Surely as a homeschooler you've studied enough history to realize that when the divide becomes too large or the lower classes feel cheated, it often doesn't end well for the rich? So even if you're not feeling the love, at least don't take for granted the very stable society in which we live. It's not a given, it's a construct.

That's....curious.

That's nuts.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

:lurk5:

I have an analogy to support this idea. My DH's name is a family name and he's the last in a line of people to have the name. When we had a son, I decided I was going to name him something else. (DH didn't care too much.) Unsure of the reaction I was going to receive, I told DH's mom. She said, "I'm glad someone did it. I wasn't able to, but I'm glad you are." So in this case she was more of a people pleaser than I am. Was she aware there are other names in the world? Yes. Did she prefer other names? Yes. Did she have a right to name her son something different? Yes. There was zero lack f awareness on her part, but her personality was such that she did not buck the trend. She had a line somewhere and she wasn't willing to cross it. Perhaps if her MIL had a preference, but it wasn't a long line of the same name, she would have resisted. Perhaps if there was a name she loved so much she could only imagine that name, she would have resisted. But with a long lineage, she didn't want to accept the consequences and the burden. It's the same with family stuff. If someone's parent was in the Navy, they might tip that way, they might not. It's harder to buck the Navy thing if you're the fifth generation of firstborn son and all of those before you went into the Navy. But someone will buck it, either because they are less of a people pleaser about that topic, or perhaps because they found something else they love so much they simply have to pursue it. So some of it is personality (of both the person and the parents). Some of it is luck, such as if the person stumbles into finding something else they love, or pays too well to do something else, or has a special talent. So, like you, I think we're back where we started.

Yes, there are write-offs. But we don't take the write-offs against our own taxes owed, if that makes sense. We keep the rental as separate and we benefit from it, but the amount of income and the amount of taxes we pay stay the same as they would have otherwise. The property benefits, not us personally. I'm not familiar with renting to family so I can't help you there.

Do the kids have allergies? Or just the adults? Adults can make their own decisions about whatever measures they want to take. Kids can't. My DH is still upset with his parents because they chose to surround him with something he was allergic to his entire childhood.

I know you found what you're looking for but I wanted to add another post I like: http://marshallbrain.com/kids-programming.htm

Sign up for your local Freecycle if you have one.

I think Almira's point was that we tend to become what we are surrounded by and are often not made aware of other choices. College was just an example of this. The point could also be made for joining the family business or whatever. SKL's point appears to be that college is not necessary for achievement. This is also true and doesn't conflict with Almira's point, but it also doesn't address the larger discussion of how people are made aware of their options, or if they are at all.

I'm really glad they're here, both for their own sakes and also for anything we may be able to learn which will help this outbreak and future outbreaks. I think one of them was transfused with the blood of a patient he himself saved, in order to get antibodies quickly. Aah, fate.

I agree it's just as much of a tragedy. When I said I don't worry about it, that was followed by my saying it informs my financial choices. I should have been more clear. The kid in the Bronx still hurts my heart, but I send my money to other causes because that kid is still better off than kids elsewhere. That may not help him in his hunger, and if I could help everyone I would. Unfortunately I have to make choices and the people I help are literally living like serfs, having even mortgaged their unborn's children's entire working lives to their landlords just to live in the present. :crying: The U.S. has certain protections which don't exist elsewhere.

I don't think there's an answer to the second part. Two people can come out of the same abusive home and one can become an abuser and one can swear they'll never be like their parents and will not abuse anyone. Same with war. Same with poverty. Same with anything. A friend of mine passed away a couple of years ago. Nobody really knows why. He wasn't well, went to the hospital, and his organs were shutting down. He died a few days later and they never determined a cause of death. He was in his 40s. Those of us who knew him though, knew that he really died of a broken heart. He had never been the same person after his father abandoned them when he was young, even with excellent mental health services. His brother is extremely successful, maybe even a billionaire by this point. His reaction to his father's abandonment was that he would show him what he lost when he left them. Same family, same circumstances, completely different outcomes. So who's to say?

Cut all expenses you can. You may be surprised at how little you can live on if you normally spend money for your husband to get to work, if you normally put some money into retirement or savings, etc. Do you have any savings to fall back on? :grouphug:

Logisitcs of Early College? Set an alarm.

Personally, I think the homeschooling parents need a sleep away camp to get this stuff done.

Radioactive Iodine for Hyperthyroid - Want to chat? If Iodine could talk, what would it say?

DS spent some time in social therapy and they gave us a document to deal with stuff like this. I can't share it here word-for-word without permission, but the gist of it for this particular solution was to teach the kid to pause every once in awhile and ask people if they are interested in what he is saying. The answer should be a direct yes or no. If the answer is no, teach him to ask the other person a question about a topic in which they may be interested. It's called "turning off the Me button" basically. HTH.

I'm getting nervous for people going to Hajj. We're talking 2 million people from all over the world. ETA: Early October

nm

:party:

I am relieved to disappoint you. :tongue_smilie:

I want everyone to have access to what I consider to be the basics: clean water, natural food, decent shelter, warm clothing and shoes, healthcare (inc. mental health), education, transportation. (I may have forgotten a couple, I'm tired.) And I want it to be decent. And as long as I'm in La-La Land, I'm speaking globally. :) Beyond that, I don't begrudge people for having more than others. Even billionaires who hoard will eventually die and over the next 1-5 generations the money will be back in the economy. You can't hoard forever; eventually there will be an heir with a lack of self-control or one who turns out to be a philanthropist. I have to admit I don't worry too much about Americans because I have seen much worse things in other places, things I have never seen anything close to here. I have seen crazy poverty outside the U.S. It does inform my financial values, absolutely.

That sounds so awful. :grouphug: