I am having a bit of an internal dilemma on the demonization of public school. Tonight, while at my MIL's house and having a dinner discussion with the family about a neighbor child, it once again came up that certain issues are because he is "public schooled."(The real reasons for this child's problems are that his parents are divorced, and neither one cares to have much to do with him- he sleeps over my ILs house waaaay more than he does his own, but that's really not the point) A little background: my DH was pulled out of school after K, and the remainder of his siblings never attended public school. While we plan to homeschool our child(ren), I refuse to believe the demonization that his mother puts as a blanket. EVERYTHING that happens (negatively) is due to public school. She also believes that her soon to be teenaged daughter will never, ever disagree with her- because she isn't in public school. When I tried to explain it usually comes with the hormones (that and the fact that my SIL is already a little firecracker, trying to rebel at every chance) of being a teen girl and that I didn't agree that it is 100% because of public school. OTOH, my husband and his siblings received VERY poor schooling from his well-educated but lazy mother- I had to teach my husband his multiplication tables while he was in COLLEGE, he had four remedial math courses before he was able to be considered college level (he held and still holds a lot of animosity towards his mom about that), and none of them ever received any instruction at all. Having been educated in the public school system from kindergarten until 10th grade (and homeschooled for the remainder until college), I am a bit biased, I suppose. I received an excellent education until outside factors (peers) influenced my success and homeschooling was a better option. Homeschooling ended up giving both my husband and I opportunities that we wouldn't have otherwise had as 16-18 year old teenagers in PS. I guess my big question is- why must we demonize public school as homeschoolers? I really think that it turns others off to the idea of homeschooling (and therefore the possibility that they would ever consider it for themselves or their children). There are many reasons that we all homeschool, but it all boils down to... it is what works for our family at that time, right? We (as homeschoolers) feel an inclination to explain why (because others pry for information), but really- all that we need to say is it works for us, period. Is this another mommy war thing (breast versus bottle, cloth versus disposable, organic versus not, etc)? Does my MIL constantly have to push homeschooling (and demonize PS) because she is trying to prove to herself it was/is the best choice and she was "right" to do it? I guess overall, I just feel like we are shutting out so many families as friends and possible homeschoolers if we over emphasize why public school is bad versus why homeschooling specifically works for us. Any thoughts? After all of these discussions with my MIL, I feel the need to send my son to the local PS just to prove a point! :)

I am a big time skeptic. I am a registered nurse, and honestly eye rolled a lot of the possible benefits other moms told me about. We are semi-crunchy and get lumped in with the uber-crunchy crowd at some events... For example, I helped to organize our local Great Cloth Diaper Change (a Guiness world record), because we cloth diaper. Leading up to this, I had been experiencing excrutiating right scapular (shoulder blade) pain for a month. I had been to the orthopedist, given cortisone injections and a heavy duty anti-inflammatory, and was taking them three times daily. Nothing touched the pain at all. At the diaper event, I won an Amber necklace (adlt sized) and thought it was pretty if nothing else! I wore it, and by the next day my shoulder blade was completely better. I realized this because I went to take my pain medication, and there was no pain! I have worn it every day since, and don't know if I truly believe it worked or if it was a fluke. I don't care! I am going to continue to wear it :)

We had issues with the alva (and bumgenius) fitting without leaking around the leg until LO was about 15 pounds. Even though it seemed to fit well, it would leak without fail several times a day (and the insert wasn't saturated). The good news is that it gets better and we have been CDing for 18 months now- hope you find some cheap prefolds soon.

Did you have a crib for any of your babies? I think that OP is referring to the mobile version of a crib, and what you say above is IMO sounds like you're on a high horse. So those of us who use a gate to keep our children protected and safe are making our homes not inclusive to our children? We don't have a playpen, but we certainly have him nap in his crib everyday. I also use gate to keep our son away from my computer when I'm not there with him to supervise. Sometimes, there are dangers in the home and since children do not have the ability to detect danger, we have to protect them in the ways we know how. :confused1: Am I missing something here?

