:) In a "normal year" I buy for My husband & Son Mom & Dad 2 of my Aunts on mom's side My 2 nephews & niece My husband's brother / SIL My husband's sister / BIL My husband's father & his wife My husband's mother & her husband My husband's birth mom A close friend of my husband's family ("Aunt Bev") The 3 people we drew names for in my husband's dad's family (My husband's family lives over 800 miles away and we only see them a few times a year so the gifting, in our opinion, helps keep our relationships strong and shows them how much we still care about them even when absent) We sometimes draw names for my mom's side (which is huge!). She has 8 other brothers & sisters all of whom have kids and grands - and they ALL live within 50 miles of us. We're very close and see them often...the expectation of everyone giving gifts to everyone in mom's family flew out the window about 20 years ago. haha In the years I was working, I also would give a favorite boss a gift and a few of my co-workers gifts. In more prosperous years :) I'll also throw in gifts for aunts, uncles, & little cousins on mom's side. I think the most we've spent is $700 total for christmas. Normal years are about $300. This year we probably won't do more than $150. (Amounts are for ALL gifts, including my husband and son).

:iagree: This sounds just like me. Someone mentioned being disturbed at the responses and amount of entitlement shown on here. I think one thing wrong with this thread too is that the personal feelings on ONE issue (the semantics of GIFT and what it encompasses) has been overlaid on many OTHER issues and caused others to judge what those people also feel about Charity giving and gifts receiving in general. I don't think anyone on here dislikes charitable giving and I'm sure (especially since homeschoolers tend to be more socially conscious in the first place) that the majority on here donate to charity often themselves. But the question was about our personal feelings on receiving a random in-lieu-of charity christmas "gift". I dislike the modern PC idea of "gifting" someone an unasked-for charitable contribution - and trying to take credit for it as a "great gift" (and thus expecting a thank you in return). I am not against charitable giving, and I am in no way expect gifts of any kind. I even tell people (if ASKED) that I prefer a.) just their company and friendship, or b.) consumable gifts rather than clutter. I'm not "entitled" to anything in life. I personally would prefer NOT to receive more clutter in my home. However, to me, a "gift" is about strengthening relationships on a personal level with each other (ESPECIALLY with children who are concrete thinkers!) - therefore the gift given to the person must be meaningful TO THE RECEIVER. Any gift that is given should be meaningful (which is why I tend to love homemade gifts THE best, even if it's just a framed poem of memories we shared.) The poster who discussed charitable gifting of farm / chickens, etc, for her niece because she KNOWS her niece would like this - that's a great idea. THAT would be something I would appreciate if the niece were my daughter because there was time and thought put into it - and it took notice of what the little girl likes....so it strengthens the aunt / niece relationship on a personal level. The poster who spoke of charitable Bible gifting because the family is Christian - and explained the reasons. THAT's a great gift too because her family would truly appreciate that. It's thoughtful to the "receiver". A random gifting to XYZ random whatever charity is not. Charitable deeds are done to a.) help others, b.) give the contributor a good feeling. But they are not "gifts" if they are not asked for or discussed in advance. If they want to gift a charity, fine. But don't try to "take credit" for that good deed by sending me a random card saying it's a "gift" FOR my family. I would think you didn't care about our relationship if this was done suddenly out of the blue at Christmas. Sure, I would smile and say "That's wonderful!." and feel thankful that someone unfortunate was helped. I probably would only offer verbal thanks, but wouldn't feel the expectation to send a card. People who give to charities should NOT expect thanks, imho. The next day I probably wouldn't even think about the situation anymore one way or another. My husband doesn't know I feel this way. My father & mother don't even know I feel this way. I would never tell anyone in real life that I feel this way. I'd wager that a lot of posters on this thread have never even discussed this in real life either.

