That honestly sounds more pathological than anything, and I agree with others that it does not resemble most feminists. However, I do think many feminists are more pro-abortion than pro-choice. One time on another forum I read a story from a woman who was torn because a teenager closer to her was being pressured into abortion by family members, and this was a conflict for the poster because she considered herself "pro-choice" - that is, it caused her cognitive dissonance to support the choice not to abort and acknowledge that abortion was not the young woman's own choice. She wasn't a horrible person who wanted to force women into abortions, it had just never occurred to her that abortion was not the preferred option. I support you wanting to steer clear of "feminism" if that is your exposure to it. I stopped describing myself as a feminist because I found that it mostly functioned as an invitation for other women to police me on dogma. Without the label I am free to think for myself through a frame of prioritizing women. Much of feminism is not really for the best interests of women as such, but only those who fit a particular mold.

I don't, really. I make what I have. Variety happens naturally over a longer time range than a day or even a week, mostly determined by what I have the opportunity or inclination to buy.

I would avoid Everyday Math. It's not designed to deliver the basics because it's based on pseudoscientific ed school theories about traditional algorithms etc being bad for kids. I don't even understand how it got labeled as "Common Core" as it predates Common Core and is largely based on a rejection of the traditional scope and sequence, which Common Core largely follows. My child's experience with it in public school was very negative. I use a Common Core curriculum called EngageNY. It is free online from the New York State Education Department. But it is very far from zero prep. It requires you to actually teach your kid. However, Khan Academy has a very good series of lessons aligned with EngageNY, which could be used as a supplement to Singapore. There should be no need to do two whole curricula, anyway. It would be better to take the time to actually teach one curriculum than to pile up a bunch of different ones for the kid to do on their own. There needs to be time spent developing concepts through discussion and demonstration, and the teacher needs to be prepared for that.

I've never played Sorry but looking it up it appears to be a simplified version of Parcheesi with cards telling you what to do, for ages 6 and up. In Parcheesi you roll dice and have to keep in mind the rules for a variety of situations. It took me a while to keep it all straight in my head as an adult. Not that it's a stumper but I would not expect a 5 year old, and probably not a 7 year old, to stay engaged.

We love it, but she was 10 when we got it and 11 when she started really getting into it. The rules are pretty complex and the game can go on for a while. I just looked on the box and it says 8+.

I plan to do what my mom did and gradually go lighter to make it less conspicuous. Although my hair is a bit darker than hers was to start off with so who knows how that will work. But some people I know who have tried to match a dark tone to cover gray have ended up with a very artificial, heavy look, which is ageing in its own way.

It sounds like they have some mental health issues or arrested psychological development because of whatever situation led to the loss of their family of origin and the other parent "not being in the picture." While it's politically correct to take a rosy view of "blended families," that is not a trivial loss and they may be clinging to your DH in a futile subconscious attempt to make up for what was lost. And honestly, I am side-eyeing the idea that the "toxic dynamic" is something the children are imposing on the parent. Your DH is not without agency in this. But he is not doing them any favors by allowing them to live as dependent children in a situation where they're resented. It will probably take therapy to resolve this. As for the vacation, I would not take someone on vacation if I would have to be counting pennies on their food etc., even if it was someone I had a warm close relationship with. Let alone in a dynamic like you have. What I am wondering though, is whose decision is it really? When you say "make it unpleasant" it sounds like it is their decision and your only hope is to dissuade them from wanting to go. If you have the power to say no, you just have to do it. There's little hope of appeasing them.

That sounds like a combination of ad hominem and question-begging to me - they make it about you personally, while assuming their own conclusion.

I've been thinking about this more, with the comment (though edited) about "issues" and the employer's soft spot for people with differences, which is admirable. Is it possible that this woman has special needs in the area of social learning? That she may think this is a great cute inside joke she has with your mom or something like that, and similar for her comments to others? Then it would call for a different approach - snappy comebacks would make her think everything was still on the humorous level, or would just go straight past her; and the "ugh WTH?" approach I gave would be cruel. Maybe it needs to be explained to her like to a kid: "you know, it can be really hurtful to people when you make personal comments like that...." From your description of it I can't tell if she is trying to be cute or trying to be catty. So maybe this suggestion is off the mark, but I just thought I'd bring it up.

