She is taking AP chemistry this year and doing well. It's her favorite class and while she works hard at it, it makes sense to her and she has a 97 or 98 average. The chemistry teacher told me this class is harder than non science major college chemistry class but not as hard a science major college chemistry. She hasn't ruled this out. I think she would prefer PA, though. I mentioned the possibility of a nursing BSN as an undergraduate degree, but someone in the nursing profession said that PA school may not look favorable on this degree. Is this true? I'm wondering if it would look like PA degree was a "second choice" next to nursing. I don't know.

My dd is in 11th grade and would like to be a physician's assistant. When we look at college websites, it says the student can have any sort of bachelor's degree from an accredited school plus the prerequisites required for PA school. However, we've heard it is better to have a science major. Pursing a science major would likely include most of the PA prerequisites anyway. Dd really likes chemistry. However, it looks like one needs a high GPA--usually around 3.7, in order to be accepted into PA school. I wonder if it makes more sense to pursue a major that's a little easier to get the 3.7 GPA rather than a chemistry major. That sort of thinking just seems so...wrong, yet these science graduate degrees are hard programs to gain admittance. Also, can anyone recommend a school that combines undergraduate and graduate degrees for physician's assistant?

My dd is in 11th grade and would like to be a physician's assistant. When we look at college websites, it says the student can have any sort of bachelor's degree from an accredited school plus the prerequisites required for PA school. However, we've heard it is better to have a science major. Pursing a science major would likely include most of the PA prerequisites anyway. Dd really likes chemistry. However, it looks like one needs a high GPA--usually around 3.7, in order to be accepted into PA school. I wonder if it makes more sense to pursue a major that's a little easier to get the 3.7 GPA rather than a chemistry major. That sort of thinking just seems so...wrong, yet these science graduate degrees are hard programs to gain admittance. Also, can anyone recommend a school that combines undergraduate and graduate degrees for physician's assistant?

Another piece of Minnesota trivia: We play a game called “Duck, Duck, Grey Duck in Minnesota. When I went to college in the south, I heard someone mistakenly refer to this game as “Duck, Duck, Goose†and helpfully tried to correct her. She insisted I was wrong. I asked around to prove I was calling the game by the correct name. No support except from fellow Minnesotans. Yes, hotdish is just a casserole. We also drank pop, which is something else my southern friends like to tease me when I used this term.

Yes, I wear Lipsense and am a big fan. I do not sell it. It really does stay on all day--at least 10 hours, maybe longer. It does not dry out the lips at all. There are lots of colors and they look different on different people. It's a bit odd how that works. Do you like pinkish or reddish tones? Neutral or more dramatic? I like Carmel Apple. It is fairly neutral with a more pinkish tone.

I don't know the specifics of the situation so it's hard to tell who's right, who's wrong and who's partially wrong. So here are some random thoughts in no particular order: -Strong personalities are polarizing. Some admire a strong, opinionated and confident kid. Some are really put off by it and think it's an inappropriate way for a minor to act. -A strong opinionated and confident female generally has an easier time as an adult rather than an adolescent. It's not fair and it's not right but it's true. So, i'm not justifying it but saying it will get easier as she gets older. -Your dd sounds as if she's developed a reputation. Even if she wasn't wrong in this particular incidence, her reputation contributed to this tension. For that reason, I wouldn't show too much sympathy towards her. If she's had a pattern of rudeness (totally different from a having a confident opinion) she might find herself being blamed even if she wasn't rude at this time. I'd explain what a reputation is and how she can change it if she doesn't like this outcome. So, even if you believe her side of the story, I would point to her reputation rather than sorting through the contradicting sides. -If friend's daughter was rude, it makes no difference if her mother dealt with this or not. So saying that both sides were rude it actually irrelevant. Your issue is to deal with your daughter whether or not someone else's daughter contributed to the tension or not. -There are adults that don't mesh well with a kid with a strong personality. While the child needs to develop better social skills, it might also be in dc's best interest to keep her away from intolerant adults. All these kids are learning and growing. I like my kids around adults that are kind and show grace. -Looking back, my oldest was around the same group for years. I thought that we didn't have good alternatives either and kept her in it. While lessons were learned, I'm not sure it was in her best interest overall. I wished I'd looked at the situation differently and figured out a way to expand the social circle and lessen the socialization we had in that one circle. I'd encourage you to objectively look to see if there's any way you can expand her circle and consider reworking this current activity. It might seem like you only have one option but please reconsider this as objectively and as open-minded as possible. Age 14 can be hard with girls. It's hard when you have a good friend and the children don't get along well.

Ok, I guess I’ll drive. Automatic cars are available to rent, correct? I haven’t driven a stick shift in years and wouldn’t want to try it over there. My guess is manual cars are more prevalent due to gas prices. Okay. So only explore one island since we only have 7 days. The South Island intrigues me more although either would be amazing. We could fly to the South Island and this would help us avoid crossing on the ferry.

