sbgrace
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Posts posted by sbgrace
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If his numbers were low he's probably an excellent candidate for an mouth device rather than a CPAP. A sleep dentist did mine. It's been wonderful for me.
I did read a study once that showed people who wore a pocket shirt backwards with a tennis ball in the pocket (so the ball was on their back) kept from rolling over and reduced apnea and snoring. So that's another option.
Even mild apnea has health effects. I know, though, adults are sometimes hard to convince to take action on stuff sometimes. I'll stop talking about it!
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I used workboxes for HOD Little Hearts. I just had a drawer for each box. The guide itself sat on top of all the boxes.
Drawer one had my storybook bibles and history spine books (so first box on the HOD guide materials).
Drawer two had my handwriting program and the Do it Carefully/Find the Answers workbooks.
Drawer three had our phonics program materials.
Drawer four had our math program.
Drawer five had the verse of the week printed and placed in this box. Our CD was loaded up to the computer but for a while it was in that box as well.
Drawer six was extra box materials (always held the science book) and held other materials that were needed for that day or week such as art or science experiment stuff. Baggies by day would have been neat. I didn't go to that extent but it would be nice.
Drawer seven had a rhymes in motion card (I just used the guide though making copies of them would have been nice) and our read aloud book. In time that read aloud book just sat on top of the guide since we used it daily and it was small. Rhymes in motion sort of dropped out of use so that drawer turned into other things for us.
Each drawer would have a train with hook and loop and they had a laminated page to attach the trains as we finished each task. That was a really hit for a while. Over time the boxes just turned into a way for me to organize our HOD materials more than a guide for them.
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You do need to protect your sleep even if that means sleeping on your own. They have done studies on partners of snorers and it does impact sleep quality and health.
That said, your husband is being impacted as well even if he's not aware. Has he been tested for sleep apnea? My mom doesn't snore anymore since she got treatment and of course that is secondary to the health impacts of untreated apnea. My life quality is much improved with apnea treatment as well. There are options outside of CPAP for some people. I have a mouth device that is completely comfortable. It looks pretty much like a retainer so nothing around my face. For a severe sleep apnea patient sometimes the mouth devices can have a cpap connected to them eliminating the headgear stuff in my understanding. My mother did adjust to CPAP and many people find they can when they realize the benefits and feel so much better. I wonder if reading up on the life expectancy and health impacts of untreated apnea would help him maybe at least look into the possibility.
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I've got a curve that didn't require bracing or surgery. I can't remember the degree but we did improve the degree with physical therapy focusing on core (front and back) strength.
My shoulder blades are uneven. I would imagine one hip is higher but I never noticed. I have at times had what I would describe as significant back pain that I really believe is related but perhaps it isn't. At any rate it hasn't really impacted my life.
I'm glad this thread was posted. I really need to work on core strength with my low muscle tone guy to try to prevent this.
If anyone has access to horses that is terrific for core work and more fun than the typical exercises--at least what I was assigned! I like the hanging idea.
Dumb questions for those of you experienced with scoliosis: (1) does the curve go side to side or front to back? and (2) did they rule out tethered spinal cord (via MRI)?One of my kids had a tethered cord and the cause is one that could be familial (filum lipoma) so I'm always on the lookout for symptoms in the other kids, especially the ones who have sacral dimples/crooked butt cracks, etc. But I know nothing about scoliosis.
If your kids have sacral dimples/midline defects they should have tethered cords ruled out via testing. I can't remember whether it's MRI or something else as they get older. I know babies are different than older toddlers and kids. But any child with sacral dimples and related should have it imaged to rule out formally and that's even without your family history.
My curve is side to side. I assume they all are but I don't know exactly what front to back would be/what you're thinking.
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I'm using RightStart with six year old twins with very differing abilities. One is very mathy and the other actually likely has some learning disabilities. For most of this time I just held mathy kid to his brother's pace and supplement him with MEP because he is so interested and adept. Because this is so foundational I don't feel comfortable going faster than he can absorb/ability for non-mathy child.
Mathy twin likes worksheets as well. I invite him to make his own problems and he does do that at times. Actually, that self creation holds some academic value for him perhaps but with the material presented so far I don't see academic value/need in additional worksheet stuff. I suppose it would be easy enough to write some up for him but I'm just not willing to do something like that when I don't think it is needed for his understanding.
Recently I decided to just teach at their individual paces so I can take even more time with non-math kid and math guy can move along at a more appropriate for him pace. I don't know if it's possible because you're schooling more kids and I have just two but I've decided that keeping them together is probably not ideal for either. Because RightStart is "quick" to teach going on their own hasn't added much to my day but has made me feel a lot better about math around here.
