Since this is my safe place, I figured I could share my parenting win for the day... From my DS5's camp counselor today when I picked my son up. "Could you please write down exactly what you did to make Sacha so intelligent. That way, when I have kids, they can be just like him. He knows more about science than most of the counselors [at Mad Science camp]."

We use Baby's Only and donor milk. http://foodbabe.com/2013/05/28/how-to-find-the-safest-organic-infant-formula/

He is definitely happy when he does it, and has no reluctance to speak. In fact, it is the opposite. He is overly verbose. It most often occurs when he is excited about the subject, which is much of the time.

Yes, I have asked. He doesn't seem to notice that he is doing it. It's like he is using it as filler space when talking very quickly. Where most of us would say, um or uh, he is doing the rhyming.

My oldest son is 5.5. He has always been gifted verbally. He spoke in full sentences by 18 months, has a very expansive vocabulary, and listens for long periods to stories that are well beyond his age. He is very social, and has always spoken very quickly and effusively. But lately, he is starting to repeat sounds, and I am concerned that he might be developing a stuttering problem. He will say things like: "That was a really awesome dog, og, og." "It looks like it is going to rain, ain, ain." I don't know if this is related to the fact that he is learning to read and spell, and is very aware of rhyming patterns and word play. I don't think he shows signs of ASD. Is this just a phase that some kids go through or should we see a speech pathologist to correct the issue before it turns into something more pervasive? Any thoughts and experiences are appreciated.

We get asked those types of questions at my son's Ped. They are pretty standard questions IMO and don't bother me at all.

My husband and I aspire to be gentle parents, though I definitely need to work on my temper.

I voted other. I am from So Cal and prefer some of our local fast food chains, like Tommy Burger or the Hat. I have never had Chik-Fil-A (and will never due to their politics).

If you want relaxing, I would not try to get from Southern California to SF in a short time. If you aren't used to the kind of traffic we have here in LA or SF, it can be a real shock. I also wouldn't waste my time on Hollywood. It really isn't worth the effort, IMO, and I say that as a 3rd generation Angeleno. There are lots of great things to see in Southern California, but Hollywood wouldn't be at the top of that list. If I only had a week in CA, I would focus on doing either Southern or Northern California; it's quite a huge state, and you will spend a lot of time driving around (and sitting in traffic) if you attempt both. Having said that, I am partial to San Diego, Santa Barbara, the Monterey Peninsula, and Napa/Sonoma myself.

OP, I am actually shocked that you would think to disrupt people's lives in a serious way based on a single hearsay conversation and no actual evidence of wrongdoing. I have bipolar and an anxiety disorder. When I titrate up on new meds, it is very common for me to experience the kinds of side effects you described. I certainly wouldn't drive under such circumstances, but attend my kid's game with other relatives in tow? Absolutely. This woman could very well be doing right by her family and herself by taking meds. You have no way to know, and I think it is horribly intrusive and presumptuous to involve CPS under these circumstances.

I have a pair of $1000+ Chanel sandals. I have spent on shoes what most people put in a down payment on a home. Not recommending this course of action.

Well, I live on a sailboat with my 5 year old (born on the boat) and my 9 month old (born in Mexico). I can assure you all that neither of them are worse for the wear. :) There are infant life jackets. This is the one both of my boys have used: http://www.westmarine.com/watersports-life-jackets/west-marine--kids-neoprene-life-vest-infant-neo-pfd-orange--12732343 Whether you need to use a life jacket with children depends on the state you are in, and. in some states, the size of the boat. For example, in CA, we do not need to have our children in life jackets because our boat is larger than 26 feet (ours is 41 feet). In Michigan, all children under age 6 need to be in life jackets. Coast Guard rules do not supersede state law. Coast Guard rules only apply in states without any law. You can look up each state's laws here: http://www.boatus.org/life-jacket-loaner/staterequirements.asp Having said all that, I agree with the others. You are perfectly within your rights to say no to any activity with which you are not comfortable. As much as I enjoy the water, I would tell them to stuff it if you are not up for it.

The cheapest I have found is here: http://www.frenchmagforkids.com/BayardMag/japprendsalire_mag.html And it is still expensive.

Testing your blood sugar won't tell you anything about PCOS. It will tell you if you are a diabetic or pre-diabetic. In order to understand what is going on with PCOS, you need to find out what your insulin levels are doing -- both fasting and with a GTT. A competent endo will also run LH/FSH, testosterone, DHEAS, prolactin, lipids, and a thyroid panel. If you haven't seen an endo with experience treating PCOS, and your last bloodwork was run 5 years ago by a GP, you really have no idea what is going on with your body hormonally, which could very easily be the primary reason for the struggle. When you say the medicine isn't working, what do you mean? Aside from weight gain/difficulty losing weight, other symptoms of PCOS would be long/irregular cycles, hirsuitism, acne, depression/mood issues, and thinning hair. Are you experiencing any of these symptoms?

Isagenix uses a type of IF. You might look at their program. They have 9 day and 30 day plans. You could see if it works for you. I also have PCOS. When you see your endocrinologist, are you still insulin resistant on Metformin at 1500 mg? Meaning, do you have high fasting insulin? What do your insulin levels look like with a 2 hour glucose tolerance test? That would be my first area of investigation because you may need to bump up for your dose of Metformin (max is 2400 mg). You will have a much more difficult time losing weight if your insulin levels are still high. I would also have my thyroid checked to be sure it is functioning normally.

I was the same way and for the same reasons. Never told my mom and just raided her stash. I'm 39 with two kids, so I think she's figured it out at this point. As others have said, try not to take it personally.

If you are CM-inclined, you might want to check out English Lessons Through Literature. I had planned to use WWE next year with my 5 yr old, but we decided on ELTL for K and MCT Island for 1st.

I've taken it and have used both. I did not have any issues. The main concern is a rare side effect called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

Thunderstorms and tornadoes. Thankfully, I live in Southern California so this is not an issue. Low heights. I am perfectly fine jumping out of airplanes, but rappelling off the side of a building, rock climbing, or driving on a bridge all frighten me. I think it is because the ground is more of an immediate threat.

Thank you!

I read about this on the (very excellent) Living Math Yahoo group and thought I would share. It is a new math board game called Primo. I am backing it and thought others might be interested as well. The project has already been funded, so I am eager to see this come to fruition. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/343941773/primo-the-beautiful-colorful-mathematical-board-ga

I know that it sounds ridiculous, but amber teething necklaces made a substantial difference with both my kids.

We live on our sailboat at the Hyatt in Mission Bay. The hotel was empty until two days ago. Now it is filled with evacuees. It's very sad.

I cannot sew and never had any desire to learn. I'm just not crafty or creative. I would also never think to teach my kids.