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ocelotmom

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Everything posted by ocelotmom

  1. I started reading the BSC books when I was 7 or 8, and read the first 75-100 books. I remember being absolutely shocked by the mention of bras in one of the books. I think that's about as racy as they got. The dating stuff may get into occasional mention of kissing, but nothing that I recall beyond that, and nothing graphic. They do talk about characters being boy-crazy. Cliquey or negative behavior towards others is generally put in a "learning" context (and is relatively rarely demonstrated by the babysitters themselves), and isn't shown as a good thing, but I agree that it does come up if it's something you're looking to avoid entirely. They aren't great literature. They do generally encourage good values and personal responsibility. I can see going either way on whether they're appropriate for a 9 year old or not.
  2. I take my children to the park, let them participate in scouts, play in the front yard, go over to friends' houses, etc. I consider these to be more likely sources of real-life predator problems than posting pictures on the internet. I've done a little poking around, and have not found any instances of strangers using pictures of kids on the internet to harm them in real life. I have known people who have had seemingly innocent pictures of kids in diapers or something getting way more views than other pictures, implying that someone is passing the link around for people to view. I've also heard (though secondhand) of faces of kids from innocent pictures being copied and pasted into porn. And then there's the people who take pictures of other people's kids and pretend that they're their own kids. Those are the type of dangers you need to be aware of when posting pictures online. I do use fake names in my public blog, but that's more about not making it easily findable and identifiable by people who know me than protection from strangers.
  3. The main problem I see with it is that it's far from comprehensive. I searched for a number of controversial books, and some not-so-controversial that I've seen recommended on here, and couldn't find many of them. I get the impression they include mainly books released within the past few years and books commonly read in schools.
  4. I'm going through this, too. We basically did a month of radical unschooling during the worst of it. We're starting to get back on track now that the thought of reading aloud doesn't make me feel sick to my stomach.
  5. I've looked it over a bit, when there was some controversy related to them and Barnes&Noble a month or so ago. Apparently B&N was integrating portions of the Common Sense reviews into their website without providing the full picture that the Common Sense review provided. Anyways, I think the site looks great, especially for more conservative families, parents who want to be aware of what their kids are being exposed to so they can discuss it, or those whose kids are reading well above grade level and therefore likely to be exposed to age-inappropriate material. I've seen people seriously suggest pre-reading all your kids' books, and I have to laugh at that. I was a voracious reader, and there's no reasonable way my parents, as adults with jobs and kids and other responsibilities, could have kept up with me. From the reviews I've looked at, it seems well balanced. The possible offensive or troubling portions are mentioned, but good themes and messages are mentioned as well. Unlike many similar review sites, it doesn't appear to be coming from any particular religious standpoint. I suppose this is either good or bad, depending on your background and motivation for finding out more about your kids' books.
  6. I have an older Eee. I've had it for about 3 years now. I found that, because I spend most of my computer time in one room, I ended up having it hooked up to an external monitor, mouse, keyboard, and hard drive 99% of the time. Now I have a better-functioning desktop as my primary computer :) I do still use it when I need to leave the house and work, and it's great for that. I imagine I may get more use out of it again once we move and our house isn't arranged the same way.
  7. This is exactly what accommodations in IEPs/504s are for - so that kids have the opportunity to live up to their academic potential without their disability holding them back. Extended time on tests, different test formats (oral vs. written), shortened written assignments, and allowing the use of a keyboard are all common accommodations that might be helpful for his situation. Which isn't to say that I don't think therapy for the SPD isn't worth it, because addressing the underlying problem is obviously better than working around the individual symptoms, but, with a documented disability, I don't think you need to worry that he'll be expected to keep up with the exact same work as his typically developing peers.
  8. There was supposedly a pair of 4.0ish quakes in a typically seismically active area of Northern California about 5 minutes after the 7.2 in Baja. These have since disappeared entirely from the map, or been downgraded to miniscule. I'm wondering if the original report of them was some sort of artifact from the Baja quake?
