We live in Massachusetts. You can work when you are 14. I think this place is a bit loose about some things. They never asked for a work permit for my older daughter even though it is supposed to be required. She sometimes works until closing (11:00 p.m.) when legally she is supposed to only work until 9:00 p.m. This place is a small business run by a crazy-funny Greek family. They have been there for about 25 years. All the cooks are Brazilian - they play music and dance around in the kitchen. There is definitely a Mardi Gras atmosphere there that adds to it all. I think it is one of the reasons all the teenagers go there. That and the fact that the menu has literally over 50 items and they run promos like "beat the clock pizza" starting at 4:00 p.m. where you pay what the clock says for time. Or if you yell out "easy squeezy mac-n-cheesy" you get 10% off your mac-n-cheese pizza.

She has babysat, and definitely made more per hour than her sister! The only problem is babysitting is so unreliable. She can go weeks without being called for a job. And meanwhile she sees her sister get a weekly paycheck and buy clothes, jewelry, buy her own iphone. She has even saved up enough to buy a car. 14 is young, and I know my older one at 14 wasn't even thinking about a job. It's just when you are the younger one you see the older one having all this fun and cash and you want that too.

My older daughter (age 17) got a job a year ago at the local pizza parlor. It was the first place she walked into to apply and she was hired on the spot. We were not really familiar with this particular place because it is on the other end of town for us and we get our pizza elsewhere. It turns out this is THE place to work in town because: 1) Everybody knows it and raves about their food. 2) It is the hangout place for all the teenagers. It is where they all go after their games, parties, etc. It is always packed with all the kids from her school. 3) They tend to only hire girls to work the counter and it has the reputation of hiring "pretty" girls to bring in the boys. This has brought my daughter a lot of positive attention, as in "Oh of course they hired you. They only hire the pretty girls!" It is a bit of a status symbol to work there. 4) They are super flexible about shifts. My daughter started working there in May, and in June she had to take 3 weeks off due to prior commitments. They were fine with it, and always accommodate requests for time off, etc. 5) They pay over minimum wage Now my younger daughter wants to work there too. She is 14 so she has very little chance of being hired any place else. Anywhere she has looked she is told they are not hiring. Plus, anytime she comes into this pizza place the manager always says "Are you looking for work? Let me know when you want to start training and we will put you on the schedule!" She is dying to work there for all the reasons above. My older one does NOT want her to work there. They get along really well, and do a lot of things together so that is not an issue. She just feels like this is "her" place where she has made a name for herself and that having her sister there will change that a bit. She just says that it will make things different. So, on the one hand I get what my older one is saying. I worked with my sister when we were teenagers, and it does create a different dynamic. You can't be as silly or flirty or as crazy as you like because your sister is there -- and sometimes with that comes judgement or a "what are you doing that for?" attitude. She feels like this is her space and she would like to keep it that way. On the other hand, I understand my younger daughter wanting to work there. Why would she work anyplace else when this place is so fun, accommodating, and so popular with all the teens? This job is just sitting there waiting for her. Usually as a mother I can see one side more than another so I make the decision and that is that. But this one...... I see and understand both sides. So, what which side would you take?

It irks me that it used to be called "global warming" and now it is called "climate change". That new name means anything and everything that happens can be, and is, attributed to it: droughts, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, dry/hot summers, cool/wet summers, no snow, too much snow ...... I also remember growing up being terrified at the prospect of global cooling. We were going to have an ice age, no doubt about it. Then it became global warming. Fool me once and all that, know what I mean? And now? Anything and everything is all due to (duh duh duh daaaaaa) .....Climate Change!

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: And I agree, Kudos to him for still going!!

That is exactly correct! They are "cousins" And his name is Koda. Not sure what it means but we will keep it for him so it doesn't confuse him. And my 20lb corgi is also already the alpha male. One swip of Koda's paw could change all that but he honestly is just too much of a gentle baby!

A friend of mine is getting a divorce and she could not keep him. He is a Greater Swiss Mountain dog and he is HUGE! We currently have a corgi so the height difference between the two is quite amusing. But he is the sweetest dog with a very gentle dispostition. We just love him! :001_smile:

sorry wrong thread!

I think it all depends on the child, obviously, but so many times the terms "competitive" and "intensive" get a negative rap. My daughter, now age 14, has played softball for years. 2 years ago she joined a club team that is very competitive and intensive. Practices 2x/week year round. At least one extra session of hitting expected a week. Tournaments almost every weekend during the summer, most up to 45 minutes away and many over 2 hours away. The coach has been very clear: if your bat is weak you will be sitting on the bench. It is very high pressure to get a spot, keep your position, and be in the batting lineup. She absolutely loves it. She loves her team. The whole experience has made so many memories for her and she has had so much fun -- and this all happens while she is at practice or at games or at fundraisers or whatever. This IS her childhood. These experiences is what she will look back on. I think you can find anecdotal evidence for the above. You can also find anecdotal evidence in support of intensive activities. But in the long run, if it works for my kid, and she is happy, then should I really doubt whether she is having a "childhood"? And based on whose idea of a childhood - Ask Amy? And for every one kid that burns out, 6 more continue on and love it. I think people overthink these things to much (not saying you in particular, it just seems to be the thing now with articles and books that get people all riled up.) A good childhood is one where the child has happy memories. A good parent helps their child achieve all that the child wants to achieve while plugging their ears against people who accuse them of living vicariously through their children. A good use of time is one that contributes to their mind, body, confidence and soul. Combine those three and you will have nothing to worry about. If you are meeting the above criteria, then continue on. When it stops working you will know.

