You should have resisted. That was unkind to Thatboyofmine, she didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of your cutting wit. She had nothing to do with that other awful thread.

I agree. As far as I can tell, there is a social hierarchy even on this board.

Planes are the one of the dirtiest things ever. I recall watching something at some point that claimed they are never cleaned much less sanitized. They are closed up bacteria incubators, with very little fresh air allowed in. I'd lean towards something on the plane making you sick, more so than Disney, especially at this time of year.

I agree with this, as harsh as it sounds. If the child slips and tells people he is gay now, not only is it a safety concern, if it turns out he isn't, he will be labeled as gay in the community for life. The question is, does the mother want to deal with the consequences of her husband finding out that she was hiding this information from him? Is the boy he is crushing on Muslim as well?

I live overseas and have very limited resources. You make do with what you have. As someone said upthread, when I have the opportunity to buy books at a reasonable price, I go bananas, often stocking up several levels at a time. Homeschooling is a rarity here as well, almost to the point of being frowned upon. In my experience, regarding the friends, language, and culture, I've found the best way to get involved is to put yourself out there and most times once you make connections, your child or children will as well. Introduce yourself to the neighbours and others in the community. Find a club or join a group that interests you. It may feel a little strange, but in my opinion it's worth it.

Do you want his notes to be used as study guides, or more so as a habit builder? I'd suggest letting him jot down the key points of the class on an index card, and storing it in an index card box, by subject. That way if he needs to reference the notes for an exam, they'll be organized and easy to access. I think having a daily afternoon session is a wonderful idea! It'll help him to get into the routine of doing it himself.

Cheesecake Factory or Bonefish Grill.

A friend of mine recently stayed at Miraval. She thoroughly enjoyed her stay there and the city itself! 🙂 In fact, she is still raving about it!

I have a friend exactly like this! Every single time I have disagreed, or even hinted there may be another way or reason why people do things, she becomes irate with me. I am not easily irked, but when she does it I want to scream and pull out my hair! For YEARS, I have recommended books and therapists, been a listening ear for her personal problems for hours on end, and researched coping mechanisms, to no avail. She tries things for a week, says it's not working and throws it down. Granted, she admits she is depressed but feels stuck. My first instinct is to always help if someone discloses they are in pain, going through a rough time, or if I see someone suffering. My relationship with her has taught me you can't fix people, no matter how badly you want to. When I see her, which is on a weekly basis, I either ignore her rants if possible, or reply with a nod. I think it's likely she is on the spectrum. I suggested that to her once, her response was so off the wall you'd have thought I killed her dog or something. She has little to no friends, so I feel obligated to maintain the status quo, but it is so draining!

That's awful!!! I'm sorry this is happening to you all.😭

For me, it would depend how much of her situation she has confided in me. If she has, I would be inclined to call her out on it, and help her process. If she hasn't, I'd leave it alone. You can't make her see what you want her to see. Maybe in time, if you have the patience.

Maybe suggest a book that gives her some coping mechanisms???

Another thought, some people really struggle with communicating their feelings or have been taught to keep them in, so really have no idea of how to even begin to process or express them in a healthy way. Like when a child is crying but has no idea of how to explain what's wrong. Some people never grow beyond that for whatever reason.

If it's family, I engage only to be polite. If it's a friend, and I notice it happens more often than not, I tend to distance myself, realizing I may have outgrown her/him. Most times when people are disporportionately angry, they're either projecting or don't want to deal with the real issues in their lives. In my experience that's their way of releasing their emotions they typically bottle up. Not the healthiest way to get it out, but it is what it is.

I think outsourcing it may be a wonderful idea. At that age sometimes even perceived criticism from your mother can negatively affect the relationship. No need to apologize, I personally wasn't offended in the least. 🙂

I suggest Benjamin Moore semi gloss. Wanted to add that many times my children have used the walls as their art canvas😂, and we have managed to remove their masterpieces without any paint damage.

There is a thread on the general education discussion board, titled, explicitly teaching ef skills, you may find helpful. I am also a first born, and found that the standard and expectations were significantly higher for me than my younger siblings. There is a bit of a learning curve with the first.

Oh sorry, I should have clarified, she wasn't upset at all and no one that commented under her post was either. We all found it funny because it happens so frequently. No one took it on.

I get it, and it isn't easy.

The space issue is pretty bad here too. I can't stand it, especially when standing in the line somewhere or at a party. I don't get that people want to be that close and personal, unless you're my husband or children, and sometimes not even then! 🤣😂

Earlier in the thread I posted that some Americans have stereotypes of my country. A Facebook friend, who lives in the U.S., made a post last night that I thought would be interesting to share. My friend had an 8:00a.m. appointment, which she was early for 😄. Introductions were made and she was invited into the office, but not invited to sit (in my country, we don't sit unless invited to do so). The lady began to ask my friend questions, while answering said questions the lady breathes a sigh of a relief, interrupts my friend while she's speaking to say, "You speak English so well! I was worried when I saw the spelling of your name, and country of origin. You people sure have some interesting names." Then smiles and asks my friend to continue with her reply. Just wanted to add, English is our official and primary language. Before I get shot, yes, I KNOW not all Americans are like this.

We're obviously talking about two different things. Disregard my comment.

We have a saying in my country, when the U.S. sneezes we catch a cold. What happens in the U.S. directly impacts my country's economy. So yes, I have a vested interest. If that is a considered a political post, please let me know so I can delete.

Not a major country, we begin at the primary level (grade one).

What I am trying to say and am obviously doing a poor job of it, is that even though you may never use the foreign language again in this lifetime, the exposure of it along with immersing bits of a foreign culture has value and enriches the mind. Like carrying our children to any museum, or play, etc. They don't need it, but we all see the value in doing so.