  9. I'm feeling like a horrible busybody in saying all of this, so, of course, take it all with a grain of salt if it doesn't apply. I understand where you're coming from, and do think it sounds better than the spinning-wheels form of retention in public school, and without the social pressure. What I'm not understanding is where the pressure would be if your goal was to achieve (or come acceptably close to) state standards for 1st grade in all areas except those directly impacted by the SPD (eg. handwriting). From what you've described, he's close to this in many areas already, and you can take a light year without actually hindering his progress towards second grade. If you're planning to work with the public school system anyways, can you get an IEP for him that would adjust his expectations for motor-related tasks and other problem areas accordingly? Do you feel that your husband is being objective about his (childhood) needs vs. those of your DS? It sounds like they have different strengths and weaknesses, and therefore different needs. My concern with this is that grade retention seems like a situation that's hard to come back from. It's usually harder (possibly impossible, depending on the district's policies) to get children placed ahead than held back. Personally, I happen to think it's ideal to have kids who are held back catch up over the course of a few years, but many districts are fairly adamant about not jumping kids ahead, even if that's where they were supposed to be in the first place, without clear documentation of very advanced functioning.
  10. As The Waltz Was Ending by Emma Macalik Butterworth. Vienna, Austria before and during WWII. The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss. WWII The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig. Russia during WWII One More River and Broken Bridge by Lynne Reid Banks. Set in Israel - the former around the Six Day War in 1967, the latter is a follow-up in the 1990s. Look for the newer revised edition (published in the 90s) of One More River - that's probably what is more available at this point, anyways. Carol Matas also has a few books dealing with WWII Europe and immediate post WWII Palestine. So does Exodus by Leon Uris if you want something more advanced. Kiss The Dust by Elizabeth Laird. Iraq/Iran in the 80s. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (and sequels) - graphic novel about Iran during the revolution and the Iran/Iraq war. Children of the River by Linda Crew. Set largely in the US, but addresses the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind and Haveli by Suzanne Fisher Staples. Relatively modern Pakistan (published in 1989). Some content warnings on these, as it deals with a girl forced into marriage as a pre/early teen. The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White - Vietnam War from the POV of a female nurse (US). I wouldn't consider any of these appropriate read-aloud for a 1st grader.
  11. We have a rottweiler mix (more rotty than mix, but there's obviously something else in there, too). My husband brought her home one day without discussing it with me first, and I was quite leery of the Rottweiler reputation (at the time, my youngest was barely 2). My worries were totally unfounded. She's the sweetest thing ever. She's protective, but has never shown the slightest inappropriate aggression (Example: I was out walking her at about 4 months. A large Australian shepherd, about three times her size at the time, broke out of it's yard and came to see us. Our dog, Tori, was friendly and inquisitive towards him... while very carefully keeping her body between mine and the other dog at all times.). She's friendly with kids, cats (including our small kitten), and other dogs. Household visitors are not a problem. However... we know that she was raised in a good environment from a very young age. She and her female littermates were dumped at a vet's office at about 4 weeks old, and she was raised by a Rottweiler-experienced family after that until we adopted her at about ten weeks. She's been raised around cats and kids, and has had a lot of exposure to other people and dogs. She's also female, and females are more barkey. This is annoying at times, but apparently part of the problem with male rotties is that they're quiet, and the signs that they're upset are very subtle, so people unwittingly push them past their limit, and the attack "with no warning". So, that's our experience.
