PachiSusan, that sort of thing has happened to me on airplanes also. I must be a walking ad for Murphy's Law B) I'm not much into electronics myself, but I have very tech-y friends who have effortlessly eased into the same digital age that I'm resisting. I'm not anti-electronics, and while I don't make them readily available to my own kids ... I'm not necessarily in judgement of others who do. Other things I don't make readily available to my kids, but hold no judgement of others who do: nutella. scary movies. crocs. christian music. I still reserve the right to be annoyed, though ;) directly about the lack of eye-contact and awareness of self-while-around-others, and indirectly about how the new norm is to trade quiet moments of thoughtful boredom for the constant engagment and inundation of information. And last week on my flight I was annoyed by the child in the row behind me whose game was obnoxiously loud. His parents had planned for this by bringing their Beats, alas I missed the memo and had only my rubber ear plugs. These successfully block out the dull drone of the engines, but not the high-pitched roars of the video game. Now, I realize that headphones don't always fit on kids' heads. I realize kids don't always like wearing them, even if they DO fit. I realize that a video game without the background din is like watching tv on mute: what's the flippin' point? And yet I also realize that this isn't the problem of people I'm sharing immediate space with. I figure out how to meet my desires/needs/wishes while respecting that I'm not an island unto myself at this particular moment. I'm not special because I have a kid. That's the mentality that bothers me; electronic devices are just the avenue in which it's being exhibited IYKWIM. (Adding: and not use in general! This was in response to those whose frustration I share when electronics become noise pollution or people using them become walking hazards through the inability to efficiently multi-task walking and digital-whatevering!)

If he always says no, I'd stop asking and simply take him to the potty at regular intervals. It seems this is a two-prong problem, rather than just one simple problem ("not potty-trained"). Prong one, he doesn't realize or acknowledge body cues. This might be medical, psychological, or emotional in nature - but whatever it is, those cues aren't registering. Prong two, it doesn't bother him to sit in his dirties. That isn't likely to change with a switch from diapers to briefs, IME. It's also not something you can really force him to change -- whether it just physically doesn't bother him OR it's a low priority for him, you can't make him suddenly prefer cleanliness. Unfortunately this rears it's ugly head again towards early puberty LOL. If it were me, my primary goal would be to address prong one. Until I could figure out how to help him respond to his own body cues, I'd have to take those reins on my own. So we'd go at regular intervals. Some see this as having the parent trained. That never bothered me :) made for less frustration and laundry (we used cloth diapers). He might fight this, but it'd be handled so matter-of-factly just like every other biological need. It's time to eat, it's time to sleep, it's time to sit on the pot IYKWIM. Consistency would be paramount, though. It may take a few days or weeks to figure out his ... timing needs ... but you can do it if you dedicate a fewe times to observing him and noting his cues (grunts, physical discomfort, pausing mid-play, etc.) I'd hope that in addressing prong one, prong two would fix itself as being clean became the newer normal. If it didn't, ... I don't know what I'd do! I suppose I'd continue to consider myself "trained" until it bothered him enough to take charge of it himself. But initially, I'd let go of the idea he was going to suddenly be enlightened and want to use the toilet on his own. My priority would be that one of teaching appropriate bathroom habits and hygiene. For my own peace of mind, I'd prefer one of us take control of the situation - even if it's me. Good luck! None of mine were that old, either, but my family takes infants to potty so I am familiar with being the trained one in the relationship :)

Is becoming a parent a right? a privilege? So long as opposing sides view the call to parenthood in conflicting ways, there's no point in continuing to run circles around this mulberry bush. It's a sensitive topic close to many hearts on both sides, is it really worth "going there"? It's okay to disagree, and it's okay to not take it personally when we don't!

My cousin did this! She went all gray early, embracing it the whole way, and looking fabulous. When she went through her third round of chemotherapy, the gray just made her look more sick and old. She begrudgingly took her mom's advice to just dye it already. "Look sick, look old, not both" was my auntie's frame of mind, I guess. Must be hard watching your daughter die. So my cousin dyed her hair up until she passed, but she always left a stripe "for me!" she claimed :) My cousin actually used indigo, and not traditional dye. I loved the look, and I'll probably follow in her footsteps when/if I decide to dye.

