Apparently they are, yes. Thank goodness. But there in the U.S. you also have nuclear power stations on or near fault lines as well, apparently. You know, to an ordinary everyday non scientifically trained citizen like myself, it just seems absolutely nuts, insane, crazy, to build nuclear power stations along fault lines or in a country like Japan that is seismically active all the time. Really. Why it takes disasters for common sense to rule I don't know. Its just obvious. But its always economics first, environment second, economics first, long term consideration 2nd. Economic first, people second. I'll get off my soap box now. When will people stop putting money first and think what is for the greater good for once? OK, now I will really get off.

Adult or child? THe approach would be different if my friend had low self esteem, or myself, or my child. Presuming it's a child- helping them find their strengths and working gently with their weaknesses. I had a child with low self esteem but only in some areas and it has taken many years but now as a teenager he seems to be blossoming- his social self esteem is very high- its more his belief in himself academically that has been an issue. Too much praise can backfire- my son used to feel I was not telling the truth when I told him he was doing well- but still, obviously a certain amount of positive reinforcement can help. I think it's important that parents model healthy self esteem. Low self esteem is endemic in western society and it often shows up as the opposite appearance- arrogance- also, which is a kind of over compensation. For adults- I think therapy can help, or reading therapy books.

I dont set an alarm because I think alarms are really bad for your health. I just go to bed early enough to wake up when I want to wake up and get enough sleep. Lately thats around 5.30am- I go to bed around 10pm. Plus I have afternoon rests. I do not go sleep deprived except when I get PMS insomnia. I love early mornings- I am a morning person and always have been. I wake up fresh. That may be long years of habit though, but even as a child I would get up earlier than I had to to get some before school exercise. I dont think I could motivate myself to jump out of bed eagerly though if I was dreading the day, or if I intended to "make" myself do something i dont really want to do, though. I love my morning meditation time, and my first cup of tea, and checking my email before everyone gets up and wants my attention- I also love the fresh air, watching the early morning light and sunrise, and the sound of the birds at dawn. I always think its sad that so many people miss the most beautiful part of the day :) It is also a productive time of day if you are motivated.

My daughter's artwork. I had my kids make detailed maps of different countries and put them up. Classical art prints.

