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re: secrets, we had a police officer speak to our co-op one year and he said that a good secret is something that will be told soon, like a gift for someone's birthday or a surprise party but a bad secret is one which will never be told. I thought that was a good way to explain it. We tell our kids that they are never going to be in trouble for tattling on an adult.

:grouphug:

This show is my guilty pleasure and I am what most would call a fairly conservative christian (ok, very much so) but they really seem like it works for them. They seem so normal and although I may not agree with it it saddens me that they can not just live their life. I think they are nice and although Kody seems a little goofy, I would love to visit with the ladies.

Up around 7:30, although I have an earlier riser who gets up and feeds himself, breakfast, chores and then to school around 8:30. We are done by lunch usually (11:30) and the afternoon is for extra stuff!

One of the best items I introduced to my SPD son is gum! I never would let him have it before, but it not only has helped him with the motor difficulty he experiences, but it satisfy's his sensory need when he has to sit still. Your 3.5 might be a little young for that, but keep it in mind. We also bought a large exercise ball for him to sit on rather than a chair, which we love. As for the brush, our OT gave us a regular scrub brush that the hospital staff uses to wash and it works fine. We also use athletic compression shirts like "Under Armour" rather than the vest as it was less expensive and worked for us. One friend made her own weighted blanket and she said her son loves it.

I loved Aldis when we lived near one. We got most of our items there, even thought they have a limited number of items. I wished that we had one near here. It has been a while but their milk and canned goods were always less then anywhere else.

I "let go" of a lot. . . .my sanity, my weight, my sense of style, a high paying job and career, the ability to go to the bathroom undisturbed, a clean house, restaurants without play places, etc. My kids, though, I am not going to "let them go." I am going to help them grow, physically, mentally, spiritually, and educationally, in an environment which allows them to progress at their own pace with all the support they need.

We had to put our cat to sleep last year and it is so tough. I do wish I done so a little bit sooner as I felt the time was near but thought she would go naturally. She lingered for much longer than expected and although she did not seem to be in any pain, her quality of life was very poor. I think taking her to the vet to be put to sleep allowed the kids to say goodbye. No matter the choice, it is always hard to say goodbye to a beloved pet. :grouphug:

This is similar to my story, except with a nine year old boy. I think home schooling has been a huge benefit as we could stress the subjects he excelled in while taking our time in the areas he struggled with (handwriting due to pencil grip).

My son had similar issues, as well as difficulties with speech and we finally saw an OT and found out that he has sensory processing difficulties. Sometimes, sensory issues can manifest in a way similar to ADD/ADHD. He had a year of OT, although he has had speech for a while and still needs help.

My son has sensory processing difficulties and I swear he could not speak in a quite voice. When I ask him to use a "little" voice, he really thinks that he is and cannot understand why I am still getting after him. We do not use the phrase "inside" voice b/c for him that is LOUD also. As he has gotten older he has broadened his levels of voice but it really took come time. He also got anxious b/c he was truly not understanding the distinction in the levels of his voice. Of course, I am sure when he is a teenager I will be complaining about how all he does is mumble and I cannot hear him and wishing he would speak up!

First, I am so sorry for your daughter's hurt feelings. It is hard when your children are hurting. I do not yet have teens but we are what most would call a very conservative family. Even so, we are very open to different relationships with different types of people as I do not feel like I have a monopoly on what is right. Because of our beliefs, I could see us limiting where we would allow our children to attend but I would hope that I would do so with grace and tact. I wish I had wise words to share with you to help ease your child's hurt. Maybe focusing on the fact that her friend must respect her a lot as she wants to attend events with her even thought her parents are discouraging her. Your daughter is living her faith by inviting her friend and that speaks volumes about her own character. I know none of what I am saying is very helpful but my heart really grieves at the situation.

:grouphug:

My son receives speech services and it was twice a week which was too much for him and for our schedule. I asked the SLP to assign homework and we now go once a week and work at home on the homework. Now, I know others may disagree with this, but we receive speech services from the local school. I have had no problems at all as a homeschooler and, as our insurance would not cover it, it saves us a lot of $.

Has anyone out there read this book? It was an interesting read and I went back and forth between being horrified by the mom's parenting style and being somewhat in awe of her dedication. Thoughts?

I think it can be taught, learned, and developed. Like most things, more is "caught" then is "taught" and it is up to us as parents to show our kids how to use common sense and to highlight the importance of sound judgement. I think as homeschool parents, we are presented with a lot of opportunities to help our children work through situations and to see the importance of thinking before acting. In our family we talk through things a lot, whether it is our own actions or those of others, and discuss why one course of action may be better than another. That is not to say that there are not other factors which play into it (child's personality, surrounding circumstances) but I think a child needs to be taught that there are wise and unwise decisions and how to weight them out. Now, with that being said, I am going to exercise unwise decision making and go have a dessert I have no business having, rather than the healthy fruit I should have. :tongue_smilie:

Hey, I have been called an elitist also! But I do not think that I am better than public school families, I think I am better then everyone! :tongue_smilie:

Here people say "do what?" for "Excuse me. Could you please repeat that?" They also have to draw it out so it sounds like "dooo whaaaat?"

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I had to deal with this today. We have a kindergarten age girl who lives across the street and I made her and my daughter go to the mom and ask each time they moved, from the front yard to the back yard, then the back yard to inside. This way, the mom knows where she is and I have enforced the "you may not come over/in unless you have asked your mom and me." On another note, this family does not know us very well so I am surprised they let her come over/in. I only let my kids play at close friends houses.

I aim for mediocrity every day that way I am never disappointed!

MY SPD son loves gum! I let him chew like a cow (at home) and it not only helps work his mouth muscles but it actually helps him to focus. We also have a large exercise ball that I let him sit on while we are doing school.

But when do you grind your own wheat?

I have people who have "friended" me who I am pretty sure would walk over my body if they found me laying on the road as they do not acknowledge me when we pass each other in public.