I wish it were only the kids that I see glued to electronics while in public!

Your daughter's comment cracked me up. I admire that you're taking a financial stand, I hadn't thought to do that before but now I might have to! Don't hate yourself. It could be worse. You could be me. I watch Honey Boo Boo. And I like it. I love me some Mama June like nobody's business. I'm so ashamed! I hide it from my family, they'd have a field day and never let me live it down! I find myself repeating June-isms often. My family isn't really sure what's wrong with me LOL. So, yeah - could be worse. And at worst, you're in good company ;)

How does one even get to that point? Is it a living vicariously thing, a crazed Mama Bear thing, or ....? I've seen some crazy baseball moms, but they've got nothing on Abby's moms! I knew they wouldn't be nominated for any Emmy's or anything, but I sincerely hoped they were acting. Suddenly my husband's idea to become hermits in the hills of the Dakotas seems much more appealing ...

I'm not familiar with your daughter's performance (videos?) or any history at the studio/gym, so this may be coming out of left field but I'm throwing it out there any way ... Might it be the vibe you're giving off? I wondered when I read the OP, and then wondered more as the thread progressed and I learned of your daughter's talent level. I'll give you an example from my real life. I have a dear friend of six years who only became my friend because she was persistent. Our kids were on a team together, but she had joined whereas I had three seasons with the team (and the parents). We were nice to her, she was friendly back BUT there wasn't any off-the-field bonding happening. Finally, at the end of the season party she asked for my phone number. Our kids were having fun together (finally, off of the field) and I think she wanted to capitalize on that. So I gave it to her, assuming she'd not follow up. Boy howdy, was I ever wrong. She followed up and then some! She pursued me like nobody's business. Like, I was getting flashbacks of Single, White Female the first few conversations LOL. But you know, I really (easily) came to like her. By the time the next season began, we were doing weekly get-togethers and 2-3x/week phone calls. It felt like I had always known her. Another mom in the stands expressed surprise that I had become so buddy-buddy with my new friend. It sparked a conversation in which I realized that while my new friend had always been friendly ... she did give off a vibe. Not a bad vibe, not a snobby vibe, not anything I could really pinpoint (except in hindsight I think it had to do with her nervousness about not fitting in and being the new parent) but ... just a vibe that wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy and welcoming (herself). I'm wondering if you might be inadvertently giving off a cool vibe, and that's part of why you can't break past the civil niceties of this parent group. If your daughter truly is a threat in the talent department, even more so that they'd read you as cool rather than nervous/new. I hesitate to call it Dance Moms because I simply can't go through life believing people like that exist (**fingers in ears, don't want to know they aren't just acting**) but it's a reality that people ... moms ... feel threatened in that arena. Whatever it is, I hope you're able to reconcile it in a way that's satisfying. I like the suggestion about finding off-the-mat ways to connect with even just one child. Also, in my line of work I'm always the new one breaking into established work groups. I've learned from my friend that I just have to be persistent and take the lead in those situations because if I sit back and wait ... I may never be approached. And at least in the case with her, I'd have really missed out!

Thank you all so much for your responses. I'm kind of excited now! Sounds like it's a decent value, even if a bit pricier than I'd normally spend :) and I do like the artsy offerings. I've picked out a few pieces from the catalog, and am actually looking forward to the party LOL.

I answered that I had religious objections to surrogacy; I am Catholic. Our beliefs on reproductive issues, including surrogacy, aren't always in line with those of our fellow Christians. Or even more liberal Catholics! I'd hate to come across as inflammatory for expressing the beliefs of my Church, so I respectfully decline to further elaborate. I invite you to google the reasons the Catholic Church is opposed to surrogacy, as I don't wish for any reasons I share here to be mistaken or misconstrued as a personal affront to any one personally vested in the issue. Or worse, an invitation to debate. At the end of the day we all have to live with our own decisions and choices, and in light of that I don't wish to question the judgments and choices of others, even indirectly and hypothetically.

