We say blanket or throw.

Calling any human being "trash" (ie expendable, a throwaway) is dehumanizing and gross. I'm sorry you're hearing that from your mom. It sounds to me like she's concerned about what people think of you, which is sad. It's hard to shed stereotypes. :grouphug:

We're about half way through at this point in the year and I'm fine with it. I'm letting him listen to the audio version at his own pace and as often as he wants (he'll listen for quite a long time on his own). I will usually do the narration questions from the activity book after he's listened to a new chapter. Some things he listens to over and over again, some things he glazes over at and never listens to again. :) I choose what I want to focus on for activities, either because I think it will interest him, or because I think it's something he needs to know. He is hearing all of it, but only doing detailed work on about half of it. We will work through the summer and probably start SOTW2 around October. For next year, I will probably try a more structured study, because he's almost ready for it - maybe one or two chapters a week.

The Alexander Technique has helped me with my "mild curvature" in the past - less pain, more freedom of movement. In a nutshell, it's a method for improving posture. This book is a great introduction: http://www.amazon.com/Body-Learning-Introduction-Alexander-Technique/dp/0805042067

Can I have your autograph?

It's really hard, but don't panic. (Easier said than done, I know. I just pulled my 5yo out of preschool because he has ASD and an anxiety disorder and school was a disaster.) As long as you're obeying the laws of your state, it's OK to take a couple of weeks to breathe, "de-school", and formulate a plan. It's easy to get overwhelmed by everything that's available. I think it helps to know that there's no perfect way to homeschool, and no pressure to get it right in the first couple of months. If she can handle it, you could start by doing a little probing about what she knows and what her "gaps" are. If not, sit down together and read a book or do an activity that you both enjoy. My best advice is to try not to think about how "behind" she is or how much she's struggling. Use where she is as a baseline and build from there. Most kids, including kids with special needs, can learn in a supportive environment, but it can take time for both of you to figure out this new relationship. As far as resources go, many if not most companies have sample lessons or supplemental materials online that you can look at. When I was choosing a math program for my 6 year old, I printed some pages from different books and let him try them out to see what worked and what didn't. We don't have money to buy a curriculum just to try it out, so I found other homeschoolers to talk to who had tried out different programs. There are actually a lot of textbooks available at my local library, so you could check that out too. Good Luck! This is tough, but you will figure it out. :grouphug:

A spindle!

Thanks for posting this! I'm looking into this too. This is what I've found so far: -Wheelbarrow and crab walking -spinning board (http://www.vitallinks.net/pages/Astronaut-Training-A-Sound-Activated-Vestibular-Visual-Protocol.php) - We learned this in OT, not sure if you can find someone to teach you but it's worth looking into -Dancing -Carrying laundry up and down stairs -Chew necklace -taking out the garbage -squeeze between two adults (we do a "squeeze sandwich" on our bed in the mornings) -gentle joint compression (http://asensorylife.com/joint-traction-and-compression.html) -running laps Good Luck! I know this is tough.

"I only wanted you from the very first day" Kills me every time.

"I love you and I'm here for you."

How have you handled switching to a new curriculum? Is there anything that you do to make the adjustment easier? Take a break in between to do review? Specifically, I've decided to switch from MUS to Singapore. My son (6) has taken the placement test and he's ready for Primary 1B. However, I don't think that he has as thorough a grasp of basic facts as he may need to do the switch. We're leaving MUS mostly because I don't feel like it's teaching him sound concepts. It's not a bad program, but nothing is really sticking and I feel like it isn't cohesive enough for him. What I'm concerned about is that we will be switching mid-level and I don't want it to be too confusing. - Is there any resource I could read as a parent to help me understand the philosophy behind Singapore and how to teach it? I will be getting the HIG at least in the beginning, but would it be useful to read up on how things are taught in general? -Would you jump right in with 1B or do some re-teaching of addition and subtraction based on Singapore methods? He's not strong on his facts yet, so a review wouldn't be a total waste of time anyway. Thanks for your help!

You can overdose on BCPs and it's a terrible idea to take a whole month's worth at a time. I really hope this thread doesn't come up on Google for a young girl looking to use the pill as a post coital contraceptive. Just because something won't kill you, doesn't make it a good idea. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002599.htm

It can be very hard to convince someone to seek help on their own. If you feel someone is in immediate danger, it is absolutely appropriate to call the police. Good Luck. I've been through this and it's painful for everyone involved. :grouphug:

