When I have to give my cat pills or liquid, I set her on top of the dryer and immediately grab her upper jaw from above to pull it open. I shove the pill to the back/squirt the liquid to the back, clamp her mouth shut, and stroke her throat until she swallows. It usually works fine. She's a pretty squirmy cat when it comes to being held, so the dryer top works best for us.

Extra virgin coconut oil works well - it gets absorbed into the skin, but it also protects well. I have a good friend that swears by it, and she also said it healed eczema rash sores on one of her dc. Some people swear by Bag Balm (I couldn't handle the smell, so I never tried it). Zinc oxide ointment works well for some people. I hope you find something that will help your little guy!

If this person really doesn't want to hear other sides of the story, is it worth sharing them? Really worth it? Not everyone wants to hear all sides when they share things, they just want to get in their talking quota for the day, KWIM? I'd consider discussing your frustration with the person at a non-conflict time, but if it doesn't go well, I'd just let it go and smile and nod. Some people take any kind of disagreement as a personal affront and think others are trying to get the better of them or trying to show off their superior intelligence or education. It may be worth salvaging the relationship at the expense of biting your tongue, but that's up to you do decide.

I'm sure your library would have them, if you don't. It amazes me how well their methods work, and how well-received they are by my dc. When I forget and get too authoritarian or nag, things fall apart. When I use the Love and Logic techniques, life goes smoothly, even with my most strong-willed child.

Yes, John Michael Talbot is wonderful! I started listening to him in high school. I still love The Lord's Supper. I enjoyed it on album. then cassette, and now I want it on CD. "...and we shall stand forgiven." Now it's in my head and I have to play it today. Thanks for the reminder!

You probably won't need it, but it's better to have it than to lose a sale because you can't make change! If several people come with $20 bills at the beginning of the day, but buy something for $5 or less, you want to be ready for them! I'd have $20 in change, $20 in $1 and $5 bills, and 2 $10 bills. When I've had a garage sale I've worn a fanny pack with the money in it, rather than have a tray or box. Too easy for those to be picked up by someone when I'm not looking. Sometimes people do steal from garage sales, both cash and merchandise. Also, once it's obvious you don't need it all outside anymore, at some point in the day you might want to move some of your cash into the house for safe-keeping. Be sure to put any free stuff at the end of your driveway for people to paw through without your oversight (make a big "FREE" sign), then the largest items that will attract attention from the street, and put anything smaller but pricier nearest you, so you can keep an eye on it. Anything breakable should be above/away from toddler reach. People don't all follow the old rule about buying and breaking. When you decide your prices, decide first which is most important to you - getting money or getting rid of your stuff. Price accordingly. I tend to price low, at the prices I would actually want to pay, and my stuff really moves! Some neighbors price high, at the price they really want to get, and they don't sell much. Their same things show up at their sales year after year. I hope you have a great sale!

I appreciate you clarifying! I'll be sure to leave feedback for anyone who sells me something. I'm sure it will be positive, though, as I've bought here for several years without a problem. FWIW, I wasn't trying to complain about the new format or the rep system. I think it's just fine. I'm glad to have a place to ask questions and to buy and sell, no matter what the limitations are. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something that was obvious to everyone else. It's happened before! :001_smile:

I understand the basics about rep points, but I don't understand how we are supposed to know if someone else has negative rep because of treating a buyer badly. I understand that people lose points if they get a negative approval from someone, but how do others see that? We can't read the comments left with the negative rep, can we? It would be nice to know about negative rep for a seller, but it seems to me that the only way to leave negative rep that others can see is to post a response to the sale ad. Buyers would still have to search all the ads posted by that person to see if anyone posted a negative response to it. Is this right, or am I missing something?

I haven't read that book since my oldest was about 3. This is something I need to work on, too. Thank you for the reminder!

Mine didn't start getting smelly until age 10, but a few of his friends did by 8. Is your son on the larger end of the growth chart?

I tend to find that I am up w-a-a-a-a-y late on nights with a full moon. Time flies by and I don't notice how late it is. I'm just not sleepy until, oh, around now - 1:30 a.m. How about the rest of you?

First, is she bored? Does she hate repetition? One of mine makes the most mistakes when bored. We have to play a game to keep the interest level up when a lot of review is needed. Then, it's a breeze. Too much drill and repetition without a game leads to mistakes galore! You mentioned her problems with long division and forgetting the steps. Does she know short division? I've found it's actually easier for kids to understand, and then they can apply what they know to long division. I allow my dc to do all of their problems with short div. for awhile, so they can get comfortable with it, and then they transition gradually to doing one, then two or three with long division every day. It's worked well here.

