I have just been reading that 3 weeks ago many people knew it was a level 7- it took the Japanese govt 3 more weeks before officially letting people know. That it could be far worse than Chernobyl because not 1 but 3 or 4 reactors are involved- a multiple reactor event is previously unknown. And...Fukushima is happening in a very highly populated area compared to the largely rural countryside around Chernobyl. Just outside that 30km exclusion zone are several cities. So it is only different...but not necessarily any better and possibly much worse. And certainly not over yet. I don't understand the need to constantly minimise what is happening, although perhaps it is a response to our media hyped culture. I have also been reading that 340,000 people are still living in the city of Fukushima where the radiation levels are very high, and farmers are still in their fields...and they have not been given information on how to handle the situation. The farmers don't know whether their crops are contaminated, whether they can sell them etc. The information just isn't being given.

I am making a point of it at least 3-4 nights a week. Now that the kids are away all day, and have some evening activities, its all too easy to have staggered dinners, or eat in front of the computer or TV, because by the end of the day we all just want to catch up on our email! So when we are all here, we eat together and I make a point of it.

It took taking my dd to a chiropractor for her to "get" that she needed to exercise. I had been telling her, dh had been telling her, and we had actually forced her to come walking with us at times- we live in a beautiful area for walks. But, she wouldnt do any exercise voluntarily apart from her weekly gymnastics class. SHe was getting headaches- the chiropractor told her clearly that if she didnt get exercise DAILY and build the muscle tone in her body, she would have chronic pain her whole life. Hearing it from him made a difference. She exercises daily and has done ever since. We organised an exercise buddy for her for a while. If she doesnt get enough exercise, she feels it and makes it happen. SO in our case it took someone outside the family, someone official on her eyes, to make her realise how serious it is not to exercise. Dd was putting on weight- the exercise has made all the difference. We had been telling her gently that she needed to move, that she was putting on a bit of weight, but her resistance to exercise was too great for us to have an impact. She was too old, we felt, for us to control her diet anywhere but at home, where she eats well. We did schedule in morning exercise onto her homeschool schedule last year and the year before, but she owuld avoid it, or just walk round the corner , listen to her ipod, and come back! Thats how resistant she was. Now, she acutally enjoys her exercise and her weight is fine.

The OP was just making a point,using a common expression, not actually laughing. The authorities have tried to, and are still trying to, minimise the actual impact of the whole thing, right from the beginning. There is plenty of evidence of that. I think its worth directing your upset towards those who are not behaving with impeccability in the situation, rather than those on a message board trying to remind us that this is a huge emergency of dire proportions that is still continuing despite the media's moving on. Or, just send compassion to everyone affected.

Congratulations! And with Fair Isle as well? Amazing. I buy sock wool that does the fair isle for me :)

My 15yo still tries this one! Nowadays I just tell him lovingly-" well, I guess no I dont love you then", smile and move on. Its just a manipulative tactic- he tries them all the time! And he knows he is loved very much! But in a 5 yo I wouldnt tell them I didnt love them because they mightnt have the developed sense of humour to understand you are joking and calling their bluff. I guess it would depend if you felt they really didnt feel loved, or you didnt tell them much that you loved them- in which case I still wouldn't respond at that time, but later I might make a point of telling them- but no matter what, I would jst focus on the issue not on their attempts to blackmail you! I have told my kids sometimes that as a mother sometimes i need to practice tough love. Kids aren't stupid- they get it.

This forum is great for that connection with others- others who understand the difficulties of what you are going through as a homeschooler- also people to share those joys with that hardly anyone else understands. I connected up with some homeschool groups and although it took a while, I eventually found a group of several women to connect with, vent with, and hang out with while our kids played. Are there any homeschool activities in your area ? I found my friendships with my other women friends who dont homeschool, were much harder to maintain once I homeschooled- but I did maintain them to some extent- we are still friends. An occasional coffee or phone call can do wonders, even if you cant talk about homeschooling to other people.

My kids never thumb sucked but I did- I think I was about 12 when I finally gave it up. I remember it being very comforting, but my mother drawing the line at me sucking my thumb walking dow the street by a certain age (cant remember when!) :) I never got buck teeth- but my brother, a non thumb sucker, did- he needed braces and I didnt.

I did always keep some- and I probably still have some back there in the nether regions of the fridge somewhere. But...I wont buy any more and the lot I have will probably be ditched. Dh and I am both gluten free now and while the kids are not, its unlikely I would use the white flour for anything for them. FOr things like thickening sauces, I use cornflour. For cakes etc, I am learning to cook gluten free. So many people appreciate it when I take something gluten free to pot lucks, too.

