Momof3littles
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Posts posted by Momof3littles
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Space with sink, hard floors, countertops and shelving etc.for art and science experiments in time. Not sure if that fits with the flow. A friend has this kind of space in her HS room and it is lovely.
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I read an interesting article recently about a study that found Irish ceili dancing was more effective than tradition physical or occupational therapy in helping Parkinsons patients...
Back when I was getting my master's in PT, there was some research on using metronomes and music to help speed up pace of walking and so forth in patients with Parkinsons. There is also some research on using Tai Chi to help with postural muscles, balance, etc. in those with mild to moderate Parkinsons.
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When they find out I'm a SAHM, and homeschooling, I just laugh and point out the "boxes." Most people we meet can tell from our prior conversation up to that point, what we're doing, who we're with, etc. that I don't fit the boxes. I guess, maybe, just don't let the conversation stop.
We have new-ish friends who are PS teachers, and are not fans of homeschool. At all. But they get why we homeschool, and now they see we're real people, and I think they're okay with it. Either that or they are trying to save our educational souls with their presence. :lol:
I've found proactively joking about this to be helpful as well. I think it has helped. And yes, once people know you are more than one dimension it helps tremendously. For us it has mostly just occasionally been an issue with the first time we meet people at extracurriculars or the pool or something. If we get past that point, things are usually fine and we form a friendship or are congenial.
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I feel like I assume positive intent. I can keep a conversation going. But there are times to me it feels like sometimes the conversation takes a very chilly turn after HSing is mentioned. I mean, I'm not the world's most brilliant conversationalist, but I'm an introvert who isn't shy and doesn't mind talking one on one at all. I definitely talk to people about their lives, interests, look for common ground, talk about things common to most parents. Most of the time I don't get that chilly reception, but I have definitely been in conversations where it is apparent the person is no longer super interested in chatting with me if I'm a HSer. It isn't the majority of the time, but I've definitely experienced it. One woman at the pool literally grilled me and then basically turned her body away from me. I mean, i stick to pretty bland and boring on the whys and hows when people press, and keep it light and non offensive, but I recall getting grilled and then having her literally turn her body away from me while we were sitting at the same table. At that point I didn't have an interest in trying to reel her back into the conversation. I am just saying that while OP may need to practice keeping the conversation going or keeping it light about HSing, I can relate to it sometimes shutting down a conversation or things taking a chillier turn after it is mentioned.
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On the way into Corolla, we often stop at this place in Southern Shores to pick up crabcakes . They make a great dinner that doesn't take long. http://coastalprovisionsmarket.com/
We do Duck Donuts one morning usually.
We stayed in Corolla Light last year, and there's a little shopping center that adjoins it on the ocean side of the road. There's a cute little coffee shop and bakery in there.
We usually do a night of seafood at home where we pick stuff up at a local fish market, but I can't recall where Dh picked up the last 1-2x in Corolla. We also like to do Ina's clambake one night sometimes and source it at the same spot. We find it easier to eat in than go out every night with a large crowd, since we usually have little kids and a 90+ yo grandparent with us. There are 2-3 in that area if I recall correctly, so just read reviews and see what works for you. We don't pay for the pre made "clambakes." You can have them precook the seafood at some places if you want even easier.
The food was not earth shattering, but we did dinner last yr at and it was decent. DH and I went back for a date night for oysters and drinks. Sunsets are lovely, and the reason to go IMO. We took the whole family one night, and it is kid friendly. We usually go in Sept and there is still sometimes a wait, so keep that in mind. I'm sure in high season it gets super busy for anything close to sunset. http://coastalprovisionsmarket.com/
In high school, I took a kayak tour with friends and it was fabulous. It inspired me years later to buy a kayak. So much fun.
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I've had situations where I guess people don't know what to say or have clearly categorized me into a box immediately. But I've also had the times when they start interrogating. "Do you have a teaching degree?" "Who do you report to?" "Socialization?" or just a flat out, "I don't agree with HSing." Sometimes I'm baffled, because it is very aggressive at times! Fortunately this hasn't happened often, but then when I have the more benign crickets-chirping conversations, I wonder if the "aggressive" string of things is running through their head, kwim?
I think some people just don't know what to say, but I definitely have been in situations where I clearly think I've been put into a box immediately with respect to what people assume about my religious beliefs, politics, etc.
