I have minimum standards for my kids. I expect teeth and hair brushed, clothes clean and fitting (style is their choice), faces washed, and smelling like clean children and not barn dwelling heathens (regular showers).

So you have 5, 10, 13, 19 and baby? Three normal bedrooms and a study? I would do 10 year old in study, 13 year old in own room, 5 year old and baby in the largest room and 19 year old in own room. When the 19 year old is not home I would put the baby in his room to sleep (add a pack and play or crib in the corner).

I let it go as long as it isn't hurting them or anyone else. The exception is in certain settings I require that they curb it (christmas pictures, family work event, etc).

We have a puppy that is only a few weeks older and it is just recently that he is reliable in the house (or maybe we are just better trained to take him out every time he gets up and starts to wander around the house). I also think size has something to do with how reliable they are with housebreaking.

Which oil?

I spend a full day twice a year dealing with clothes for 2 girls and it doesn't involve more than one or two totes in storage (1 from the oldest to the younger and one from outside sources to the older). Sorting through clothing is one of my most dreaded tasks.

I do a book and a few pieces of candy. You can get paperback novels on amazon for 3 or 4 bucks (and often buy 3 get 1 free). I try to go with a book in the general theme of the party.

My kids have a twin over full bunk bed with the drawers underneath. Both drawers are full of legos 6-8" deep. I tried all sorts of methods but this wound up being the easiest.

My family had the same policy. You couldn't drive any vehicle until you mastered grandpas old standard station wagon. I never understood why until I was stuck at a bar in college with the option to ride with a drunk or drive his jeep.

Taught that going to college was a given Forced to finish things I committed to (sports and activities) even if I decided I would rather not Swim lessons even when I though I was a good enough swimmer Work for the sake of accomplishing the task (things like stacking wood for winter, mowing the lawn, etc that were hard and seemed pointless to a kid with no tangible reward at the end except a finished job and sense of accomplishment)

Definitely agree with this. If you do decide to consider meds make sure they are prescribed by a pediatric psychiatrist specifically. Not a family doctor or even a general practice psych. Also be sure to combine them with therapy (we do cbt) because on their own they really won't solve anything (our psych explained it as the meds allowing the therapy to work).

I have a child taking zoloft to help deal with severe anxiety (9 years old). It turned out that what looked like out of control anger was actually an out of control fight response to anxiety (fight vs flight response was all fight).

We always request emla cream. It numbs the skin and makes it significantly less unpleasant for the kid.

I would send the email. Our soccer teams had gotten to the point of a halftime snack (one cookie or cracker pack) and gatorade then an end of game snack (2 cookie or cracker packs) and gatorade. When it was our turn to bring snack I brought oranges and water for halftime and cheezit packs and water for the post game snack. It was about a 50/50 split between the parents who couldn't believe I was so lazy and those who were glad I finally broke the cycle.

My initial thought is that the issues sound physiological since they correspond with the onset of puberty. Have they investigated PCOS as a possible mitigating factor for the weight gain at least?

My ex-husband had speech issues through the middle of elementary school. He was is speech therapy for years and never really made progress until he had an audiology consult and tubes. It is very hard to learn to talk if you can't hear. When our daughter had speech issues the first suggestion her therapist made was an audiology consult.

That's why I said a volunteer day to be covered. It doesn't necessarily have to be the mother. It can be anyone that is willing to cover that volunteer requirement on that parents behalf. (grandparent, friend, neighbor, aunt, other member who will volunteer so a parent doesn't have to, etc). I just find it odd that a parent would expect to receive free children's services and not be willing to participate in ensuring that they were available.

The public schools here do an earth science year (geology, astronomy, etc) followed by Bio, Chem and Physics.

My kids have been carrying their laundry up to their rooms since 5 or 6 years old. There is nothing wrong with child labor. Move the laundry room to the basement but keep the plumbing connections in the mud room in case you every change your mind.

We pay for pets we agree to purchase for them. They pay for any pet they really want but that we don't agree to be responsible for. Oldest is dying for a bearded dragon but I don't want to deal with one. She has been told that when she can afford to pay for it and it's monthly upkeep she can have it but the full responsibility will be hers. If it isn't properly cared for without nagging it will be rehomed and she will be out the money she has spent (plus have no pet).

From my perspective it is completely reasonable to ask each parent with a child in the class to volunteer for 1 class over the course of a year. It sounds like your previous interactions with this woman have colored your opinion of her and you won't want to do anything she asks you to, regardless of how reasonable it is. I completely understand being busy and wanting a break but it is your kid who is benefiting from the class so it makes sense that you have a responsibility to help out with that. If I were in charge and there truly was a need for parent volunteers I would have simply told parents that any family with a child who wants to participate will need to arrange for a volunteer day to be covered (mom, dad, grandparent, etc) in order to join because there is not enough staff to provide the program without that.

I pay $250 for 12 weekly art classes (1.5 hours, supplies included...$25 per individual class) that sound a lot like what you are describing. The teacher is a local artist (decent but not amazing) who has a small studio and provides direction but not really instruction for the kids if that makes sense. She will teach them things if they ask but she really just points them in the right direction once they have an idea and helps out if they get stuck.

My kids each have a road id (roadid.com). We used them when they were little in case they got lost when we were out (amusement parks and such) and are still using them many years later when they go out biking alone.

We have a great dane. For his safety and ours he wears a high quality harness (with metal buckles rather than plastic break away buckles) whenever he is in the car. His harness is attached to a seat belt tether (a strap that the seat belt runs through with a clip on the end that attaches to the harness ring...$10 at petco or petsmart). He is able to sit or lay however he wants but if I have to stop quickly the seat belt locks just as it would for a person and prevents him from going flying. It isn't a perfect solution and most likely wouldn't save him in a very high speed crash but it is the best we have found.

My younger daughter took it for a few weeks for a nasty cough and had no issues with it. It worked wonderfully.