People send me all sorts of alternative news stuff- this arrived in my inbox this morning: alligatorfarm.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/adverse-health-effects-of-radiation/ and this one from a friend on Facebook about the fact that while the radioactive iodine levels are dropping because of the short half life, there is a cover up on the fact that the cesium-134 levels have a half life of 30 years and so are not dropping- and of course massive amounts of it are now in the oceans too. alligatorfarm.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/adverse-health-effects-of-radiation/ This is just information and i just read and keep an open mind. I just don't think it can be good news overall. I do get frustrated that our very right wing newspaper here in my city- and we only have one! - keeps articles about Japan to one article in the world news section way in the middle of the paper nowadays. I search for the news daily on the internet- I don't rely on mainstream media.

I am an X and dh is a Baby Boomer. Dh is an entrepreneur and unusual in many ways- but highly competitive. I am a bit more of a non competitive and non conformist, and i can relate to not having that feminist axe to grind that my mother and grandmother were saddled with. Our kids, early generation Z, will be entrepreneurial, individualistic and self directed, so that fits.

Ooh, yes, I forgot- I tend to rearrange the furniture when he is gone. He pretends not to notice when he gets back :)

I dont think there is any one right answer to this issue. But I do know that while I am good at eating a wide range of foods and always have been, there are some foods I really, really detest, and if you made me eat them (and i wasn't starving) I would probably really, really resent you. ANd i am an adult with full reasoning function and an adventurous palette. I have given my kids the same rights I take for myself. I was a good eater as a child but my brother ate : potatoes, meat, bread, cereal, tomato soup, and sugar (eg icecream). Nothing green, his whole childhood. Nothing remotely looking like a balanced diet. He actually grew up healthy and got sick more rarely than I did. As an adult he has gradually added in more variety. Its not a life an death issue most of the time- and I agree with the pp who says, it's not our responsibility to make a child eat a balanced diet- only to prepare one and offer it (to some extent). I think the extent to which we are willing to cater to taste and allow alternatives (from a separate meal to cereal) is really personal and not worth splitting hairs over. We all have different tolerances for such things.

I have struggled with this for years because dh is also fussy and has not been completely respectful to me over my cooking, which has made it difficult to instigate appropriate boundaries for ds's fussing. However it is an issue we have worked on over the years and nowadays.... I won't make a kid eat something they hate. I won't make several meals unless I am feeling very generous. We have allergy issues as well as fussy issues and vegetarian/omnivore issues, so I am frequently making eg 2 types of pasta anyway, or cooking meat for the kids and a soy pattie for dh, along with the mashed potatoes and peas etc But, I wont tolerate rudeness either- from anyone. DH has actually convinced me that fussiness over food can be such a big issue that it can really cause trauma if a parent tries to "force" a kid to eat what they truly dislike. He swears he once ate a whole dressing gown in response to being forced to eat his mothers boiled tripe and boiled vegetables. SO he has a lot of empathy for ds, which hasn't helped me be tough with him at all. So I surrendered and dont force anything- and the range of foods he will eat has slowly expanded, and also his ability to prepare something for himself if he doesnt like what the family is eating. But for me- it was important that I was respected and acknowledged for trying to make meals people would like and eat which were at the same time somewhat healthy. If I failed and they didnt like it, I still deserve respect.

Oooh, its party time here too. Dh doesn't travel but he runs retreats a few times a year. He goes away for a week on Sunday! Woohoo! The thing is, dh works largely from home so is home most of the time, day in, day out, all day. Yes, its more relaxed. It's hard to explain but just overall there is less tension and we all lighten up. We probably eat a bit differently but not so much. I guess we don't do much differently really. But I get to MISS him. By the end of the week I will actually look forward to seeing him! Dh and dd are going to Paris in a few weeks. Ds and I will be alone for 10 days. I am so excited! We are going to a music festival for 2 of those days.

I am actually inspired by unschooling and know people IRL who do it. I didnt feel I could follow it with my ds because when he came home from school (to homeschool) he was very damaged and felt stupid and didnt feel he could learn, and so had given up trying. Yes, he had undiagnosed LDs- dyslexia, but might have been one of those "better late that early" kids successfully IF he had never gone to school. I also had to satisfy my dh that ds was going to learn with me to get him on board with homeschooling- dh gave me a 6 months trial period to prove I could do this- I knew he wasnt going to go with uschooling. He needed to see us doing something like school to feel confident I wasn't ruining our kids. I feel that "forcing" ds into a discipline of learning in a structured way overcame his lack of confidence- eventually. Whether he would have come to that place anyway, with an unschooling approach, I will never know, but I would have been a nervous wreck "waiting". SO to some extent- I could not have handled the wait, the risk. Its probably a personality thing- but given perhaps a different natured dh, or more support for unschooling, I might have gone that way. The other aspect is, like the pp mentioned about the "idealism" of allowing a child to eat what they naturally feel drawn to....I feel that it is sugar and junk foods that tend to "pervert" that tendency, and they are so prevalent that by about age 3, it is virtually impossible to protect a child from them. In the same way, I feel that computers and various forms of electronic entertainment tend to "pervert" the natural tendency toward exploring and learning in a more holistic and healthy, natural way. The electronics tend to feed any addictive tendency, and overstimulate and provide instant stimulation and feedback in a way that reading and building tree houses doesn't. So I think we have many "dangers" and obstacles to the ideal of unschooling in our society- although living out on a farm without electronics or access to junk foods etc might mitigate that to some extent. I do think there are some great models of educational approaches that are fairly child led and child empowering, while at the same time provide structure and a group approach. I have seen videos of schools in Russia where the kids are doing incredibly advanced things- real architecture etc, designing and planning unique buildings on their school grounds- with adult help and guidance, but not "control" in the way we tend to revert to. I think there is a lot of potential with the right people and approach, for bringing out a certain brilliance in many kids. I have never ben completely confident that the approach I took with my kids was the best or ideal one for each of them individually- but it was the best I could manage under the circumstances, given my lack of experience. I might do it differently if I were to homeschool again.