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The variety was good for us but I had to move things like acting out or rhyme in motion that made my kids crazy and hard to corral to the end of the lessons. So if history or bible involved something like acting out it moved to the last thing we did. Otherwise we did: History/bible box, any activity in the "extra box" that wasn't something that would get us too excited and hyper, verse and any devotional we did, phonics and handwriting, literature box, rhyme in motion or hyper making whatever, math later in the day after a break.
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I used LHTH and LHFHG with a lot of tweaks and subs. What really worked absolutely wonderfully here were the literature boxes and the bible story activities. The pacing, variety of activities, and age appropriate/reasonable amount of time her lessons take was just perfect for us. I loved how easy it was to use and how enjoyable all of it was for my very different boys. What didn't work here boils down to why I think I'm probably just not cut out for a boxed curriculum from any publisher. It came down to text choices and in some cases topic choices. Most people love her history texts, bibles, and devotionals so I think this is likely my own sensitivity in certain areas. It's a good program in so many ways.
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I'm really conflicted about curriculum for my six year olds and would like some thoughts.
I've got one child who would thrive with a literature based curriculum. Pure Charlotte Mason would fit this child well as would something like Oak Meadow.
He would love a day with wonderful literature, story based or living books presentation of topics, and lots of free time to spend making up stories, drawing, painting, exploring nature, etc.
He's creative and the opposite of a sequential learner/thinker whatever that style is called and likely has some learning issues.
Then I've got his twin brother who is very much a hands on activities and projects, discuss things, interaction based learner.
Unit studies would fit him wonderfully.
He thrives on back and forth interaction and lots of talking.
He's a strongly auditory sequential thinker I believe. He's enthusiastic in just about every area and much easier to teach generally except that need for tons of "interact with me" time.
They would actually both be fun to teach in their own ways but together they are really hard. I don't know how to balance their needs.
I've planned a curriculum for the year in all subjects and I'd like to just be done thinking about it.
Most days in my schedule include something hands on along with books of course yet in time spent the hands on stuff takes the bulk of the lesson much of the time. And time taken is probably a little much I fear for guy #1 though so far he seems to be enjoying things. That said, when asked I'm sure he'd tell you he'd rather learning through stories.
I feel my lessons are better suited to guy #2 essentially. Yet because of guy #1's issues in specific areas I feel for most of their lives guy #2 has had his needs put second so I don't want to do that in school as well any more than I must.
I feel so very conflicted and sort of like I can't see the forest for the trees with this area for some reason.
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I'm a little confused. You said in your OP that she had low muscle tone in her legs. Is that an assumption or she really does have low tone? Because low tone doesn't go away with time (nor does PT improve it for that matter).
If she was placed in PT solely because she wasn't walking at 15 months that's too bad in my opinion. That wouldn't happen here or anywhere else that I know of as that isn't a delay or concern. Crawling isn't a motor skill so the butt scoot thing is insignificant as well by itself. On the other hand if you've got tone issues that will be something to watch going forward whether PT is still needed now or not.
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Hubby is confident in my decisions and choices. He does listen though to my rambling on and on as I'm trying to figure things out. He's processing at least a cursory amount as he responds intelligently when I ask his opinion on whatever the topic is. I love that man.
That said, our relationship and family dynamics will be different than others. I can see how some husbands would want to have more of a voice in the choices made. I think that's both a part of the particular relationship and beliefs about roles as well as personality of the parties involved.
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In most states (all?) the free early intervention ends at age three and the school system takes over. In most states the before three stuff is one on one in your home and the offerings via school systems are only if your child qualifies for preschool type services. Other than that you'd be doing private therapy which is pricey. You're describing sounds like some pretty significant articulation issues and those are often time consuming to address compared to other speech delays and in my opinion really need expert help usually. Basically, I would start the process now.
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Legos
Regular Blocks
Magnatiles
HotWheels/Matchbox type vehicles
Track for the above vehicles
Train track
Trains
Playdough
Marble Run
Balls (1 each of large, medium, small)
Rocking Horse (that's a car, rocket ship, etc...lots of play value out of that old thing which I never dreamed we'd still be using at six years old)
Cash Register
Lots of books
some puzzles
Some games (board, card, dice, etc.)
Rubbermaid shelves my kids use as ships with oars, forts and homes, caves, shields and swords, vehicles, spacecraft, mountains for cars etc. I meant those to organize some supplies but they turned into the absolute best play pretend toys we've found in a while.
And the following my kids rarely play with anymore: Left over people/cars/animals from Little People sets, Imaginext Castle, Imaginext Pirate Ship, dress up clothes, stuffed animals, play kitchen dishes/pans/play food. I could probably pack them away without a sniffle out of them but they don't take up too much space and are used occasionally so I keep them around.
