Parenting - September 2007

my ex husband has custody of our 2 daughters. i only have access at the weekends. he has remarried. the kids are so unhappy with this new stepmum. she threatens them with children's homes, if they don't eat her food, and tells them they should be in care etc etc. she tells them this is not their home,so they had better do as they are told. she tells them their mother didnt want them...it goes on and on. when i see them at the weekends they are like little nervous wrecks. their dad won't do anything as he doesnt want to rock the boat. my solicitor says i will not get custody of them due to things i have been accused of in the past. what can i do to help my girls? i feel they are going to end up psychologically damaged

2007-09-19 04:40:29 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous

my son is 2 1/2 and he don't want to sleep in his own room he comes in my room everynight and say he want to cuddle with me. i keep putting him back to bed he just gets up and come back in my room . Ive tried to put his sister in the same room but he still does it. how do i stop him from coming in my room at night and just go to bed in his own room.

2007-09-19 04:39:18 · 21 answers · asked by jessica c 1

my 9 yr old daughter wants to come home after school and stay by herself,it is only for 2 hours is this a good idea or not,she attends daycare and has several friends that stay by themselves?

2007-09-19 04:12:21 · 17 answers · asked by amy m 3

I am, along with many if not most Americans,
absolutely disgusted at her irresponsible/negligent manner of parenting. Illicit drug use by a mother is absolutely NOT
acceptable. HOWEVER, simple family nudity in front of kids is NOT illegal, nor should this particluar behaviour be made an issue. There are many nudist/naturist families who chuse to go around nude in their homes, mother and father included. Again, this is NOT illegal! What say you?

2007-09-19 04:04:16 · 33 answers · asked by Herbert Windt 2

a.letting them figure out for themselves the benefits of doing so.
b.doing so youself because children learn by imitating adults.
c.telling them to do so on an individual basis which enhances selfesteem
d.telling the entire class to do so which imposes peer pressure

2007-09-19 03:56:55 · 25 answers · asked by Leshell M 1

is this cruel and selfish, or is it a sensible way to keep mother and child happy?

2007-09-19 03:47:35 · 30 answers · asked by Anonymous

How Did We Ever Survive Our Childhood?

My Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread mayo on the same cutting board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn't seem to get food poisoning.

My Mom used to defrost hamburger on the counter AND I used to eat it raw sometimes too, but I can't remember getting E-coli.

Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a pristine pool (talk about boring).

The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a pager was the school PA system.

We all took gym, not PE ... and risked permanent injury with a pair of high top Ked's (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors. I can't recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now. Flunking gym was not an option ... even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym.

Every year, someone taught the whole school a lesson by running in the halls with leather soles on linoleum tile and hitting the wet spot. How much better off would we be today if we only knew we could have sued the school system.

Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the national anthem and staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention. We must have had horribly damaged psyches. I can't understand it. Schools didn't offer 14 year olds an abortion or condoms (we wouldn't have known what either was anyway) but they did give us a couple of baby aspirin and cough syrup if we started getting the sniffles.

What an archaic health system we had then. Remember school nurses? Ours wore a hat and everything.

I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself.

I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, PlayStation, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital cable stations.

I must be repressing that memory as I try to rationalize through the denial of the dangers could have befallen us as we trekked off each day about a mile down the road to some guy's vacant 20, built forts out of branches and pieces of plywood, made trails, and fought over who got to be the Lone Ranger. What was that property owner thinking, letting us play on that lot? He should have been locked up for not putting up a fence around the property, complete with a self-closing gate and an infrared intruder alarm.

Oh yeah... and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!

We played king of the hill on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48 cent bottle of Mercurochrome and then we got our butt spanked. Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.

We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either because if we did, we got our butt spanked (physical abuse) there too ... and then we got our butt spanked again when we got home.

Mom invited the door to door salesman inside for coffee, kids choked down the dust from the gravel driveway while playing with Tonka trucks (Remember why Tonka trucks were made tough...it wasn't so that they could take the rough Berber in the family room), and Dad drove a car with leaded gas.

Our music had to be left inside when we went out to play and I am sure that I nearly exhausted my imagination a couple of times when we went on two week vacations. I should probably sue the folks now for the danger they put us in when we all slept in campgrounds in the family tent.

