For us it was a particular circle of homeschool kids, non Christian (because we aren't Christian), and also the whole Scouting movement (which is co-ed here). Then a teenage gymnastics class with a mixture of some of both those circles of kids in it. The feeling of belonging to a peer group, and the sense that they had a world apart from their parents, was crucial to their contentment with homeschooling. And eventually, for us- my kids are extremely social- even that wasn't enough, but it got us through many years of periodic rumbling discontent.

We are all a bit like that around here- especially dh. We call it energy sensitivity, but may as well call it "emotion absorbing". The thing is, someone can appear happy, but if they aren't underneath, it still can affect us. I think some of us are built more sensitively in that way- it makes us good emotional weather guages- but it can be uncomfortable. It can even make you sick. We handle it by...avoiding it if possible. As in, if someone is spewing toxic emotions, we walk away. That's not always the case, of course. We don't allow ourselves to be sounding boards when it always makes us feel bad. So- that can be a boundary issue. Some people like to share because it makes them feel better- but it is a type of off loading. You do it sometimes for friends- but not all the time. They need to learn how to process stuff themselves. But as you say, you want to be able to listen and be empathic at times, particularly to loved ones. We shower. Literally. We have a shower, preferably cold. It shocks the system and seems to release the emotional energy. Also, walking in nature helps, and so does dancing. But mostly- we shower. If I come home from a party or visit with a friend that makes me feel a bit overloaded- I shower immediately, finishing with 10 seconds of cold water. It sounds strange- but I have learned it is absolutely best not to sleep on that sort of energy. Perhaps if your husband has a rough job and needs to talk to offload when he gets home from work- a shower first will help him offload a bit before he talks to you. It sounds strange, but it is our reality here and we talk about this stuff all the time. Energy transfers, and we are all energy beings.

I have been GF for about 9 weeks and I wasn't really noticing a lot of difference (I don't seem to get digestive issues that I can notice, with gluten), but when I went back to my doctor and she asked me, suddenly I realised that I haven't been having aches and pains like I was getting regularly. So the gluten seems to cause an inflammatory reaction in many people. And can muck around with the immune system (I have auto immune issues). It could be that the shock of getting a lot of foods that you have been avoiding, caused your system to freak out mildly- could have been anything.

Since I have become more organised as I have got older, but dh has become even more of a pack rat- just a few days to pack my stuff and the general communal stuff- and another few weeks to pack dh's stuff. Fortunately he does take responsibility for his own stuff and wouldn't expect me to pack it. Last time we moved- we had a council pick up and managed to get rid of HEAPS of rubbish the week before we moved. We still needed the largest sized truck, and two runs, to move our stuff. I didn't have time to sort through it all that time. It really was a highly stressful and horrific experience- ad we had lots of friends helping! In the years since then, I have been sorting and sorting and decluttering because I NEVER want to go through that experience again.

Oh, thankyou you sweety pies! Actually, my dh threw me a party this year, a couple of days ago. The 2nd b'day party I have ever had as an adult- the last one was my 30th. (I am 44 today!). I am having a very lovely day-- a walk on the beach this morning with dh, and lunch out. And a long afternoon nap. What else could I possibly ask for? :) thanks everyone

They mean well but they are in reaction, not a healthy response, to gender stereotyping. They are trying something, but most people can see it isn't going to have the result they intend. Hopefully no great harm will be done. We have very cute pictures of my son in a pink fairy costume. When he was little he used to love his sisters dressing him up as a girl and putting his long hair up. We allowed it. He had long hair till around age 10 or 11. No harm done- you would never consider him anything but mannish now, at age 15, though he is also sensitive. There is a balance between wanting your child to be totally free- which I see they are attempting- and bringing them up to be well adapted to the society they live in. I personally love being female and embrace it completely- and glad I don't have much testosterone in my system. Even little boys have testosterone though.

Oh the poor thing. I thought the thread was going to be about spelling- since we in Australia, as well as the British, spell our mothers Mum or Mummy. I had never made the connection with Egyptian mummies though. I wonder who thought that name up for embalmed bodies?

:iagree: I was the same- at first, it was a little tricky and I must admit there are things I still haven't learnt to do on my Mac that I knew how to do on my PC. (I have only had my Mac less than 4 months though). But overall- once the initial learning phase is past- Mac is just so lovely to use. My favourite thing- is being able to leave it on all the time, and come and go through the day- it shuts down to standby a few minutes after I stop using it, but kicks back on instantly when I shift the mouse. No waiting 5 minutes for it to boot up! Even in the morning- or in the middle of the night when I get up for a pee or can't sleep- I can go and check my email in seconds!

Get a full health check with bloodwork. As a pp said, B12 deficiency can result in all sorts of symptoms- so can Vitamin B, iron, magnesium, Vit D deficiency. They can overlay underlying symptoms and make them much worse. Also, hormones can do that too. If you rule out physical issues - you need to shift to emotional or psychological help. Do you exercise? Get enough space? Eat well? A liver cleanse can help with anger too- when the liver is toxic the emotional response in the body is irritability and anger. A liver cleanse can make you feel like a huge weight is lifted from you. Good luck- go get some help. Tell your husband you just aren't feeling right- you don't need to tell him the whole truth if that would only make things harder for you. Take care of yourself.

