Has anyone had to deal with video game addiction with their children? I am becoming more and more convinced that our ds19 is addicted to gaming. He is still living with us and going to college but his grades are subpar and he has become very isolated. He is also making poor decisions in regards to his money and health. He has no hobbies and no real drive to succeed. He did come to me last week and said that he is depressed and wants to go to counseling. I think he is depressed and he is in a vicious cycle of self medicating with screen time and then feeling worse and going back to the screen. He has no self control when it comes to gaming and will play from the time he gets up until he goes to bed. He does not think he is addicted. Dh and I are looking for a local counselor but we would love any other resources or BTDT advice from the hive.

I’m in menopause and the hot flashes are driving me batty. I have been a cold natured person my whole life and learned to live with it. Now I’m still a cold natured person whose internal heater goes into overdrive throughout the day and night. I would love to know how others have dealt with it.

My kids get a dumb phone when they can stay at the house by themselves. They get a smart phone when they start driving( so I can track them).

Yes, I share your frustration. I am so utterly burnt out of being a homeschool group leader in my area due to stuff like this.

I buy white shower curtains so that when I wash I can soak them in hot water and bleach.

I use Persil 2 in 1

Papa Murphy’s has an amazing thin crust vege pizzas. They also have very good coupons. I recently got one of their speciality thin crust large pizzas for a little over $7.

Wow! That is expensive!

Thank you everyone for replying. Ya’ll have given us some things to think about. :-)

After 21 years of marriage, my dh and I are finally in the position to buy good quality furniture for our living room. Our house is full of hand me downs and Craig list finds so this is special to us. We would like to buy a leather couch and love seat or a leather sectional and prefer clean lines and not the big puffy look that we are seeing everywhere in leather. Can any one recommend a good, quality furniture brand that does not cost an arm and a leg? We found a set from Basset that we really like but I can’t imagine spending $6000 on just couches. Thanks

Please go to an orthopedic. They are experts in broken bones.

As a nurse for the past 20 years, I would not consider becoming an EMT as a stepping stone into nursing. If he really wants to get his feet wet, he could volunteer in a hospital or better yet, become a CNA (certified nursing assistant).

In our area, we don't have a home service for euthanasia but we did have a special plan for our beloved lab (who is in my avatar). She loved to go for rides in the back of our SUV and also loved, loved, loved food. We loaded everyone into the car and went through the McDonald's drive through. Chewla, our dog, totally enjoyed her hamburger and fries. My dh had arranged for the vet to come out to our car. Our sweet dog passed in my lap, surrounded by those who loved her best. It was difficult but death is never easy. My dh handled arrangements with her body. When we got home, my children and I made a slideshow of her life and that helped a lot. We still have that slideshow and still watch it.

Can you get your congressman involved in this? It might be a long shot but your congressmen's office might be able to help.

Battered, fried and smothered in gravy is the southern way of doing it and amazing, but too much work and terribly unhealthy. I usually cut it in strips and use it for Asian stir-frys.

I've called poison control for my dog before. It must be something lots of people do because they were prepared to take care of dog issues too. In fact, poison control was way more informative about stuff that might be poisonous to dogs than my vet's office. If there was any question my dog may have come across something poisonous, I wouldn't hesitate to call again.

I've heard homeschooling is a lifestyle. After 15 years, it's my normal. I don't know if I'm consumed by it but a big focus of my life is geared toward my children's education. Research and planning is one of my favorite parts. :-)

Please don't go to Claire's. We regret going there to have our dad's ears pierced.

Beautiful dress! I hope you win it.

Same thing happened to me and I used the padded seat cover. The more you go to the class the less it hurts.

I love Cole slaw too. When I need a quick meal, I use Cole slaw mix, ranch dressing and chicken. Yummy!

I did this last week. I had pretty good success getting most of the crayon out by spraying with Shout Advance, soaking the clothes in dawn dish detergent and oxyclean and then washing several times in hot water.

I get a lot of the things mentioned. Make sure you watch the prices because they are constantly changing.

I'm so sorry. We have been down this road too. It's hard to say goodbye to a beloved pet.

My dh recently changed jobs and the cobra costs for our insurance gap was outrageous! We spoke to a local insurance broker and got catastrophic insurance coverage for our family for a very reasonable fee- less than $200 to cover us 60 days until his new insurance kicked in. It doesn't cover minor stuff but if something major happens like our teen driver gets in a bad accident then we are covered.