Summers were spent behind the push lawn mower and I didn't even know that mowers came with motors until I was 13 and we got one without an automatic blade-stop or an auto-drive.

How sick were my parents? Of course my parents weren't the only psychos. I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front stoop just before he fell off. Little did his Mom know that she could have owned our house. Instead she picked him up and swatted him for being such a goof. It was a neighborhood run amuck.

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family. How could we possibly have known that we needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes?

We were obviously duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac!

2007-09-19 03:35:44 · 19 answers · asked by mw 7

My son turns 7 soon and am wondering if you have any ideas and where to purchase it from?

He likes to play outside
He likes hands on stuff

2007-09-19 03:27:52 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous

its 101. or higher, but they said she could stay 4 a lil bit if I went and checked in with my job and then came back to get her in a hr or so, so I went outside and called my boss and she was mad saying she didnt have anyone 2 cover my spot and in the background she told the "bigger" boss and he said I don't wanna hear that sh*t, if she wants her job she'll be here. I want my job but my kids health is more important, so I said ok and hung..got my baby and went home and now Im wainting 4 the drs office 2 open... Is there anything I can do about this I understand jobs need a notice 4 time off but this was obviously an emergency and my child is sick..... would I b able 2 get unemployment, I no they would fight is but I could try.. I've been working at the same place for 2 and half years and rarely call in, I just think there ridiculous!!!!!

2007-09-19 00:31:22 · 15 answers · asked by ashley22 2

2007-09-19 00:29:46 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous

I'm a sahm. My son is almost one and so active, I can barely get anything done around the house. He flips out if I put him in a high chair or his exersaucer, so I can't really do anything but play with him until my husband gets up. (He works thirds) My husband gets pissed about this, and calls me lazy. Whatever. It's not like he lives in filth. A little clutter never hurt anyone, but what I find funny is that he refuses to help. He'll do dishes maybe once a week, and he does the garbage every few days, but other than that.. he doesn't lift a finger. He even makes a face at me if I ask if he's brushed our sons teeth. How much does your spouse do at home?

2007-09-18 18:46:02 · 15 answers · asked by ... 1

Should any 14 year old boy be allowed to partake in a general adult discussion? I have a 14 year old boy, if I am having an adult conversation, they are not allowed in the same room as us, as it could be innappropriate.

What do you think?

2007-09-18 18:34:16 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-09-18 17:27:13 · 29 answers · asked by Sonja 4

2007-09-18 15:37:42 · 20 answers · asked by alanone88 1

My son is in the Air guard goes to a local junior college, he has struggles with grades and has taken many classes over. Our concerns are his choices with religion and moral choices. He has recently become very vocal insisting he is atheist most of school papers focus around this belief. He seems to be very promiscuous. He also is very anti government he constantly speaks badly about our government. He has started drinking and just recently I learned smoking dope. He doesn't do much to help at home. He eats the food when he is here and uses the "facilities" He also has medical issues of which he has decided he no longer wants to take the medication because it makes him feel bad when he drinks. My husband and I have spoken and we are going to ask him to move out, but we worry that he will quit school and his drinking and choices will just get worse. Help any suggestions?

2007-09-18 15:37:39 · 21 answers · asked by coach 2

Jenny mention that if she has listen to her motherly instinct then she would have picked up austism in the earlier stages. My son will be one and I do not want to panic "what if it happens to him"? For mothers who have autistic children or work with children. Is there any advice or signs to watch out for. Should I really hold back on vaccines? I'm just concern and want info/ tips. Thanks

2007-09-18 14:20:27 · 9 answers · asked by franscene16 2

I don't want to buy these diapers that cost so much, is there anyway to train these small babies? I have been trying to train him for more than 2 months, but he doesn't learn.
Thanks for your help

2007-09-18 14:02:05 · 23 answers · asked by ? 6

I'm 19 and almost all my freinds (some even younger) are getting married and having kids, me I'm just going to college and have plans for medical school, oviously I'm def not planning on settling down soon I have my school=career first, I'd like to live the high life with my own money I earn and all the investments I will be making. but anyways I really can't picture myself having a family of my own, but being 30 and coming home to a big fine apt. by myself after a night out. but I already noticed that alot of girls are more of the "soccer-mom" type that was born with that motherly instinct. but me on the other hand. I (including family) noticed I'm more of the carreer-woman type and I really don't seem to have that motherly instict I'm good with kids I know how to talk to them,what to do and I love kids too but I can't be around them all day before they start to irk me. I can't picture me having any of my own.
Is it my age or the type of woman I am attributes?