Oh! I didn’t see that. It was booked by Smart Fares. We booked it two days ago. Hmmm. Now that makes me wonder.

I'd love some advice from those who live in NZ and those who've traveled there. My college ds found a great airfare from US to NZ in June. (Thank you Scott's Cheap Flights!) I don't make rash or rushed decision ever...and then I did. He told me it was a great airfare that wouldn't last and I needed to decide now! So I did. Now I'm feeling anxious. I LOVE to travel. This kid is super fun and loves to travel too. We'd be arriving on a Saturday and leaving the following Saturday in June flying direct LA to Auckland. How do we get around? I've read car travel is the best way but I'm nervous about driving on the other side of the road. I'm a good driver and drive lots of miles in high traffic suburbs and city. DS is still under 21 years old so I'm sure he can't rent a car. Besides, it might make me more nervous if he drives... Can I get a bus pass that drops off and picks up most places we'd like to go? With the 12 hour time difference, will we be able to make the most of these 7 days? While both of us love to travel, we are both cursed with motion sickness. I'm wondering if the ferry between the north and south islands will make us sick. Is there a better option? In high school I took the hovercraft between England and Paris and it was among my worst motion sickness travel experiences ever. I am a front seat only car passenger/don't read in the car or on planes/can't do a sailboat kind-of-girl. So feel free to tell me to knock it off. I want to enjoy this spontaneous decision I made. I guess the travel around the country by car and motion sickness with other forms of travel are my concerns. Any tips or advice?

Honestly, I think it would be fair to pin this lack of discovery on homeschooling. Neighbors didn’t see the children daily and likely aren’t trained to recognize abuse. If they had been in school, adults trained to recognize trauma, neglect and abuse would’ve interacted with them daily. This is a case that screams “call CPS†to anyone somewhat familiar with normal childhood development. I realize kids fall through the cracks at school. The likelihood of all 13 children from one family falling through the cracks at school seems highly unlikely. I support homeschooling. Cases like this make me support more homeschooling oversight. This is a travesty.

So...this is what is commonly know as a snob. Really, is it that hard to carry on a gracious conversation since you’re able to do it with others? Why not just extend that kindness? You might find that your first impression of that person was incorrect.

â˜ï¸ I agree. Life is so much easier when we choose to extend grace to others.

My son had poor vision. They are around -6.5 or so. Years ago I ordered goggles from Amazon in his prescription. Several years ago, they cost around $15. He thought the goggles were amazing. I’m sure they weren’t the best quality, but when you go from practically blind to pretty good vision, it is great. Since he was younger, I wasn’t going to invest in a doctor’s prescription goggles. Sure enough, they were eventually lost.

You consider all of these rude questions? "Do you have children?" and "How old are they?" and then someone following up with wondering if your adult children still live in the area? Really, if these are rude questions, then just about anything could be construed as a rude question. I think life is more pleasant if we choose not to be too sensitive. If we are this sensitive, we will miss out on a lot of wonderful conversations and friendships that could've been developed if we'd made the choice to listen, ask and have a back and forth discussion. Of course, there's the possibility of asking a person if they have children when they're that one in a million that had an only child who just tragically died in an recent accident. Should we all avoid asking that question in case we meet that person?

OP, Coinbase is fine. People who like crypto currency can often be more concerned than the average person about privacy. So, if lots of them are having Coinbase, you’re fine. Seventeen is a hard age because they’re ready to do adult things but need to be that “magic†age of 18 before they’re allowed. I’d let him do it. It wil let you see what he’s doing. It could be a fun hobby for both of you. My 19 year old son has gotten me interested. We gave him some money to invest for us in August and it’s quadrupled since then. This is a bubble and a rare opportunity. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. If it goes up, you can always take out the principal and play with the rest. Go for it!

Years ago a hairdresser asked me, "So what keeps you busy during the day?" It found this such a respectful conversation starter. I was always (right or wrong) self conscious about not being able to name a profession that I had during those years I was a young mother. So instead of answering the "where do you work?" question this leaves it open. I didn't have to say, "I don't have a job" or "My job is a stay-at-home-mom." I could simply say the ages of my kids and tell her that kept me busy. I now use this question and it has worked equally well with other women, in particular.

What is your conversing style with people you don't know well? Do you ask questions? Do you answer questions that are asked and then wait for another topic of conversation to be introduced? Do you feel like asking questions of someone you don't know well is intrusive so, out of politeness, you refrain from asking general questions? I wonder about this. Oftentimes, I find that people will answer questions but most do not ask many questions. It makes conversation difficult. When this topic came up with my millennial young adult dd, she said, "I don't ask questions with people I don't know and often even my friends. I find it intrusive." This is someone who is very outgoing, friendly and has lots of friends. I used to think that people that only answered questions and didn't ask were just shy or uncomfortable or disinterested. Now, I'm wondering if it's a philosophy of "not wanting to pry". I honestly think it's part of good conversation to ask questions. Not nosy questions, of course, but just things that draw out the other person. Do you ask and answer questions with someone you're just meeting in a social situation or even someone you know but don't know well? Or do you just answer questions?