I imagine a lot has to do with your individual child's nature etc. I really dont have the answer to this one but i do think about it a fair bit because I often wonder what I could have done differently. My dd16 is fine- but we found an alternative pathway for her to university and she is naturally bright and capable, and is thriving in her TAFE college course. She never did have to complete algebra or chemistry to get where she is going (Journalism/Mass Communication type areas) so she has managed to get through "highschool" specialising in her good areas and her passions, such as photography and filming. And she is very self motivated in those. Ds15 is and always has been my challenge because dd was compliant and easy going. When you have a kid who resists and fights you, its a different road you travel with them. He is the one I have often wondered if I could have handled differently. I always told myself that he/we could never unschool because his self esteem was so damaged from early school to grade 2, that he would never try anything new or push himself at all, for fear of failure. I am probably still comfortable with that decision but trying to make this kid a classical student has been so difficult and i wonder if a different approach would have worked better- although he actually did quite well at Latin, strangely. One thing I did with him that I regret, was try to push too hard, because I always felt he was behind. He was, in some ways, but pushing a child who is behind doesn't help at all. They still need to work at their own pace. I think I did more damage by moving on too soon, than I would have by just taking more time- mainly in maths. The thing with helping a child be self motivated- when they just aren't naturally- is that it involves so much letting go of control as a parent. Because if you have a set agenda, a picture of the outcome you would consider acceptable, and it involves a fair amount of structure and self discipline and certain subjects etc etc- well, thats your agenda and not the kids' and unless they are compliant or can see the point, they arent going to be self motivated to do it. If you want the kid to be self motivated, you have to find what motivates them and worth with that. I guess we did a lot of that within the parameters I was working with- finding topics to write about that he was interested in, books he would like to read etc There is a lot of scope with homeschooling to do that even within a classical type structure. But it wasn't enough to make my son not fight me in many areas every single day. I have been working much more with asking nicely rather than demanding, just in the way I speak. That is kind of what I was referring to in the previous thread. Its so easy to fall into a pattern of "do this, do that" and for some kids, it sets up automatic resistance. I dont really know if I could have done it differently but I am working on it now with small things- such as asking that they do their chores when they forget or don't do them. Dh and i got very upset with ds on Sunday when he actually refused to empty the rubbish bins- a 15 minute job he does every Sunday. He was tired after a camp and I suspect he just didn't like the way dh told him bluntly to do them in the evening. The next day I sat with ds and asked what's going on that he just doesn't want to do them, that he would say no (and then he only did some we foudn out later- which is what upset us). He poured out a lot of emotional stuff about what is going on in his life at the moment- and i am glad I listened because I can see its rough and overwhelming for him. That didnt stop me then sharing what its like as a parent when he refuses to contribute to the family at all...and i felt heard, although he didnt want to hear it. But he did hear it and communication happened rather than just authoritarian parenting. I wonder how much I could have done that with homeschooling more- really checked in with him what was going on for him- why he didn't want to do this or that. If he had a better idea for how to do it. etc Just been more open to his intelligence working on his own behalf- rather than always doing and planning it for him. My obsessiveness with curriculum and the next great program and my high ideals etc may have got in the way of being more open to a way that might have worked better for him, that was still acceptable for me. But its all conjecture and I don't know, really. Now ds15 is at school.....he seems to be more self motivated and he often tells me so many of the other kids aren't but some of them are really, really bright He doesn't want to appear stupid because that is his underlying fear from his early days at school when he didnt learn to read and write as quickly as the other kids. He also has some ambition. Has has apparently been placed into the top stream in all subjects- he really, really wants to stay there and not be put down. That is perhaps his strongest motivation. So school seems to have been the right thing for him at this point. I really dont have the answers for how I could have fostered more self motivation in the younger years though. I do suspect my ds might have done well with the Moores approach to homeschooling- IF he had started homeschooling at the beginning and not been damaged badly by a couple of years in school. That would have involved a LOT of play, learning names of things, and setting up his own business etc- and starting academics later, about age 8. My panicking that he was already behind stopped me following that path with him but I think it would have suited his personality as he has always been a late bloomer. Who knows. Its interesting to think about though.

My kids are both gone this year for the first time after 7.5 yrs of homeschooling. As Laura said- more time to enjoy just being a mum, its kinda peaceful here, more time to do the housework and cook a decent evening meal....I have grieved somewhat for the intensity and identity of homeschooling but this new phase has it's beauty too. Probably best to focus on the good stuff. I also am enjoying seeing my kids thrive with the stimulation of school/college. They were both really ready for it and are loving it. For me its like an extension of homeschooling, in a way- I am just putting them in a situaiton where they receive their next phase of education- but I am still the one in control, so to speak. It is different from the parents and kids who cant conceive of any option other than the institution of school. We are using the system, not slaves to it, if that makes sense.

We started reading HP when the first book came out- I cant remember when that was now but the kids were between 7 and 12 probably about 9. We read each book (I read them all aloud except for the last one) as it came out. The movies didn't come out for a while and we just watched each as it came out. I do think kids tend to read and watch things younger than they probably should- my kids were the right age but the movies certainly get darker and darker, as do the books. But there is something wonderful about reading them all together as a family, too. Wonderufl memories.

Yes, definitely, although homeschooling was my consuming passion for years. I have a strong interest in natural health and medicines, yoga, knitting, sometimes painting /drawing, I have a social group that is spiritually based that I attend fortnightly, and I was in a band for quite a while and have various musical inclinations. I also go through phases of getting into organisation, decluttering, that sort of thing, and love studying new methods for that (no one else shares my interest here :)) Also gardening, reading, and spending time in nature alone. Homeschooling came first for years but now the other interests are taking up more of my time. The housework is getting done, too.