We've always done a family doctor, but my sister-in-law was still seeing her (and DH's) pediatrician through her college years. She only transitioned when she moved away from the area. She felt comfortable with him, and I think my in-laws appreciated the doctor's familiarity with their children. She felt most comfortable with him for her first few gyn exams, but did start seeing an OB/GYN once she became s&xually active (in addition to the ped, whom she saw for everything else.) The two doctors weren't in the same practice, but were in the same building so sharing records and whatnot wasn't difficult.

I was invited to a party for the latest, greatest MLM scheme: Silpada . I'm going and I'll buy something to support the hostess, but I've never heard of this company or its products. Any feedback? It'll help me figure out what I buy and how much I spend B) I just like to know what I'm in for. The hostess, dear family friend that she is, is too biased for me to take seriously LOL. If it matters, I do enjoy jewelry. I'm more concerned with product value - priced appropriately? decent quality? Thanks.

I love this show! Since I'm out of town often, I record the entire season then do a marathon weekend of it - glad to hear it's going to be a great season to catch up on! I also love Shakira; I hope she's as adorable a mentor as she is on stage :)

I think it's more an issue of (larger) family dynamic. I'm one half of b/g twins, and we shared a room with ALL of our siblings until we were early elementary age. At that point there were enough younger siblings that we split everyone into two bedrooms, one per gender for kids of all ages. We stayed that way until we respectively left the family home :) If you only have three kids, and there are enough bedrooms for each to have his own ... I guess I'd assign each kid his/her own room, and just figure that between them all they'd sometimes choose to bunk with one another in one of others' rooms. But if they wanted to keep sharing a room, I'd let them for as long as they were both comfortable with it.

Surrogacy is against my religious beliefs, so it's not something I have or would consider for myself. I have a friend who used a surrogate, who is obviously grateful and thrilled with the end result :) I have another friend who was a surrogate for a family member (of hers) and was happy to do it in that instance, but wouldn't for anyone else.

Honestly, I use baking soda and have found that to be most effective. Bonus that it's also cheapest B) Not the best tasting, though LOL.

Fabulous news! That's a pretty weighty topic for a young mind, and you should be proud on many levels :) very intuitive and perceptive for her age, and able to communicate that so well!

Poor baby :( Praying she finds relief soon. It's hard as a parent to not be able to fix their owies, isn't it? You're a great mom to be there to support her, even when the lights go out. Hope the bloodwork results pinpoint the problem(s), and she can start healing whatever it is that's going on.

I didn't officially change my name, but in high school I did take on an American name that resembled nothing similar to my given name. And then still later I further abbreviated my American given name. So people call me one of three names, and I'll answer to any of them :) it can sometimes get crazy when my worlds colllide, but it's no big deal and (IMO) worth the occasional hassle to go by the names I prefer to go by in my respective worlds. I wasn't the first of my siblings to take an American name, so I knew going in that not everyone would transition right away. It took some people awhile to break the habit and feel comfortable (or even instinctual) about using my new name. I didn't take it personally, and that helped. Change is hard for some people! As long as she knows that going in, especially for teachers, she'll be fine and able to handle the mess that entails. I commend her for rising to the challenge, and not letting the potential mess deter her :) Eventually everyone came around, the only exceptions being my parents and their friends, who still call me by my given name LOL.

I'm replacing my living room furniture. Right now we have a sectional, chair and chaise which is exactly enough seats for everyone to have one. I'm thinking about losing the sectional and chair. I'd keep the chaise and add either two sofas or add one sofa plus a loveseat. Either way I'm down 2-3 seats. It's not super often we have everyone in the room at the same time, but it does happen - usually around holidays, but nobody seems to mind plopping down on the floor either. Do you have enough living room seating for everyone who lives in the home to have his/her own seat? Is it ever an issue? On a related note, any opinions on sectionals versus separate sofas?