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I think a combination of the Core Knowledge Sequence (which will mirror the What Your ___ Grader Needs to Know" for free) referenced above and the
Common Core Standards for Language Arts and Math the vast majority of the States seem to be adopting now would give a solid guide. http://www.corestandards.org/
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Well, my son started PT at 6 months also with low muscle tone.
When he started walking (17 months) they kept him for another month or two and then discharged. Things seemed great to me but he ended up back in sometime past 2 years old though I can't remember the exact age. At that point he was doing all he should have been except jumping. However, his form or technique was compensating for the weakness and needed work. Particularly, he needed orthotics to stabilize his foot as he was rolling the ankle. I would have never known. I guess I'm saying it may have looked ok to me but it wasn't really ok and I do think the additional PT helped him.
I'd go with the PT's assessment of need particularly since you've got a low muscle tone child rather than a simple gross motor delay.
Side note not for OP: It's not officially late walking until 18 months.
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I'm sorry.
Do talk to the billing people about adjustments for uninsured and payment plans when you get the bill.
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Hubby is at work by 7 am, comes home for lunch around 1:30 (this is our main family meal) and then works until about 6:30 to 7:00 depending on the day. However, this is longer than he needs to work so that he's got a little more flexibility in terms of family time on various days. He might take a longer lunch or go to one of my son's specialist appointments with us.
I know not everyone has choices but in our case my husband could have decided to work in the private sector which would have meant significantly higher pay but longer hours. He did the public sector because the hours are reasonable and provide for flexibility. So we sacrificed earnings for family time essentially in our minds. That said, now I just feel fortunate we're in the ranks of the employed at all.
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For younger kids, I love Read, Write and Type. . My two oldest used this back when The Learning Company first came out with it. It wasn't available for a while and my third missed out, but it was recently re-released as an online program. The link above gives you a free trial and a discount code. This is great for teaching ages 5-7 beginning touch typing. 8-10 can use it too but they may find it babyish.
I looked over the website a little but didn't try the downloads yet. I wondered, though, if this is a touch keyboarding program or primarily meant to be a reading program? All the description talked about reading and the picture shows a child essentially doing what I would call "hunt and peck" in that he's watching the keyboard and doesn't have correct finger placement.
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Yuck. I hate it when schools drop the ball with kids.
I still don't have suggestions for what you're wanting but I got this book when someone here suggested it for my right brain son who was really struggling with similar areas. I checked it out from the library. He showed on the screening he had learning issues in the math area as I suspected. I did the remedial work in the book with him and it has seemed to make a difference though time will tell of course. At any rate it might help them to identify a particular area they could either address or try to compensate for if it is also her issue. This book also has ideas for learning issues in various areas and might be helpful though I've not looked at it in a while to say for sure.
I know you're looking for teaching ideas and it's certainly worth doing that. Craft's materials might a be a good source. http://www.diannecraft.org/article-007.htm
However, those symptoms sound "learning disability possible" to me given my experiences with my son so if they can come at it from that angle too I think it would be most beneficial.
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Have they considered testing for learning disabilities? Third grade would be a time when that sort of thing really shows itself for some kids. If they find there is a specific issue they can find resources to target, remediate, or compensate for her particular issues.
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I'm homeschooling academics free. My kids and I are loving this year. It's going wonderfully. I think with a library card and internet access you can homeschool absolutely free (less paper and crayons type supplies) and very well for at least the elementary grades.
I've put some resources I'm using in my blog. Are you looking for particular subjects? I won't be much help for kids out of elementary school but I'm doing Core Knowledge Curriculum guide with my own ideas and some of the Baltimore Lesson Plans that follow that curriculum as my history, science, literature, art, and music. They cover K through 5th in the Baltimore plans. I found some were great and others gave me a nice starting point in my own planning. I liked the science and used it and much of the literature and music as is though I did add free resources I found. I felt all the Kindergarten materials would have been wonderful as is when I looked through them. Based on a glance through I suspect in 2nd grade and up I'll be using them much like I did this year.
I've found a shocking number of the materials I needed to carry the Core Curriculum out free online. I haven't linked them but would be happy to do that if someone else is using the 1st grade Core Knowledge sequence. I found all the art and music suggestions, lots of great stuff to go with the science, resources and ideas for the history topics, and the vast majority of the literature I needed. Interlibrary loan is being used as well. I spent a very small amount for things I needed to carry out the science experiments but not much. It was mostly plastic cups and balloons so not major expenses. This past year I used a free phonogram based (O-G) reading and spelling program with free online readers I've found though they're reading regular books now. I needed almost nothing to carry out that program (maybe 1.70...) and I think it was as good as anything I could have purchased for their reading instruction. I did it at our pace but the plans would have been K through 2 had I followed their pacing. For this year I am using some Spalding principles I found free online as well for spelling since I'm headed in that direction with our future in this area. That gave me enough for spelling as it has the marking rules, the above O-G links give me the multi-sensory ideas, and it contains the spelling lists. I am confident I could do this whole thing essentially free too using either inexpensive or library based Spalding or Orton-Gillingham materials but I'm planning to move into PR1 as we are able. MEP is my math along with some leftover from last year RightStart stuff.