Well I haven't weighed myself for a few weeks now but I dont think I have put on any/much weight. I really hate that sinking feeling when I have though, so I am avoiding the scales- but in the mirror I think I look fine :) I am loving the No S structure though and it feels like I am really integrating it well. I know I am eating less because of the no snacking. It really was a habit and I think i did it a lot out of boredom. But I do enjoy my weekends and relaxing the no snacks and no sugar rules. Not that I eat much more really but the other day we were at some farmers' markets and I had 2 breakfasts (they were small but I did it without feeling guilty). And I gave myself permission to eat some fruit between meals. The autumn weather has just hit here and suddenly my appetite has increased- but I am sure that is natural. I just think of it as a lifestyle now, not as a diet. ETA: OOOH, I did gather the courage to weigh myself this morning and was rewarded with zero weight gain. Woohoo (I am pretty much at my ideal weight after losing 5-6 kgs late last year on WW). Thankyou No S diet!

Another tip for mood swings is to make sure you are eating regularly and not eating sugar. A regular, stable blood sugar is important, as well as a healthy diet with lots of vegies. Soy is a hot issue- do your research. Exercise is mood stabilising. For me, walking in the fresh air does the trick, or yoga. You might also find it useful to try one thing at a time so that you can tell what is and isnt working, when it comes to herbs.

:iagree: Not that i agree with rapid weight loss but if you are cleansing and doing your body some good, it might be a healthy approach.

Sounds great then!

I swear by naps. For me. Or a shower. Or, if I needed to feel productive amidst the chaos, I would just read aloud and we could cuddle on the couches.

We have one outside in the garden, but just outside the back door. Has a nice view of the vegie garden and the chooks :) We have just replaced our 6 person one with a 2-3 person one, because of the cost of power to run it (power costs have gone up considerably since we bought the first one 5 or 6 years ago). We love it! We generally have a spa morning and evening most days- especially now that this spa barely cools down even when turned off. The kids wander out to chat with us sometimes- we dont mind, or if we do, we send them away. Its where we often talk. If the kids are not around, its kinda nice to be alone with dh in the spa, in the garden :) The garden is private. But yes..if I were planning a house, it would be nice to have the spa off the main bedroom, although I personally like the outdoor feel.

I just do the smell test- if it passes I will wear it again (tops and undies excepted- they go straight to the wash after one wear usually). Its hot here in summer- but I still get several wears out of jeans and shorts, and even my summer dresses that don't touch my armpits. Armpits are the killers :) I am fussy and I do like clean clothes, but I dont like wastage.

Sure, but my idea of "friending" someone is not the same for every friend. I might spend some time getting to know this person before feeling out how much time I want to spend in them, to see whether i feel always drained after being around them and whether I am always the giver (which is ok sometimes but long term wont work), to see if I want to bring them closer into my family or just see them at some group we both have in common. I am not really an "all or nothing" type friend- I keep some friends much closer than others.

Tahini is sesame seed paste and an excellent source of calcium. I agree that you don't really need to worry about protein as long as you are eating real food (rather than a highly processed, white flour and sugar type diet). However, with so many allergies to protein type foods, if you feel you are craving protein, you might consider fish. Thats what i am doigng presently. But what i was going to say is ....its becoming very common for people to have all these allergies- but while it is important to avoid the food for now- its also important to work on your digestive system. Food allergies and many other common, modern diseases, are caused by what is called "leaky gut". Basically particles of food are escaping through your damaged gut lining into your bloodstream, and then the immune system attacks them and forms antibodies against them- which it shouldn't normally do to food, but it shouldn't be in your bloodstream. So underlying all the allergy issues is a gut issue, and that is where you need to work to heal your system- and eventually you will most likely be able to eat at least some of the foods you now cannot. It takes time though. One approach that seems to be effective for many people, is the GAPS diet. But you can also google leaky gut.