It's a learned skill for me, too. When asked to do something, I say I'll think about it. Then I do think about it and make a decision. This is an improvement over me agreeing on the spot. I literally (not figuratively-literally, but LITERALLY) practiced that response out loud until it became natural for me to say.

I need to install something on two home PCs (bonus points if I can install it on two Android phones as well). I need this program/app/whatever it might be to not necessarily filter content, though that would be fine. What I really need is to shut down/block the internet except for school-related websites during school hours. I searched and found a lot of options for filtering and tracking and monitoring internet usage, but not so much for blocking only for certain times of the day. Does this program exist?

My parents weren't involved in my education at all, except to expect excellent grades and to make it known that my sister and I WOULD get degrees and that we WOULD pay for it ourselves. My dad dropped out of school before high school and my mom dropped out before finishing her first year of college. My parents had a crazy-high focus on academics. I took the hardest classes available at my extremely small (~100 kids total) rural high school. Chemistry and Physics were offered during alternating years, and if the timing didn't work out, that was too bad for you. There was not a single AP class offered. There weren't many of the opportunities that I read about on this board. No scholarships were really earned by anyone in my graduating class of 34, except tiny local ones of $100 or $300 from the Rotary Club or something. I didn't realize that interviews and tours were even a thing until I started reading this board 10 years ago. I had a high school guidance counselor who encouraged me to apply to university, but I already knew I would because of my parents' influence. I took the SAT and ACT (I had to drive to another town to do that, but the guidance counselor told all the seniors about the testing days and times) and then I started getting lots of solicitations in the mail. When it was time for university, I applied to the state universities where I was accepted and one "reach" school that denied me. To apply, I just read the list of requirements and completed the steps. I called people and got reference letters. I filled out forms and mailed them in. I just did the things. I earned a varsity sports letter and academic awards and joined clubs my last year in high school, and the coaches and sponsors did the things I asked them to, so I could complete the application process. There wasn't a tour or interview or audition required, so that wasn't an issue. I don't know if my parents would've helped me with that or not. I had been working since age 12ish, and had saved every penny, so I was able to pay for my first year of school at least. I had bought myself a car and was going to live on campus. I got a good job soon after starting at university and saved money, paying for everything as I went. I worked 30-40 hrs/week during school and then probably 80 hrs/week working 2 jobs during summer and breaks. Full-time tuition was $700/semester and then I had everything else like books, parking, food, etc. My parents were just too busy to help me. I wasn't able to participate in a sports or school activity until I was 16, had a driver's license and had bought my own car. We lived out of town in a rural area, so I couldn't get to and from after school clubs or sports practices. My dad did go with me to buy my used $500 car. To answer your general question, I just didn't have the opportunities that I might have, if my parents had been more involved. Sometimes I really wish I'd had someone who believed in me to show me the way. However, I'm not sure I would change anything. Being forced to do it all alone and experiencing the failures I did because of it were beneficial to me, and have helped me develop self-confidence and resiliency. Missing out on stuff is painful...but it can also be highly motivating. Maybe times were just simpler 30 years ago?

We were in a similar situation recently, and we ran in to an unexpected issue. We paid cash for what we could and then tried to get a loan to finish the house, but it was tricky because we were past the point of being able to get a construction loan but were not done enough to have a loan on the house itself. This may or may not be an issue for you, but just wanted to throw it out there so you can ask your lender. Best wishes on the house building! It's a great floorplan! I'd add a bigger pantry, if I were you...but I have a house full of teen eating machines.

I'm sad to say my library carries none of them!

Thanks for posting! Anyone have a list of favorites to share?

Wonderful! I'm so happy for you! (and her)

We are in a rural LCOL area, and the only good plumber for miles around charges about $250/hr. And you have to wait forever for him. The median household wage in my area is about $35k/yr.

My midwife told me that most of the induction methods don't work that well unless baby is already ready already. 🙂 My dh gave me a strong foot massage that sent me immediately into labor with the last two. It was a stormy day and the barometric pressure was dropping, right at my due date, and I guess it was the flip my switch needed. My midwife also talks about red raspberry leaf tea, walking or exercise, castor oil (though she wants to know if someone is attempting this ahead of time because it can cause uncontrolled bowel movements during labor), and tEa. Happy laboring!

