So, you wouldn't be that upset if it was just another US citizen doing it? I'm so confused by this post of yours. US citizens definitely drive drunk. That's not something only those outside of this country do. FTR, my dad and brother were killed in a car accident caused by a US citizen. I wouldn't be more upset about it if the person behind the wheel wasn't one.

She loves to read. She also writes, listens to music, and watches YouTube videos. If she's home completely alone, she likes to sing (she won't in front of us unless for school choir).

We listened to our child, a teen, because if she doesn't learn to take responsibility for her illness then it's all pointless. I'm not just in it right now to make our home life easier. I need dd to understand that therapy can be good and can help. So, I had to take her feelings into consideration when choosing one. I liked several that she didn't. We kept looking. We now have one she trusts and likes. I just consider it a bonus I do too. This is one that she would keep seeing as an adult and that's important to me. I must take her feelings regarding medication into consideration also. She needs to know she has a voice and also see that medication can help. If I just force it, she won't continue with it outside of my home. When she feels more in control, she takes it with no problem. Hopefully that will continue outside of my home. My goal is for her to function well when she is on her own. I don't just want to force her into these things because she will need them for a very long time. I know it may not work out how I would like but I need to feel I truly did all I could.

I've seen something very similar posted on a childhood friend's own business FB page. He owns his own law firm and sometimes posts the same types of things but there is no information about the client (no name, age, etc.). It does upset me but it's really not about the lawyer. It's about law enforcement not following the rules.

My dd was on a medication that we felt was working and we didn't listen to get when she wanted to stop. She eventually stopped on her own and just pretended to take it daily. We found out and listened more closely to her. She also felt therapy was pointless. We switched therapists, found a good psychiatrist and switched her medications. Our current therapist said the medicine dd was on actually probably made her issues worse so it was good she quit taking them behind our back. Dd also needs more than one medication. She's currently on two but they think she is bi polar and want to add a third. We're finally starting to see real progress. It's still very slow going and will continue to be for a while. It's not at all easy on the rest of the family but the ultimate goal for us is a healthy dd who will be able to function on her own in the world.

I never saw it either growing up. We made it because my dad's job came with housing and a work vehicle. My mom's dad had almost the same job with housing and a vehicle included. My dad's parents had different jobs but they both worked (Gma was a teacher). Dh's mom stayed home but fil was military so they had base housing. Dh said they ate horrible, cheap food and he had to get a job when he wanted to do anything outside the home. My mom was able to stay home for a while because of the housing but she eventually needed to work. I'm the first to stay home and be supported entirely by dh's salary with no housing or cars included. It wasn't an entry level job either as it was after college and the military. I worked while he was in the military and until we had children.

With dd #2 we spent half the day at the zoo walking around. My water broke when we got home and I was holding her less than two hours later. I had preterm labor with first dd so everything I did then was to keep her in.

The high school oldest attends has a 92% graduation rate. It is one of the least diverse places we have ever lived. It's difficult. I looked up stats online and it looks like only 12% are free/reduced lunch and only 8% of the more than 2500 students are minorities.

Maybe you live where I do which means public school is definitely not free. I was surprised by the bills I received in the first few months. I thought ps would be cheaper but I don't think it is as I still have to pay for books and many other things here. I hear many people complain but no one seems to do anything. When I add in all the other stuff in addition to the book fees I realize I pay at least as much for ps as when I homeschooled. I think I actually pay more now that they are in ps and I definitely will be paying more as the years go by because I don't get a discount for them using the same books and taking the same classes.

I did find it funny when we bought the Halloween dvd and watched it when dds. I had watched it several times but only on TV and I didn't think of the editing. Halfway through one dd made a remark about "how many times can they show boobs and why!?!". I honestly had no idea. That one used to scare me too but now it's rather silly.

We all did recently watch Cujo but I can't watch Pet Cemetary again yet. I also have put off dds from watching it so far.

We love horror movies here but we don't like gore. Dds both liked The Ring and The Woman in Black. It has been fun to watch movies I watched when young and that scared me. Watching them now with my teens make them more corny than scary because we laugh all the way through them. We recently watched Children of the Corn, which I haven't been able to watch since I was little, and it was hilarious. We also had a Scream marathon and laughed a lot.

I also wanted to say they definitely have no issues sharing and disagreeing with us. We talk politics and religion a lot and we don't all agree but both dds still keep talking and sharing.

I think so. One dd came out to us and knew we'd be okay with it. It was hard for her but not because she thought we would be upset. Same dd keeps a lot to herself though. I think that's just how she is. Other dd talks about everything. Sometimes it feels like a little too much. I'm another one who felt I could talk to my parents about anything but chose not to. I just didn't feel comfortable doing so.

