My ds had 7 miserable years in school, in 2 different schools actually, and when things reached a crisis point, we knew we needed to change something. I did not know that more than 50% of 2e kids are home schooled-where did that statistic come from? But that is definitely us and it's the reason I took on teaching all three of them, and why we continued for the 10th-and last-year now.

He chose #1, the Bard early college public charter. I am stunned that he chose this over the private schools with their gorgeous campuses. In the end he decided that the class style was most similar to what he already does, here at home, and he likes the fact that socially, they will all be starting new, as everyone there will be coming from somewhere else. There's a certain logic in going from one unconventional school setting to another. We were able to meet with one school's learning specialist and talk on the phone with the other. Wow-they have so much to offer. I'm pretty sure he is underestimating the role his LDs are going to play in his high school experience. How could it be otherwise, really. At the end of the day, I realized that each choice had its liabilities and benefits, and the school I preferred, #2, would not have been a great fit for him socially. Fortunately they sometimes accept students outside the normal admissions schedule, and he is aware that he will continue at his choice for as long as we agree that things are going well. PLUS, of course, I know we can just leave and home school at any time. It's impossible to overstate the security and relief that comes from that knowledge.

You know that site called It Gets Better? Well, the site addresses a different issue of course, but...the same applies. Being strong willed is very adaptive but it can make a child extremely difficult to live with. BTDT. Limit-setting becomes this insane cat and mouse game. It's horrible. Pick your battles, first and foremost. Choose a few hills to die on and then YOU MUST DIE on them. There are some battles you absolutely must win if you want any hope of sanity or order in your life or your child's. Enlist help. Send your other kids away temporarily if you must. Devote an entire weekend to one problem if you need to. It was so hard when I did this but I prevailed and it was soooo worth it. He is a decent human being now and I think he needed to know we were there to guide him when he needed it. ((hugs))

Thank you!

We (family of 4) are taking a week long trip to Japan!! I am beyond excited and well into the preparation stage. How much money in yen should we plan to take with us?

Kettle Salt and Pepper chips. The one pound bag.

Since I know no details about your situation, I will talk only from the perspective of my own, so please take my remarks in that light. I have discouraged sleepovers for years now since my older kids got into mischief repeatedly because of absent or lackadaisical parents. And here, when my ds came in very late, he was also getting into mischief. So I think that if it was my kid, I would do my very best to find out what is *really* going on. And I would strongly discourage sleepovers, or if they must happen, host them.

1. Find another pulmonologist 2. It sounds like Singulair was a good thing for her. That, plus or minus a steroid inhaler, may get her to a place of stability that will last longer. 3. Respiratory viruses can provoke reactive airways in a susceptible person, and this looks and sounds like asthma, though it may go away with preventive meds like inhaled steroids or singulair. I had that.

Thank you so much for all of the thoughtful replies. Please keep them coming! I will be contacting Bard again to get more information about their handling of 2e kids. The difference between #2 and #3 socially is that #2 is all boys, #3 co-ed. Ds is not a sports-focused kid, and he says that the school had a "frat like" atmosphere. However, my recollection from his visit day there is that he had fun and liked it. I suspect he is not as much of a Bohemian as he thinks : ) AND, I know from visiting myself and from people whose kids go there that there is plenty of room for boys who are not into sports. They send kids to art schools and drama programs too so it's not a total sports culture. I am pretty sure that ds's primary motivation in going to school is social, and I do think that is a legitimate reason, particularly given that my dh and I cannot be as available to facilitate a social life for him as we'd like, given our jobs.

Yes, he's been tested and both private schools are aware of his testing and the results. We did not meet with the learning specialists at either place...though I think we should! Good thought.

My home schooling career is ending, with my youngest entering ninth grade. I'd prefer to continue to teach him at home but he very much wants to go to high school. Please weigh in and help us make a decision about the best placement for him. Some background: He is youngest of three, and all of my kids have a somewhat similar learning profile-they are very bright, very good test takers, but slow (particularly this one)-he has measurably slow processing and a diagnosis of ADD. Since he's been at home all of his educational career, we have accommodated him without too much difficulty, and he is functioning far, far better than his early days would have suggested were likely. However, I've seen this transition twice now and in both cases, it did not go particularly well. Neither of my older kids were excellent high school students, though both had moments of brilliance, and unfortunately, many moments of mediocre or even failing performance. So I am HOPING to get it right this time and find a place where my son can thrive socially and academically. We are considering three schools: 1. Public charter opening this fall. Final location TBD for his sophomore year-next year's location is temporary. Well-regarded charter franchise that has several locations in other cities: it's a Bard Early College. Pros: it's free, has a known track record of success, appeals to the classical homeschooler in me as all classes are taught by PhDs, seminar style. Cons: many unknowns, not at all clear how they would deal with a kid with his (mild but real) LDs. 2. Pricey private school #1: Pros: well-known for their attentive handling of kids (boys in particular) who struggle academically. Excellent college counseling, kids go to everything from Ivies to service academies. Cons: ds considers it less attractive socially than other options. I see why. 3. Pricey private school #2: Pros: socially is a perfect fit for ds. Excellent college counseling though it's clear that their students go to higher-ranked schools than option #2 above. Reputation as more academically rigorous than #2. Cons: less support for LDs, by my own assessment. I think he would probably not manage to be more than a barely average student there. I personally don't care for the atmosphere there (rather Bohemian, everything goes). Please send me all ideas you have. We have a looming deadline.

I am sending my last child to school this fall and it's bittersweet. He has been easy to teach, relatively, and we've had fun most days. I don't necessarily agree with his reasons for wanting to go, and I don't agree fully with his first choice of school. We are currently in negotiations, LOL. But the hardest part for me is the fear he will be unhappy-his brothers both had less than good high school experiences (one at home, one not) and I just don't want to get it wrong. Sigh.