What about shortening the Louise to Lou? Mary LouAnne MaryLou Anne Marianna Louise is nice, too :) Three classic names, you can't go wrong whichever order you choose to use them!

It wouldn't be rude in our home, but it would be rude in my MIL's home (so my husband might take more issue with it than I would). To me, the bigger issue is learning to choke down food you don't like out of respect for the cook/host. He did that. To me, it's a lesser issue of following a meal you didn't like with something you preferred. I liked that he at least sat back down to the table to continue visiting. Meals here are more social than anything else, so that's where I'm coming from. In my husband's home, meals were more about function (to eat) and not uber-formal but more formal so respect for the cook would be important ... and chowing down on something else while others at the cook's meal would be totally frowned upon. To me, I'd find it rude if he had taken the chips and gone to another room to eat them. My husband finds it more rude that he didn't. Different strokes rule the world LOL.

What a giant pain! This is when I hand over the printer and webpage link to the teenagers in the house, and set them free. They're cheap (only takes the bribe of a Sonic milkshake) and like the challenge, whereas I'm old and too easily annoyed messing with technology that's supposed to make my life easier LOL.

I greatly understand but tend to disfavor mandatory volunteering. I've seen it work and not work, so I know it can go either way. My preferred way to handle it is along the lines of a suggestion upthread: lay it all out on the table, and let the parents decide if they're willing to ante up. No one to run the Pinewood Derby? Fine, it's a no-go this year. Etc. I've found that it's hard to get a single parent volunteer whereas I have an easier time soliciting for COMMITTEES. I don't know if it feels less overwhelming, or what, but where I've struggled before to find a parent volunteer for one job I am able to easily find three parents willing to form a committee for the same one role. Go figure. That may be an option, OP. When parents register their children, let them know what committees exist (Blue & Gold, Advancement, Pinewood & Regatta, Outings, Service/Fundraising, etc.) and have them select a committee. Then it's out of your hands. At the first pack meeting you give printouts to everyone that include which committees are made up of whom, along with contact information. Then it's up to them to figure out the delegating of work, etc. The cubmaster can be the liason to keep everyone on track calendar-wise, but the bulk of work will be in the committee's hands. My husband and I both travel for work, and our schedules change monthly. It's always been difficult for us to volunteer in a hands-on position but we're always willing to help behind-the-scenes (registration, fundraising, etc.) and it's easier with a committee because we can do the bulk of the work and have our committee members handle the hands-on stuff at meetings when we're both out of town for work. You have to "sell" volunteer work to people, so counter their objections before they have a chance to offer them: "These three committees are great for those of you who prefer to work behind-the-scenes ..." or "These two committees are perfect for someone who is good with people ...." or "This committee is excellent for the busy family because it's flexible .." and so forth. This is the first I've heard of a ratio, scouts to volunteers; I like that idea. Filed under long-term ;) thanks for the suggestion! I also like the mentioned idea of breaking down the volunteer jobs into simple bites so they seem less overwhelming. When we first crossed over into boy scouts they asked for volunteers for a bunch of stuff I hadn't ever heard of before. It was intimidating, and though I went ahead and asked for specifics on what each job entailed... I was the only one who did. When I saw, I realized it was totally doable, even for a newb like me. Now that I'm in charge of parent involvement and new scout registration, I make sure it's all spelled out so people don't need to feel overwhelmed or in the dark about what they're committing to. I've had great luck being specific and having committees. Good luck!

Median income for my zip code in 2011 was "in excess of 194,000" for households and $176,259 for families. I don't know what is the difference between a defined family versus household. Median house cost in 2011 was $512,000. It's not a really high COLA, as far as county, region, or state IMO. I voted, but after I did I considered deleting my vote. My situation is somewhat different than the norm in that I live with other adult members of my family, and so we have more people to account for but we also have more resources to share between us. "Back home" the median income is $140,938/household and $163,375/family and the median house price is $914,000. It's a high COL area, and our money goes so much farther in the area we are now.