I ask for help. I am sick with my first cold/flu of the season down here, and I went shopping with dh and just.could.not. carry the bags upstairs. The kids usually help, but normally just unpack, not put away. I called them and they did it all. DH made me toast for dinner (with garlic on top. Its what I wanted :) ) . If there is no help around, I just put one foot in front of the other to do the absolute essentials. One moment at a time. Dh calls it "running on empty". A hot shower or a rest helps but sometimes I try and just push through to finish sooner so I can rest later.

I like that way of honouring. Also, ultimately, I feel it IS honouring of her to not let her into your home, to cut her out. It is honouring of yourselves, of your children and the sanctity of your marriage and family. It is a healthy boundary to prevent a toxic person doing more damage to you. I honestly feel that when you do the right thing by yourselves, it will naturally be the right thing for her too- although she wont take it that way, that is her freedom and you cant take that freedom away from her. She is free to continue as she is or get help and change. Its hard when you are in the middle of it, to see clearly. BTDT here too, with different people over the years. They use guilt to manipulate. Only your own conscience should dictate to you, your own heart, not someone else's manipulative personality. Why are you less important than her? Why is she more important than your whole family? Good luck with it, I know its not an easy one.

There have been many threads about this issue on these boards over the years. It's the only place I ever really heard about it but I dont mix in very conservative circles. I've been wondering how I would handle these years around dating- I havent had strong ideas about it other than wanting to protect my dd from getting unecessarily hurt. I myself had a rather wild time in my teens and early twenties- I wondered if I would swing to the other extreme. My dd15 now has a fairly serious boyfriend, and they are in daily contact through computer and texting, although they only see each other once, sometimes twice, a week. I had a dream about the two of them even before dd realised she was attracted to him- a strong dream. He is very gentlemanly and treats her with a lot of respect and seems to be really in love with her- and she, him. I am just lettng it all unfold naturally, as is dh. I actually feel proud she has fallen for a decent young man who treats her well (better than me at that age!). She is particularly mature for her age, as well.

Same issue here. Ds hates to be the only one, but the deal is, if we catch him without a helmet, he loses teh bike/scooter/rollerblades for a time. What I think is that mums give in to kid pressure because their kids tell them that no one else has to wear a helmet and, they don't want to be the one mean mum. The same happens with movies- kids tell their mum that all the other kids have seen a certain movie (adult movie) and so the parent thinks, oh, cant be too bad then, or, I don't want my kids to feel like the only one left out. Bad for their self esteem. But if we do the right thing for our kids, make them wear helmets etc, the other mums will notice and it might give them courage to stand by the right thing too.

I have spent many, many thousands of $ on curriculum that ultimately was not used completely (usually tried and then discarded). Being in AUstralia, its hard to get my hands on anything to see it before buying. I put it down to teacher training though, after reading that in a book. We cant possibly know how our kids or ourselves will respond to a program until we try it. Those of us with the financial resources often try many things over the years that ultimately do not get used for long.

We are secular and my kids both loved Pilgrims Progress! I dont think they realised the deeper meaning. They just enjoyed the story. And, I left it at that.

[quote=hornblower;1169847 I'll start listening to vets & their prof associations more on this issue when they drop the funding & corporate ties. :iagree: and ditto for doctors.

My kids love me bedroom. Its probably the most peaceful, and in some ways interesting room in the house...artwork, crystals, just interesting stuff, but a very uncluttered and peaceful space as well. In the past, we would do evening read aloud in my bed, although not for a couple of years now. I welcome them into my space, but as a privelege and its to be respected. Definitely no friends.

We do a mostly raw meat/bones diet, with a few supplements, and its pretty cheap. When dh cant get the bones/meat cheap and he buys kibble-the cheap kind usually because he's like that :glare:- they end up smelling really bad.

