. Involving them in creating an action plan that clearly indicates the different levels of privacy you’re willing to give them is a way to show respect for them and to indicate your trust in them,” the Center advises. “Explain to your teen that greater privacy is something they’ll have to earn — and there are specific things they can do to move forward.” In the end, every teen is different, and no parenting strategy is perfect. But, if you’re considering tracking your teen, opening up a dialogue before you start monitoring is a good way to start.

connection between parent and teenager. Research shows that adolescents who believe their parents have invaded their privacy go on to have higher levels of conflict at home. And teenagers who resent being trailed digitally sometimes disable location features, take pains to ‘spoof’ their GPS, or leave their phones at friends’ houses to throw parents off their scent.” According to Wired, the video-sharing app TikTok has become a hub for teens to vent about Life360 and share strategies to outwit it — creating exactly the kind of dishonesty parents are trying to prevent.

With every new year comes an opportunity to reinvent ourselves or start down a new path toward self-improvement. Making resolutions is a big part of many families’NewYear’s traditions, and parents often have a desire for their kids to take part in that tradition when they’re old enough. Following through on resolutions is tough, especially for young children, but with your help, they can achieve their goals. Practice what you preach. You are your children’s role model for almost everything, including following through on NewYear’s resolutions. So, ask yourself if you follow through on your own resolutions. When you proclaim that you will readmore books or finally get a gymmembership, do you actually try to do it? Your kids will assign as much importance to NewYear’s resolutions as you do, so by sticking to your own commitments, you can help them stay on track too. Keep things simple and achievable. When your kids are forming their resolutions, their first attempts will probably be very broad. Statements like“I want to be more kind”or“I will HELP YOUR KIDS ACHIEVE MORE THIS YEAR With Simple and Actionable Goals

try to helpmore around the house”incorporate good values but don’t include any actionable steps. Help your kids think of tangible ways to act on those goals. For example, if they want to be tidier, a good resolutionmight be for them to clean their roomonce a week or take responsibility for one household chore every day. Don’t do all the work for them. While it’s important for you to help your kids formulate their goals, be sure that you aren’t taking over. If they’re ultimately responsible for their resolutions, they’ll feel more compelled to keep them. Instead, suggest different goal areas they could improve, such as home, school, or sports, and let them elaborate. When it comes to creating habits, nobody is perfect, so even if your kids falter on their goals in the middle of February, don’t worry. The important thing is that you continue to encourage them every step of the way.

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How Physical Therapy Gave Dani Her Life Back AFTER A LIFE-ALTERING INJURY

What do you do when life feels insurmountable? For Dani Burt, it wasn’t easy, but the answer was simple: Find a way to heal.

were ups and downs,” Dani says of the process. Still, she stuck with it, and she not only healed but also began to thrive. She turned to surfing, a completely new sport that allowed her to explore her new reality. “It drastically improved my strength, endurance, and balance,” Dani says. “It gave me a tremendous amount of confidence and trust in my prosthetic leg.” Inspired by her experiences, Dani became a physical therapist and now helps others find the healing that PT gave her. “The reality is, we’re all healthier and happier when we move,” she says. “If you want to do something, you need to figure out a way to do it,” she advises. Physical therapy is often a safer, more effective, and more affordable option than surgery or medication. Like Dani, those who go into the profession are caring, knowledgeable individuals who want to help their patients get back to living their best life. For anyone experiencing pain or going through the recovery process after an injury, physical therapy can help.

Dani Burt is a surfing champion. This isn’t exceptional until you know Dani was in a serious motorcycle accident 15 years ago that left her in a medically induced coma for 45 days. To save her life, doctors had to remove her right leg below the knee. As you can imagine, waking up to find out her leg was gone was devastating for Dani. The rest of her injuries were also extensive: She could barely move in bed and couldn’t go to the bathroom by herself. She struggled to deal with the pain without medication. Fortunately, she found physical therapy, and it gave her a new lease on life. “Before my accident, I had no idea what physical therapy was until I got a whole bunch of it,” Dani says. “What was really impressive was the fact that I was getting independent again, and I could see this progress.”

Through an opportunity to heal at Sharp Memorial Rehab and a community reentry program, Dani began to reclaim her life. “There

Take a Break!

Easy Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS •

2 tbsp coconut oil

• • • •

1 cup chicken broth 8.5 oz coconut milk

•

4 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 28-oz can roasted and diced tomatoes (Muir Glen Organic is a good brand)

Kosher salt

• •

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS: 1. In a skillet over medium

4. Add sautéed leeks and garlic and purée again. 5. Transfer purée to a saucepan and add chicken broth and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then drop to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

heat, sauté leeks in coconut oil until softened and translucent, about 7–10 minutes.

2. Add garlic and sauté for

another 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION TOAST WINTER

GOALS JANUARY JANUS MIDNIGHT

CELEBRATE CHAMPAGNE CONFETTI COUNTDOWN

3. Meanwhile, in a blender,

purée entire can of tomatoes, including juice, until smooth.

Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine

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Inside This Issue From the Desk of Ty PAGE 1 Should You Use Technology to Track Your Kids? PAGE 1

Helping Your Kids Make New Year’s Resolutions PAGE 2 The Life-Changing Power of Physical Therapy PAGE 3 Easy Tomato Soup PAGE 3 Take a Break! PAGE 3 Changes to Social Security in 2020 PAGE 4

SOCIAL SECURITY IN 2020 Know What’s Changing

If you’re in the appropriate age bracket, Social Security may play a major role in your finances. So, it’s important to know how Social Security will be changing in 2020.

Trust Fund Unless Congress takes some drastic actions in the coming months, the current excess trust fund revenue will be depleted by the year 2034. If that happens, Social Security will only be able to pay 79% of the promised benefits from ongoing payroll taxes. You may need to think about what your financial plan would be like with 21% less income. Retirement Age If you haven’t reached retirement yet, this one is important to consider. If you were born after 1959, the full retirement age is now 67 for you. You’ll still be able to start taking some benefits at age 62, but they’ll be at reduced monthly payments.

Cost of Living Low inflation means that Social Security benefits will only see a minor cost of living increase. This year, it’s expected to be around 1.6%. It’s not major, but if you’re living off Social Security alone, every penny is important. Maximum Benefits Those near the top of the Social Security income scale in 2019 will see an increase in their maximum payout in 2020. The maximum payout for an individual will be capped at $2,861 per month. That translates to $34,332 per year, so consider how that may impact your finances.

Taxes How much your benefits are taxed depends on your household income levels. For example, 50% of your benefits will be taxed if you make between $25,000–$34,000 individually or $32,000–$44,000 for married couples. If you’re above that income bracket, then 85% of your benefits will be taxable.