You know this already, and it's way easier for me to say than for you to internalize and believe, but here: You don't owe anyone an explanation. Really, you don't. Be clear. Be polite. Be done. And have a few topic changes readily available to redirect the conversation.

Echoing the others who said to get it checked out. A couple of months ago, I had a gradual increase (over maybe 2 or 3 weeks) in floater activity. I finally called the eye doctor, who checked me out and sent me to a retina specialist an hour later, who checked me out and scheduled surgery for later that same day. Detached retina. ETA: I'm fine now, and I have not had any more floaters.

"Thank you for being pretty. Not distractingly pretty, mind you, but just the perfect amount of pretty."

I hear you and I join you! We got an email Thursday night at 11 pm informing us (for the first time!) about an all-day Saturday event that ds2 was "required" to attend. Umm . . . no.

I know opinions on the usefulness/effectiveness of youth groups vary around here. My own experience isn't great. That said, my kids are asking to go to the youth group of the church we've been attending for several years, and I think it has the potential to be a good experience for them. So, before you send your kids to such an event or ongoing commitment, what would you want to know? A few of my questions have to do with parental involvement. Is it welcome? Can we come and watch or involve ourselves in another way? And I also wonder about the leadership structure in terms of risk assessment. Do they follow a two-deep policy like scouts recommend? What else would you want to know?

Is this a learned skill? If so, how do I teach it to my pokey, procrastinating, chatty, do-anything-but-what-needs-to-be-done-next boys? I'm all for short breaks for water, a snack, a breath of fresh air, whatever. But these boys stretch that inch into one heck of a mile. :banghead: I feel better now. Thank you. (Today is our first full day, so I know an adjustment period is needed--for them and for me. I don't know that I'm actually asking for suggestions, but I'll read them if you have them!)

Didn't read the whole article, but the quote in the OP is not painting an accurate picture. No one I know tells their children that sex is "wrong" or "beastly." Best saved for marriage? Yes. But that's an entirely different message.

Textbook introvert here. I think the thing to train greeters on (and some people are just plain good at this) is to take the lead of the other person. For example, one way introverts maintain the integrity of their much-needed bubbles is to not stop for small talk. We may smile kindly, but we KEEP WALKING. That's a cue not to try engaging us in conversation. A warm smile and a "Good morning" are welcome, but let us take the initiative from there. So don't block the doorway, don't do that hold-the-handshake thing that then forces us to stop, and don't try to give us information that we're not asking for. (Sorry to my fellow introverts for making us sound so prickly.) As others have mentioned, I love when churches have an information desk or bulletin board or something with UPDATED printed information that I can read or, better yet, take with me.

It wasn't at the two places we visited for orthodontic consultations. I might've expected it once we agreed to proceed with a treatment plan though. ETA: I wouldn't provide my child's ssn under any circumstances.

I've never had a mammogram turn out "normally." I always have to go back for a second mammogram and/or an ultrasound. Apparently, I have dense breasts, which makes the scans hard to read. (Plus side: dense = still pretty perky.) I'm glad they're so thorough about getting accurate results. I feel for you, though, having to wait through the weekend. Even with my history, I always have a bit of anxiety over the whole thing.

So God wills, for example, human trafficking and the repeated beatings and rapes of 10- and 11-year-old children? A Christian child in the midst of this life is to have "great peace" because it's for her ultimate good? That's a tough one to accept . . .

The accountability group I'm enrolled with allows for Pass/Fail reporting through 6th grade. This year I have one in 7th (yikes!), so I'm supposed to assign letter grades (A = 93 - 100; B = 85 - 92, etc.). If you assign grades in the middle school years, what kind of formula do you use? Do you include "participation" as part of the grade? Do you give more weight to, for example, a final exam? Does the same formula apply across all subjects? I don't want to make this harder than it needs to be, but I want to be legit about it as this could be good practice for when it counts on a high school transcript. Thanks!

Thanks for the responses! After reading here, I looked through the book a bit more closely and I'm kind of excited about using it this year.

Most of your posts are coming at this issue as a behavior/character issue, and I will encourage you to continue with that focus. Don't engage with them (or with yourself) on the cost factor of the car, the DVD, the candy, or the eye-level knick-knack of the day as that simply encourages the idea that if the item were cheaper, you would buy it. I'll also agree with the others who mentioned an allowance. It's much easier to squelch the gimmes when the items in question require effort and sacrifice to acquire.

Has anyone used this well? What's the best approach? Independently? Orally? Any input will be appreciated! Thanks.

Curious: What is the recourse for the PS students who don't reach the 13th percentile?

Woo-hoo! Cracked the top ten!

Have you been to a dermatologist for an evaluation and treatment options? Has she tried zinc? I wouldn't want to mess with hormones simply for the sake of clear skin. I mean, if she needed it for birth control and the clear skin was a happy side effect--great. But the risks wouldn't be worth it to me.

Similarly, John the Baptist (whose life mission it seems was to proclaim Jesus) doubted while waiting for his execution: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?â€

We're on a long road trip now and I hought I'd pass the time by writing a bucket list. I must be terribly borng because so far the only thing I have is to see an owl in the wild (like in Owl Moon). Oh, and to take a trapeze class. Anyone care to share their lists? Clearly I need inspiration. Thanks.

My son will turn 12 at the end of November and he's going into 6th grade.

I'm a resume writer. Sent you a PM.

I have them both and would love to find that someone has already done the "lining up" work so that I can use both resources somewhat seamlessly. Thanks!

Depending on the severity, I sometimes find a little relief by rubbing a little bit of peppermint essential oil on my forehead, temples, and back of my neck. Even better if dh is around to rub it in with a quick massage. Hot shower. Cold compress. The idea of a workout during a migraine makes me want to puke, but ymmv.

Ask questions without using their responses as a springboard for correction/lecturing. Some ideas: What is your happiest memory? What do you like about being a kid? What don't you like about being a kid? Name three words to describe yourself. Name three words to describe (mom, dad, sibling). What advice would you give your parents? If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why? What is your favorite thing to do? Why? What is your favorite thing to do with your friends? What do you love most about your sibling? What was the nicest thing you did for someone? What is the nicest thing someone has done for you? What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now? What would be the ideal allowance? Tell me how you would use it. Name two things we should do as a family on the weekend. What is the grossest thing you can think of?