So I may be dense, but I recently found out that "noise canceling" headphones can mean canceling background noise without canceling all noise and after having the recommendation made for 2 of my kids, I'm trying to figure it out now as an option to help improve focus when background noise is present. Do any of you use headphones like this? Which do you like? How do they work for you?

Never mind, I found the thread I was looking for and figured out the book recommendations! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Book recommendations for me or my 9yo dd? We're working with gifted/adhd/spd (although the lines blur between those three and I'm not sure what is spd and what is adhd and whether any of it is actually gifted rather than something separate, if you know what I mean). she's starting to ask questions and verbalize her frustration with being "different" and I don't know how to help her even understand what's going on. I feel like there was a discussion on overexcitabilities recently but I couldn't find it to see what books were recommended. I want to help her understand how her brain works, and to accept it instead of attempting to hide who she is from the world and end up frustrated and crying in her bed because she always messes up or doesn't know how to play "correctly" or whatever. She is even starting to not be willing to do her schoolwork because she doesn't want to "learn more" than her friends.

This is our experience too. How does she do with rapid naming games? Eg. Name all the farm animals you can think of as fast as you can. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Probably. I just don't have any. I should look it up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am curious about the rebuttals, I just don't have the energy to search for them! You know, sitting here pondering it, I'm not sure I've ever read anything that tries to actually explain the other side. I've read a lot about why young earth, but all the evolutionary perspectives that I've been exposed to have assumed understanding and been simply passing mentions of millions of years.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Honestly, you have a poorly informed mental image of what living in an RV is like. if you have actually known someone who lives like you have described, then I can understand your grossly negative opinion of those who choose to live differently for whatever reason. I went to the Internet to discuss my inlaws because I wanted some perspective and my husband is out of town. If this qualifies me for living like you have described and thus must cater to my inlaws every whim because we came here to help them through some health issues while we transitioned between jobs then so be it. The job transition was decided based on our desire to live closer to my inlaws, too, btw. And if we were asked to move off, we'd do so and much to my relief. We are not here by necessity, it was agreed upon for reasons that had nothing to do with our ability to support ourselves. But thank you for your concern to that end. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The health issues are not immediately life threatening. Without something tragic happening they'll live for decades. Mil tends to respond to my sons fits with a flippant comment and walking away. She disagrees with my handling of the same situation the way I've been taught to by a behaviorist. She thinks I coddle him and thus cause the behavior to worsen. And no, I don't think she would come get me in the middle of the night. She would "handle it" and say it was fine the next day. So there is a big possibility that if he has a bad dream, he would lose literally hours of sleep. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I use my instant pot too - I have to make sure to whisk in the starter yogurt and then I dip off whatever whey I can the next morning, but I've never had a problem with it so long as I ensure that I watch the temp as it cools down and whisk in the starter at about 125 degrees. I make a whole gallon once a week or so!

I fully admit that I feel very out of control lately. I feel like life spins around me and I am fully exhausted by everything. I find it easy to focus on a small piece of life at a time. I worry that I am going to be chronically unhappy in life and yet at the same time I recognize that I am not in an ideal place in life and need to withhold judgement on my mental state until I am not living here anymore. I fill my day with praise music and sunshine and am honestly just trying to do my best to take care of my family. It's very tiring to be stuck in the yard without a car and without supportive family. They never ask how I'm doing, they never ask if I need anything. I'm more a nanny caring for children in the backyard than I am a part of the family, or that's how it feels sometimes. I agree with this. I have never been tested for anything regarding my severe gluten intolerance but when you see the indisputable changes in my life from taking it out and the indisputable impact of putting it back in, even accidentally at one meal in a tiny amount, there is no question in my mind. Given the probable genetic connections (both backward to my grandfather and forward to the specific issues my kids have), the Dr. is carefully directing our food trial. Even though DH was very skeptical of it at first, he is the one who first commented on changes in older DD and the clearing of eczema during the middle of allergy season seems significant in itself. The biggest problem for my MIL is that she doesn't agree with the starting point of each issue, so without a problem to begin with, there can be no improvement, placebo or not. We are also working with a specific nutritional plan to ensure plenty of whole grains, calcium, protein, fruits, veggies, etc. are in their diets. MIL hears from my kids that they are eating all kinds of new veggies (like kale, collard greens, brussel sprouts, etc.) and so she offered them beets - the kind in the jar with high fructose corn syrup - because they want to try new veggies. I applauded her effort, but had to laugh privately. That said I DO give her credit for trying, especially when she tends to be inconsistent at best with veggies... I've brought my own salad many times to the meal we share at their home. I suppose that prayers for patience and improved circumstances would be appreciated! DH is out of town for a couple days for work so when he gets home I'll discuss the sleep over thing with him. It won't be an option for a week or more anyway.