  12. I was held back in 1st grade under similar circumstances. I feel it had long-term negative effects on my self-confidence, motivation, and academics. I'm pretty sure that it didn't help me at all socially, either. I don't think kids that age can really understand that someone might be held back for a reason other than "failing". I didn't get teased much, but I do think it impacted how people viewed me. And, after that point, I tended to feel that any academic accomplishments weren't really worth anything, as I should have done them a year earlier, if that makes sense. Academically, I don't think a year of continuing to progress with basically no effort was beneficial. I was smart to begin with. By the end of my second year of first grade, I was reading at at least a 3rd or 4th grade level. I remember getting one word wrong on a spelling test (one word, late in the year!), and being super upset, because it was something I was already supposed to know. At the same time, it put me further in a position where I could get by with very little effort. And that combination (expecting perfection of myself without effort) is still very much with me today. Even now, when I've basically gotten over the academic stuff, I'm still discovering issues. My son is a first grader this year, and, though very bright overall, he's a bit slow verbally (he was a slow talker, and is now a slow reader). I feel like I don't have a good frame of reference for what he should be capable of, because almost all my distinct memories of 1st grade are from the latter half of my second time through, meaning my perception of 1st grader capabilities are those of a bright 7.5 year old with an extra year of instruction. Which, since we're homeschooling, means I have an entirely new source of anxiety and self-doubt! Obviously, I don't know how I would have turned out if I hadn't been held back. It's entirely possible things could have gone worse. Also, I grew up in a small town, where I was with many of the same people from K through high school graduation (well, most of them either started the year after me or finished the year before me, obviously, but close enough). In a bigger school, or if you're planning to change schools, social factors might not be as much of an issue. I don't know if any of my assessment of my personal situation is valid, but I guess I'll leave it at saying that, whether it was the appropriate move or not, it was traumatic long-term. It's not a step I would personally take for my kids unless I really felt there was no other choice. If I did, I think I'd try to find a way to get them back up to their original grade level over the course of a few years if possible. If you do choose to hold him back, I think that K is probably the best time. And I think not being truthful with him about his grade level sounds like a recipe for disaster unless you're 100% sure you can get him back to grade level before he figures it out.
  13. We have a Blue Sky Trailer. They're great. Carrying capacity is 150-200lbs, depending on the model, and they can be set up in any number of configurations for cargo or multiple kids. With a solid frame and bottom, they're a little heavy, but I imagine that's not as much a problem with electric bikes (and I manage just fine on a non-electric, really).
  14. If you'd prefer to avoid/limit soy consumption, I found that coconut milk (diluted half and half with water if you want "milk" rather than "cream" consistency) worked well for baking, in coffee, and in some cream sauces. There's also a lot of different nut milks, rice milk, oat milk, and so forth. http://dairyallergy.chaosbutterfly.net/dairy3.html has a list of hidden dairy ingredients to look out for (the "more hints" page may kind of overstate the case a little. There are a lot more truly dairy-free options these days with the popularity of veganism and increased awareness of food sensitivities, though you still have to pay attention). Be careful at restaurants - I had the server tell me that a sandwich containing both cheese and butter was dairy-free. It takes some adjustment, and you have to avoid much packaged/pre-prepared foods (which often have hidden dairy), but it's definitely not the end of the world, food-wise! There are a lot of good dairy-alternatives.
  15. Mine were 6lb 11oz and 6lb10oz (first borderline preterm, the second was full term). I don't remember my first looking particularly small, but I'd attended a number of births during my second pregnancy, few of which were less than 8lbs, and DD looked positively tiny in comparison, so much so that I asked if something was wrong with her! But no, just on the small side :)
  16. I wonder about this, too. After watching the video, I ended up having a discussion with a friend of mine with kids using EM in 2nd and 5th grade. He thinks it's great, and that his kids have a much better understanding of mathematical concepts than he did at their age. Now, this particular person is an extremely intelligent cryptologist, and presumably his kids have inherited some portion of his math skill, so I doubt they're representative. So, I sat down at DS's school today, and looked through the 3-5th grade curriculum. What I found didn't entirely support the video's assertations. The hardcover "Resource book" isn't a standard textbook. However, it does include instructions on how to solve problems using the various methods... including the standard US method (It's possible that this is specific to the California edition). The maligned "World/US tour" section, as I suspected from watching the video, is filled with numerical data of all sorts, and has obvious practical application uses. We did a similar activity when I was in 6th grade, 20ish years ago. My friend complains that his kids aren't allowed to take this book home. There are parent letters that are supposed to be sent home from time to time. Some of these do include instructions for the parents on how to do unfamiliar problems. In the 1st grade book, these are included in the Home Links workbook, so it would be simple for them to be sent home at the relevant time. For 4th-6th grade, all the parent letters are in one book (for all three grades, not a different book for each grade), separate from the student workbook, and I can easily see that just not happening. It would also be easy for a parent to overlook/throw away a letter, then end up needing it at a later time, and the instructions aren't repeated frequently (probably once a year). My friend stated that they rarely receive those letters anymore, and feels that this isn't a good thing. Overall, I see a lot of potential for an increased understanding of mathematical concepts. I saw this in the video, and even moreso when looking through the materials. However, there's just so much included (three different methods of performing each type of calculation), and so much of it nonstandard, that I fully believe that, in the hands of a less capable teacher, it would turn into a confusing, tedious mess. I also see less math-capable students having trouble sorting through it all, especially without adequate guidance from their teacher. I'm also aware that, while neither my friend nor I had any trouble picking up the nonstandard methods from the video, we're both well above average in math understanding, and average parents might have a much harder time learning the nonstandard methods well enough to help, even with written instructions. And I'll be really curious to see if my friend's opinion changes at all as his kids get into higher math (we won't be doing EM ourselves past this year, and mainly use it for supplementation now, because I do think many of the activities are good).