In our family, we've always just assumed that paper goods were left with the host IF there were any left afterwards. The only thing we make sure gets back to it's owners are *real* plates, serving spoons, etc. I don't think we've ever made this an "official rule" or anything...it's just something that's evolved over time. Is this your SIL on your DH's side? If so it may be something they're use to doing that they just didn't think about... On the flip side, we've always left extras out (we do buffet style with all papergoods at the end of the food table) so if whoever brought them wants them back, it's fine if they want to grab them when they leave (although I don't think it's ever happened). I wouldn't think it's rude for my family member to use a few papergood leftovers for another party and I would actually feel embarrassed asking for a few leftover papergoods. Although that's just me. :)

I attended an independent fundamentalist baptist private school. All the way through they used Abeka and Bob Jones. Abeka is from a conservative baptist bible college in Florida (Pensacola Christian College) and Bob Jones Press is from a baptist college in Greenville, SC (Bob Jones University). They're 2 of the oldest and most established bible colleges here in the south east. The curriculum is conservative evangelical and provides an integrated baptist / christian worldview in all subjects. Both Abeka and Bob Jones curriculum are available and made specifically for homeschoolers as well. Abeka Book - http://www.abeka.com/ Bob Jones - http://www.bjupress.com/page/Home As far as lit based, I haven't seen anything yet that is as conservative as the abeka / BJU I grew up with. You may would have to make your own.

Hahaha.... I went to church with a lady named Shirley....who married a man who's last name was Shirley. :) Shirley Shirley. She hasn't been around now in years I don't think. Not sure what happened to her...

1. How do you define "good"? ~ Doing no intentional harm to yourself or others, being polite, well mannered, honest, trustworthy, and faithful 2. How do you define "evil"? ~ The opposite of #1....murder, harming others, lying, stealing, cheating, dishonesty, unfaithfulness 3. Where did evil come from? ~ The corrupted desire to dominate all others around you and be "God" 4. How does the presence of evil in the world affect your view of God? ~ It affects it different ways at different times. Evil that hits closer to home tends to affect my view of God far greater than evils I can't see. Usually that's because in those situations I have a greater sense if the evil was *justified* or not, or if a prayer seemed to go unheard. I know it sounds like a childish irrational response, but you asked for an honest answer. :)

I'm as easy going as they come, so I would never say this to someone in person - but inwardly I've always thought "donation gifts" were completely crappy unless the person specifically ASKED you to donate in lieu of giving them "more junk". THEN, the donation should be made to the person's charity of choice. To do otherwise just seems completely bizarre. So if I donate X amount to save the polar bears and give it to my harley bike loving MIL...um...that's not thoughtful at all. Not at all. The purpose of gift giving (from an anthropological / cultural standpoint) is to strengthen relationships and show bonds. Therefore the gift needs to be meaningful. This modern PC junk of "donating to a worthy cause" and then giving it as a gift is a bunch of hooey. :001_huh: If someone did that to me without me first *asking* for a donation-in-lieu-of, I would seriously question the depth of our relationship.

I'm so sorry about your father. You must be dealing with an aweful lot right now. I live in South Carolina and my father's family, although they "believe in God", are not religious. My uncle passed 3 years ago. His wish was always just to stick him head first in the ground (his words!). We had a simple gravesite service that lasted no more than 15 minutes - no songs, nothing gooey, just final respects with one chaplain speaking a few kind words to touch the heart of those who were there. Before that people were free to visit him in the memorial room at the graveyard (no official wake). His wife passed a year later...she was cremated. Her memorial was held in her daughter's church - few songs and the pastor there spoke. Last month, my other aunt on dad's side passed away. They had a viewing like normal at the funeral home, but just had a simple gravesite service for her. It lasted about 30 minutes - 2 songs and a some kind words about her life from a chaplain she had known through hospice care. A few weeks later, my uncle on my moms side (who happens to not be religious either) passed. He was cremated but his wife (my mom's sister) chose to have a closed casket funeral at our family church specifically for the purpose of giving grievers a chance to say goodbye. He had a huge armed services (he was a veteran) send off - military honors, songs, eulogy, 21 gun salute, the works. He was cremated afterwards. There's so many ways to do a funeral. I've lived in the south my whole life and have been to many "non-church" funerals - most of which are done at the funeral home or either just gravesite. The location is truly not important - it's the gathering to say goodbye that makes it important. A park could serve just as nicely. I'm of the belief that the funeral is just as important to those who are not family...you never know what sort of grief a person has over someone's death. Not having a chance to say goodbye to someone you loved or admired could affect someone for many, many years. (I know from personal experience!)

