Interesting... My mother was adamant about me not using tampons. I mean, like I would have gotten in a whole lot of trouble is she ever caught me. That is was never, ever meant for teenager. That you don't use tampons until after you are no longer a virgin. I didn't try one until I was almost 27/28, when offered one, so I could go swimming with my friends. I wore it for like twenty minute and took it out because it was so painful. (Honestly, even after 10+ years I find sex painful at times, so it just might be me.) Honestly, it never crossed my mind to give my daughter one when it's time for her period to starts. I find it interesting that it seem to be the norm.

Thank you Tita for the great reply, it is very helpful. I'm copying it down, in case the double post does get deleted!

Background: My 9-yo DD has spent two weeks a summer with my side of the family two states away since she was 5 years old. Normally she stays with my sister and her family with a night or two at my parents (they live 5 minutes from my sister). While my parents are only in their mid 60's, health/physical issues have been a problem with both of them the last 5-10 years. This year, my mom asked if I would be ok with her and my dad taking DD (and 7-yo DN) on a couple day vacation an hour or two away from where they live during the two week visit. I think she feels the girls are old enough now to handle, and really wants the bonding time, especially with DD since they only see her twice a year (She said they were taking DN, "so it would be more fun for DD"). I know my mom very much wants to feel like she's healthy and still independent enough to do these things. My first instinct was to tell her yes, knowing that next summer her health could worsen, and this outing not a possiblity. My mom and I have a very strained relationship and this was one time I thought I could say yes for her. It wasn't until after I said yes, that she told me my sister was not comfortable with the idea (way to divide and conquer, mom). Question: Independent If this trip happens or not, what would be the list of things that you would go over with a pre-teen child, in the off chance she needed to take charge of a situation (grandma fell and hurt herself). My daughter is very independent, but not necessarily a take charge gal. I want her prepared, but not scared. Obviously, this is info she would need in any situation, her father and I could become injured in any fashion as well.

Sorry double posting

I am reading the Harry Potter books as an read aloud to my soon to be 9-yo DD (though she has read ahead in some bits of the book on her own). We started the series in second grade when some kids in her class started a Harry Potter Club (she was in an advance class). She is now in 3rd Grade. We just finished the Goblet of Fire yesterday, which meant she could watch the 4th movie for the first time yesterday. We own the whole movie series, but I have not allowed her to watch a movie until we've finished the corresponding book. It took us 18 months to get through the first 4 books. I expect #5 will take us through the end of the summer and we will read 6 & 7 while she is in 4th grade. Harry Potter is very big in her crowd, so she's already spoiled about some of the story aspects, so I see no reason to put off the books, or she will be completely spoiled before we finish. We started the books when she was 7 and I expect to finish when she is just past her 10th birthday. BTW - my daughter is a HP fanatic. She owns two wands, a cloak, and we went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at IoA for her birthday last year. This year she is having a Harry Potter Triwizard Tournament Pool Party for her birthday in April (we live in South Florida).

Mircrosoft Publisher $109. I would definitely go with Publisher over just Word. Word is not a good program to try to design in beyond a term paper. (This from someone that works for a newspaper for the last 17 years and is a graphic artist).

I would be excited about that! My daughter's at the other end of the spectrum, she couldn't name any of her dolls or stuffed animals. (She has never been big on any pretend play either, unless someone else was leading it.)

Not only is he Baefire and Henry's dad, but he said that he knows how control Hook's ship??? Gee, I wonder who that could be. :001_rolleyes: Obviously not Smee, we've seen him.

Made me think of Dr. Seuss.. But a nook can’t read so a nook can’t cook, SO…What good to a nook is a hook cook book?

Boo started taking showers and washing her hair on her own around her 7th birthday. She had motivation - she had to learn in order to spend a week away at girl scout camp. Once in a while she forgets to rinse properly and I have to put her back in and we have a refresher. (she's almost nine.)

I would say Wellington, which is about a 20-30 minutes west of Palm Beach. A little further south in Broward County, I would suggest Parkland (about 1 hour away from downtown Palm Beach. both have sort of the small town feel, that most of the towns around here do not. (I live in Greenacres, which neighbor Wellington, - just just wasn't in my price range when we were purchasing at the height of the boom.) West Boca is liked as well. (Sorry I don't know much about towns north of Palm Beach.