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OH MY! My in -laws said the same thing!!! My dd didn't walk till almost 18 months and they thought it was "normal" to walk a 8 or 9 months. She actually did go to a PT and the PT said NO DON'T put her in those shoes. I told them that, but what finally stopped the conversation was when I said that if God thought you needed shoes to learn how to walk, I supposed we would have been born with them on our feet. She did walk, in time, and was barefoot!
Yeah, I try to be sensitive to the generational difference. My parents would sometimes ask too, but because they were genuinely listening and know things change ;) My MIL would say things like that, and then I'd nicely tell her what we know about barefoot generally being best, etc. and then the next time we'd see her, she'd say the same thing. So yeah, totally passive aggressive and not interested at all in actually considering I might have a clue on that particular topic, if nothing else ;)
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I understand. Once my kids were obviously school age, it became an issue. I'd meet new people at the pool, extracurriculars, etc. and we'd be chatting it up. As soon as HSing came up, the conversation would turn to crickets chirping. I wouldn't bring it up, but once your kids are of a certain age, people ask where they attend school, and well, it is unavoidable. I always keep it breezy and light (when asked why I just say it is a good fit for our family or something very non controversial!) but then the conversation would shut down.
I think people automatically make assumptions about whether I am religious, what my political affiliation is, or that I hate public schools, or secretly wear my denim jumper at home because I HS.
It has gotten easier for me over time, but I definitely have had conversations that were going really well until someone asks where my kid goes to school and then all of the sudden I am assigned a set of values that probably has nothing to do with my personal beliefs. And I definitely keep it totally light, breezy, and noncontroversial when I reply.
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Hey, it doesn't always work LOL. I remember when my oldest was an infant 10 years ago and my MIL was freaking out that I wouldn't put him in hard soled white baby shoes. At 9 months he would have been "walking already" if I would just comply with her suggestion.
Yes, MIL was well aware that I worked as a pediatric physical therapist before I had him. In early intervention. And spent all day with kids under 3, including a large number of kids specifically referred for delays in walking. My master's degree and work experience were meaningless when it came to passive aggressive MIL suggestions LOL.
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Ellen, I think STEM is still a wonderful choice for many kids. Like any field, I think you just have to go into it with eyes wide open. Take great care in choosing advisers in graduate school. My DH was fortunate that when he was working in pharma with his bachelor's, many people he worked with came out of one particular lab under one particular adviser. Since he was going into graduate school in his late 20s with a child (and we had additional kids while he was in school), it was comforting to know this adviser also looked for results, etc. vs. expecting 12+ hr days in lab. So my Dh was able to work traditional hrs for the most part during his research assistantship. His first year or two when he had classes and TA'd and had weekend tests on various cumulative topics were very grueling, but after that he had pretty normalish hours. This was aided by some maturity and previous work experience vs. the majority of students who were fresh out of undergrad and sometimes dawdled their days away a bit.
That also brings up the point that we both feel very strongly about the importance of networking. I expect my kids to join professional organizations, engage in student/faculty research as undergrads, intern, observe, network, you name it. We both feel those were crucial in our professional trajectories. My husband snagged his first job with his undergrad degree because one of his professors was married to someone at the pharma company he ended up being hired at. They are flooded with thousands of resumes per year, obviously. My husband went to a state school, but was a hard worker, built great relationships with faulty, engaged in some pretty solid undergrad research, and those all made an enormous difference IMO. That first job was a catalyst to connecting to the people that encouraged him to return for his doctoral degree, and they were instrumental in writing letters of recommendation and so forth that carried far more weight than his GRE scores (excellent quantitative but verbal was not stellar. He didn't study that far out for the verbal, and was swamped with work and an infant at home as well. The school admittedly didn't care other than meeting the minimum level required by the entire graduate school). In any case, those letters of reference carried an enormous amount of weight. In graduate school, he was approached by someone in the area who worked for his adviser many years prior. They built up a relationship and a friendship, and that guy asked DH to do technical writing for him while he was still in graduate school. He also helped DH network into his first job with his PhD. The post doc position he was offered in a govt lab was also aided by the fact the selections were largely made by someone who had also worked for his adviser in graduate school, and it was someone he had met and spent time talking with at conferences and so forth. He didn't take that position, but in his current (non post doc job) he still has close professional ties to that person and could easily seek employment there if he wanted to. His current private sector employer works closely with that government lab.