What does any of this have to do with breastfeeding???? Context matters, and in this case it matters a lot. Some of what is being described here is troubling. Perhaps any one of these things on it's own is explainable but in combination, it amounts to red flags for me. Abuse can develop gradually through unhealthy relationships and lack of clear boundaries. Whether or not any of these discrete actions constitute abuse is less to the point than the whole picture signaling that a) Unhealthy relationships are being built and the child in question is at the very least confused about appropriate boundaries within a friendship and b)The OP's own child is being affected by this child's behavior, and c) The OP's child was uncomfortable or confused enough to discuss it with an adult So the question isn't whether extended breastfeeding is abusive or whether nudity in general is abusive. Rather, the focus should be on what the OP should do in this very specific case to protect/ educate first her own child and second her child's friend whose mother has confided in her. Deciding what one's responsibility is in a situation like this is stressful and difficult. OP, my advice is to speak to a social worker, doctor or counselor first to decide what the best course of action is. Unless you're a professional, I wouldn't try to advise or counsel this mother on your own. I would also insist on supervising all visits with this family if you chose to continue to associate with them. Good Luck! This must be a really tough place to be as a mom.

What kind of work do you do? I'm curious about why you would recommend a chiropractor for every newborn as a matter of course.

.73 - almost enough for a .99 ebook :lol:

Our OT uses the ILS music system for emotional regulation and focus. I was really skeptical but it has done a lot of good for our DS (he's 5). They also did a program to regulate his vestibular system which helped with sleep and with behavior. We were given activities to do at home to help with frustration and aggression. When we were referred, I was much more familiar with behavioral therapy, but I think that OT has been more valuable in some ways.

Everything you've said is true. "Awareness" doesn't count for much if it doesn't lead to action. I do wish that they would make a bigger effort to include the people it affects the most.

Really? If people are drawing distinctions like that it's ridiculous. I know exactly the feeling you're talking about! The first Monday after we pulled my son out of school I felt like a weight had been lifted. Watching the kids walk by with backpacks and knowing that I didn't have to send him in tears was wonderful. :hurray:

Have you tried the products before? I had a severe reaction to the "ionic supreme" and had to send it back for a refund. I do know someone who lost too much weight too quickly and had some issues from that. I have no idea if it was because of pushy sales people or not, but it was drastic. I guess my 2 cents would be that it might be healthier to buy real food rather than powdered drinks. I was able to return my kit after I had that reaction and they were pretty nice about it. I think I had to pay shipping though.

Wow, this must be a common problem! Thanks for the input, everyone. I found this page in case anyone else is interested: http://thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com/2012/09/is-that-b-or-d.html

I've recommended this book here before, but it really saved us when we went to a much smaller space: http://www.amazon.com/Its-All-Too-Much-Living/dp/0743292650 In your case, I would start by making a list of what furniture will go in each room. Then I'd decide from there what will fit in your new space. Pack that up and then get rid of everything else. You're at an advantage that you know what the new place is like and you can think it trough this way instead of just hoping that whatever you part with will be enough. Good Luck! I love our tiny little house and don't miss all that extra space and extra mess at all. :) Go figure.

My son is 6 1/2 and reads well for his age. My only concern is that he struggles with recognizing d and b. The word "bad" is really tough for him, even though he reads much more complicated words with no difficulties. He doesn't mix up any other letters or write anything else backwards, so I don't think it's a learning issue I'm not sure how to address it without confusing him further. I've tried drawing a little symbol on each side of the paper and saying "b looks at the star and d looks at the music note," or whatever the symbol is. This didn't help and I think frustrated him more. I'm guessing this is a fairly common problem. I assumed he would grow out of it as his reading got stronger, but it seems to be sticking. Does anyone have any ideas on how he can practice this? Or do I just need to wait?

My son does not have pica, but he was similar- always into things, running away in every public setting, jumping from the top of the stairs etc. We've found that occupational therapy along with music therapy (called ILS) has helped enormously. He is more focused and happier, rarely jumps or destroys things. We still struggle with him, but meeting his sensory need has made a huge difference in his behavior. Good luck. You definitely have my sympathies!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with that! It's really unfortunate that even as adults people tend to be cliquey and exclude one another. :grouphug: I think if I were you, I'd look for friends outside of homeschool circles. In my community, I spend time with friends of friends, people who come to the library for various clubs, people from my church, neighbors etc. Very few of them homeschool. If they do, it's incidental to the friendship rather than the source. I know this isn't possible for everyone, but I've found friends for myself and my kids in a variety of settings. Perhaps finding a local club like 4H or something at the YMCA that has no particular religious agenda would be a good start. It's funny, but I've heard from so many different "flavors" of Christians that they feel excluded by others. :glare: I think it's silly that differences in theology or whatnot even come up in a social setting. Among close friends, maybe, but not in a group that isn't meant to be exclusive to one denomination. Being EO, I don't really fit in at all with anyone else. However, it's possible to have mutual respect for one another's beliefs, or simply not address them. If people are excluding you based on your particular set of beliefs, it's time to find others who will love you for who you are. :grouphug: :grouphug: Edit: Reading your second post, it looks like you could also start by inviting the other excluded families for a playdate.