Yes! Or somebody's got this profound insight (or three people have it) but it's the fourth person saying it who gets all the quotes and likes. LOL

When people post in threads, "I have not read the replies, but..." and you just KNOW they are going to say something that has already been addressed (multiple times in long threads), and of COURSE they do... does that make you feel a little stabby? It would really just make my Monday if this thread goes really long, just so somebody can say, "I haven't read the replies, but here's what's bothering ME."

On these boards, CC can mean... Christian Content Community College Classical Conversations The OP said the CC was in reference to a prayer request. I'm with you on the confusion - when I read the thread title, I thought, "Well, I'm a Christian who believes God made cats to have claws, so my religious opinion is that the cat should keep its claws."

I'd suggest Strayer Upton hardbacks: Traditional style, includes answers, and each covers several levels. You can find them at christianbook.com. That said, have you checked to see if there are educational services or ministries available already?

I apologize if I'm confusing posters, but are you the person who was looking for more space in the house, for a growing family, but couldn't use the guest room or put DH's office in there? Was that you, and was that because his parents come to live with you for two weekends per month? If so, we are ALL on your side.

Good Lord. YES.

Thank you both!! This is just what I needed.

I apologize for using "narcissistic" as a catch-all, but I needed something that would fit in the title line. I can't find the many, many threads about difficulties with mothers, because even the Google style search method doesn't work for me since the forum upgrade. A fellow WTM boardie needs some recommendations, if anyone who follows those topics can think of any! There was a website linked here, from which I learned a lot, but I can't find it again. I'd appreciate book recs or website links, or links to old threads that contain those. Thank you!

When my son got sick, I did a lot of FB'ing about it - he was just-turned-18 and didn't mind, and my FB was very, very active back then. So we had a lot of friends and family who really wanted to know what was going on. I didn't really have to put up with a lot of nonsense, thankfully (dumb comments, bad advice). But you know what, when the crisis had passed and it was down to a long-term, serious illness that my son would need to manage for himself, as an adult, I made the decision to stop writing about it. It was no longer an ICU situation, and he deserved his privacy as he began to *live with* the illness that he didn't die from (yet). Well, people didn't like that! They'd behaved well during the crisis, but they didn't want that door to be shut. I was surprised that anyone would feel entitled to someone else's story like that. Thankfully, they remembered their manners and did not start pursuing my son for information, that I'm aware of. But there are still people mad at me because I didn't give them any further details.

In the Midwest, those are just called sugar cookies (or they were, when I was a child). They can be flavored lots of ways; my folks just used vanilla, and then sprinkled a tiny bit of granulated sugar on top of each cookie before baking. Our recipe could be rolled into balls, placed on the cookie sheet, and somewhat flattened with the bottom of a drinking glass. Oh, I just remembered - we would dip the glass in the granulated sugar, and then smush down the ball of dough, to get the shape right and transfer just a little sugar. Edit: My great-grandmother probably used lard instead of Crisco. (Note: I keep editing as I remember stuff. This was THE cookie at my grandma's house, except for at Christmas when she made lots of other kinds.)

That rubbery polenta. Slim Jims. Gogurts. Wasabi paste. Don't invite me to this dinner. LOL

? One of my best friends is from a small town near Knoxville. She and her teen and adult daughters have had the same experience as Chelli's daughter. We were just talking about it the other day.

I think you must have missed that she was leaving class and still literally in the building, on school grounds. Pepper spray and a dog are probably not options. (I wouldn't mind if she could have both, even in school, in the current climate for women, but I don't make the rules.)

1. Sadly, it's normal. That's just FYI, not something to tell the kids. Best if they think it's a BIG DEAL. 2. Don't give up your weekend! If they are upper elementary to middle school age, this is the era during which you try to give them consequences *without* making your own life harder or more unpleasant. Do that while you can, now, because when they're 16 to 18 you'll be back to suffering when they do. 3. The makeup days go into fall break, Christmas break, and summer. Not only should they have to re-do these lessons, but they might also do a dozen similar lessons from a totally different program, to reinforce the concepts (just in case they managed to memorize any answers). 4. The only way to keep this from ever happening again is to lock up the answer keys. That doesn't mean they'll keep trying to get to them forever - the goal is to make this a non-issue in the house again with very matter-of-fact consequences (the do-overs on THEIR time) and simple prevention (locking cabinet).

How is 5 minutes the best 20 minutes of your day? There is something I'm missing, I think. Apologies if I'm just being dense.

I will have to disagree with you that there's a lot of deep discussion to be missed, by foregoing daily drives to a location that is only a bit more than a country mile away. It's probably literally five to seven minutes.

This is the kind of thing I've been thinking, as I read this post. The dynamic is not what it should be, but he probably has no idea that you are this frustrated, and possibly doesn't even know he's acting like a jerk. Just let him know you'll need to make some changes, because you're working now and because he's *capable of* (not "old enough" or "being punished") taking on more of his own responsibility. Clearly delineate what you're talking about, and 1. teach him how to do it, 2. make sure he has everything he needs to do it, and 3. provide some accountability AND reassurance/mild praise, while 4. not falling into the trap of trying to turn him into SuperKid overnight. He will still have some entitlement. He will still have some attitude. It's astounding how much he'll grow up in the next few years, with good conversations, modeling and support - you'll all get there. Focus on the list'able and check'able tangibles, for what you will not do, and what he must do. Keep it simple. Be matter-of-fact if he gets an attitude. Celebrate success.

Xuzi, all my psych ward stories are good because they brought another day, and connected families to information, help, and/or rest. I've been praying for you since yesterday.

Thank you for checking!!

Would you mind going back to Amazon to grab that link? :D

I have been thinking of sewing sheets and pillowcases. They are so expensive now, for an item that is necessary but not standardized in size, fit, or quality. Sewing won't be cheap, but they'll fit correctly and be well made!

I agree with fairfarmhand. She'll need a village. She'll need to find out exactly to what her family will commit: "Helping out now and then" is not what's needed, so if that's what they mean, find out up front. The daughter will need people on a daily basis. OP, unschooling your own girls - that's an active verb! You were there. You were supervising and aware. That is not the same thing at all, as pulling a 12yo child out of school to spend her days alone, pursuing her own educational interests as a substitute for a present parent or an educational institution.

NM, I missed a few posts...I'm not likely to be helpful. Disregard.

The part where you "can't imagine the looks she and her dh get," because he's tall and thin and she's short and fat... That's just awful. I would suggest tackling your goal in two phases: 1. Accept your cousin. Truly accept her, flaws and all, risks and all. It is risky to love someone whose problems may lead to suffering and death. Nobody's minimizing that. But if you can risk loving your cousin, work toward true acceptance of her. 2. Then learn to support her.

LMD, if you want to poll the thread, I'd predict that the average age of waking up to it all is late 20s to mid 30s. And anyone here age 40 to 50, will tell you that there are fresh waves of pain that drive you almost crazy, as you parent your own children through the ages where your NPD parent was the worst to you. Talk about triggering. You figure it out as a young mom, but it's fresh wounds again, as you become an old mom. Do NOT think you should have understood it in your teens or twenties. Nobody does, until later. Even those of us who were literally homeless at 17, still thought maybe we'd done something wrong because of COURSE, Mom was a great mother. She told me so. She defined good for me, until I saw more of the world... Please be gentle with yourself.