I think things are increasingly more competitive, but his work experience and personal connections (forged on his own, not through any privileged connections via parents) made an enormous difference.
I have no plans to discourage my kids from STEM if they go that route. My oldest is only 10, but leans that way at the moment. I do think it is important to be realistic about what it takes to stand out, particularly as things get increasingly competitive. Understanding funding and the implications it has in academia, for example, are important to know beforehand. I do think many people have this notion that STEM pays more and has more well-paying jobs available than actually exist. I have had this discussion with friends and family in the past when we talk about what kids are going to be able to do with a bachelor's in the future. I see few well-paying options, personally. People toss out STEM (with a bachelor's) and I think are surprised at how many biologists for example work 2nd and 3rd shift jobs for a fairly modest salary. It isn't as if it is a bad choice, but I think non science people don't necessarily have a realistic view of what employment prospects are really like for a large section of STEM graduates.
My husband also happened to have some luck and good sense in falling in love with an area of chemistry that could have been applied to his previous industry (pharma), but opened a lot of doors to other areas of industry that are doing rather well even in a down economy. The company he works for continues to grow and is doing well overall, and his field of science should continue to really have good growth and employment. Some of that was intentional choice to switch into something that would give him versatility, but some of that was luck, to be honest. The economy when he started graduate school was very different than when he finished graduate school, so he was fortunate to have chosen something that could be applied to an area of science that is still doing well.
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If she doesn't have an alignment issue with her bite, then another option would be a Rocabado trained physical therapist There can be disc issues, capsule issues, muscle issues, ligament issues, etc. Forward head posture, etc. can also contribute to TMJ issues. A thorough eval will tease out what structures are a problem and will guide treatment. For ex, there are techniques that can improve symmetry in opening and closing, joint capsule can be stretched, etc. It really depends on the origin.
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Here are some pieces on the challenges, pay, etc. for post docs:
http://cen.acs.org/articles/91/i20/Postdoc-Pains-Gains.html
http://cenblog.org/just-another-electron-pusher/2013/03/a-troubling-shift-in-tradition
http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/i37/Finding-Chemistry-Postdoc-Position-Industry.html
http://cenblog.org/terra-sigillata/2012/07/07/wapo-not-enough-jobs-for-science-phds/
A blog, and not saying I agree with all points, but it raises some interesting issues:
http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2014/04/17/changing_a_broken_science_system.php
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DH gets C&E, which is geared mostly toward chemists. There have been regular pieces in there about the glut of post docs and the abuse of post docs in labs. With the # of layoffs and difficulty in getting faculty positions, there is a pretty large glut of post doc students. Funding issues are an issue for even experienced, connected faculty in many cases.
DH has a friend from graduate school who was up for a tenure track position. Essentially he was given enough $ (not a lot by any means) by his employer to get his lab up and running over 5 years. By the end of 5 years, you need to be essentially self funded through grants. You have to remember that this means not only getting set up to teach courses and deal with students, but coming up with projects, buying equipment for your lab, software/computers, figuring out if you can afford to hire a post doc to get things moving more quickly. And of course, the every challenging demands that come with seeking out funding through grant writing. That's a lot to take on, and honestly, it doesn't seem to me that most PhD and post doc programs set students up *well* for all of the administrative, personnel, management, etc. juggling that needs to happen in addition to research and teaching. There's a lot more to it than just science. In any case, our friend's 5 years are up, he's not self funded, and that will be that and he won't have a tenured position. It is incredibly difficult to get funding these days for professors.
My DH was a bachelor's chemist who worked in private industry with a great job right out of school. He was a top performer in the work place at a very desirable employer in his field. He was encouraged by his colleagues to go back for his PhD, which he was originally not sure he wanted to do. In any case, I think his years in industry served him well in terms of helping him with management and other issues in the workplace when he graduated. That's experience that many new graduates really just don't have enough of IME. After finishing his PhD he went back into private industry, in a different field. He was offered a prestigious post doc position in a government lab, but honestly, we were both tired of moving, and didn't want to live in DC on a post doc salary. He also would have been an amazing professor, but he just wasn't sure his heart was ever in teaching. He jokes he would have loved teaching those students who cared, but would have struggled with the less than motivated or not-that-into it students. So he went back into industry with no regrets.