Where we are it cost $350 for what is required to get a permit before age 16. So, many wait until 16 and then they have to hold the permit for at least 9 months before getting a license since they didn't do the previous requirements. Most around here are 17 before being licensed. Neither of my dds are interested. Oldest hit 16 a few months ago but she won't be getting her permit until closer to 17 due to anxiety issues and medication. So, she won't be licensed until closer to 18. We will probably do the same with youngest unless she has a strong desire otherwise. For us it's just not a big deal driving them around. I stay home and dh works from home. I also enjoy the conversations in the car and am in no hurry to give those up.

I agree they should learn mainly through play. The article wasn't about only learning by play. I also think sometimes people get hung up on what is learning and what is play. Both of my dds knew all their colors and shapes, the alphabet, and most of their numbers by two/three years old. They learned those things doing arts and crafts. It wasn't our goal or pushed by us and it was definitely play to them. I also felt they both got so much more out of our history lessons when I sent them off to play after. So, we would read SOTW, color the maps, and talk a bit. Then, they would disappear and basically reconstruct what happened with dolls, stuffed animal, toys, and Legos. They would also do this after our read a louds and they still talk about some of them years later because of the play that took place. We were very relaxed through elementary school. Dds rarely ever did school past lunch through fifth grade. There was lots of play and free time built into our days. When both dds started ps in middle school, they were placed in Honors classes and they have been A students into high school with AP/Honors classes. It didn't hinder them and they truly enjoy learning.

I don't know that we would enjoy it all if our dds were still homeschooling instead of in ps. He has trouble doing as much as he needs/should when dds are home. It hasn't hurt his standing as they need him. He also travels in but it's only every other month for us because it's an eight hour travel by planes kind of day for him to get there. It's actually rather draining for him when he has to go in because of the air travel and all the people that need his attention. Dh doesn't have trouble with balancing work and home as he sets up work hours and abides by them. He doesn't respond to work stuff after hours, even at home, unless it's seriously important. Those types of things would come via text so he just doesn't check emails or anything work related when he's done for the day or on the weekends. He also definitely needs his own work space, especially with children at home while he's working. On the plus side, it is awesome having him home all day. I'm home too and we're enjoying that downtime he has between meetings and such. He also really enjoys taking dds to and from school and being able to talk with them about their day in the car. He enjoys not having to spend time commuting in the car.

The therapy and/or medication she is on may not be working. She may need things adjusted. It is not going to work out well for you to think she should just be able to make it work. That's really not how depression and anxiety work. I have one dd struggling with it in high school. We, as parents, have to do a lot of work right now to get her where she needs to be. We have to treat what is causing it and it's not easy.

You forgot adding rules about check in times. People are also loud as they arrive. I cannot count the number of times my sleep has been disrupted due to someone checking in after I have gone to sleep. So, maybe no leaving hotel rooms/checking out before 9am and no arriving at hotel rooms/checking in after 9pm. They should also really work on curbing nearby businesses. It's annoying to stay somewhere and have your sleep disrupted by music and noise. Which leads me to also say they should curb the noise at hotels that are near airports. That's truly horrible and disruptive. Maybe we should have tougher restrictions on when airlines can fly in and out due to nearby hotels. Honestly, I can count several times we have left a hotel or complained to management and it was almost always other adults. I can think of only one time in my entire life it was due to teens or children. When I stay at a hotel, no matter how nice or expensive, I expect some noise.

These things definitely aren't the norm everywhere. I just flew in one of dd's friends and they were able to travel at 15 without supervision. Southwest's website says those 12 and up can travel without supervision. I've never heard of a place that requires an adult for getting of a bus after K or 1st grade. Where is for under 7th? We know many 14-16 year olds that have jobs. Our fast food restaurants and grocery stores are full of teens. I hear of some states having strict rules but I don't think it's the norm.

I didn't have to do chores and neither did my siblings. None of us have any of the issues above. It's not too late to have her help out more. It also doesn't mean she's going to struggle on her own.

I'm surprised by the rule only because my dds have gone on overnight school trips, some for several days, and they have shared rooms with other students. They go to vending machines, ice machines, and pretty much all over the hotel alone or with other teens. They were all of 13/14 actually and managed just fine.

Have you changed your AC filter lately? Ours gets that way sometimes after using the fireplace but goes away if we replace the filter.

But, at least here, the dining room has seats right next to the bar. Many don't even have a wall separating some of the seating. I find this part of the conversation interesting. Where we live now, we can't sit as a family in the bar area of restaurants (although we can sit right next to them, see them, and hear them). I find it silly. Where we've spent most of our time in several other states, we could choose to sit in the bar area if there were seats at any time of the day or night and with or without children. Heck, where I grew up in Texas my parents could take us to nightclubs with dancing and music. They could also order us alcoholic beverages even though we weren't 21. They did so for all of us on certain occasions and it was never an issue.

My problem is the reasons given for it not being a genocide, such as it was done peacefully. No one was corrected if giving information that wasn't all that factual. I'm concerned that a large group of middle school students have an opinion based on not entirely correct information they received from their peers in a debate. I'm concerned that many students are walking away from this thinking the Trail of Tears wasn't all that bad. I hope these things are cleared up this week by actual teaching of the events that took place.