I agree with Betty. I would also add that there are many other diseases that are also "invisible" that also require special treatment and consideration. I'm sure that ushers deal with some of those problems and special requests frequently.

Laurie, as usual, has raised some very good points and questions.

I was just about to pose a question based on your first two paragraphs. I'll still pose it. How is a child supposed to change a parent's mind when it's a totally wrong choice for the child? If the child has tried logic and the parent overrules it, what else can a child do? Because sometimes "father" doesn't know best. Granted, 11 or 12 is a very emotional age. And it's a time when school work often goes to pot. And if this was a short lived rebellion, I'd try to make some adjustments but I'd still stick to my homeschooling guns. But this child is expressing a real need. And he's definitely old enough to discuss possible solutions. School isn't the only solution, but it needs to be on the table, with caviats. Some alternatives would take a lot of parent involvement in organizing and running boy activities (camping, boy scouts, fishing, movie night, etc.) that would give them more in common to talk about. There may also be something else going on that the boy isn't talking about. It might be that the other boys are giving him a rough time about the homeschool stereotype, being a mama's boy or ? And being accused of being a mama's boy would be far, far worse than the stereotype.

Would you please do everyone who does use those sinks a favor and use an alternative to your shoes? You can either use a paper towel to turn on the water or your elbow. Do you have any idea how filthy your shoes can be? After all, someone who barely soaps up may know very well that she used enough TP to keep her hands away from the "dirt". But how clean were the floors you were walking on? Did you walk outside where dogs, cats, rabbits or deer might have relieved themselves? Using your shoes can be even more filthy than a hand that's been kept basically clean. And you never know, but the next person following you may be genuinely immune suppressed.

Ds, 15, is pretty free range. I haven't gotten a bus pass for him yet, so he's limited by how far he can walk and bike. And that's limited by when he has to return to home.

I think most American's opion on health care depends on if they personally have good insurance or not. We have very good insurance, so I don't want it tossed for medicare or a similar gov't program. But I know we are super fortunate to have it. Something needs to be done for the less fortunate. But back to the liquid graphite pencils. WHERE are they sold in the US?????? I haven't seen them. :tongue_smilie:

If your ds has certain types of dev. vision problems, many insurance companies will cover VT even if the policy doesn't include vision care. The trick is IF the standard procedure is surgery to correct the problem, many insurance companies prefer to pay for VT. (Eye surgery is covered under major medical) VT is cheaper and has a higher success rate. That's how our insurance company covered my ds's VT. There are two other low cost VT options that posters on the Secial Needs board have used. One is that the dev opt. gives them a home based program with office visits every month or so for evaluation and new excercises. This requires a lot of commitment on your part and it's easier if your child is compliant. My ds fought VT homework. A second possiblility is a computerized program, under the care of a dev opt. I believe it costs around $500, maybe less. Check also on the Special Needs board. This is a common topic there.

Also ask for them to have a mask waiting for your dc to reduce the chance of infecting others. The should have it ready for you, but ask in case they forget. you can also prepare your dc for wearing it. PS I prefer swapping dc :lol::lol::lol:

Gatorade replaces electrolytes, and sugars lost to diarreah or sweating, etc. A nutritionist told me that Gatorade was better for me than water after I had surgery that would cause me to lose electrolytes at a faster rate than normal. An alternative to Gatorade would be Pedialyte. (Check with your doctor before substituting Gatorade for Pedialyte for ill dc) Memory's failing me on the details, but later a nurse told me that she was taught that Gatorade closely matches the chemistry of some bodily fluid.

The problem is knowing how long someone is contagious after each and every bug, even if the bug is unknown. I was always taught to stay home for 24 hours after a fever. I probably would have applied that same idea to the vomiting and done the same as your friend. Sorry :blushing:

The Joy of Science is one of the DVD courses put out by The Teaching Company. The lectures are designed for adults, but are frequently used by high school and jr high students. Since it sounds like your dc has a good back ground, I thought he could handle this course. The Joy of Science, a survey of the major science disciplines, consists of 60 one half hour long lectures and includes demonstrations. It's accompanied by a booklet including the outline of the entire series, text book readings and a couple of discussion/essay questions per lecture. (I'm working off of memory, but this is typical of all TTC's lectures). It will cover evolutionary theory. One warning. Don't buy it at full price. All of TTC's courses go on sale at least one time per year and the sale prices are about 70% off. I have heard that a first time customer was able to get the sale price on her first course even though it wasn't on sale at the time. Here's the link to the course description: http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursedesclong2.aspx?cid=1100

Have you looked at TTC The Joy of Science?

For the next 2 years I'm combining the TTC courses western Civ (1500 -present) with US History to act as our spine. Aftr that we'll return to the ancients and middle ages, but I'm not sure if I'll use a book or TTC as my spine.

