You know how you can get locked into feeling sorry for yourself and just sit and cry? Then somebody comes along and says....You need to Do THIS - Right Now! Someone did that for me this morning. Thanks.

Cats don't like certain scents....bitter apple, and citrus, I think are a couple of them. So you could lightly wipe the screen with an essential oil, that might be a deterrent. You could also rig something to make a loud noise when the cat starts scratching at the screen. That should make an impression.

"Mommy doesn't speak Cave Man. Let me hear you say the proper response: 'Yes Ma'am'.....Thank You." If she refuses, a time-out or "in the pocket" until a proper response is forthcoming. Sometimes you have to be *very* patient and persistent at that age. eta: with the older boys, they get a reminder of the correct response & 10 push-ups if they get cheeky about it. lol, a little exertion is good for refocusing the mind.

How do I do it all? Simple...I don't. ;) The trick is to set your priorities and figure out what your (and your dc's too) limits are. Then you do what you can, keep your stress levels down and have fun. The kids love activities, but if we do too many, academics suffer. If we focus too much on academics, everybody gets sad and moody. So, everybody has a single "fun" thing (dance, soccer), we do scouts for character building, and this fall we will have "Mom sanity" days (where I'll do a women's bible study group that has childcare for the babies while the older dc do a group class; and dh will take the kids for the afternoon once in a while so I can go read a book somewhere and not feel guilty about it :D).... I find that I don't really have the time to pursue much of my own interests as I'd like. I can spend a little time on the computer here and there throughout the day, but unless I stay "on" and "focused" we don't get our work done, so there isn't much time in the evenings. One thing I'm trying out is doing core subjects first (Math, English, Spelling) Then Logic, History/science, etc. I also plan "catch up days" into our schedule. We have little ones that need my time and attention as much as the older boys, so I can't always teach when I plan to and have to let them work independently. Dh helps out when he can, and has promised to take charge of science next year as well as act as our math tutor. And house chores....oh, my. The kids must help, or we'd live in a pigsty and dh would sleep in his truck! Even so, I strive for basics and do detailed stuff as I can, and don't sweat it when I can't...it will come up on my list again next month! Anyway, It's a balancing act. Take care of yourself, take care of your kiddos, and things will fall into place! :001_smile:

Bless you and your for taking this young man under your wing and trying to look out for him!! The world needs more people like you who are so generous of heart!

Stalin?!?! With his history?!?! :eek: And someone didn't stop this from happening......why?

(Rant deleted) Let's just say that as a general rule, I don't feel that the ps system has any respect whatsoever for the health and well-being of the children placed in their care, and even less respect for their families.

Wow! What a joyful challenge you have there! :lol: Definitely teach her to be a force for good! :iagree:with those who said she needs sensory stimulation. My Eldest is a bit ADHD - undiagnosed, because I don't want that official label. When he was smaller, we had to teach him how to calm himself down - made a game of teaching him how to do meditative breathing - and we allow him to self-medicate with caffine (usually in the form of coffee, or 2 hershey's dark chocolate kisses) when he needs a little extra help to focus.

:iagree: My mom let me get my ears pierced just before I turned 5. I'd been begging for a while, and I kinda remember that. Still, I wasn't old enough to take care of them and had some problems. Also, I kept losing my earrings. I had a friend who did body piercing, and learned a lot. As a result, I won't let my kids pierce their ears until they are at least 14, probably older...and I WILL NOT let them get their ears pierced with a piercing gun at a mall somewhere. We will find a reputable piercer who uses an autoclave for sterilization. As for the gender difference....though I may not be as comfortable with my sons wanting an ear piercing, I don't think I would forbid it, though I would insist on appropriate jewelry (as I would for dd). As for other body piercings for any of them....they can have those when they are living on their own.

I would go with the long-term plan, and consider investing in a white noise generator of some type for the short term.....and remind the older children to be aware of quiet time when the baby is napping!

We have a 2006 Town & Country that we bought in October. With a family of 6, a minivan was our best option. I love the stow & go seating and the automatic doors. It handles well, visibility is good. It's comfortable driving on long trips. The negatives: I don't like the fact that the bumper isn't a bumper. Also, there's no tow hitch & no place to put one. Road noise tends to be a bit loud as well. My mechanic says that Chrystlers are really good vehicles as long as you maintain them properly. No putting off the scheduled maintenance, even the oil change, or you will develop problems. I'd originally intended to buy the Toyota minivan (Sierra? Sienna? I forget)...it was quieter and the other features were on par with the T&C, however, I just wasn't as comfortable in the drivers' seat. I'm not sure what it was exactly...the windows didn't give quite as much visibility, the handling was just a tiny bit off somehow? I don't know.....I just knew the Toyota wasn't for me, even if I couldn't quite put my finger on why.

:grouphug: and prayers.

In many Saudi countries, divorced women have "no" rights with regards to their children. American court orders would have no validity. There is a very real chance that if their father takes them over there, the mother will never see them again, even if she goes as well.

:iagree:My 2.5yo has a Monkey, and we don't leave home without it!

Most nights I get about 6 hours of sleep, with a minimum of 2 interruptions nightly. My body prefers a solid 8 hours. I can keep up the short sleep for weeks at a time, but my energy levels, productivity and mental health suffer (I'm prone to depression) the longer it goes on. Dh is very good to me though. He works nights and keeps to his sleep schedule even on his days off. If he knows that I need it, he will stay awake past his normal bedtime so that I can sleep in a little bit once in a while.