I generally won't step in but I will send love from my heart to a child in a difficult situation, and hopefully when I remember, love to the parent as well. I believe people pick it up on some level. The one that gets me is little babies in prams in supermarkets, the mother letting them scream while they push the pram, and I just want them to pick up the baby and hold it. It breaks my heart. But, I don't feel its appropriate to say anything. I agree that hormones will play a part as to whether I say something or not. I generally wont, but there are times I will and I am not sure what makes the difference- the situation, or the mood I am in.

Well here in Australia we are in our flu season and swine flu is the main flu and....not a big deal at all. For most people swine flu is an annoyance, and for people with compromised immune systems, the flu and many other common ailments can cause death. And ocasionally, they cause death in a healthy person. But swine flu is not worse than normal flu here. The truth is, I have face masks- I bought them a few years ago during the bird flu hysteria. I am not afraid to use them. But so far I dont feel the need at all. Now, another possible issue is that I believe there is a much higher population of poor and under/badly nourished people in the U.S., due to sheer numbers, and perhaps those people, as in Mexico, are at higher risk of complications, and statistically, that adds up to quite a high percentage and number of people. Hence the "hysteria". But I really wouldn't buy the hype. Stay well, stay healthy, have a healthy attitude, don't panic. I tihnk they are concerned it may mutate into something worse. But so far it isnt.

Well I have permission to buy a Thermomix so I think thats going to be my new favourite kitchen appliance when I actually get it. (dh bought himself something I definitely didnt approve of, that cost about as much as a Thermomix, so I figure I may as well make the most of it).

Mine are 17.5 months apart and its been great but I doubt I could have handled another that close. I have just encouraged a friend who has just had her first, in her 30s, to have another soon rather than wait 3 years as she thought. Several others told her the same. Its great having them close. I read "ideally" they shoudl be 3 years apart to get enough 100% parent attention but I just think the sibling closeness is worth having them close.

Probably depends what you mean by intolerant. It doesnt seem to "allow" for other paths and religions as being equally valid or suitable for others...the way Hinduism does. In fact one of its strongest teachings seems to be that it is the "only" way. However, nor does Christianity suggest that one should be "intolerant" in the sense of "not putting up with", in the sense of perhaps condemning or hating or even criticising- it is essentially a religion of deep forgiveness and love and non judgement. So expressing any sort of "intolerance" in the generally accepted understanding of the term, seems to me to be antithical to the teachings of love that Christianity advises, however I do think that it is possible to feel one's religion is the only and best way, without being personally intolerant of other religions. How could one be simultaneously living the teaching of love, and intolerant ? I don't think its possible. Intolerant: unwilling to tolerate difference of opinion Unable or indisposed to tolerate, endure or bear; Not tolerant; close-minded about new or different ideas Intolerance - an attitude of not accepting or respecting different opinions, practices, or people.

There is a book The Fibre Menace which suggests that for many people, excess fibre can cause many digestive problems in our grain rich diet culture. I have stopped being so concerned about getting enough fibre and instead make sure I drink enough fluids and eat healthy fats (check out the Weston Price foundation for more informaiton, although use your own discrimination). I use kefir grains to make my own kefir (I have never seen kefir available commercially here in Australia) and I make smoothies for my family with kefir, juice and various fruits (banana, berries, mangoes if in season etc). They love them.

I find vitex good but your issue is specific and you may need to try and few things to see what balances you. We are all a bit different.

Here in Australia the swine flu is the main flu. For most people it is not too much of a big deal and they have stopped testing. Yes, some people are getting sick and dying, but almost all of those have underlying health conditions. I wouldnt get in a panic about it since we down here are living through it and its no worse than normal flu. I know kids who have had it and didn't get very sick at all.

The main flu here is swine flu as Melissa said, and for most people its no worse, and often better, than the normal flu. Many kids who are getting it arent getting very sick at all. I wouldn't touch Tamiflu under the circumstances of this swine flu.