I said 11- let me explain. I started wearing "makeup" at 11, when I got a 4.0 in school. My mom and I went out for lunch and she let me pick out a few pieces of makeup at the drugstore at my request. I got clear mascara, light pink blush and a translucent powder. So, made me happy but you really couldn't see anything. I'd say 13 for any real makeup (brown/black mascara, eye shadow etc).

It's time to switch to a floorbed (crib or twin mattress). The climbing can be dangerous- she just needs to get used to itand it will be hard at first- but it will be easier in the long run. I believe most contraptions to keep LOs in their crib/playpen have been recalled due to safety concerns, anyway.

Edit: sorry didn't see you'd fixed the problem!

Thanks for the newest replies! One thing to note though is she is not a friend- a mutual friend asked on a public forum if anyone was interested, and hooked us up. I don't know her or her son at all- that might make things easier if it were that way! Hopefully this works out, because we could use the money- but I don't want it to be too much trouble for our family, either. Ah!

So true about the liability insurance- not something I've thought about! Thanks for the input. Important things to consider!

Thanks for the input! A good camp around here is 110-200 a week. They do lots of weekly activities (though extra for special activities to the theme parks, etc), but the problem is they do not have a nurse available to give the medication. The child is diabetic and will need to have his BG checked and insulin administered. I don't plan to get anywhere near my nursing salary working this summer- since it's 50 hours weekly, I was thinking of asking between $150-200 weekly. I hope this is not out of her ballpark... does that sound fair to you? She said he is very quiet but well-mannered and likes younger kids. DS would have a great time playing with a playmate, and it would also encourage us to get outside more than we usually do- we have a great neighborhood with a park, a pond (fishing), a pool and lots more closeby. We could visit the library, park, etc. When DH is home and able to watch DS, I could take the child to one of local free/cheap movie times if he's interested. It definitely will throw a wrench into our daily plans (we are VERY laid back, and DH has a weird work schedule), but I figure it is just 8 weeks and would help with our budget a ton. We really could use the money right now, and I would love to be able to care for a child while using my nursing skills!

Hi everyone! I need a little advice. A friend of a friend needs childcare for her pre-teen son this summer- he has some medical issues, and she wants someone who is able to give shots (a few times daily). She also lives very close to my house- perfect! It sounds like a good situation, but I have no clue what to ask as far as weekly fee. I am sure she will have an idea of what she will spend, but last time I was offered a daytime babysitting gig, the mom offered me what was essentially $2 an hour. How much would you charge hourly (or weekly) knowing that she wants a nurse (which I am)? He will be over my house from 8a-6p, we will be doing activities (she will pay for the cost of activities), and I will ask that she send him with a lunch due to his medical condition. Thanks in advance! I just don't want to under/oversell myself.

Gotcha! Every vagal response to blood draws/shots that I've seen in office included the stiffening up and confusion afterwards- though it can present in other ways as well. Hope this is a one time occurrence and you don't have to deal with anything else. Good luck!

I am a pediatric registered nurse, and vasovagal nerve responses are very common in girls her age. It sounds like that to me- however, definitely follow up with her doctor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_response

Paxil can have an effect on both LDL cholesterol and electrolytes.

We didn't get anything. Not even a card saying "congratulations" or "we love you." Yes, that went over well!

In response to the bolded- a doctor has a right to refuse something that he deems dangerous. His license and malpractice are on the line- and if he doesn't feel it is safe, of course he should refuse. It is up to the patient to find a provider who is willing and able to perform whatever it is that they desire. It can be difficult, because we are in a very sue-happy time, and doctors can lose everything they have worked for at the drop of a hat. The second bolded, regarding your SILs miscarriage- that is ridiculous, IMO that a doc would even say such a thing. I have never, ever heard of that (unless it were a late term demise, and baby had to be born by cesarean the first time, which doesn't sound like the case), and I would be finding a new doctor stat.