2007-09-18 13:23:02 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous

Those who are wise speak only when they need to.

2007-09-18 11:39:18 · 14 answers · asked by Tiffany 3

My husband and I are going to a wedding next week and have hired a babysitter for an overnight. She is 17, has been babysitting for us for a few years, and normally charges $8/hour.

She will be sitting for us from 5 on Friday until 3 on Saturday.
For 22 hours, $180 would match our normal rate, but obviously she is not going to be expected to be paid to sleep and everything.

My question is...how much do you think is reasonable for a 22-hour job for 4 kids?

2007-09-18 09:43:52 · 11 answers · asked by kms107 2

My 16 year old son smokes everyday and I need to find a rehab for him to help him put his life back on track, is there a rehab for a 16 year old kid..?

2007-09-18 09:15:28 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous

After all they are in school for long enough and they need to have Family time when at home and relax (and start to help around the house too and learn about other non-academic responsiblities that they will need in the future).

2007-09-18 08:09:53 · 54 answers · asked by Anonymous

I am a bit overwhelmed my daughter turns 1 on thanksgiving and it will be our first in our new home (I am having the whole family at my house this year). What can I do to make it special even with the holiday?

Should I go with the Thanksgiving theme or just a birthday one?

Also I was thinking about having a small birthday celebration on her birthday and thema big party on Saturday.

2007-09-18 08:07:02 · 16 answers · asked by bella581 2

Hi, at the moment I'm 34 weeks along with my first little one and I need help!
Me and my husband have been having long talks about spanking our boy... I know its awhile off but I just wanted to get some outside opinions.
I wont tell you who believes what but one of us says that spanking is a natural form of punishment, nothing that would hurt the kid, but just enough to teach him no. He wont be able to understand if you just talk.
The other says that teaching him that hitting is a proper thing to do when someone does something bad, is wrong. It doesn't matter how light the touch.
We don't 'Fight' about it, but we just cant come to a common ground on this. I would rely like to have the issue sorted out before the baby comes.
I get the feeling he will find a way to play us off one another if we are not united in our forms of punishment. The go to this parent and they say no, go to that one and they say yes kind of thing. ( I started doing it at 2yrs)
So what do you do? Spank or no Spak

2007-09-18 07:06:14 · 28 answers · asked by Heather R 6

Am I the only who thinks this is wrong?
I do think that they should offer healthier alternatives in school for lunch(my school put only healthy snacks/drinks in the machines-that is a start) but a snack once in a while does not hurt a child. Yes there is an obesity problem but isn't up to teh parent to know when their child is obese and to get them involved in sports and healthy eating habits? It starts at home.

2007-09-18 06:31:38 · 35 answers · asked by Willow 5

I just read an article about a mother who may go to jail for over feeding her children. They have been obese since they were about 1 or 2 years old. The article stated that this was abuse since they will probably be plagued with health problems their entire life. The children are in their teens now and are still overweight. Also, she never took them to the doctor for regular health check ups even though she had really good insurance.

2007-09-18 06:12:38 · 37 answers · asked by Samantha 5

2007-09-18 05:35:15 · 26 answers · asked by Tim 6

What do you do to keep yourself busy while your kids are in school? I have a daughter in 4 th grade so when she is in school, i am taking care of her 19 month old brother

2007-09-18 02:45:17 · 28 answers · asked by ♥Sexy Mama of 2 cuties♥ 7

I read alot of the questions on here where people say their mums treat them like sh1t, put them down etc and I just wondered why the hell these type of women have kids at all!!

My mum can be a nasty piece of work at times and can be really hurtful and non supportive, but I can remember her being like this when I was alot younger and as result I am now like a mother to my 4 younger brothers as she was the same with them!

I am a mum and my daughter is the most importnant thing ever to me - I want her to do well in life and will do anything to make sure she reaches her goals......plus I still have 4 surrogate sons!!

Why are some mums like this???

2007-09-18 02:26:42 · 16 answers · asked by EMA 5

2007-09-18 02:18:48 · 9 answers · asked by Fruitful1 3