I am guessing an intra-aortic balloon pump. How bizarre for such a young man to have such a huge heart attack! I would wonder about whether he has anomalous blood vessels, but really, that is all in the rear view mirror now, because survival and recovery are the big issues. If he makes it, there will be ample time to consider causes in the future. I agree with people who've suggested money for parking and hospital food for him, also, just regular contacts via text or email letting him know you are thinking of him and praying and he is not forgotten. Sitting at the ICU bedside can be very lonely, and in all likelihood, this illness will not be over in a week. If he's reader, send books or a kindle gift card maybe? Or a kindle, if family members pool their resources to buy one? Then he can choose his own books. But I think emotional support is most important. Just keep letting him know you care. One more thought. A Caring Bridge account with regular updates can be a real boon, both for the person called by a dozen people a day for updates, and for the people doing the calling. Though you are far away, could you offer to maintain an account? Your cousin could send you daily updates and you could publish them. Whenever he gets a call for an update, of course he can give it, but he can also direct the caller to Caring Bridge. It can be exhausting to update people repeatedly, particularly if (let's hope not) the news is not good.

Agree with Lolly. The antibiotics shouldn't have any significant effect on basic blood chemistries or thyroid function measurements, but the elevated blood sugar that accompanies infections will. Hope your ears feel better very soon.

One of mine is considering pursuing a PhD in math and he has been given to understand he should expect it to be funded. His GF, who is applying to Masters in Education programs, is wondering why her degree, which in all likelihood, will result in a lower-paying job than his, will cost her money!

The only program I know about that is well-regarded is this: http://www.montanaacademy.com/WELCOMEHOME.aspx I am fortunate not to have had an personal experience with it. I'd guess it's very expensive. Hope you find help for your daughter. The man who supervises it also wrote 2 books about raising teens that I find very helpful: http://www.amazon.com/An-Unchanged-Mind-Immaturity-Adolescence/dp/1590561244/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362178255&sr=8-1&keywords=unchanged+mind http://www.amazon.com/To-Change-Mind-Parenting-Teenagers/dp/1590562348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362178492&sr=8-1&keywords=to+change+a+mind Both are helpful, IMO.

Some schools bend over backwards to find ways for engineering students to study abroad if they choose to. My ds's school, University of Rochester, does this. You could find out by checking with the engineering departments or the sudy abroad office.

So much depends on your history plan, your other reading selections this year, and your overall goals. Without knowing that, I'm unsure how to proceed. But I have a student the exact same age, and we are also doing moderns this year. I would not assign Gatsby to a 13-14 yo, even though it's a short book and not a challenging read. It's just the ideas that I think might mostly be lost on my student in that age group. YMMV. Moderns we've read this year that have been hits are Huck Finn, a much more challenging read but IMO more accessible, funnier, and more with topics that I think a 13 yo can really grasp and discuss. To Kill A Mockingbird-it's a straightforward story of justice, prejudice, and learning the truth of a situation that you at first misunderstood. My student also read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and even though he is a boy, and Francie is of course a girl, the way the book describes their poverty, the adventure of making ends meet, the sadness and loss of her father's death and drinking, all really spoke to him and he liked the book. I guess the sophistication of the characters in Gatsby seems less accessible to kids in this age group. He also really liked The War of the Worlds. People have told me many times that "all" of the eighth graders in my area read Elie's Weisel's "Night", so my son needs to read it. I just don't agree. It is sooooo bleak-I just think it's a book better saved for high school. So feel free to choose what YOU think is right for your student.

Creekland, it's not my opposition to someone else covering the course, it's that he cannot miss the live class.

I would absolutely love to do this, but it just doesn't work for me to take more time off teaching, and ds cannot come with me as he has an online class in that time window. Please keep me in mind for future gatherings!

I am divided about this. I have one child who I know would go this route if it was available to him. He is into karate though so there is no (as far as I know HA!) equivalent of travel teams or extra commitments. As it is, he can get pretty bent out of shape if he misses a class or we might be late. So I think I understand how parents can get drawn into major time commitments in kid sports. If the child is really driven, AND if there are a lot of camps, travel teams, if the child is very good at his or her sport, that could easily lead to a major commitment of time and money for the family. I am the aunt of a kid like this. He is a major talent regionally in his sport and has had college coaches calling their house and coming to his games since he was 12. He can run circles around boys 4 years his senior. I think his parents are very thoughtful about what it all means, and wary of him neglecting his academics, though he hasn't. But I've seen through him how sports commitments can take on a life of their own. Finally, I just want to point out that for some kids, often boys, sports is the only time they feel happy, competent, and successful. If I had a kid like that, I would be bending over backwards to work with him on improving his academic performance, but I would not stand in the way of his love. School can be an unhappy place for many boys.

Thinking of you, Moira...I will not forget my RA with my son today! And we will definitely have a few laughs in your honor.

You probably will just have to make some calls. My bank helpfully kept applying my extra payments to future payments, instead of to the principle, as I had asked. It just took persistent phone calling. I also learned (this was in the days of paper payments, checks, envelopes and stamps) to enclose a note each time specifying that the money was to be applied to principle only. They eventually got it right...most of the time. Be persistent!

Ooops-I was dense!

One other thought: Baltimore has an excellent museum of African-American history, the Reginald Lewis Museum. Food in no particular order: -Attman's Deli-the real thing -Samos-excellent, fresh Greek food, not expensive -also Ikaros-nicer Greek restaurant -Joe Squared-great pizza -Go to the public market (Cross Street Market) in Federal Hill or Lexington market for yummy food from stalls.