I'd love that! Thanks!! Oh, and knowing you wrote the program I vote for it stronger - I find the stuff I've put together myself tends to be geared so specifically towards my children's needs/strengths that they are better than anything else I've found, especially for those younger ages! only I rarely do it because of how much time it takes!

You assume there's more room in their house... While they do have a larger living room and kitchen, mil has ocd and cannot throw anything away... But I do see your point that it might be like punishment for poor sleep. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I prefer trader Joes but there isn't one near me. Aldi isn't great but it is better than Walmart! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for this, although technically is easier to ignore strangers online than family! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

These examples remind me of how mil told me just this morning that she respects how I'm trying to "do candy" and is trying to not offer it as much. (we are desperately trying to reduce sugar intake, desserts are not supposed to be several times a day!) but dd who slept over last night was given Ice cream before bed after I had allowed a treat earlier in the day and then mil commented on how much trouble she had falling asleep. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm not sure. Sometimes he seems to want to but other times he doesn't want to go up to even play, like today. Eta, that said I've not given him the option to. I've learned with my older daughter that sometimes having to make a choice when it is obvious that there are differing opinions is unfair on the child and causes more stress than excitement. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for your encouragement, tears seem to be my friend lately. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When we didn't live here we got along a lot better. A weekend visit may be just starting to get tense and then it was tune to leave. But living here has proven to be quite a different story. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My life is so exciting right now...in the most unexciting way, haha. So for those who don't remember, a quick recap - we are living in our camper in my inlaws backyard until June. At that point we will be traveling more for DH's job and only back in my inlaws driveway for weekends so we can attend our church. In-laws have various serious health issues and we are in part here to allow the kids to spend more time with them because we don't know how the health issues will work out, especially given some of their unwillingness to change lifestyle habits. (yes, I disagree with how they are handling their health but I try hard to keep my opinions out of it - I cannot change or control anyone but myself). My eldest has ADHD, high anxiety, and severe congestion, and we are treating it, recently, with with gluten free diet trial and sensory diet with great success. My second has a gluten allergy that results in severe eczema. My third is a conundrum and we are trialing a diet change/intense OT sensory diet with the hope of decreasing severe behavioral issues that have us seeking behavioral evaluation. My fourth is easy going and healthy. My in-laws disagree with both the starting points (no ADHD, anxiety is not abnormal, eczema is not a health issue to worry about and the behavior is "normal" for a boy his age) and the treatment plans (we are depriving our children of food and "normal" life). That said they are making a huge point of "respecting" the diet trial. Although enough comments have been made that make me know that we are in for a lovely collision at the end of the trial since we have seen significant improvements in the eldest two (adhd, anxiety and eczema). BUT, the issue today is that my MIL knows our time here is limited and that she wants to have a sleepover with my son before we leave. She's had sleep overs every once in a while since we've gotten here with the older girls and I've not been 100% pleased with that (they don't agree with our bedtimes for them and often keeps them up later than we do and then the girls are cranky and tired the next day) but I've accepted it b/c of the fact that they sleep well in their beds and the sleep overs are rare - maybe 1x a month. My 4 yo son who has the supposedly "normal" behavior according to MIL, sleeps inconsistently and poorly. He'll sleep in his bed 2-3 nights in a row then spend a night going from his bed to the floor to the couch to the chair to my bed and end up tired and cranky the next day. MIL thinks this is not a problem and says her boys slept in her bed a lot too. (um, not exactly the same thing but ok thanks). He still doesn't go to bed without a fight, even with a VERY consistent bedtime routine. Dr. has us giving him melatonin just to reduce the amount of time he throws fits at bedtime. He'll pass out on the floor of his room most of the time. He often wakes up crying overnight too, and will only respond to me - DH can't even help him overnight or he shuts down and will literally sit in his bed refusing to lay down for hours (we tried once. it was bad.) We have told her that he cannot have a sleepover while he is still sleeping so poorly. She's respected that for the most part, asking him how he's sleeping and encouraging him to sleep in his bed, then today she responded with that "it's ok" when he ends up in our bed because "he'll probably sleep just fine" in the bed she has for him and that if not, he won't be the first boy who has slept with her in her bed. She looked directly at me for that last statement and I responded: "Ok, well, I have a sink full of dishes I need to take care of!" and left. :cursing: :leaving: I know I see this through angry, irritated-colored glasses. There's a lot of junk under this bridge and I'm so ready to tear the bridge apart one stone at a time but I have to bide my time for one more month. Am I being overly protective of my son in this issue? Should I allow a sleepover? Or am I in the right here? And how do you live in a situation like this and not allow the stress and tension to get to you? I am terrible about allowing things to roll off my back and the tension and stress is making me a pretty miserable person a lot of the time. Most of the time, actually. I work hard to put on a show for my kids so that I can keep the tension away from them but I'm becoming pretty depressed. I drink Kava tea a couple times a day and it seems to help some but short of turning to copious amounts of wine I'm not sure what else to do!