I think you should contact the bank you currently have a mortgage with and ask about mobile homes. If they don't offer financing, they probably know who would. There are multiple companies that finance mobile homes, but it's less common. Call your insurance agent and get a quote or find out who he/she recommends. You wouldn't be able to get the affidavit of affixture if the mobile home is in a park, usually, because the park owns the land and you pay rent. This is what makes financing trickier since it remains more "mobile" and less "home" and more like an RV than a house with regard to financing. if if the current owner doesn't have the title, you can get a copy at the Motor vehicle dept, like you can with a vehicle. A mobile home will have an ID number or a VIN. There is a NADA book for mobile homes. Your banker/mortgage person should have that info at their disposal. The inspection will be done in the same manner as if you were buying a single-family, site-built home. Best wishes! I bought a mobile home to live in in college and it was a great deal for me. I charged rent to roommates and I lived rent free for the three years I owned it.

Thanks for commenting. I reread my post and want to clarify that I don't think the teacher won't be good because he's young. I think that'll work in his favor with my son! He's a nice man and energetic and super fun, but I was concerned about his lack of experience. So...if you were me, how would you word the bolded in the IEP? I'm in the process of writing my own IEP goals.

Thanks for this. I've gone through your program with him before. He was taught to read using phonics, for three years in a row. He's been at home since K, but did attend ps last year for 8th in a neighboring district (as an out-of-boundary student) because I thought the problem was me. He got almost all As and a spot in National Junior Honor Society. He could not read his acceptance letter. The testing and psychologist we recently completed are through a district local to us. How would I go about knowing if he is truly dyslexic? He earned a grade equivalent score of 3.2 for pseudoword decoding test. He earned a grade equivalent score of 5.0 on the word reading test. He earned a grade equivalent of 4.0 on the sentence building. For comparison, he tested at a general IQ of 110, and did fine (grade level to above-grade level) on the math, visual spatial, oral expression, and listening comprehension portions. Thank you again! I want to help him.

Thanks! It felt like a big win to get this far. Wilson looked the best to me, and it was recommended first by the psychologist who did the eval. I think it will be a battle to get a teacher trained. Does that change your answer? The only special ed teacher is young and new and inexperienced. He confessed we were his first, first-time IEP meeting. He didn't know how to write out goals for the IEP. He typically works with kids who are intellectually challenged, and my son is the only kid he sees who has an average IQ. Our tiny school district only holds classes four days/week and my son has online classes that conflict with the times the teacher is available on some days. Because of all that, I am concerned. Hopefully we can make decent progress, though. Thanks again.

My 9th grade son has just been officially diagnosed with dyslexia. The high school has begun 'services' with him. I have a list of programs given to me by the school psychologist that the school is willing to purchase to use with my son. But I don't know anything about any of them! Can someone guide me and let me know which is the better option? Or is something like this too complicated of a question for a forum post? Wilson Reading System Read 180 Kaplan Spell/Read SRA Corrective Reading and Reach System HOSTS

So, just another idea as to why she's slowing down....could she be anemic? There was a competitive high school runner locally who kept getting slower and slower and couldn't figure out why. Turns out she was anemic.

I searched for Minute to Win it games on Pinterest and then adapted to fit the topic of my class. Also: Charades Jeopardy-style game (lots of work, though) Write questions on a paper plate, attach a spinner and then offer 'points' for correct answers to the question the spinner lands on. We've played spoons where the cards are terms written in different ways and the students have to get two or three matches before they can grab a spoon. I've found escape room challenges on Teachers Pay Teachers that were a lot of fun. Make a large paper cube with questions on each side to be tossed around the classroom. Sorry about the reflux! Hope you get lots of relief soon.