:iagree: and this :iagree::iagree::iagree:

:iagree: I can absolutely see sometimes making the decision to go to the sporting event. And I do not think it would be a reflection of my child's immaturity or lack of commitment to her faith. I do see, however, that you need to set some guidelines for class attendance, or the excuses alone would boggle the mind. I think I might, as a parent, be a bit miffed about the assignment. It is clever in it's message, but I feel like it borders on being a bit snarky. And I bristle a bit when people get snarky about my parenting choices.

:grouphug:

I was you .... 9 years ago!! I remember the anxiety watching my oldest, who was in 2nd grade at the time, running off the bus with all her school supplies packed up by the teacher. She was so thrilled to be homeschooling and that just made me even more anxious!! The trust that she had in me.....what if I screwed it all up? Fast forward to now and homeschooling was the best decision we ever made. Both my kids have had exposure to experiences and a level of education that would not have been matched if we went the traditional route. They went back into the school system 2 years ago (10th grade and 8th grade) and the transition has been fine. They are both doing very well academically and socially, so you are not burning any bridges by homeschooling. You will be fine. More than fine. Enjoy every wonderful, creative, mind-expanding moment. It will be a marvelous journey. :001_smile:

:grouphug::grouphug:

An update: My doctor started me on Citalopram (10 mg) and so far it has really worked wonders. I was very hesitant about taking anything so I was not an easy customer to win over, but I can say at this point that I am so so SO happy I did. Starting about the 3rd day I noticed that when I would think of things that usually would send me into a worrying snit, the thought would just be there and I would either think "you know, that's not really a big deal" or "yeah, that kinda sucks but it will be okay". I feel like I have found my optimism again! I am also a lot less stressed when heading out for the day, or doing anything really. I have had some side effects like dry mouth and slight nausea, but nothing really that big. I also have an appointment with a therapist next week. I am really happy I started down this path now. I hope it continues because I never want that level of stressing myself out and anxiety again!

:grouphug::grouphug:

Thank you all for the advice. I do want to look into counseling, although I feel like I would just say it is 'generalized anxiety', kwim? I am not going through any specific thing right now but I just worry worry worry. My sister takes Xanax, but only when she needs it, so maybe that's what I need? I do feel like lately the anxiety is constant, or at least getting more constant, so ..... I guess I will have to wait to see what the doctor says. I am going to ask him for a good recommendation for a therapist. I feel better just knowing I have finally made an appointment. I always feel better when I feel like I am taking charge and DOING something.

anxiety medication. I finally gave in and am seeing my doctor late this afternoon. I just am sick of my mind spinning and spinning over worries and having a constant feeling of anxiety. Anxiety runs pervasive in my family and I just kept hoping I could get around it myself. But I am just sick of feeling like this. Sigh. This sucks. But anyways, any advice on what I should ask him? Any medication to ask about?

I always used to use a weight lifting analogy. If you want your body to become strong you go to the gym and lift weights. You do bench presses, squats, curls, etc. And you will use NONE of those actions in real life. No one will ever stop you on the street and need you to bench press anything. You will never be required to curl a weight. BUT, your body will be strong when you need to do real-life things that require stamina and endurance. Your overall posture will be better. You will feel better about yourself. So learning some abstract math concept or memorizing history dates is strength training for your brain. You may never need the math concept, but your brain will be stronger for going through the motions of learning it.

Thank you! It really was a special night for her! :001_smile:

Forgive me for being so clueless, but how does a AAFES gift card work? I am guessing it works like a debit card, but is it used at the commissaries? And if I was to pack him up a whole box of supplies is that something he can take with him? Or does it get shipped to him? I like this idea, but I don't know if he can show up for his deployment with a huge box of stuff .. See? I told you I was clueless about how this works! :tongue_smilie: Thank you! <3

A while ago I posted a picture of my daughter's prom dress. The prom was this past weekend so I thought I would post a follow up of her actually at prom! It has rained for about 2 weeks straight here but on Friday the sun came out for about 2 hours, just at the right time for some outside pictures. They had a great time both at the prom and the after-party.

I did Mary Kay for a while. I would not recommend doing it for a lot of reasons, but bottom line I do not think you can make any money at it. You will end up frustrating yourself, and all your friends, in the process. The stories of directors making oodles of cash are over-exaggerated. Check out http://www.pinktruth.com.

.. in about a month for Afghanistan. This will be his first deployment. Any suggestions for a gift to get him before he leaves? Something he will definitely need, or really enjoy, while he is over there? Thanks in advance!

Wow! Very beautiful