I wouldn't do this because it starts off a bit of a vicious circle of well now you're the one doing the judging... I also wouldn't use the name of Christ to get one over on someone in a social situation.

There are options beyond plunking down all that money for AAR and pure DIY. Phonics Pathways is $20, and with that and the readers you already have you should be set. Your questions seem to suggest you picked up the idea AAR is mandatory somehow... that is not the case at all.

Well, they might not have much of a case because it's so far from what's generally considered as such, and I'm not recommending actually pursuing it, but in terms of pure principle it is sexual harassment, if OP's mom understands the gist correctly. Sexual harassment doesn't need to be about being attracted to the person, trying to get them to be sexual with you, etc. Repeated insinuations about someone's sex life certainly count. I wouldn't fire someone over this, but I would put the fear of God in them and make sure it stopped. If necessary, get someone else in the chain of command to deal with it to avoid any personal overtones.

I would do that - only ice cold, and using it to drop a hint about workplace appropriateness. "You know Mabel, why don't you ask the manager if the details of my relationship with him are that important to you?" I don't get all these ideas to be cute about it. This person is obviously socially clueless. Maybe my ideas are too far in the other direction but I really can't see playing along. She won't get the message that way.

Wait, she needles her boss's wife about their personal business? Who does that?! (and keeps their job?) I agree with PP that this could be construed as harassment, as it touches on sexual matters.

Oof. That's so gross. And yes, people who do things like this usually have issues of their own. That doesn't make it OK. The only thing I can ever come up with in situations like that is to turn it around on the person, put them on the spot. "Why do you feel the need to make a point of this every year? Do you think it's funny?" Do it right in the situation in front of whatever other people, deflate their attempt at "humor" or whatever the heck it is. Expose the awkwardness and let them own it. For that reason I would not try to be "snappy" because I feel that can be read as a continuation of the game the person is trying to play.

We have them but the prices are generally too high for me to pay and not have a place to sit down.

I think people fail to realize that the official standard isn't that you need to be on the absolute brink of starvation to get help, and fail to understand why that isn't the standard.

I wonder how one gets all this detailed information about exactly what is going on with other people financially.

I thought everybody, including kids, knows the difference between parents feeling done with a nonstop round of kid stuff vs. a reflection on the individual kid as a person. And I can't imagine being so far up myself as to set my family forth as an edifying example for others.

If he has a vehicle, is concerned about stinking up the room, and there's an objection to every possible workaround (I don't think laundry overnight is that bad an idea, but I suppose it depends on both the campus atmosphere and his morning schedule), then the obvious thing is to leave it in the vehicle (probably the trunk) until he's ready to deal with it.

I see. I'm sorry, somehow I had the impression that it was to gloat. Still, I can't think of any other context where I've heard of people celebrating that they're not doing what someone else happens to be doing, and making sure the someone else knows it.

Because this board seems a. really understanding that different schooling options are best for different families and different children b. composed mostly of rigorous academic homeschoolers whose kids would be in no place to be thumbing their noses at PS kids for having to buckle down, if anything the opposite, and very little unschoolish "compulsory learning like, rots your brain, man" sentiment c. mostly nice, confident people who define their own values for themselves and aren't hung up on backhanded mommy wars snark like "well ~we~ like to ~think for ourselves~".

I'm honestly really surprised so many people on this board are this invested in congratulating themselves for not using public school, and teaching their children the same. Making a point to be outside playing when the bus goes by? Being sure to wake them up so they don't miss the chance to do so? Seriously?

Twenty five dollars for a binder?! I get mine on Amazon for like seven or eight bucks I think.

The easiest way to handle this is for the school to buy bulk packs of a single color. They cost about 25% of what you pay for an individual one at the store. Having all the parents scramble to find the right color/type out of limited local retail stock is ridiculous.