Just finished The Great Gatsby last night, my week two book. While I think The Great Gatsby was a well written book and I understand why it's on the classic list, it fell a little flat for me, which made me disappointed. This week I think I'm going to read Wicked, but I might read back to back classic with The Portrait of Dorian Grey, because it's a short one and it might help me catch up. Year to date: 2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (3/5) 1. The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde (4/5)

While I finished my book last week, I never got around to posting about it, I read The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde. Thumbs up! Review This book was a dusty book challenge. This week I'm reading The Great Gastby. For a short book, I'm having a bit of trouble getting into it, but maybe I just need to quiet time with it. This is a classic challenge. I am also reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire out loud to my daughter, but we started it last year, and are only just past the first task, so this book is for the long haul.

End of Eternity or The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov Riverworld series by Philip José Farmer Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

Boo is getting Pippi Longstocking on Board and Ellen Tibbets. She would have gotten Lisa and Lottie, but apparently it's out of print. :thumbdown: Also, it's too late now, but I just remembered this week that DH was talking to her about Choose Your Adventure books, too. So those will probably be for her birthday.

Goonie Bird Greene Just Grace Choose your adventure books ? Harriet the Spy Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew Encyclopedia Brown My Weird School Series Superfudge series and other Judy Blume books like Sheila the Great How to Eat Fried Worms

Brighton... brought a charm necklace for my niece. The necklace was $24, and the initial charm (by that I mean "A", "B" - which was a little fancier than the normal charms) was $17.50, but all the normal charms run from $7 up, with the majority around $10-$12 each, which I think is a reasonable price for future additions.

The Time Travelers' Wife The Eyre Affair (The Thursday Next series) The Mirror of Her Dreams (Mordant's Need) The Neverending Story anything book by Charles de Lint

We love the game - my 8-yo DD loves it the most. I would think the one card to take out for a conservative teen group would be the Kneepads of Allure - while my daughter doesn't get it, teens might. Many of the jokes allude to role playing game tropes and in jokes, so there is plenty that won't "get" it. But it's a fun game. As mentioned above there are a lot of expansions. Another good game along these lines are the Fluxx card games. There is the original and then "themed" versions. To like this game you have to be real comfortable with the rules changing every five minute - thus the name of the game - the rules are always in "Fluxx" This is also good for in-jokes and tropes - specially the themed versions.

Antigone or Enheduanna

If you prefer to drive yourselves from hotel to parks, rather than take the bus, plan for $14 (Last time I paid) for parking each day. 3rd meal of day - I believe dining plan only covers 2 meals a day from what I've heard. gratuity is not included at sit down restaurants. Hot weather may lead to more ice cool drink/snacks than your dining plan allows. Strollers if you need it.

As a mom of an April daughter, the first thing I think about when it comes to redshirting, is the idea of 14.5/almost 15 year old boys in middle school with my 11 year old daughter, or 19/almost 20 year olds in high school with my 14 year old daughter. I remember being sexually harassed in 6th grade (in a bullying, teasing sort of way - not in "I like you" way) by a group of boys (a mix of 6th, 7th & 8th). I told my parents and when they met with my counselor, he told them said "Boys will be boys" (heh... my mom wasn't going to put up with that nonsense, she got me switched to a different counselor). Imagine if that group of boys had been 14/15 to my 11 (I was a June baby), I shudder at the thought. You hear about kids getting more sexually active at a younger age, and I have to wonder if redshirting may be part of the equation. Just because he's "socially" behind or "immature" at 6 doesn't mean he doesn't catch up and act 15 when he's 15. I'm not saying that all 15 olds boys are going to act inappropriately, but hormones are hormones. I know this is my own issue, and not based on research, but I'm really surprised this doesn't get mentioned in discussions of redshirting.

Chronicles of Narnia Guardians of Ga'Hoole The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Wrinkle in Time All series.....

While everyone has mentioned The Hobbit, I don't think anyone was clear on the why and since you said you were unfamiliar with the two series, I thought I would mention this... The Hobbit is part of the LOTR series, it was the first book written, but is seen today as the "prequel" the the storyline in the later books. So many posters are giving you a vote for LOTR, but making sure that you start the first book. Personally, for my vote, I vote for Harry Potter, based on your child's preference to characters. If your child has listen to the Narnia series, he is used to children being some the main characters. LOTR doesn't have children as main characters, though Hobbits may seem like children. My 8-yo daughter was throughly bored with The Hobbit, but is obsessed with HP for a year now (we just finished book 3 this week and she was in a HP "club" at school). But I know she prefers children as her connection to the story. I hope to steer her away from HP, and over to Narnia, this next year, as to not get into the later HP books so fast, but she might mutiny on me ;)

Someone said Stack the states, but the same company has others, Stack the Countries and one called Presidents and Aliens, which is my daughter favorite right now. Ticket to Ride, while not educational in intent, I do feel is helping my daughter learn where the major US cities are. I believe the IPad version also included the European version as well.