Mac lover here- I have an ipod, ipad, and now an Imac. DH has an iphone. BUt we were PC poepel for many years before I shifted us all towards Macs. I dont understand the virus thing, though. To me, it seems most people I know- any even on these boards- have Macs. Even the college Dd goes to has all Mac computers. Ds is getting his own Mac computer at school. So who is still buying PCs with all those potential viruses? It seems to me it would be worth a virus maker's while to hit Macs, even just for the challenge. But, so far so good- no viruses.

Well, I guess he had 2 ways to turn after May21st. Either he back down and apologise for being so terribly wrong. Or he says he just got the date wrong, again. It doesn't surprise me at all that he decided on the 2nd option. He seems to live for this apocalyptic type excitement. It's what makes his life worth living, what gives it meaning, I guess.

Some people just love and thrive on the drama. I really don't get why people take things so personally on a message board. It's a debate of ideas. It's natural to be touched- that stimulates further thinking, but to use big loaded words like persecution is just way over dramatic. I think the art of debate is practiced here beautifully and frequently, but many of us could do with more training in it.

I love to travel whether it's overseas, or a weekend away. I was taken to England, Scotland, Iceland and also the U.S. when I was 7, New Zealand when I was 11, and Vancouver and the west coast of the U.S. when I was 13. We also travelled around the state frequently for holidays all my childhood. When I was 21 I went to India for 3 months, and again when I was 36 and 37, each time for 3 weeks, leaving the kids with their dad. I have been to Bali 4 times. I look forward to more travel as the kids grow up and we are freer to do so, but I also just love going away for the weekend. I am a homebody but I love to adventure too.

Oh wow, some of you have been through a lot! I would say my marriage itself has been difficult but we really haven't had much to deal with from outside, that has impacted on us. I have 2 sick parents but they live a long way away and that doesn't impact our marriage. It is more from within, and because we are so different. A few deaths of friends over the years. A miscarriage. Dh's daughter (my stepdd) and her dramas and difficulties over the years- I guess they were pretty tough on our marriage. But it just seems like life, and everything is spaced enough that it's not all at once. I guess we are lucky.

I think you are learning what works for your own dd and that is commendable. If she is autistic you have extra work finding what really works for her. If you are interested in classical/CM, maybe you can find a balance as she grows older, as you focus more on written language- you don't need to be extreme. For example, you can read a book/story about something then you can watch a movie or program on TV about it. We did both as I have 2 visual kids- but we did focus a lot on absorbing complex language as in classical literature because TV just can't do that. Sure, it can provide information. Your daughter is young. While being visual may be dominant for her- many of us over the years have seen fit to encourage all the learning styles, so that we may emphasise one but also use auditory, kinesthetic etc means as well. I think most kids do respond well to a variety of mediums for learning, even if they have a preference. You obviously dont want her only being able to learn through TV, so its worth using a lot of reading to her (which is IMO one of the main ways to expose kids to classical literature) and discussions with her about what she reads. There is a big difference between, for example, watching the Disney version of Pinocchio or Peter Pan, and reading the books- there is so much richness in the books which has to be left out of the movies. The language of classical literature alone, develops brain neurons and connections that just can't be done with watching TV. But that doesn't mean you can't use TV as well. Also- watching TV is a very passive activity, even if one is learning from it- reading takes more effort and that also develops brain pathways. I guess it depends what you want- why you are attracted to the classical/CM approaches. If it is to develop a very rich atmosphere for learning, a broad knowledge base for life, and highly developed skills in language- TV alone obviously won't cut it, but there is no reason it can't be a part of it. There is some evidence that too much TV in those early years does inhibit certain developmental activities of the brain. Kids who love TV often lose over time the ability to entertain themselves with imaginative play, they get bored easily and crave the overstimulation that TV (and computer games) provides (they can literally be addictive)...I think there is a trade off. But we live in a technological age and many of us have used technology to enhance the educational experience- but not to replace it. I think you can have it all- within reason, and within balance, and still gain much of the benefit of a classical education, but you need to understand why you want the classical education in the first place, and what it really means for you. Many people are attracted to parts of it, and not other parts. There are no homeschool police. You have an autistic child- you will have a unique path to treat with her and will of course need to take many cues from her as to what she needs, and no one can tell you what is right for you. But that is the same for any of us using these methods- we all find our own place on the spectrum and every one of our homes reflects a different flavour because there is not just one way to educate classically, either. Take inspiration from it and then do what works for you and your dd.

I think its mostly personality although conditioning might have some effect- I don't think it will change the basic personality type. Some people just like to be busy and some don't feel the need to be so productive- or that need is fulfilled at work, and at home they want to rest and do what they want to do because at work they are being told what to do, or obligated to work. Neither is better than the other and both have their consequences. I do tend to think our society is a bit stuck on the concept that we are supposed to be productive all the time, though.