I visited a nursing home this week and I've been mulling over something that several of the older ladies said to me independently. They said that when they were young they never did ___ (whatever the creative activity was) because they weren't very good at it or they didn't think they would be good at it. When they were young, you didn't do something at all unless you did it really well. They were visibly saddened by that. They obviously felt they had missed something valuable in their lives. So, I've resolved to go ahead and do creative things, even though I'm not good at them (or think I'm not). It's time for this recovering perfectionist to recover a little more. Maybe gardening - I love flowers, and I enjoy arranging them, but I've never grown my own. Any tips would be appreciated! What are the creative outlets that you enjoy, regardless of how "good" you are at them?

Sorry to hijack your thread, but it doesn't hurt to know other options. My doctor recommended I try melatonin when bedtime calcium and magnesium weren't enough. If I can't sleep, it works wonders. Something to consider, too, is that you are stimulating your brain to stay awake if you use the computer or the TV before bedtime. Even reading a book can cause sleeplessness in some people because it activates your brain so much. Regardless of what you choose, I hope you find a good solution for your sleep needs!

I've done a few things to deal with this. 1. As Amy suggested, I let my dc see me make mistakes and listen to my (preplanned) thought process. Also, I've learned to laugh at myself and to let them hear me. Usually they ask why I'm laughing and I can explain what I did wrong, say that it's not a big deal, and fix it. It does seem to help. 2. Remind them to use their words! Emotional outbursts don't solve problems. Encourage thinking through problems instead of just reacting. 3. Point out that other kids the same age make the same kinds of mistakes and have to learn from them, too. Sometimes our homeschooled perfectionists don't realize that everyone else struggles, too. 4. Praise effort over results. If they think we only value good results, they won't try for fear of failing. Along those lines, read Mindset : The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. It's very helpful. FWIW, I think getting over that reading hurdle is the biggest one for perfectionists, and the 5-7 age span is the most difficult. After that they become more logical and are better able to reason their way through their stress.

I struggle with telling my dc about things like this, because I don't want to put ideas in their heads. On the other hand, I want them to know about the awful consequences. How do you determine when to tell your dc about the stupid things some kids do for fun?

Please? What did you think? Could it stand alone, or is it best as a supplement? This would be for 6th grade.

Some members of my extended family have flat feet and have never worn orthotics or had any pain caused by the flat feet. They don't wear special shoes or make any other accomodations, and some have been excellent athletes. Others in the family have back problems, and those of them who also have flat feet have needed orthotics to prevent extreme back and leg pain. If your ds is comfortable without the orthotics, I'd wait. If he develops pain, get them. Just my $.02. :)

I appreciate you taking the time to explain this to me. The paypal site just confuses me to no end!

Is ALEKS a full program or should it only be used as a supplement? If as a full program, how did you verify everything was covered that should be? If as a supplement, how did you use it? TIA!

Is there a way for someone who normally uses their credit card to have their account take the money from their bank account instead without charging a fee to the seller?

Is there a way to accept a paypal payment from someone who has a credit card account without being charged a fee? Someone wants to buy something from me, but doesn't have a non-credit account.

There are skinny girls out their who would love such a dress, I'm sure! If not for a wedding, then maybe for children playing dress-up. It's worth a shot!

We found one we really liked at a classy furniture store. I don't remember the name, but it was pricey, pricey, pricey. It did have a three month return policy, but we didn't want to spend the money. Instead, we bought one at another furniture store that did loud advertisements. The sample in the store was great. Unfortunately, the one they delivered to us was way too soft. We hated it. We were able to return it for another bed, but we chose not to get another one of the same style, because we thought it might be too soft, too. We did choose to get a mattress without a pillow top, so we could replace the top part as needed. That was a good choice. I wish we'd made a better choice about where to buy it!

One of my dc had a very twisted wrist and needed major help. I ended up using the writing frame from Zaner-Bloser. It wasn't terribly comfortable, but it made dc hold the pencil correctly. After a few days, we tried without, and the threat of having to use it again kept the hand in the right position much of the time. I think we went back and forth on using it for a month or two, and it did help. Now, two years later, I still have to remind occasionally, but most of the time the grip is okay. http://www.teachers-store.com/html/xhwresults.html?xhw=Y&cat=Handwriting&series=Handwriting%20Supplements