We use a giant mirror. I haven't told them they can do it on the windows. I'm afraid it won't stay to windows.

I do expect my children to do their best, whatever their best may be. I don't expect perfection. However, I do not accept lack of effort. On the same note, I expect myself to put forth my best effort in all that I do. Do I succeed with perfection in everything? No. Do I slack once in a while? Yes. Is my slacking acceptable. No, not in my opinion.

Is spanking legal in Canada? I know there was some legistlation about it but I don't know the outcome. When we were on public assistance the nurses would ask vague questions about my parenting skills. I knew the nurse, she was the mom of a friend of mine and a professor at my university. Anyway, she explained that part of her asking is so she can provide resources for parents who need them. She was also a mandatory reporter in our state for different child protection violations.

If we had good planning we could have made it on my income alone after my husband was forced out of his job and we had a 2 year old and one on the way. We weren't planning for that so it was significantly more difficult for us. We had recently purchased a brand new car for me and I had student loans. Without those two expenses we could have made it work for us long term. With what your daughter's carreer would be it is something she can continue to do without too much added burden after she has children. A very good homeschooling friend of mine stayed home full-time after her oldest was born but she continued to work as a stylist for her friends and previous clients. She would either go to their house while her husband stayed with the kids or she would bring them along or the client would come to her house. It was how they paid for their homeschool for a long time.

I love my mil and my fil. I really am blessed. We lived with them for a number of years and even looked into buying a communal property together a few years ago.

We had very little to spend last year. I made jammie pants for my kids in fabrics that reflected their interests. Using coupons for the fabrics I spend $12 for 4 yards. They were so little that I also used the fabric to make matching juggling/bean bag balls and fun shaped boo boo bags for each of them. I salvaged some broken necklaces from freecycle and made each of them a necklace and bracelet set. I made an apron for my oldest. I then made her a cookbook full of meals she enjoys and can cook on her own using mostly pictures because she was a struggling reader. I made a butterfly doll for my 4 year old daughter from some old curtains and t-shirts. Then they each received a "new" book from the gently used book store that was purchased using credit I had from selling them some of our old books. As much as we use the library my kids still love to have a favorite book to haul around the house as their own.

We use all three rows all the time. The back doesn't work for some of the carseats because it isn't deep enough. We only put children in boosters back there. When in need we can fit 3 car seats across in the middle fairly comfortably. When I took the Brownies camping last fall we were full. 4 boosters and two girls who didn't need them. We had their sleeping bags under their feet, bags stacked in the back and all the other supplies in a top carrier. We can't use a top carrier when we camp as a family because we need both the hatch rack and the top rack for our bicycles.

I didn't know that about Sears. Thank you. I'm going to pass that along to my mom. She buys the kids clothes from there but never gives me the receipt. That would be great since my girls hand down from oldest to younger without storing it at all.

Hope it goes well for you. I also have house buying anxiety. Just the thought of it sends my heart racing. Super glad Bart announced we are staying where we are.

That is my middle child. She hates public bathrooms. She even refuses to use the one bathroom at my parents house because she doesn't think my mom keeps it clean enough. She only uses the guest bath because very few people use that one. She is also in charge of cleaning our half bath, the one she uses most. Her standards are strict!

We wash, when the conditions are acceptable to me, and use hand santizer. My son's best friend is seriously immune compromised as well as my sister. Hand washing is a big big thing for us to be able to continue to see and play with the ones we love. If we don't wash in the bathroom I do make a point to remind them that I have hand sanitizer in my bag.

Pants never fit Pirate for more than one season so I have no idea which ones can handle his abuse for the long run. Pirate is so rough on pants that I refuse to buy them new. He gets 2nd hand twice a year.

:iagree: Read it. I wouldn't use this "method" if you are not open to having more children earlier than you would like. Also, it isn't just your husband who needs to have self-control in the matter.;)

That is a good point.:) I think it was an honest oversight to think about that option considering the number of sick children right now. We had vomitting as part of the flu last week so that is right where my mind went. I was that kid who got carsick. Actually I still am. My oldest gets carsick too and it really does kick in when you stop for a meal hardcore.

Oh, Ack! My kids don't know what to do when we leave a restroom without washing. (Only the restrooms where you look at the sink and it is dirtier than the toilet and there is no soap and the paper towel dispenser is broken.) Then I remind them that I keep handsanitizer in my bag for a reason. We are vigilant hand washers and I might be just a touch bit of a germaphobe.

We are partial to SUV for our outdoor adventures. We have a Dodge Durango with 3 children in carseats/boosters still. If we are going for longer than a weekend we prefer to take two cars not only for space reasons but also if we decide we'd like to do different things one day.

We've got step one completed. We know what we are getting the kids. I absolutely want to be finished before Thanksgiving. I prefer to avoid retail as much as possible during December.

In response to the OP I'd say things change. Life changes. Plans change. No one knows exactly what their future holds.

Huge fan of the library although currently unable to checkout because I temporarily misplaced A Wrinkle in Time and didn't know so I have a fee that I can't pay until I budget it out of our next paycheck.:tongue_smilie:

My answer will be a bit different considering my children go to school. My oldest who is in 2nd grade gets from 4pm until 8pm of free play. She has some responsibilities when she gets home but they don't take her long. We purposefully don't have our children in lots of outside activities so they can have free play with friends throughout the week. So much of their time is structured that I really think they need their own time to use their own mind in the way they would like, within reason of course.

We don't live in a perfect neighborhood but it isn't too bad. Our neighbor across the street was arrested for manufacturing illegal drugs in their child's bedroom. That was bad. The father is in jail and the mom has had her children removed from her care. There was an arson down the road but that was from a troubled teen trying to kill himself not out to hurt anyone else. The father of one of my daugher's friends was recently in jail for who knows what. So, yeah their is some shady stuff but nothing that makes me uncomfortable living here because for every weird or illegal thing that happens we have 3 times that number of vigilant neighbors who really care and look out for you and your family. We live in the most affordable neighborhood in our township and are within 5 miles of a city with a crime and drug problem so when people can afford to leave the city they often move into our neighborhood so to a point some of that follows them whether they want it to or not.

My 7 year old daughter loves Jump 5 Rubyz PurNRG She also likes BarlowGirl but not as much.

I would be okay with my oldest at 9 years old staying at home alone for those few minutes. I would not be okay leaving her in charge of my then 7 year old and 6 year old.

My 5yo daughter was asking about building a doll house at dinner. Perfect timing.:)

I do often. We are more likely to be at a park during the week than on the weekend. I prefer to not be disturbed while hiking. I have no fear about being alone in the woods. I do tell my husband where we are going to be, what we plan on doing there and the general time we are going to be home.