This is our situation precisely. Sigh. Bullying doesn’t seem to be too bad, though (although DS might disagree with me – he can be quite sensitive and sometimes misinterprets things). One of the sticking points for me is friendships. I don’t want DS to miss the experience/practice of “water cooler conversation,†and of course I want him to develop a couple of strong friendships; unfortunately, in his whole school experience so far, he really hasn’t found a solid friend. L So I guess he wouldn’t be missing much – but I am still afraid to close that door on him.

If you pulled your child from public school in later elementary or middle school years, can you tell me about it? Why did you decide to do it? How did you and your DC handle the transition? Did your child want to be homeschooled, or did you make the decision without his or her input? Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice again? What would you do differently? Tell me some stories, ladies. :lurk5:

If I knew then what I know now, and if I didn't have to work, and if I could have a do-over, I'd be homeschooling. Alas, it just isn't going to be. :(

Oh my goodness, I could never have tried that with DS! He is the “Test Everything†type – I can just imagine myself asking the kind officer to “just back me up on this one†so DS doesn't think I didn’t mean what I said! :eek:

Mine went to Grandma's because DH and I don't get Spring Break from work.

You may be right; I don’t think I was quite that harsh when DS was 8, and by the time he was 10 or so these things had happened enough that I thought it was time I got tougher. As for thinking he’s a hardened criminal … well … if he doesn’t want to feel that way, all he has to do is stop stealing and lying, right? (Not being snarky – I just don’t understand how the bad feelings would come from my words but not his own actions.)

Having been through almost that exact situation, I can tell you how we handled it. First, the theft. Not only does he apologize to the friend and the friend’s parent(s), but also he returns the Purloined Plaything PLUS several more – five or ten – of his own, which now belong to the friend. It helps if you and he each choose the pieces he’ll be forfeiting; otherwise he’ll give up the least important/favorite items and learn nothing. You will have to choose a favorite or two, and a specialty item or two. And he has to choose some too so he feels the sting a little more personally than if you just handed him a full baggie. Second, the lying. So much more difficult to deal with! I have given many guilt-trips as well as emotionless frank discussions about how lying affects trust, and I have tried to bring it up repeatedly for some time after a Grand Round of Lying. Everything you tell him to do – like put laundry away – you have to check thoroughly afterwards, and tell him that you are doing so because his word is not trustworthy right now. You have to make sure it’s something verifiable, though (e.g., not “did you drink your milk,†because he might have poured it down the drain and you wouldn’t know). In addition to the trust talks, he also loses a significant privilege. In this case, it’s Legos. You don’t have to take them all, but take a LOT, and tell him that because he is lying to you over Legos, he can’t have the Legos. It takes a lot more time and effort to regain trust than it does to lose it in the first place, and he will earn back a few items at a time when you are satisfied that he told the truth (about having put away his laundry, or whatever verifiable task you assigned). So: Assign – Ask – Verify – Return Items. Sorry this got so long. I hope it works faster for you than it has for me – but we have made quite a lot of progress, so I am hopeful that I will eventually see a young man with impeccable integrity!

I know it is wiser to calculate which option offers the highest net return, but really, I don't care. My house is mine - I care much more about that.

Oh, poor girl! I'm sorry she's feeling so bad. And I don't blame you a bit for being upset with the ER. What terrible treatment! I hope you see great improvement very soon. :grouphug:

It has been happening to me, too, but only in the last week or so. I have resorted to drafting my posts in Word and pasting them into the reply window.

Sounds like you're sold on all the protective gear, so I won't add more on that, but please do make sure he practices falling. Really! I'm sure there are youtube demonstrations and other information available online. He needs to learn not to stop a fall with his hands (the easiest way to break a wrist).

I’d be soooo tempted to make it schoolwork. Copywork? Dictation? Answering comprehension questions after you read aloud a particularly salacious section? :p (And maybe the first question should be “now do you understand why these books are off-limits to you right now?â€) I certainly hope someone more level-headed than I gives you advice you can actually use. I just couldn't resist sharing my little revenge fantasy. :lurk5:

What a tough decision! You are clearly thinking it through as thoroughly as possible, though, so I am confident that whatever decision you make will have lots of Darned Good Reasons behind it. :grouphug:

I usually aim for Mother's Day for planting tomatoes, peppers & cukes.

My seeds arrived this week, and I should start the tomato seeds (three varieties) this weekend. If I remember correctly what I ordered, the tomatoes are the only ones I need to start indoors. [Weird ... suddenly I have the no-paragraphing problem that people typing on phones or tablets have had ... only I'm typing on a regular desktop keyboard.] Anyway, I also ordered the usual: carrots, peas, lettuce, cukes, and a mess of flowers. This year I'm doing ONE zucchini plant, because DH and DS don't care for it but I miss it. :)

My ILs are terrific. Not too much meddling, and MIL will bend over backwards to help when needed. They adore their grandchildren.

I was 14 when my period started. I'm still waiting on the breast development part. :p

Yes, this. Wishing you and your family peace and comfort, Kay.

That's wonderful! My local NPR no longer carries that show, but I used to listen to it quite a bit. I wish there were more shows featuring kids/teens in artistic and academic pursuits - they can be so encouraging. Congratulations to your daughter!

"Oh, no! I accidentially hit ctrl-alt-KaBOOM!"

It sounds to me like you are generally vigilant about your eggs, and have to keep an eye out for the occasional rotten one. So, in general, you expect that if something were to go wrong it would be egg-related. If I were you, I'd be thanking my lucky stars that I have not had so many electrical fires that *that* is my normal area of vigilance! :D

Pfft. That's nothing. My last paycheck was bigger than that. ;)

OK, now you need to change your forum name to Turd Nugget, and then change it right back to Miss Peregrine, so it only shows up in your name history. Then we can periodically visit your profile and get a good chuckle. Seriously, though, I am glad you seem to be taking this so well. It would not be unreasonable to react very differently out of hurt feelings. You are the very picture of maturity and restraint!

Me too. Sheesh, family stuff can be such a rollercoaster! I hope you slept well, KK.

Same for me. The SpyCar Fan Club extends far and wide! All best wishes to you and your dad as you navigate these rough waters. It sounds like both of you are keeping a strong, positive frame of mind.