For little kids, "number" equality is what I go for first & foremost. Sometimes, wary of the parents opinion, I'll also try to make sure the dollar value is pretty equal, although I have no problem with giving the older of a set of siblings a little "more expensive" gift (by say, $5-10 more) if the situation arises. A 3 year old opening one expensive gift will just not understand why she has to patiently await while her 5 year old brother opens 4 gifts (even if they're equal in total $$ value to hers).

p.s. :) Just reread my post.... thought I'd add that I dont begrudge her the ability to make money at home. It's just that I was such an avid fan of Hillybilly Housewife that when the new owner took over, I had a very hard time accepting all the changes she put forth (site layout change, addition of ads, etc.). If she wanted to make money, she should have used another outlet than my beloved Black & White Ad-Free HillBilly Housewife. :-P

I've been following the hillbilly housewife for over 3 years now - back BEFORE the current owner took it over. I loved it when the founder still ran it as there were never any ads or anything on there. It was sooo helpful, especially since at that time I was a new housewife just learning the ropes! To this day my husband still begs for the "Magic Milkshake" (recipe on there). :) I had no idea there was a "club" though. I noticed immediately once the new owner took over that her main focus was the money instead of getting information out there to help. Ads appeared everywhere pretty much overnight. I am subscribed to the free hillbilly housewife blog (which I read on Google Reader) but I wouldn't pay for her club simply on principle alone!!!! PLUS the whole premise of the hillbilly housewife was to help out those who could NOT afford things or who's goal it was to become frugal and cut expenses. Who on earth could afford $15 per month to learn what expenses to cut and how to be frugal??? You can visit the "original" hillbilly housewife at this website... http://www.frugalabundance.com/

:iagree: with everyone who mentioned that the content of the shows should be taken into account. I in no way consider anything on Nickelodeon or Disney "educational". PBS is my choice and even some of the shows on there are not my cup of tea. My 19 month old has just become interested in television over the past 2 months and PBS, along with a few shows on Nick Jr. (formerly Noggin) is the only thing I don't mind him watching. Sid the Science Kid is really good as far as educational value. Clifford & Curious George are both entertaining (my son loves animals). And then there's Seseme Street, which I grew up with and am happy to see my son interested in. I remember learning a lot of things from Seseme Street (counting to 10 in spanish being a big one). The other shows on there he doesn't care much for. And I must admit, I almost pulled the plug on PBS completely when our local station removed Mister Rogers from their line up! In my opinion, Mister Rogers is the best children's show ever. Period. :) When he's at my dad's he'll sit with "Papa" and watch Wonder Pets and Dora on Nick Jr. Nothing else interests him, and I've given my dad strict orders that the main Nickelodeon channel, Disney, or Cartoon Channel is not to pass before his eyes. I've haven't noticed any aggressive behavior in my son yet....he's very well mannered and polite to others (something I notice is not the norm for most kids his age). Studies like these are helpful but they should be taken with a grain of salt, imho, as there are soooo many other factors that go into influencing a child's behavior (parental discipline, behavior with brother/sisters, daycare/playgroup atmosphere, child temperament, etc.).

I'm very sensitive about name issues too b/c my last name was mocked all growing up. Thank God we have the option to change our names at marriage! hehe :) Our married last name sounds like "Coal" - and once my husband absentmindedly mentioned he wouldn't mind honoring his brother-in-law by naming one of our sons Charlie. Uh. Char-Coal? Absolutely not. I had a friend in high school who's initials were A S S. In our church, there's a woman who's maiden last name is Christmas. Her parents named her Mary. Seriously. My dad is a deacon and when she first introduced herself to him, she held out her hand to shake his and said "Mary Christmas". He said he stood there for a moment, having never met her and thinking she was joking... and responded with a cheerful "Happy New Year!". :) He was quite embarrassed afterwards. I had one friend in high school who's 1st & middle was Heidi Claire ("Well, I Declare!"). Another lady we know named her first daughter Holly Daye (which turned out to sound like "Holiday").