From lessons I've learned the hard way and had to relearn, I suggest that you put away your parenting books and refrain from researching yet another curriculum. And then spend time with him, focused on him, doing what he wants to do. It doesn't have to be hours and hours every week. But just a regular half hour per week can do wonders for your relationship. It can fill his "love tank" for him to draw from when things are rough. You may think that you are already focused on him and his needs. I know I did. After all, look at all the time I've spent researching the best eductional materials or him, and the time I spend preparing lessons, and the time I spend waiting while he's taking private lessons, the time I spent lecturing him on his school subjects and grading them and my friendships I've let slide while I focused on "him". But my ds, and possibly your ds, don't see that time as being focused on him. My ds, and many, many other dc, crave attention focused on what they want and what interests them. So schedule a half hour a week to do what he wants -- play a game you hate because he loves it, help him make up knock-knock jokes, play football with him even if you hate it. But do what HE wants. I learned this in a parenting class and have discovered that things go much better when I do schedule time to focus on ds and is needs. I'm beginning spending this focused time may be even more important for homeschooling parents than it is for parents who send their dc to school, BECAUSE we not only criticise their "home" time (pick up your room, don't fight with your sister, etc), but we criticise their school time (Your work is late, you didn't capitalize, you only got 70% on your test, etc.). As a perfectionist, my ds replays these comments constantly and adds them to his personal criticism. Hhe needs to have this one-on-one focus where what he wants to do (within reason) rules, we laugh, and he's not criticised.

Great Minds! I, too, was thinking of drainage fields and clogged drains. :lol:

Do you think, given his temperment, that if you catch him in the right mood, he might be more willing to sign guardianship papers? My thought is that he might be more prone to sign the papers when he's dropping her off for an unknown period of time. This would also be the time to get paperwork signed giving you medical authority. A few other thoughts to convince him to sign over guardianship. Would your medical insurance cover her without your having guardianship? If he's carrying her insurance, saving $ might be something he'd consider as a pro for guardianship. If not, just knowing she's covered might influence him. Also would your K-12 schools OR CC require you to have guardianship in order to enroll her? It might be worth enrolling her for a semester or even longer just to get guardianship and give her a more stable life. Can you think of any other things that might sway him to look more favorably onto signing away guardianship? See if he'll consider something similar to co-custody where she spends most of the time with you, he has imput into major decisions, and she visits him for long stretches at a time? Keep it flexible so that you can move where ever you can.

Physical science wraps chemistry in with physics in a 1 year (typ) course, so it doesn't have the time to go into physics with as much depth or breadth as a 1st year physics course. Which, of course, as any physics major will tell you, isn't much depth or breadth. But both physics and chemistry at the high school level involve math. Even conceptual physics and chemistry involve some math. So I would expect that any high school level survey course of both fields would also include math. Even at the jr. high level, my ds's physical science course includes a small amount of math.

But you didn't see the error I had on my original post. :lol: Thank goodness for the edit button.

And of course AG sticks the screwball line on top of the headless man.

I can see both sides of the issue. I think that the rigid style problems that so many see could be due to many problems: 1) The student started IEW late and is still practicing using the stylistic techniques taught. The student just needs more writing maturity. 2) The teacher never loosened the stylistic requirements, always requiring 1 -ly opener, 1 vss, 1 ......etc. 3) The student, by nature, is rigid and sticks too much to the rules and things learned early. This is what I refer to as the (said in a shakey, aged voice while a shaking hand grasps a cane) "But that's not how my grandpappy did it" syndrome. I've started IEW late, but I'm adjusting the style requirements to better match ds's knowledge and make it less rigid. For example, I substitute any adverb for the more restrictive -ly word. I let ds use an appositive phrase in addition to the who/why phrase. And I don't require an example of each stylistic technique in each paragraph. Also, ds does a lot of other writing where the stylistic techniques aren't even mentioned, but he must follow the organization. Later on I'll even loosen that. Hopefully this way I'll avoid the formulistic writing so many object to.

I think you misspoke. A gerund acts as a noun, not a verb. Also, per AG, it's the entire phrase "catching fish" that is the object of the preposition. When it's diagrammed on the "headless man stick figure" it actually looks like fish is the direct object of catching. (catching l fish) Of course the "baseline" is broken and it's perched on the stick figure, but that's the best I could do. :(

We all loved A Long Way from Chicago and it's sequel A Year Down Yonder by Peck (No, it's not based in Australia, it's in southern IL during the depression.) For Twain, don't forget A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, as well as some of his short stories. James Thurber is good, too.

I learn something new everyday. Thanks for the info.

FYI Just a few years ago Indiana started following Daylight Savings Times. Prior to that they, like AZ, just stayed on Standard Time year round. However there were a few corners where they followed the time zone of their nearest major city, which was located in a different state.

Did you realize James Earl Jones stutters? Still, even after years as an actor. And there's a country/western singer who stuttered when speaking, but not when singing. A speaking part in the theater may be good for him. A speaking part doesn't require that he understand what others say, then think of how to respond and almost immediately put it into words. He has plenty of time to memorize his part and the parts of the other actors and work on his delivery. It might also help him with his daily English. If you're still worried, you might have him memorize some poetry or essay and practice his delivery. If he can do that without stuttering, the theater might be very good for him.