Please report back on these. I’m wondering about water. What if stickers come up just a little bit but not enough for you to notice. If moisture was trapped under there, it seems like this could cause problems. (Not wanting to give you something to worry about but rather to watch.)

Six or seven providers. Amounts vary from $50-$1800.

This seems like a good idea. However, doesn't the hospital or doctor's office sell the debt to the agency at a reduced price? I'm not entirely sure how this works. Also, if a lesser amount was negotiated, would it still affect the credit report? This seems to be his main concern--almost more than the debt itself.

A dear friend has medical insurance but chronic health issues and has accumulated medical debt in the last 2-3 years. They've asked me for help in organizing these bills and negotiating payments. --There is about $6,000 in medical debt and about $4,000 in available funds. --Friend says bills are legitimate. In other words, he cannot dispute them as not being his bills. --Most of those have gone to collection agencies. --Friend does not want credit score adversely affected any more than necessary. So, he would rather pay the full amount if that helped the credit score rather than pay a lesser negotiated amount that negatively affected the score. I'm not sure I agree with that, but I want to respect this decision. --He mentioned there is a "pay to delete" option that will make the bill disappear from the credit report if bill is paid in full. I also read an article where it suggested calling the original medical provider even if bill had gone to collections as they may be more willing to negotiate. Any thoughts on this? I've done some research on the "pay to delete" and it looks like some articles say that it's not allowed and some say that it is. He insists this is really important to do. Also, should I try and talk him into stretching his money by negotiating some of these bills down but taking the credit score hit? This makes sense to me but he was very opposed to this suggestion in our first conversation. Also, I am helping with this task as I am fairly good at negotiating. Friend says collection agencies do not respond well to firm approach but rather a pitiful story. I typically have a strong approach and am polite until I'm met with someone unreasonable or unmoving. When this happens, I ask to speak to the manager and usually get what I'm asking for. (I always try and be reasonable and respectful but am definitely not contrite.) Friend says this approach will likely not work with collections people. Any tips? I've not talked to a collection agency before and am not sure what to expect. Feel free to PM me, if you're more comfortable.

If you go to someone in your church and suggest this man is grooming for being a possible predator, I’m afraid you will look like you’re overreacting and any valid point you could make would be lost. This does not sound like grooming behavior to me. It sounds like an older, out of touch man with weird views on female clothing that were, unfortunately, standard views in certain circles for a long time. I do not justify those weird and unhealthy views but they were held by lots of zealous but often harmless people who swallowed zealous and incorrect teaching. I’ve met men and women that held these clothing/modesty views. Fervently held these views! If you’ve not been around it, it seems super weird—-because it is. What is not appropriate is him talking to your tween about her clothing. This should be confronted by you or your husband. Maybe both of you, even. You need to make it clear he is not to discuss her clothing ever. He is not to discuss sexuality with her ever. At this point he will act shocked and claim you and your daughter misunderstood. Continue to make clear you do not want to it to happen again. This should take about 5 total sentences and said calmly and firmly. If it happens one more time, then you should go to church leadership. While I strongly sympathize with the situation of him confronting your daughter, saying this is predatory behavior and grooming is not appropriate at this point.

I don’t hide the wrapped gift but I ask don’t put their name on them either. So, no one really knows which gifts are theirs. My kids are very snoopy, so I don’t feel a bit guilty. Every year, there is a new “Christmas codeâ€. I write out a key for myself or I’ll never remember. One year each child was assigned a continent so each present had a different country. One year it was Disney characters. One year it was numbers and alphabet sequences. That year each sequence ended in a number 1-4 and corresponded with their birth order. I inform them of the code Christmas morning. It was really fun and cute when they were young, and they would try and “crack the codeâ€. Now they groan about it but it’s still a fun family tradition. One year I acted like I was going to give in and out names on the tags. I put their names but shifted them down one child. So Oldest Child’s name was on Second Child’s presents and so in. It was hysterical that morning.

Excellent points.

This thread astonished me. Why would a parent be jealous of their own child? If my child gets better opportunities than I had at his age, why wouldn’t I be grateful on his behalf? If my child has greater opportunities right now than I can’t have, why wouldn’t I be happy for him? Why would I deprive him of something fun because I don’t get to go? People that travel don’t feel more entitled. Seeing the world can open one’s eyes and acrually give greater perspective. Entitlement isn’t just for wealthy people; it cuts across income levels and shows itself in many ways. This family sound sounds like fun and generous people who share freely. Now, if I felt my child wouldn’t be supervised well or didn’t trust the adults, I wouldn’t let my child go. That doesn’t seem to be the issue here since he’s been other places with the family. I leaned so much growing up watching other adults in my life. I appreciate other people who are willing to include my child. I feel like I’m missing something.