I have a specific question about a real estate transaction, and I need a lawyer to give me direction. It's a simple yes/no thing. The cost of seeing a good lawyer locally is pretty high, plus I have to wait for an appointment and travel to another town (there are zero lawyers in my town, literally). I kind of want an answer right away, because we are selling the house in question. Of course, I will find a way to pay the fee and push back the sale of the house if I have to. However, is there a reputable one-time legal advice website? I was thinking Legal Zoom, but I'd have to pay for a 6-month subscription. I was told I can cancel the subscription and get a prorated refund, but I'd rather just call someone and ask one question. If you've used Legal Zoom, is it a hassle to cancel the subscription and get the refund?

Our prepaid plan was $40/smartphone including 3G of data. It was $120/month (no junk fees or taxes) for 3G of shared data. We are on a monthly family plan now that is $113 (after taxes and junk fees) for 3 smartphones with 5G of shared data. It's weird how prices are structured. It looks like the deal we have isn't even on the Verizon website anymore. I think that the best idea is to jump on a deal when it comes available. The other thing about prepaid is that even though it's Verizon prepaid, they STILL bump you behind their contract customers if the towers are busy. This is a huge issue for us because we are in a rural touristy area and there is not enough bandwidth for the locals *and* the tourists. Of course and always, YMMV.

I have three smart phones on Verizon and our bill is $113/month. We bought our phones to the plan. We actually just switched to Verizon a few months ago because it was the best deal I could find. We share 5G of data, which is enough unless my son forgets to turn on WiFi. My husband travels for work every week, so he uses his phone a lot. Ting, T-Mobile, Sprint, ATT, Page Plus, Cricket, Boost all have crappy service in my area. Make sure you check coverage maps for the second tier providers before signing up! And then talk to users, if possible. The coverage map won't necessarily tell you if you'll get good service. We were frustrated for years with poor coverage and finally forked out the big bucks for Verizon. The second tier phones get "bumped" behind the Verizon contracted providers in our area when the towers are "busy", so we were constantly getting dropped calls, slow internet speeds, etc when we were with the low-cost providers.

Can you just use them for cleaning rags?

There's so much great advice on this thread, but I want to echo this sentiment. The typical overage in our area is 25%, so it's better to plan with the bigger number in mind. Also, with regard to your OP, sometimes it is better to build from the ground up. It might seem harder, but often it isn't, and might actually be cheaper in the long run. Just wanted to throw that out there and remind you to crunch all the numbers on the gut job and the new home build. Have fun!

I think my answer would depend on what you think the future might look like. If it's just a rough patch, the we do whatever needs to be done to get through it. If he's in a dying industry, it really makes sense for you to go back to work. Especially if he's thinking of going to school. Several of the moms in my area make good money cleaning VRBOs. It's busy during school breaks when people are traveling and less so during the school year. Just a thought. Best wishes!

Along these lines, there has been a peer of my son's who continually accuses him of doing wrong things. At first, I believed the accuser because it kind of 'fit.' After the third time, I got the accuser, the accuser's mom, and my son together for a little chat. We were already together for something else, so it wasn't a big deal. Turns out the accuser wasn't so sure that what he had 'seen' and reported was actually true, or that my son was actually doing anything wrong. He admitted he had made up the issue I was asking my son to apologize for. I felt awful for assuming the worst about my kid! But, it really did clear things up. FWIW, I think the accuser and mom agreed to the (very casual not aggressive) chat because I said I wanted my son to apologize and to do it in front of the affected people. I didn't act confrontational, but rather conciliatory. My son was so relieved that the truth was acknowledged. It gave me serious pause that my son was wiling to apologize for something he didn't actually do. The accuser still accuses, though. Last night, as a matter of fact! I just don't take it so seriously anymore. If my son had actually been doing the things that were said about him, I would've been glad to know that, too.

I would not recommend Mrs. Troxell for English. Overall, I think TPS's platform is challenging because there is no webcam for the teacher. If the teacher doesn't prepare slides or use the whiteboard much, the student will stare at a blank screen during the class. This makes it very hard to stay engaged, especially if you have a lecture-heavy (kind of boring!) teacher who doesn't engage the students.

:sad: That is horrible news. I'm so sorry.