One important thing to keep in mind is that hospitals with cesarean rates in those upper numbers are usually high-risk hospitals. Moms who have gone into labor at an early stage of labor, need to be on bedrest in the hospital, high risk birth defects, etc. are housed there. Many of these are automatically going to be c-sected. For me- my mom labored for over 50 hours with my oldest sibling, pushed for 5-6 and then it ended in an emergent cesarean with a horrible, painful and long recovery. With me, she had a scheduled cesarean, easy recovery. I had seen it in my own patients as a pediatric nurse- the moms who had emergent cesareans after laboring naturally had a much, much more difficult recovery than those with scheduled (for a reason) c-sections. My son was measuring very large at 8 months. They suspected he would be over 10 pounds at 40 weeks, his head was at that point 97% for a full-term baby AND his shoulders measuring closer to that of a one month old. Serious concern, especially with a family history of insufficient pelvic inlet/outlet and it wasn't something I was willing to risk. I got a lot of judgement from friends and family who thought I should just have a "trail of labor first," which is understandable, but I was not favorable at all for labor and was going to be induced at 39 weeks. It would have likely turned into a semi-emergent cesarean, even in the best of circumstances after many hours of labor. My OB is a family friend. I have known him since I was about 12 years of age, and greatly trust his opinion. And he trusted my judgement. We chose together that the best decision for my birth was a schedule cesarean. When my son was born, his cord was tightly wrapped around his neck THREE times and he had a tight true knot. At that point, I was very thankful for my "elective" (as some considered, but medically, it was deemed a necessity) cesarean. I would have ended up in a VERY emergent birth when/if my son started moving down in the birth canal and the true knot continued to tighten, cutting off his oxygen supply. I had an extremely easy recovery, easy breastfeeding experience and a very supportive hospital staff (Especially lactation and nurses- in recovery, the post-op nurse helped me to nurse within 30 minutes of his birth- it led to a very successful nursing "career" of 13 months, a month past my goal). I was off of pain medication altogether before I left the hospital, and we went shopping at Target on the way home to get some needed baby items for the house. Even though I am very supportive of necessary cesareans (as deemed by physician and patient), I was surprised to hear that we are not the highest c-section rate in the world, not even close. Brazil has a c-section rate of 93%! 93!!! Many (most) physicians there do not feel like vaginal birth is safe. I was very shocked to hear that there was ANY country with a c-section rate that high.

This. As someone who was very judged by my MIL when DH and I were dating (up to the night before we were married!), please don't say anything unless it is major. It is very possible that your relationship with him/her will never be the same as it was in our situation.

Not here. At least, not in the "nicer" areas. The produce is usually organic and very fresh (and cheap!). We spend about $40 for the same amount of food (and many times, better quality!) than we did at Harris Teeter. I do miss the short HT "commute," as they are less than .25 of a mile from my home- but the savings and the quick shopping trip definitely make it worth it for us!

Hello everyone! I have enjoyed lurking and reading here for several years, well before I had my son (who is now 16 months old!). We are a second generation homeschooling family. My husband was homeschooled from first grade on, and I was homeschooled in highschool. Homeschooling gave us so many advantages that we would not have otherwise had in a traditional school setting. We are excited about homeschooling our children! For the time being, our days are focused on play, motor skills, art and reading! I am looking forward to starting "official" homeschooling in the future, but for now we are enjoying lazy days. If only Spring would hurry up and get here, we could enjoy them more. ;)

We are right outside of Mint Hill borders (Charlotte suburb) in Union County! It is a great community for homeschooling.

We kind of did the opposite. I used to shop local meat, produce via a local CSA (and still do when it is available for produce!) but our budget changed drastically. When I left my job to have my son, we lost half of our income. We have since shopped at Harris Teeter for most things, got eggs from my in-laws (they raise chickens) and sometimes got local meats when they were cheap. Once I re-discovered ALDI, and realized that our budget went much, much further (Even with organic fruits/veggies!), I am a convert. I am in and out of the store with my toddler in 15 minutes with a week of groceries for $40. I definitely couldn't do that at Harris Teeter or via local fresh meats alone. ETA: In the Summer, we grow most of our own produce now, too. Even better than buying locally, IMO :) We also LOVE Trader Joe's. The products are amazing, there are no preservatives in any of them- and they are FUN.