My son (first child) just turned 19 months old. He went through this stage from 15 to 17 months. It was TERRRRRRIIIBLE with a capital T. Throwing food on the floor, tossing forks, screaming if he didn't immediately get his way, tantrums at the table, etc. We've been eating in restaurants 1-2 times per week from pretty much the day he was born, so we were especially frustrated with sudden "wild" behavior in public. We did try popping his hand a few times but that never worked - it just didn't seem to get the message across plus it would kinda ruin the dinner for my husband and I as it made us feel bad (especially since we could tell he truly didn't understand what he had done wrong). We went through this for over a month before we found something that worked! What we found that worked best for him was, when he would throw ANYTHING we would sternly say NO. Then we'd pick it up, put it back on his plate and then say "NO. Do not throw. You give to MOMMY / DADDY if you are done." then we'd model the behavior of giving it to us - and end with THANK YOU! Good boy. We didnt yell and tried our best not to show emotion other than that we disapproved of his behavior. Then we would go about our meal as if nothing had happened. We did this many MANY times. After 3 times in one meal we'd always say, "Ok, youre done. Playing with your food is not acceptable, so you are done." Then (at home) we would remove his plate, remove him from his chair, and put him on the floor. We would ignore his crying but we would always put him back in his chair to finish dinner if he asked. We would repeat the entire scenario over and over if needed (and sometimes it was!). We never force fed him ourselves and we never refused to let him finish his meal if he asked to get back in his chair. Our only focus was on redirecting his inappropriate behavior by modeling correct behavior (giving it to us instead of throwing). By 18 months months, he had become really well mannered once more. When he is finished with a piece of food, he'll place it on his tray or hand it to one of us. When he's finished with his fork, he'll lay it down or hand it to one of us...then he gives us his plate, takes off his bib, touches his booster chair tray and says "Down? Down?". We respond with "Thank you!" after each item is given to us then a "Yes you may get down"....then lots of praise. We have always tried to praise correct mannered behavior no matter how young he was. A big thing that helped us was consistency - my husband & I always used the same exact phrase when correcting and same method of correcting ("No. Do not throw. You give it to mommy / daddy if you are done."). It only took a a week of this before we noticed he fully understood us. Afterwards it took about 2 more weeks before he stopped "testing" us. Then the rude behavior stopped. Just because a child is young doesn't mean they're too young to learn table manners! :) I think one of your main focuses too should be on getting your boys on board with not laughing at her. I always noticed my son acted up a LOT more when he thought he had an audience (my dad, his beloved PaPa, couldn't help but laugh at him when we were together...which would always cause a lot more throwing). I'm surprised your sons skipped the throwing-at-mealtime stage! :-P It gives me hope that perhaps my future children won't go through such a phase like we went through with our son! haha :) --- P.S. My son has always been expected to sit at a table for a full meal. Not always at home, especially when he learned to ask "Down?" when he was done, but he is expected to sit through a full restaurant meal and has done so very well (except for those two months that he was in the throwing stage) his whole life. I think those situations boils down to expectations of the parents. Family meal time is extremely important to us so we're willing to go through whatever it takes to teach correct manners.

I'm 26 and my husband is 25 and neither one of us can stand this behavior either. We think it's rude, period, to put your attention to a phone if you're in the company of another person with whom you're supposed to be conversing. All of my little cousins (young teens) do this and it drives me to no end!!! I'm always getting annoyed when they come over because the entire time their focus is on the phone. It makes me wanna tell them "What's the point of you even coming here???". It even drove me nuts when I was leaving teenhood (early 2000s) when cell phone texting was just becoming mainstream. I use to have friends that would stop in mid conversation with me (even if we were together one on one) to answer their cell phone and then carry on a chat with THAT person instead. I always find it very rude. Devoting your attention to the LIVE person you are with is #1 priority in all cases save an emergency. Text messages can be saved for later, read later, responded to later. And voicemail is there for a reason too!

