A lack of magnesium and calcium cause crazy sugar cravings, so I'd put her on supplements to see if that helps.

It's okay to pick and choose. Are you working consistently on skill subjects? Jolly good. Are you addressing content subjects according to your local laws and so your children aren't one dimensional bores you don't want to listen to? Jolly good.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Oh, I agree that it never works to ignore it. I am very aware of how strong the cult of the expert is and how much more damaging it can be than leaving well enough alone. One of the pitfalls, I think, is deciding how abusive is too abusive and how abusive is okay abusive. Most forms of abuse are legal and need to stay legal.

Ever tried to appeal? When I've tried with various organisations, I've been told I've been treated terribly but really it is my fault I didn't make them treat me properly. I've seen socially accepted narrative beat actual evidence to the contrary many times. Phrases like "the child's best interest" and "fair trial" don't mean the same in legal situations to what they do in the vernacular.

The difference is it is counter cultural to homeschool. It may be just as legal as the other options, but they are not socially equal.

It gave mine a lower risk.

By people who are experts in education, child development and medicine, who both know you well enough to correctly interpret patterns of behaviour and also don't know you at all to avoid bias.

I haven't had that, but we've been punished for not having the correct products within view.

Unless they don't. And even if they do those records can be used against you in other situations later on, and you can't defend yourself because a) they are the expert and b) they are confidential files you aren't allowed to read. The system would work just fine if all members of it were honourable people, but there are a whole lot who aren't.

The same thing happens when children have rights. Instead of the parents' constitutional right to be parents, it's the child's right to a relationship with their parents.

I was only allowed to homeschool dd until the end of grade three, so barely got a toe into logic stage and she's been in a school that has overseen the serious deterioration of her skills since. What she and I did was absolutely worth it.

Evidence in the family means the opinions of people with the right qualifications who have met you for an hour or so, providing you and your abuser both paid half. Actual written evidence doesn't count if you can't make the powerful people look at it and even if they do, they have no obligation to believe it. As I said earlier, I was held accountable for future educational neglect. You can't prove future educational neglect with actual evidence. It hasn't happened yet!

The trouble is, abuse is easy to hide and easy to invent. All the people crying they lost custody to their abusers would have had their parental rights terminated.

Not necessarily. Law and Justice aren't synonyms. I was held accountable for educational neglect during a time period that hadn't happened yet.

Oh man. All the positive thoughts to you and all the "Omg, are you people insane? Really, try not to be. Try really hard." thoughts to them.

So is happy and healthy. As far as I can tell, mandatory reporters really have no idea what trauma looks like unless it is violent.

Sure. Even if CPS cares enough to ring and says "Hey Mandatory Reporter! Have you noticed anything that you are legally obliged to report but haven't?" they are going to say no. But with 13 kids, it's a bit harder to ignore.

I don't think that is out of character. She's not evil. She's bitter.

He wants the house so it's in the children's interest not to be uprooted?

Sabotaging one's own kids is right up there on my list too.

To prime is to make ready, so both the reading instruction manual and the base coat of paint should be pronounced with the long i. Our dialect is better than yours, ner ner ner! :laugh: :001_tt2: :laugh:

We pronounce them the same. They're the same word, really, about foundations.

I'd say primer with a long i. Primmer means more prim, doesn't it? lol

True dat. We have an ocean surrounding us, and still have illegal immigrants from the US. :p