Jump to content

Menu

Guinevere

Members
  • Posts

    861
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Guinevere

  1. I learned "never eat shredded wheat," in small-town Midwest as a kid. The asking for north/south is also a rural Midwest thing. I've not heard it on the east coast, or south, and I think its because the midwest, north of Kentucky, is laid out in squares. Giving directions is almost as easy as those maps on a graph worksheets they do in first grade. Other places have roads that are too curvy and windy to just be referred to with cardinal directions.

    • Like 5
  2. I really would like to be able to go for long walks at a good pace again, but my 2 youngest can't keep up at a pace that is workout level for me.  My 5yo is about 45lbs and 45", and my 3yo is just a little smaller, and they don't seem comfortable in several of the strollers I've tried.  Their legs hang off the ends, their shoulders are hunched or squished, or they tilt towards each other.  I'd let them ride their bikes, but we don't have a place to walk that is safe from car traffic.  I have about a $200 budget.  

  3. We travel a lot, and live in a not-so-safe area.  I will sometimes leave my kids alone in public places, but I much prefer to leave them with a buddy.  I'd let my 10 and 12 year old stay there, or my 10 and 9.  I'd also let my 5yo stay with any of the older ones.  My 7yo, however, always must be in my line of sight.  Because she's SO unpredictable, lol.

    • Like 1
  4. I'd give my NT child that age some ultimatums.

     

    1. Wear your jacket, or don't go to camp.

    2. Wear your jacket without complaint when sister picks you up, or you wear a sweater to school.

    3. If you truly need help, fine, but no more giving sister trouble. And, if you want to go to camp and truly can't remember, then mom or sister goes.

     

    Basically, I'd tell her this was non negotiable. If she cant, then she has to accept help, and humbly. The ball is in her court at that point.

    • Like 6
  5. A bruise from an unknown origin that is the size of a dollar would concern me. Like a dollar bill? That's pretty big. If I couldn't think of a specific injury, I'd take her in. Actually, because of the location, I'd take her in for an injury, too.

    • Like 1
  6. It is my understanding that the separation process takes a long time. First, he must be healed as much as he is going to be able to heal. Then, he will be assigned a nondeployable job somewhere while his medical retirement paperwork and meetings and etc are completed. I think it often takes a year or so after he is fully discharged from medical care before he would be completely done with the military.

  7. I mentally rewrite stories and give them the 'correct' ending. Books, movies, tv shows. This is a good one for when you're too tired to be imaginative because you're only altering scenarios that were created by someone else.

    Good idea! Or, you could continue them. How many kids did Elizbeth and Darcy have, anyway?

    • Like 1
  8. I don't know if you are a Christian, but I recite scripture I've memorized. Forcing myself to say the words over in my mind has gotten me through many a trying time. I also sing songs in my head to drown out other thoughts.

    • Like 8
  9. I called poison control 3x in about 6 months. I was a little worried I was going to be put on some kind of list. 😂

     

    All three were for DS, he was 2-3 years old. Once he sucked on some ibuprofen (they said he would have needed to eat 11 before needing medical care). Another time he sprayed bathroom cleaner in his mouth. And I can’t remember what happened the other time. 😜

     

    Different stuff, but I had one like this, and felt the same way.  I felt like starting each call with, "I promise I'm a responsible parent, it's just THIS kid..."    She was just SO fast, and did crazy stuff when I was right there.  We were walking around outside, and she just grabbed a bunch of unknown berry things off this plant and swallowed them, fast!  I was there, like 2 steps away!  She's calmer now, at 7, but I still caught her "practicing climbing" with a rope tied to the bunkbed yesterday.  That doesn't sound so bad, but it was, trust me.  

    • Like 3
  10. I have tutored for 24 years, it does make a huge difference in their lives! My average class improves 1.7 reading grade levels. The lessons I use are now online as my Syllables series, and I am working on a DVD version to reach more people and get people teaching them to at risk students. You could use YouTube red for now if you wanted to teach with them. It only takes 10 hours and the exercises are all free to print!

     

    http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

    Thank you! I also started another thread about being a reading tutor. I think I may have found my new passion! Thank you for posting this today!

    • Like 3
  11. My point is that asking homeschoolers to allow an occasional interview with a kid is not asking them for more than what is asked of B&M parents / kids.

     

    I wasn't thinking the interview would be "is anyone hurting you." I don't think that would be appropriate at all. I was thinking a brief chat with the parent present - hi, how are ya, what do you do for school, where do you do school, do you do it most days, what are some things you've been learning this week, have you read any good books lately, do you enjoy going to the library, what do you do for exercise .... This should provide a chance for the interviewer to spot red flags - does the child appear undernourished, bruised, does she have age-appropriate language skills, does she ever get out, is school actually happening? If things are not age-appropriate, then there should be some current documentation of medical issue / diagnosis or other good reason why.

    This is death for unschoolers, lol. My kids are all working above grade level, but until this year would have told you, "We don't do school." Exercise and extracurriculars? They are all in multiple sports, and some do music lessons, but if you asked them what they did yesterday, anyone under 10 (my kids) is going to give an unhelpful variation of "nothing," or "ate ice cream and watched tv."

     

    I think a yearly curriculum/portfolio review is enough. Oh, and I'd accept proctored testing.

    • Like 4
  12. I agree that lack of community is the problem. I'm still trying to figure out what that looks like, but I've been stepping up in a lot of ways I wouldn't have even 6 months ago.

     

    Maybe, probably, some of these extreme things could be avoided if we knew each other a little better, and intervened a little harder. Personally supporting families and each other before things got out of hand.

     

    I don't know. All I can do is what I can do.

    • Like 3
  13. I had one child who had lots of cavities and one who did not. The one with cavities had much better oral hygiene than the one who didn't. In fourth grade the dentist recommended pulling all remaining baby teeth, in an attempt to control the spread of bacteria to new permanent teeth--after that the child has had few cavities.

    Fascinating!

  14. In my experience, genetics is huge.

     

    I'm sorry your little one has bad teeth. I wouldn't blame them. Instead I'd say, "you naturally are prone to this so you have to work extra hard".

    Definitely no blaming! She's only 5! I was just wondering if I could help her somehow.

     

    Super weird how your genetic history played out!

×
×
  • Create New...