Everyone who goes to William and Mary knows that it is the REAL UNIVERSITY OF VA. ;)

All I buy is the work book and the textbook. Starting in grade 4 I get the home instructor book. I do not think I use standards tho.

http://crcvc.ca/docs/victim_blaming.pdf http://stoprelationshipabuse.org/educated/avoiding-victim-blaming/ http://msmagazine.com/blog/2013/05/28/rape-splaining-10-examples-of-victim-blaming/

Kids this age may miss the humor I think... Maybe read a bit aloud with him and see what you think. I loved these books as a kid. More so bc my grandma's mom lived next door to Frank Sr when he was a child.

I continue to suggest we not victim blame and pretend its constructive.

The idea that we should not discuss these things at all is a straw man, as has already been pointed out. Avoiding victim blaming is not akin to shutting down discussion. This whole discussion reminds me that what people really want is to be able to say anything they want without experiencing the consequences of it. There are simply too many victims of sexual assault out there to allow people to get away with smugly blaming a short skirt and a couple drinks.

I do not really believe this any more. In this day and age education is freely available to those who seek it. Being rewarded with a degree from Harvard may be valuable but I dont believe that just bc you went there, you are better educated or more informed

I do not agree. Chances are when you are discussing rape, someone in your audience has experienced it. Same with domestic violence.

Well put. I wouldn't walk alone in that park if I were you. contrasts nicely with Why would you have walked alone in that neighborhood at night?

The OP also verbally kicked me in the teeth when I mentioned my abusive marriage and financial devastation as a result of it, so you'll excuse my suspicion that some people really do NOT GET IT and never will.

As someone who went to a top school, let me assure you that sometimes the atmosphere is not so healthy there. I transferred out of the public ivy and into a "mediocre" college. When I transferred in a fellow transfer came from Harvard. I think the idea of a top college is often a lot better than the reality. I won' be encouraging my kids to pick a top shelf university based on the name. Rather I would encourage my children to choose a place where they feel they can learn and grow and be healthy emotionally (and meet other emotionally healthy people.) Real convo from Will and Mary ca 1998: "My mom died in September." "Oh. What were your SATs?"

I started WW in February and have not needed acid reflux meds since beginning it. I was startled to feel so much better so quickly. I was taking prilosec or similar daily and also usually adding in zantac. It was BAD

I am hoping to do this eventually. For this year I took student loans. WGU is only 3000 a semester and I hope to complete ten classes this semester. Can't beat that.

This is where my interests lie as well. I have a dyslexic and I like small people. Im teaching preK now. (well, not NOW, bc it is summer.) We are NOT too old. I am 40 and looking forward to life beginning after an abusive marriage. Catalytic, I am also still not quite sure what I want to be. I have so many areas of interest... Im writing a giant annotated bibliography for my english class tonight on midwifery as a public health solution. LOL

I am finishing the degree I began at William and Mary umpteen years ago. I had gone back once before but then we moved. I have decided to go with WGU for the convenience and the reasonable pricing. I decided to do elementary ed bc that is where my interests lie after homeschooling for so many years. I don't think I will end up in a classroom for ever but want to start there. Anyone else pursuing ed as an adult? are your goals different? related to homeschool?

I think this is a matter of perspective but I also do not agree that driving around in a passe auto is some sort of virtue when today's cars are way safer than those tens years ago. I also do not believe the inconvenience of breaking down with 3 kids in tow is safe or reasonable. Or a van full of groceries. I don't believe that limiting where I go out of fear is reasonable. I don't believe having to explain to people to not touch Door A bc it wont shut about 50% of the time and then we're screwed is reasonable. Some of that was my experience with my "perfectly good" 10 yr old van. I am sure Honda owners never have such issues or fears. ;) Except I know plenty and they do. My point is frugal and cheap are not the same thing and frugality takes into account the fact that time is precious and safety is important. not just $$ and cents. Also I owned toyota which needed a new engine at less than 80K and my dad had a total lemon of a subaru so I lost my cultish devotion to japanese cars. I once drove a 20 yr old mercedes tho and that was pretty ok but $$ repairs.

I understand that you have a cultish devotion to Honda but I assure you that you either have a very different idea of major expenses than I do or else you are expecting too much. The average car repair is $500. Maybe you do these yourself?

You can expect what ever you want but that is not really realistic

I had to buy a new car a year ago and I ended up leasing which people claim is not frugal. I call baloney. 1. We are not handy people and we have no tools. 2. We are not car people and we can be taken for a ride by a mechanic easily 3. I tried really hard to find a used van. Specifically I looked at used toyotas and hondas with a few town and countries bc we had a previous dodge. Everyone of them were going to have a higher interest rate than my brand new kia van. And every one of them approached the price of the bottom of the line kia van. I leased a mid range kia.

150K on any car means you will soon have MANY repair bills. I would go buy a car off lease with 30K miles on it.

I had one when eldest was a toddler. My friend got one for each of us when she was back home in the UK. I suppose the boys were 18 months. All legs and no brain. It was ok and I used it sometimes.

I also switched from AAS to Rod and Staff and I much prefer it. I found AAS tedious beyond all belief.

I think I would look elsewhere.

I LOATHE grocery shopping when its rainy. I usually try to back the car up and load it right into the garage but it just never works perfectly

Social skills group is a good idea. My son was most explosive and obnoxious around age ten as well. I would HIGHLY encourage you to take the above suggestion of reading the Explosive Child. I think that book was the beginning of my personal parenting revolution. The crux of which was that I had to internalize the messge of the book, which is "CHILDREN DO WELL WHEN THEY CAN". My over parenting and anxiety that I would mess it up (and my abusive spouse's treatment of me- continual blame and shame and emotional abuse) were major contributors to the issues we had with my son. Hind sight is 20/20.