Yes, I wouldn't even label him a reluctant writer at that age, but you might make him one if you push it too much yet. I think its important to build those hand muscles though but lots of playdough, ball games, building things, can do that in a more painless way than focing the writing thing too early.

I bf through my 2nd pregnancy and for the next 3.5 years I tandem fed. I never noticed a decrease in supply particularly. The first kid did get bottles as well so the bfeeding was more for comfort and the extra nutrition rather than a major food supply. Also, I was a wee young thing at the time (well, late twenties seems young now!).

My dh and situation sound similar to yours, T'smom. My dh wouldn't have been into extended breastfeeding or homeschooling either, yet he is thrilled that we have done it and that I parent the way I do. I have influenced him a lot. I think he would revert a fair bit though if I wasnt around. Hes not unhappier for it, though. He didnt get on with his family long before I was around and I actually provide a bit of lubricant there rather than add to the friction. We are not mainstream, and I am far less mainstream than dh, but hes happier rather than unhappier for it.

Um, yes, but it also has something like 1 billion people crowded into quite a small space, most of whom live in poverty. Overall, it is peaceful, but it has its hot spots, just like any country, and there are some major problems on its borders and with religious groups for sure. The U.S. is in righteous and, according to what we hear at times, religious wars outside its own country so its easy to feel it is more peaceful than it actually is.

Yup, I agree. I often sticky beak into them too, and see you there already, Rosie :) These boards are full of very many viewpoints, a lot of Christians, but quite a strong and vocal minority of secular folk. Denoting CC is just a tidy way of directing your post toward a certain segment of the board population, if you are looking for specifically Christian feedback on something, or sharing a particularly Christian experience, or asking for prayer. But theres no rule about it and if anyone is offended that they feel they "should" do it- there is no "should" that I know of. It is just a part of ever evolving cyberspace etiquette. I guess the reason us secular folk don't do it is that we are far less to write from a religious viewpoint unless a question draws out our views. We are not likely to, on this board, ask for Moslem prayers for our dying father, or ask you to meditate in a Buddhist way to send healing energy to our sick child.

Lovely to have you here, Prady. Thankyou for going to the effort of sharing that information. For me, it adds a nice breath of clarity to the whole discussion.

I think one of the issue we all have- Christians and non Christians alike- is that none of us are so extremely and unbiasedly educated as to really know the truth on a world wide basis over the last 2000 years, as to whether Christianity has done more good than harm in terms of it's invading other cultures, as to whether other cultures have been better or worse for it (on all levels), as to how it's conversions or influence compares to other religions in the good/suffering they have caused in the name of its religion or vaguely related to it. I dont know, and I dont believe any Christian or anyone can know without years and years of unbiased research and even then, I doubt it. I have heard of terrible things that have happened because of missionaries entering places. Awful. But I can't tell you the details because I dont remember. I can tell you that the stories I have heard have reinforced my concept that Christianity has been far from a force of good for many people. However, that concept has formed in my mind for so many reasons, and some of them are personal (going to a Christian school where I found the hypocrisy unbearable). I am not and cannot be unbiased, but really, my opinion is fairly worthless. But what I am saying is, so is any Christian's opinion in terms of the objective truth, because its not possible to know all the factors involved, or all the times and places where events have happened. Its just too much information, and much of it subjective. Someone already biased towards Christianity will probably be exposed, due to the culture they live in, to many "good things" Christians have done,and they will totally believe them and perhaps won't be exposed to or be as ready to believe all the bad things. It does come down to whether you take it all personally all not, and I can understand people defending their faith, but facts are facts nevertheless, and telling a few facts on one side of the specrtum actually doesnt lessen any facts on the other, and none of us can have the huge vision and perspective, and lack of prejudice, to know the whole spectrum. I think there is obviously a case for both sides, but ultimitely its only a case of finding facts to support your previously held belief. A debating exercise at best. I dont honestly believe we can know. And the best we can do is be open minded and open hearted, and not take it all so personally.