hahaha....i hear ya on that one! We have a huge entertainment system (uh, used for books..not media! except for the lone TV.. lol), 3 large bookshelves (each almost ceiling high and 4 ft wide) and one halfsize of the large ones - and I STILL run out of room. I always blame it on our local Goodwill who sells their books for 25 cent per pound! :D My husband (who is NOT a reader) jokingly tells everyone he lives in a library. History & children's books (little goldens, older series, picture books, usborne, etc.) are my main genres. And I haven't even begun homeschooling yet. :auto:

The Eragon series (Eragon, Eldest, & Brisingr) has many of the same elements of LOTR (large quest, set in a mythical world, etc.) as well as pulling names, themes, & places from numerous folklore legends. It was written by a teenage boy too. :) Don't watch the movie though. It was terrible and gives a bad name to the book, imho.

I attended a baptist private school and remember learning catechisms all through 3rd grade (we had a book specifically for it). I plan on teaching them to my kids as well.

I think the "need a clean break from co-sleeping" rings true. My 3 year old cousin still co-sleeps & nurses with his mommy - and refuses to go to bed until she does. Of course she doesn't care at all though since this is her 4th and last, plus she's very relaxed in her parenting. My son is 19 months now and co-slept / demand fed from day 1. Around 16 to 17 months of age, we noticed a tremendous change in his bedtime habits as well as an overall decline in the quality of his sleep - which lasted for 4 weeks before we decided it was best to put him in his own space (a crib in his room, which is next to ours). Co-sleeping had just become miserable for all of us. It took 5 nights to make the transfer, but he now sleeps great and bedtime is back to normal (for now). How long has she been crying herself to sleep? Days? Weeks? Months? Forever? Perhaps she's just hit a certain stage in life where new fears are awakening and she doesn't have the reasoning skills to work through those, thus the need for you to be with her as she sleeps. OR...It also sounds like she's figured out how to "work you" (based on what you said about how she told you the "only way she'll go without crying" is to stay up). She's found your hot button. Gimmicks appear to do nothing for her (pretty intelligent girl, I'd say!). She may use crying more as a manipulative tactic rather than a true need. Have you tried insisting once, with a firm voice, "It's bedtime". Say nothing more...and completely ignore the crying. No begging her to stop - just a simple goodnight, hug, kiss and walk away? If she gets up, put her back in bed 10...20..30 times if need be, without saying a word or getting angry OR showing frustration. Eventually she WILL know you mean business. I know it sounds callous, and it may last for a few weeks until she realizes she can no longer "play you", but if she's just doing it to manipulate, that would be the easiest way to handle the situation. I co-slept (same bed) with my mom to well past 5 years of age (although I wasn't breastfed) and I personally remember refusing to go to bed until she did. Consequently I was always allowed to stay up late (usually til after 11 pm) and even today I'm a night owl. Of course it still meant that I HAD to get up just as early the next day for school, trips with mom, appointments, etc - and eventually I learned that sleep & feeling tired was my sole responsibility. I still remember those early feelings of "needing" someone in the room with me in order to feel "safe". Sleep and darkness and shadows are powerful forces in a child's mind! I also remember thinking that I'd "miss something" exciting if I went to bed before my parents - that was an extremely powerful motivator in me wanting to stay up late. Plus I just wasn't tired. It's hard to lie in bed when your body just wants to move, move move. Something you may want to think about too - is bedtime a set in stone rule? Perhaps consider letting her "go" for a few weeks to allow her to get a feeling for her own body clock. She could just be naturally wired to go to bed at a later time than most (my son seems to be like that - his sleep/wake rhythm has always fell around 9 pm to 9 am....which was very much like how I was when I was little). We've never scheduled naps or bedtime - we just play off his cues and provide adequate periods of "down time". He chooses whether to use those times for sleep or not. It's worked pretty well so far! :::crosses fingers:::: Although, granted, I could be way off base...I have yet to deal with a child older than 19 months at bedtime. :) I may find myself going completely nuts in 4 more years!