Our only purchased curriculum item this year so far was Karyn Henley materials for bible which are relatively inexpensive. I didn't "need" them and have been doing my own materials so far as there is so much available online but I love her things so I ordered them yesterday.
Outside of the materials mentioned above there are at least two other free science curriculum choices, at least three free history curriculum options I can think of, and so much available for art and literature it would be hard to list them all.
When it's opened up to low cost materials or library available materials rather than just online the options are even wider of course.
If you are looking for something specific let me know and I'll link if I have a resource or resources.
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I did the dancer thing with my kids. One was left brained and the other right which I would have predicted based on their learning styles. I don't know what I am. I scored left on the quiz but the dancer was going counter and then suddenly clockwise.
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Like a pp, I keep a small bottle of GermX in my purse to use after I pump gas. At the hospital where I work, we are required to use a really strong version called Cal-Stat upon entering a patient's room and after leaving. The stuff is EVERYWHERE! It makes me :glare: I guess their point is that nurses/doctors/techs, etc don't want their hands consistently, and if they have the Cal-Stat available, it is more likely to be used. It's a good point, but I would rather wash with soap and water.
Can I ask a question? It is my understanding that they only way to remove c. diff (and other assorted really nasty stuff) from hands is soap and water. Those chemical and alcohol cleansers won't kill the really bad bugs. When my son was hospitalized though that's all anyone used. I didn't know any better. He picked up c. diff. Even when he was in isolation awaiting cultures to see for sure if he had c. diff they still kept on using that junk.
Now that I know what it can't get off hands (parasites, many bacterias, etc.) I hate seeing everyone pretend it's doing something other than killing cold viruses. Pointless. I don't mind a cold. I'd like to avoid, say, cryptosporidium though so I'd prefer people use soap and water.
Am I right? Why do hospitals rely on it then and if my son is hospitalized again will everyone hate us if I nicely ask them to wash before working with him? Will they give him worse care if I do that?
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I agree with the things listed here. I'll add Magic Schoolbus are also loved here and can be watched without a library trip. My boys love Liberty Kids but I wouldn't watch them on the young side of the age range.
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Liver is a good source of iron. Other red meats are good sources as well.
You should avoid foods that strongly inhibit iron absorption. Eggs (whites and yolks) are often listed as iron sources. They have iron but they also contain substances which inhibit iron absorption worse than any other food. Avoid them while you're low iron. Beans, nuts, seeds all contain phytates which bind iron--avoid them with your red meats or iron supplement. Dairy (soybean too but that's under beans) and calcium rich greens should be avoided at the same time you are taking iron. Greens aren't generally good sources because they either contain oxalates which bind iron (spinach) or are high in calcium which doesn't go well with iron (kale for example). Bright red or purple fruits and their juices (prunes/plums, red grapes/raisins, etc.) inhibt because of the high anti-oxidants. Iron cookware will add inorganic iron to your diet but not in a very absorbable form (it's inorganic) and you might as well take a vitamin that's better absorbed in my opinion. This is especially true because men shouldn't be taking iron and men are generally eating what the family eats...cooked in the cast iron perhaps.
My son did not improve his iron with floravital but I know some people have success with it. He did correctly quickly with the ferrochel though and it's cheaper and easier to take in my opinion.
My little daughter has broken her elbow - need advice...
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted · Edited by sbgrace
Ours is $6,000. The hospital let us work out a payment plan. Ask about it because many hospitals will. We've had to do that with four different hospitals as my son is medically complicated and we have high deductible insurance. My mother had a fall and emergency surgery and my father is paying $50 a month to the hospital at $100 a month to the surgeon. My BIL had a serious car accident and had a payment plan for everything from the life flight to surgery, ICU, hospital and rehab place. That was five or so years ago and this year they all wrote off the remainders of his bills but he was uninsured so likely paid far more than he should have anyway. Remember the insurance will "write off" much of the initial charges so you determine what to pay once they determine the final charges. Get any plans you make for payment in writing. We relied on oral once and it caused problems.
I hate to read about the credit card thing the poster above wrote. That's not how it works around here and I hope that isn't coming. And then do you pay interest after the 18 months? Yuck.