I do think your dh is correct that modern kids need to be familiar with computers, but it IS possible to put limits around the electronics. Also, its probably too late for your kids but I think it is fine to keep kids away for the electronics for quite a few years before exposing them to them. There is no need for 4 year olds to play computer games, but if their older siblings are doing it, its hard to stop or exclude them. For many years our limit was one hour of electronics after schoolwork (TV/ computer/ playstation), plus any family TV shows we watched together (often 1 or 2 episodes each evening). That was on weekdays- on weekends it was 2 hours a day. Until they were teenagers that worked really well. Once they started social networking, a large part of their social life started connecting up through the computer, so nowadays we have different limits. I had no limits recently but it was getting out of hand. I have just put a limit back for ds15 who is going to highschool - 9.30 bedtime and no computer till homework is done. He is ok with it because he was finding it hard to limit himself.

Yes- and even natural liver cleanses can be hard on the system so really trust your instincts on that, Jean, and go gentle (but I agree that castor oil packs are a lovely gentle way to go). It does sound like your body is healing itself quite well.

:iagree:

For me there may be some correlation- I do feel better when my weight is lower, and am more likely to dress more girlie. But I still think being girlie is a characteristic that has developed as I have aged, anyway, irrespective of my weight.

I have always walked most days. I live in a beautiful area near a river. I also do yoga, chi king, sometimes weights at home. I call that low/medium intensity, and most weeks its half an hour walk a day plus a couple of hours a week of yoga/other things. Ever since the kids were little (4 or 5) I would put on a video (back then it was videos :) ) and go for my walks. Dh also has worked from home a lot so I have been able to leave thme with him, too. Also, I tend to walk early in the morning, often before everyone else is up.

Lol. Well, I gave it to my dd around that age (maybe 14?) and she did enjoy it- and the next couple of books in t he series- but after a while she did make the comment "mum, you do realise those books are full of sex scenes, dont you? I mean, like, full of them?" Oops, I didnt remember so many- I remembered a rape scene at the beginning of the first one, that's all- and I was a bit surprised. But this is mature dd and I dont feel any harm was done, and I think the books have a lot of beauty in them too, and also show a strong female role model which was my intention with them. But if you are conservative and dont want to expose your kids to sex scenes, well, they are not the books for them.

Its never been an issue- even in their homeschooling circles they always had plenty of exposure. I havent got int the way of it much though, although we have never watched commercial television. I will let them play their songs in the car- they will try and find ones that they think I like, and teach me the words :) I think homeschooling did protect them from the worst of it- they have both commented to me how annoying it was last week that a new computer game (Pokemon?) out and that's all their friends could talk about all week- and not only didn't they feel left out- they just weren't interested and found it very immature. They are so *over* Pokemon. But they had their Pokemon phase. It just happened naturally. It hasnt been something I have made an effort about. I was more interested in exposing them to classical music and books and beautiful concepts. The popular stuff just happened on its own. But we live in the city and they have lots of friends, both schooled and non schooled.

Dd16 drinks coffee daily and has done for about 2 years. I put her onto it because she was finding it so hard to switch on in the mornings and concentrate. The coffee really helped. Then her dad started drinking coffee too and now they regularly go out for coffee together, and have a coffee ritual at home. Its probably not ideal for her, but she only has one shot, and one or 2 cups in the morning, and it does help her with getting going in the mornings.

Mine have done the same- I am 43. I always used to have a long (up to 6 weeks), irregular cycle. The last 2 years or so it has been closer to 3 weeks- 4 is a long one now. I must admit I thought it was because of the progesterone cream I was taking for a while because it did coincide- but now you have said the same- I am wondering if it is just common anyway.