I've been wondering the same thing....Just this past week, I've noticed some history books (same edition, same cover) listed for tons more "used" than the Amazon in-stock new price was! Nothing special (such as author signatures, original editions, etc.) was noted in the over inflated listings either. Weird. I hope no one falls for buying at those prices.

Our capital city's library has won the "best library in the south east" many times and I pay a yearly fee just to have the honor of using their services (even though I only live 2 miles from them, I'm unlucky enough to be in a different county...) Reasons I love them (and willingly pay $65 per year!) ~ 4 huge levels of books, books, books! ~ Massive children's section painted with huge, lifesize "Where the Wild Things Are" scenery, children's books galore, picnic tables and benches, huge real palmetto trees growing in there (the children's section is in the basement and the floor between the 1st floor entrance and back part of the basement is cut away allowing massive light as well as head room for the trees - which, incidentally look like they came strait out of Where the Wild Things Are), a craft section for "any time use", lifesize stuffed animals (all I've mentioned are in JUST the children's section) ~ Dozens of free group classes for children up through adults - story time, puppets, arts & crafts for children, themed game time for older kids, book clubs for adults. There's always something for everyone! ~ A wide range of free concerts and theater plays in their huge auditorium (saw Billy Jonas if any of you are familiar, as well as Pinocchio recently) ~ 3 week check out time and can renew 2 times (for a total of 9 weeks) ~ Massive music, DVD, audiobook, & software collection to check out (including almost ALL courses from The Teaching Company as well as many spanish & latin language courses!)....I'm talking rows upon rows upon rows (30+) in it's own glassed off section of the library, complete with comfy chairs everywhere and a special kids corner where something educational is always playing on the TV. ~ Dozens upon dozens of tables, lounge chairs, & "laptop" chairs (the ones with a built in swinging arm for the laptop to sit on) to relax in ~ Wifi for when you bring your laptop ~ Easy access elevators...or escalators (which my toddler LOVES) ~ Online access to my account for renewals, catalog searches, or hold requests ~ It's really beautiful to look at on the outside and all levels (well, except for ground basement level) have floor to ceiling windows, which makes it nice inside. ~ Easily accessible drive up book return ~ Email reminders for when books are due or when your hold has been put on shelf ~ Self-checkout counters ~ Holds are put on 2 main shelves right up front in the lobby - just walk up, grab the ones with your name on it and go to checkout! ~ No limits on how many books you can check out ~ Fines are capped at $6.00 per book Um...that's about all I can think of for now although I'm sure theres more. :) I adore our library!

Thank you, Asta. I'm very much humbled. Indeed I do know very well how heated this debate can get...it's all so emotional. I remember one thread on here from a while back that was 400 gazillion (or something like that!) :) pages long. Very, very few people are able to look at this without letting emotion run rampant, and that's completely understandable, especially for those who view the "answer" in light of their eternal salvation. When I first began to pull away from young earth belief, I scoured the internet for months on end for an unbiased, fact-bearing site that would provide me with logical details that could help me bridge that gap between believing in a creator while at the same time not closing my eyes to the sheer amount of evidence as to the age of the earth & universe. In 99.9% of all resources I read, the main undertones of the author was NOT to enlighten, but to belittle. Buzz words such as "stupid, unenlightened, mythological god, biblegod, backwards, uninformed" turn me off immediately. It's amazing that a 3,000 word article can repeat the same shallow thing a dozen ways (such as "evolution is modern fact, you're stupid if you believe otherwise", blah blah) without having any depth to it at all. I've seen way too many of those in the past few years. Even if the information discussed has truth to it, it's easy to turn a deaf ear to it when you detect that the author has a hidden bias - even if it only sprouts itself in one sentence. I once was reading a recently written book about ancient greece in which the author made one passing statement of "Back in those days, uninformed people believed in imaginary beings so they would have answers to life's mysteries. Intelligent people today now know modern science provides those answers ". It was said at an inappropriate time (not in a chapter regarding greek myths) so it gave away the author's bias immediately - and I had a hard time not judging the rest of the book in light of that because I immediately felt like my childhood culture and all the people I loved were demeaned and insulted. Irrational emotional response, I know, but it was a strong emotion in me that I could not surpress. No one likes the people they admire to be insulted by a stranger. In all these years I only remember finding one evolutionary resource who's author in no way demeaned, made fun of, or mocked Christians. Our core beliefs are a deeply personal quest we must all journey through. Some of us feel ("know") we've already found the answer. Some of us pick up the search and continue going at various times in our lives. I guess none of us will ever *truly* know until we each pass through that last breath in life... Hope you have a wonderful day too. :)