  17. Another un-fan of Math-U-See and Real Science-4-Kids. I really like what I've seen of Real Science-4-Kids, but I have a very very hard time getting past the 4! I also don't like books with a bunch of busy little captions and sidebars, especially when the main text continues unbroken from one page to the next. Very difficult to read aloud! Unfortunately, most nonfiction books aimed at elementary kids seem to be written this way these days.
  18. 4-H and Campfire Kids are two possibilities. I don't know of any national, widespread, non-religious, girl-specific group other than GS.
  19. No, I don't have evidence, and I'm not trying to claim that this is the One True Answer. The poster I was replying to did not seem to understand where the brochures could have possibly come from if they had not been officially distributed as part of the "Girls Only" session. That was one potential explanation. Other potential explanations - a person unaffiliated with GS purposefully put the brochures in the room, either out of prurient interest or desire to discredit GS. A rogue adult who was officially part of the session gave them out without the knowledge or approval of GS for whatever personal reason she had. Or GS chose to distribute a highly controversial brochure that made absolutely no sense whatsoever given the target audience. Does the latter option honestly seem like the most likely explanation? I do agree with you that the formal statement is rather unclear, and could have been better worded and more apologetic.
  20. Conference schedule (hypothetical) Room 253 - 9:00: Living with HIV 10:00: Girls Only Room isn't cleaned thoroughly during the 5 minute break between sessions, the organizers don't notice that a stack of "Happy, Healthy, Hot" fliers was left in the room, and girls at the "Girls Only" session get ahold of them. I agree with the person who compared it to handing out a flier for people living with cancer. It makes no logical sense whatsoever to hand out a flier about living with HIV to people who don't have HIV. If it were some generic sex ed pamphlet, I might buy that it was intentional, but everything about this sounds like an honest (though serious) accident.
  21. Snow Treasure was my introduction to the Holocaust. I read it when I was about 9. I think it's one of the less scary choices, and would be my top pick of those listed, though, if I remember right, the writing may be a bit juvenile for the older kids if they're a consideration. I read Twenty and Ten in fourth or fifth grade and enjoyed it. I tried it on DS when he was 5 or early 6 (it's on the Sonlight K reading list), and by the second chapter he thought it was too scary. This may well be just him - we know a concentration camp survivor, and he's heard about WWII in much more detail than I personally feel is appropriate for his age, so I think it's a little more real for him. The Upstairs Room is another that I enjoyed when I was around 10, and I don't recall there being any particularly objectionable content in it. I remember not particularly enjoying When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, and haven't read the other.
  22. No TV in the house. If we want to watch something, we do so on the computer. Currently, computers are in the family room. I have a netbook that I use in the bedroom at times. The kids (currently 6 and 3) can have a computer in their own room when I feel they're responsible enough for one. Maybe this will be in their early teens, maybe not until they're out of the house. I'm not going to hazard a guess at this point, both because I don't know what they'll be like as teens and because I don't know what sort of twists and turns technology will take by that point.
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