My gut feeling when I read the OP was that there might be a developmental issue there. I agree with Joanne. A baby is not "stubborn" as such- its not like they deliberately decide not not walk- there is something else going on, perhaps emotionally. However, as others have also said...even if there is....it doesn't mean the OP can do anything much other than what she is doing. She sounds like she is doing everything right. I also think that more play and less school might be good, too. But it is so hard to know- I would think a good check up might help, also, even if just to help the OP to gather information which might help her. In the end though, you just have you and your child and your mama instincts. But if you find out there is some issue, it might help you not take it personally, and find more patience and peace around it. A dx of dyslexia didnt change a thing for my with my son but it encourage me to keep going as I was doing and it made us both feel a lot better about his difficulties. He also has some traits of what you are saying with your son, but not as extreme by the sounds of it.

They have never been a big deal around here- either jigsaw or word puzzles or Mind Bender puzzles- they have never tended to do them for fun. I have however at times incorporated them into school time and then there is more willngness :) FOr a while there I had them doing a jigsaw puzzle while I read aloud- I had all these map puzzles and I didnt want them wasted :).

I have 2 pairs of boots (mostly for riding on the motorbike with dh- one soft, light summer pair and one heavy duty winter pair), one pair of runners, one pair of crocs, one pair of Birks for winter, and one pair of comfortable day to day slip ons for summer. I threw out most of my shoes a few months back because I tend to wear the same shoes all the time anyway. I am not one of those people with a shoe fetish but I cannot wear uncomfortable shoes.

I buy cheap over ripe bananas, peel them and chop them up, and keep them in the freezer for smoothies. I take a handful of frozen bananas, a handful of greens (baby spinach and kale are tasteless) and water and/or juice. Berries optional. Also a favourite is orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed) blended with greens. At first my kids didnt like the colour but after my many experiments with adding berries to change the colour, and many of them just turning out grey instead of purple, they kind of surrendered and just drink them whatever colour they come as long as they taste good. Its the only greens I can get them to eat usually (although one will eat broccoli), so I try to make them a green smoothie every day. I like Victoria Boutenkp- here is her blog on Green Smoothies. greensmoothiesblog.com/green-smoothie-questions/

http://ljkboerner.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/why-give-iodide-for-radiation-poisoning/ Japan has stockpiled iodine tablets for its own population in case of such a scenario.

Yes, I would be a little concerned if I were you in America...might be worth stocking up on some iodine. If it realyl does melt down like Chernobyl it will blow across to you.

It sounds to me Jean that your body is expelling it which is what its meant to do. But it might have done some damage to your intestinal walls on the way. Activated charcoal may help to absorb it and contain it so that your intestinal lining doesn't get burned by it. Meanwhile...there are things you can take to help soothe the lining, such as slippery elm powder- it might also provide a bit of protection as your body excretes the tea tree. You might find a good health food store has products that may well include slippery elm, which help people with issues like irritable bowel- which should also help soothe the lining of your intestines. Drink LOTS of water and fluids to keep it moving through. And of course the probiotics/yoghurt. It does seem very irresponsible to put tea tree in a supplement but for many people it might not affect them so badly since it must be a pretty small quantity. My dh and I have very different systems- I tend to have a cast iron stomach and I can imagine I might handle a supplement like that for a short while- but dh's system is so delicate digestive wise and he has to be so careful what he eats and what supplements he takes or he can end up easily poisoned and take weeks to get his gut back in order. Your system is compromised already- it obviously didnt handle it- but it is doing its job of excreting it. It might be another couple of days of discomfort but it should pass- then treat yourself for a damaged gut lining such as an irritable bowel protocol, to heal it. Here in AUstralia we have some good products but I dont know the ones in the U.S.- we have practitioner only powders - my dh is on one for his sensitive gut. It wouldn't do any harm to phone the poison line just to find out what information they have, also. I imagine tea tree could hurt the liver as well, which is going to make you feel pretty awful- but once it has got out of your system, it will heal. The human body is a self healing organism given the support it needs.

First baby was a 3 day long ordeal. 2nd baby- waters broke at 6.30pm after very gentle contractions for a few hours, got to birthing centre at 7pm, baby born 7.35, home by 9pm. Still, there was no sense of not having enough time. It just all went very smoothly and easily. You will know- it will be fine.