Ok, so first remind yourself that some of those behaviors are normal for a 10 year old, so try not to get overwhelmed by every negative thing. Second, I assume she's been in therapy? What does her therapist say? If you do not have a rock solid therapist who specializes in attachment, get one- like yesterday!! This made ALL the difference for us!!! She really helped us sort through normal behaviors vs those related to attachment. Third, get a therapist. Did I mention therapy? Run, don't walk. :)

Yeah, this is where I was going...

Thank you! That helps!

I'm sorry, I see Fox News and... ;)

I don't know how it works in Australia, but we've always had good police friends and when we've suspected drug activity we've always been told to report it and they will "watch" the house. If there are minors, then CPS might come out. The police have to have quite a bit of proof. They are more worried about dealers than users, in my experience. Anyhow, I'm just saying that it might not do any good either way, especially if the kids are older. I'd just stay away if you are concerned. ETA: I just saw you said dealer...you know this??

I have a private blog for our family and a public homeschooling blog. Initially I didn't use names or faces on our public blog because I wanted to remain anonymous and I was worried about birth family, etc. I'm less concerned now because it's been a few years and everyone knows it is me. We are working on the new blog (it is still a work in progress) and my husband thinks I should just start using normal pictures with faces of the kids and myself. I know a lot of you do this. What are the pros and cons? My husband thinks it makes it more personal and attractive to people. I have all kinds of photos and videos on FB so we aren't super private by any means. I guess I just wonder what this is all going to look like in 10 years as far as privacy goes... My kids don't care right now, but what if they do when they are older?

I'm not sure what a missions focus would look like, but we are now into our third year of the rotation, and we do all the SOTW map work. I'm not concerned about geography in the least. My kids know more than most adults. So, I wouldn't take a year off just to go geography, no. But, you know your kids best.

I uses these sticky white foam squares I buy at the teacher store. I used then for years in my classroom. I've never used Command strips, so maybe they are similar. But these can stay up for years and not damage your wall.

Ok, thanks everyone. I am watching that stupid World's Stircktest Parents show and thinking I need to be more structured. But then again, I have super good kids, so maybe it's fine. But what if they start turning??!! :)

We post a ton of pictures of our kids because we are so far from family and friends. It used to make me nervous, but I'm over it. However, I never post pictures of other people's children without asking unless it's the back of their kid's head or something.

Both the granddaughter should know better and mom should still be the default and should have said something. My mom would have!

I'm so jealous!

Define drugs. It matters.

Mine did a week of Girl Scout camp at almost 9, then at almost 10. They had a ball, but they don't get homesick easily. I could have never done it at that age and I wouldn't have sent them if they hadn't begged to go.

My hubby, the web guy, says never post anything for free. He also thinks it is dishonest to blog about a product you haven't used (meaning they shouldn't ask you to do this). They are a huge, huge, company. They are looking for a free way to target homeschoolers. I wouldn't let them do it. You should at least get product for it. I'd say, " I'm happy to blog about your products, but I don't blog about things I've never used. If you would like to send me something to review, I'd be happy to blog about it, but I will give honest opinions."

I had no idea that was in there!!

Also, there is no reason to let him go if you are uncomfortable. None at all.

My kids spent a week with my mom when they were six so we could go to Hawaii. Then they spent a week with her when they were 8 so I could finish my internship for my MEd. I don't think 5 is too young in general, especially if you are going to drive, not fly. But, my girls have always loved being with Grandma and they don't get homesick. I would have never been able to be gone that long at 5 years old. I think it depends on the kid.

Hey, I am right there with you. My mom thought it was completely appropriate to show me movies like Pet Cemetery, Not without My Daughter, and Sleeping with the Enemy when I was TEN years old. I had unlimited access to TV and watched a lot of Lifetime movies that involved rape and abuse. It had a big impact on my psyche growing up. I knew way too much, way too soon. I personally don't think you need to purposefully introduce things she isn't asking about/interested in. I think there will be enough movies and books that come up that she wants to see, or are required for school, which will provide opportunities for discussion with you. I think it will come on its own time. Real life provides enough of those opportunities, as well. She is old enough to be reading a newspaper/watching a bit of news. Those stories should cover a lot of bases.

What about non-school days? If your kids have a structured day, what about you? How much structure is in your day? Does everyday have the same routine? Do your days provide for a lot of down time, or does everyone in your family keep moving with a "to do" list? How much free time do your kids have?

Oh yeah, we do vinegar and baking soda for cleaning. We never use paper products except maybe for a party. We switched to cloth napkins and rags. I couldn't believe how many paper towels this saved!!!

No drinks, period. Everyone drinks water. I buy milk, but it is mostly for cooking. We do buy beer. :) Stop buying snacks. Buy extra fruit and veggies and have things like popcorn (for an air popper) in the cupboard. Snacks will be healthier and if it takes longer to make, you are less likely to eat out of boredom. Meal plan. Buy only what you need. Eat leftovers for lunch. Stop buying cereal. Eat steel cut oats or eggs for breakfast. Healthier and more filling. (Although, we pay a lot for eggs, so I don't think this is cheaper for us.) Have set snack times. Yeah, yeah, we can argue about this, but you want to know how we save... Set snack times provide for better planning. Don't buy cream of whatever. Make your own sauces. For us, watching our grocery budget actually heeled me start cooking healthier. Now we are back to spending too much though, just because I'm in love with Whole Foods and go a little crazy. I need to be better about meal planning, big time.

Don't say anything. My sister lived in their brand new house for two years and then they had sewage flood their house. They dug up the line and guess what? The builder never connected their sewage line to the main line!! So it took two years for their pipe to get clogged enough to back up into the house. It was unbelievable and their insurance company is going after the builder.

Thanks all! We will park downtown and call ahead to make sure we see Winter (fingers crossed). It's a good thing we can do it all fairly quickly, because we have a long drive that evening. It sounds like it will be perfect.

There are tons of failed adoptions with US children. TONS. While culture obviously plays a role in attachment, trauma affects all children. It doesn't mean that Russian children are somehow unable to bond by virtue of being Russian.