I don't have a girl that age but I do remember what I liked at that age - "Monster at the End of this Book" (Seseme Street) "The Gingerbread Man" (Little Golden Book) Anything by Richard Scarry Mother Goose Rhymes Anything else that rhymed (especially the "Owl & the Pussy Cat" and "The Gingham Dog & the Calico Cat" - both Little Golden's).

My mom's sister's son has severe cerebral pausy - he needs a wheelchair in public and has the motor skills & cognitive skills of a late developing 12 month old. He was born in 1979...3 years before I was. I've heard my aunt state on many occasions how she would prefer someone to ask rather than just stare at him - and have personally witnessed many times when she (with obviously relief) answered a nearby young kid's questions about my cousin. The staring and making fun of him is what none of us can tolerate - that's why the questions are welcome as it says something more positive about the person than staring does! Then again, there is a fine line between what you should and should not ask. I'm about as easy going as they come, but even I can think of a few questions that I would NOT want to be asked publicly by a (loud) curious child! One thing that might help - be sure to teach your children that even if they do want to ask a personal question, it should be done OUT of earshot from others. An adult who is by himself may answer far more pleasantly than an adult who has other adults in earshot. For instance, it didn't bother me in daycare when the kids would ask why my breath stunk (did happen a few times!) or why I had bumps on my face (zits) - but I would have been absolutely and horrifically mortified if they would have asked in front of one of my peers at the time....especially if it was a cute opposite sex peer! haha :) Nowadays I would not like if I was asked loudly in public by a child why I have grey hairs (I'm 26). Sometimes it's easier to answer personal questions children ask, but it's not necessarily something we want other adults hearing us answer as it may be extremely embarrassing in regards to other relationships in that persons life. If that makes sense....

I think probably up to age 10 it's curiosity. I remember embarrassing my mom many times with the questions I would ask people. I worked in daycare for many years as a teen, and the 3-7 year old bunch were the most notorious for popping out the personal questions - "Why do you have those bumps on your face?", "Why does your breath stink?", "Why are your teeth yellow?", "Have you kissed your boyfriend?" (said to me by a 4 year old), "Who do you live with, your mommy or daddy?" (question asked to me by a 5 year old little boy who apparently thought divorced parents were the norm). At that age it's nothing more than the desire to know about the world and the desire to connect with others. It only becomes rude if the parent of the child never tries to guide the child into more appropriate social behavior. A 5 year old child asking why a severely handicapped man is drooling in his wheel chair is fine..... an 11 year old raising an eyebrow and loudly stating "what happened to him?" is another story. Each and every instance that a parent witnesses their child (no matter how young the child is) asking too-personal questions should be used as a teaching tool as to how to act, social boundaries, manners, etc. My son just turned 19 months and I have been enforcing and stating aloud the simple rule of "you don't touch things that belong to other people- it's rude" for months now. I will begin teaching him in the same manner once he begins to talk and exhibit social curiosity. I have no expectations for him to be able to completely control himself until years from now - but I will do my part in guiding him in the social graces and repeating those directives over and over. In turn, I've always formed more of an opinion towards the parent than the child. How a young child acts reflects heavily on the parenting. The only time "rude" comes to my mind when asked a question by a little child is if the parent doesn't acknowledge what has just happened (if they were in earshot). Then I simply think the parent is rude, and answer the sweet curious child as politely as I can.