A police officer at a party? Really? Here, they would have no authority for that sort of thing at all- that is a private issue. Being potentially arrested at a party for wanting to have your kids near you? Really? Here, a security guard might be hired- and they would still have no legal authority to separate kids from parents. They might just ask you to leave though. I would want to know on the invitation, also, that there would be an adults only part of the party and kids would be taken care of in another area, so that I coudl make that judgment call before the party.

We have a small and a medium sized dog- neither are aggressive but both will bark the suburb to deafness if they see something unusual around (often a cat, actually!) I think that alone would be a deterrent to most intruders. They dont bark annoyingly but they do bark - mainly the little one- when someone comes to the door. But you would need to get a dog from puppy so that it bonded with your family, so that is a year or so I guess of growing before its ready to defend your family. Meanwhile- do you have security doors and windows on your house? I tend to keep the front security screen door locked when I am home alone- and the back ones too. After experiencing a house break in when the kids were very small, while we were home sleeping, we are not lax about security. We had left an unsecured window open- we just don't do that anymore. We rent, but we always put our own security onto the windows and doors if there isn't any already.

I have learned not to care so much and just shut the door. Every couple of weeks they feel motivated to tidy their rooms when a particular friend is coming over (especially of the opposite sex!). But we do have the same problem in the TV area that they tend to use exclusively. Dh doesn't hand out pocket money until things are tidy. Or we just say not TV or computer till this area is tidy. I have learned to be really, really patient with it all and not expect that just because i say it this time, they will never mess it up again. So, its a regular occurrence- please tidy the TV area before you watch TV. Or, your room is so bad I cant see the floor- go in there and so something before I drive you to wherever. Getting upset just upsets me. And never helps. The thing is to find something to hold over them- pocket money, screen time- and withhold it until the job is done.

While it may be caused by what the others have suggested- make sure his bowels are moving really regularly. Chronic constipation can cause bad breath and it's pretty common.

I am not sure of the pathways involved since you have your spleen removed. You might find some things don't do anything for you to stimulate immunity, because the pathways in your body no longer exist. Its an interesting case! So some herbs might work because they work through the spleen, for example, yet perhaps others have different pathways. But I don't know enough to know how each one works. How about working on your digestive tract- there is a lot of evidence nowadays that having balanced microflora in your intestines is key to good health in many areas. I am not so much into tablets (although i am sure they help many)- but make sure you have good bacteria, whether from yoghurt, kefir, miso, fermented foods, etc plus a good diet. Without a spleen you can't afford to eat badly- you need to take extra good care of yourself, no excuses! That includes getting enough sleep and minimising stress, as well as not exposing yourself to people who are sick unnecessarily. But I agree with everyone else's suggestions- also, I know this seems unscientific, but trust your instincts- if you feel drawn to a particular herb or vitamin, trust it and try it for a while. I know I love the herb astragalus as an immune system tonic- I just have a good feeling about it for my system. Ginseng might be a good long term tonic for you, also, as an all round system strengthener (I like Siberian Ginseng but sometimes take a product that has several types of ginseng in it). To build your system, you really need tonic herbs- they are the ones you take long term (astragalus, ginseng, reishi and other mushrooms, cod liver oil, Vitamin D). I would suggest things like oregano oil, garlic, usually echinacea- these are things that are good to take either when you are exposed, or when you feel you might be coming down with something, and while sick- they are meant to be more short term. There are some good mushroom products out nowadays that I would tend to use like that too- more like antibiotics (since antibiotics do come from fungus, many mushrooms are good for immunity).

The book Curly Girl is really more how to look after curly hair- not how to get your hair curly. The leaving in of conditioner is to define and nourish existing curls, and the no shampoo stops matting and frizz. For fine, fair hair- no suggestions here, as i have it too. Curly girl methods work for my dd16 who has ringlets. Not for me, with wavy hair- its too heavy on my fine fair hair. A good haircut that layers my hair brings out the curls, for what they are (more wave than curl, but definitely not straight). I air dry and run my fingers through my hair as it dries. The layered hair cut has always been the key, though. I would just accept your dd's beautiful fine fair hair as it is rather than feed discontent over it- and for special occasions, use a curling wand perhaps.

I only found out about the Rapture last night- so I had a look online. I find it amazing to see that so many websites are promoting this. Why are people that gullible? I wonder if most of these people who truly believe it kept money in their bank accounts and their mortgages paid up "just in case". And I wonder what will happen on May 22 to them. Will they actually have a look at themselves or just make excuses and shift the date? Human stupidity apparently knows no bounds, but i feel sorry for the kids involved. I imagine if they are old enough they will lose respect for their parents. As they should.

My dd has long botticcelli fine curls- she rarely shampoos. Once we both read Curly Girl, she just started wetting her daily and using conditioner and a wide toothed comb in the shower. So you condition, comb through the conditioner in the shower, rinse (the thicker the hair, the less you need to rinse at all). Why don't you just use conditioner? The water should be enough to clean her hair. I remember those years of combing the knots out of dd's curly hair. And many kids' scalps are so sensitive. We use very big toothed afro combs.

Oh, Don Juan makes me completely melt. I haven't seen that movie for years..I think I need to :)