In any case, C&E has had many stories about the glut of post doc students, polls on why they are doing their post doc, etc. There have been many articles about post docs being hired essentially for "production" purposes in lab, rather than there being the same level of mentorship and advisement that were historically there. The professors are trying to keep or get their funding. There's ever more pressure to produce and do it quickly. And now you have post docs in quite a few cases it seems getting short changed on the depth of their experience.
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Hi again :) I have the Heany but was planning on doing that one as a read aloud, mostly because I've never read Beowolf myself and we have enough independent reads this semester.
We could do that as a read aloud for sure :) Good idea.
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Giovanni usually has some decent options and I find they work pretty well. Target and grocery stores like Giant in my area sometimes carry that brand. We usually purchase through a Frontier buying co-op, as it is a buck or two cheaper per bottle.
Whole Foods usually carries it too.
I also like ShiKai shampoo, which can be purchased through Amazon or Whole Foods in my area. Again, I usually buy from Frontier.
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He was really sensitive in his younger years, but I don't think the violence would be particularly disturbing to him at this point. His tolerance has definitely increased dramatically. We used to be unable to get through anything in Grimm when he was younger.
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Wow! This looks amazing. Thanks for the recommendation.
For us, MCT/RFWP materials have been absolutely amazing. One of the absolute best parts of our HSing journey, and my kids have gotten so much out of it, as have I.
It isn't a great fit for everyone, but we really love it. I happen to think the poetics portion is really the most impressive piece of his LA curriculum, but they all have wonderful synergy together.
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I plug it all of the time here, but this book, Mindset, was helpful for us. It gave me a vocabulary to use with my perfectionist. We talk a lot about growth vs. fixed mindset and so forth. We had discussed the topic many, many times, and we always focused on effort vs. end product, etc. as much as possible. But the book was still very helpful to me in framing our conversations. It was not a magical cure, however. For some kids I think it is just a long-term struggle. Maturity has seemed to help some, but we still struggle with this. However, I know we are at least having valuable and helpful conversations, if that makes sense.
http://www.amazon.com/Mindset-The-New-Psychology-Success/dp/0345472322
The cover info is a bit misleading IMO. The content is helpful in dealing with perfectionism.
I bought it to help my DS1, but in the process of reading it, I definitely recognized a lot about myself. I knew I had perfectionistic tendencies, but this book really helped me look at some of my own behaviors and beliefs.
edited to add that NPR has had several shows on about fostering "Grit" in our children. http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/03/17/290089998/does-teaching-kids-to-get-gritty-help-them-get-ahead which has some overlap with this topic.
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Do you have a specific title to recommend?
I think Music of the Hemispheres is actually quite meaty despite being the lowest level in MCT. That said, for 8-12 yo I'd probably start with Building Poems.
Town will cover what was covered in MoH.
http://www.rfwp.com/series/poetics-program-by-michael-clay-thompson#book-building-poems
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This is a very common misconception. Legs touching the back seat is not at all a concern. There have been no reports of broken legs due to rear facing. However, broken legs are one of the most common injuries for forward facers. It seems uncomfortable to us as adults but it's how kids sit most of the time anyway. Much more comfortable for them to sit criss cross or stick their legs up than to have them dangle.
I have a pic of my dd on her first ff ride with her feet up on the back of the front seat, just as she rode rf! Lol
Yes to this. My kids complained a lot more after being turned (around age 3+) because their legs would fall asleep while dangling. Criss crossed legs while RF is fine.
Even IF it was an issue, look at the vertebrae of young children. I'd much rather deal with a broken leg than a crazy amount of force through their spine at that age with unfused vertebrae.
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We read this one:
My son loved it.
Thank you. I do have that one as well.
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Yes, a good number going strong other than ones blatantly abused.
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I am not sure if these would suit your needs, but I bought these one year for DD for very good price on amazon during a gold box deal. When I just clicked over, it said I bought them in mid August two years ago.
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I had the Nye saved in my cart from my last reading of TWTM, and then the reviews scared me off a bit. Maybe I should go that route, then. Is Heaney too graphic?
WWYD/ ideal basement?
in The Chat Board
Posted
Low to ground balance beam (they even have ones with little sections that snap together so easy to store), rings, hammock swing, those "bag" style swings, beanbag set? Something on the wall that is interactive? I've seen people paint like an apple tree and have felt, plush filled semi flat apples the kids can hang on the painted wall, for example. Ikea has some nice gross motor toys like tents and tunnels and unique swings. Check PT/OT catalogs for ideas too, although those products will be more expensive.