Hope this isn't too far off topic, but what are your top recommendations for working on working memory? I'm just reading along to glean as much as I can and am sure I've read about this already on the forums but since it came up again, could you refresh my memory?

This bold part - that's what I love about science. I am at an extreme disadvantage because of my upbringing, but as we studied Ellen McHenry's Cells back in January I was struck by how much we DON'T know about cells! and the news that comes out almost weekly now about new discoveries in space! Or the medications that were meant for one purpose and are being realized to work really well for unexpected purposes and no one really knows why yet! There are a lot of things we don't understand and are still striving to learn about and I don't honestly fault anyone for not believing the same way I do - a lot of what I believe doesn't make sense in light of various arguments. But we do get to live in a fascinating and marvelous world and to consider and ponder things that I don't understand in light of my beliefs about a God who created us all doesn't challenge my beliefs at all.

This thread has bothered me ever since I've opened it! My gifted DD, who is 9, is also tall for her age at the top of the height chart for her age. She easily blends into kids 2-3 years older than her, and I always thought it amusing that she looks as old as she preforms academically in many areas... until I read these comments! Thanks for the warning for what's coming up for us! :laugh:

I'd choose option 1 - what's the program? Sounds awesome but then we went through a serious magic treehouse phase here. Of course my DD9 still buys them when we find them at the thrift stores because we don't own many of them.... but it only takes her about a half hour to read the entire book now!

So here is another question in a similar theme, since we are still sort of discussing the topic - in Sunday School we recently watched a video from a Christian scientist who was expounding on why geology proves the earth is in fact young. Now the discussion centered around how we need to defend our faith and not back down and so on, and it was not an appropriate setting for these specific comments, so I held my tongue. Now, I firmly believe the Bible, and personally hold a young earth creation viewpoint and do not feel at all defensive about it. I've spent a great deal of time defending my faith in a small christian college that disagreed on several key points of theology so I'm good with the apologetics and have learned not to feel threatened by christians who disagree with me. I'm firm and confident in my faith. (except for the sticky point of predestination vs. an age of accountability, but that's not the point here, lol) Anyway, I couldn't help but be annoyed with the video because the examples the scientist chose to expound upon seemed cherry picked. Like he only picked examples that would prove his point and not cause confusion. It was poorly done to the point where I really was wondering about the examples he didn't pick. The harder ones that may not have fit into the concept so neatly. AND, and maybe more importantly, he treated the subject with an air of superiority and clearly indicated that scientists who disagree with him and believe in a "billions of years earth" are simply idiotic. Like they just refuse to look at the SCIENCE and see the TRUTH. My husband and I discussed it afterwards because it really bugged me. Scientists who believe in evolution or a "billions of years old earth" or however you want to put it, are not dumb. They're smart people doing really amazing things with their lives and it's no wonder they dislike Christians and the concept of creation if we stuff it down their throat like that and treat them like idiots! My husband's opinion was that, in general, conservative Christians view science as this very liberal thing and as a threat to religion. I guess there's not much of a question there - but it really bothers me that we can't have an academic conversation about the topic without pitting science and religion against each other. I would have loved to hear a secular scientists views on the specific examples used in the video, but the entire concept of having those views challenged is treated with disdain!

We got our daughter a weighted lap blanket for when she was breaking the finger sucking habit - recommended by our speech therapist. It helped provide calming input for times like watching tv when she would normally suck in her fingers.