She does it for the attention, especially if she's sm

Attention: Anon....website for stepmoms [2008-06-14]
Anon, I read your post about your stepson. I just wanted to let you know that I belong to a wonderful website that allows stepmoms to talk about their issues, give advice, share positives thoughts, vent, etc. I have learned a lot from the wonderful ladies on there. Here is the website if your are interested. www.stepsforstepmothers.com

Sounds like she is trying to get attention to me and it is working. sm [2008-05-18]
Can you not call and speak to the counselor yourself rather than your son? I couldn't confront the mother either but the counselor could if she saw it fit.

She does it for the attention, especially if she's sm [2008-05-09]
grinning at you afterward. I would just put her in the playpen or in the middle of the livingroom floor where she can't bang into anything or hurt herself and walk away. If she doesn't get a reaction, it won't be fun anymore. Good luck. They can be real stinkers, even at that young age.

Could be an attention/jealously thing too - sm [2007-12-19]
Why did dad take both kids to the game? Yeah its a lot harder with a little one but he needs to learn how to act when out in public too. We started taking ours out to dinner with us at a young age. They know how to act in a resturant and behave because of it. As for his comment on how hard can it be, this Saturday I'd dump the 3-y/o on him and go out for the entire day and see how he copes. My 2 (girls) have always been pretty good, they have had their moments and I have used time-outs, spanking, taking away treats/toys, etc. But are you right on target ignoring it, just walk away and let him scream, if he makes a mess have him (help) clean it up after he is done wailing. As it maybe being a cry for more of your attention or your husbands, are you working more than usual right now, do you spend any 1:1 time with him for say 20-30 minutes a day? If he doesn't get much of that then try making some time for him and get your DH to take him somewhere too just the 2 of them (granted if he is anything like my DH he never has the kids.....mine just started doing stuff with them on his own about 2 years ago when they were 5 and 7, so I get the rare 3 hours to myself on Saturday if he takes them to the movies or bowling). But your DH definitely needs to get a clue.

he wants your attention; take an hour and play with him [2007-12-19]
nm

This sounds more like a way to get attention. [2007-10-31]
If he I think if you feed into it then that would make him do it more. I would simply say to him Okay, if you. Tell him to let you know when he can be nice and you He does probably know this behavior causes quite a stir with you. He I think all kids have temper tantrums. It is part of growing up. Some adults even still to this day throw temper tantrums, so go figure! I P/S: Reward him for good behavior and time out or not giving him attention for bad behavior. Put a chart on the refrigerator so that he can keep track himself when he is nice and watch how fast he wants to be nice so he can put the sticker on the chart or what have you!

When did parents stop paying attention? [2007-10-04]
Ibigger kids outside. Turns out, there were some 9th graders hanging out at the back of the school building where we meet. They were sitting near the playground, smoking and filling an empty 2-liter soda bottle with smoke, making smoke rings. They weren't particularly noisy, but their language was atrocious. Obviously, we didn't want that example near the little ones. So I walked over and said to them in a calm voice, Hey folks, I They just looked at me with an I-hate-the-world look, rolled their eyes and said, Yeah, sure. Of course, there was no movement. I say, I One of our scout dads started heading over at that point. He's a big man about 300 pounds. These kids, two boys and a girl, started spewing language you wouldn't want a longshoreman to hear. I'm no prude, and I've done less than bright things as a teenager, and I've paid my dues working with some troubled kids. I wasn't shocked by the language, though, I didn't like it at all. I did, at one point, say to them, Look, can you do this at home? The girlYeah, my parents aren That one actually made me laugh. I said to her, Well, if it She started screeching about how adults just donI I know she didn't understand. Nothing was out of bounds with these kids. The other adult with me made a remark to them about how little he thought of their parents because of their behavior. One overly-brave kid said that his parents were fantastic and let him do whatever he wanted. Yeah. That was pretty obvious. He told us we shouldn't be disrespecting his parents. I told him that I would never want to do that. Would he, therefore, please go home, tell his parents what happened and send them back down to me. I'd be there for the next 30 minutes. No one showed of, of course. What gets me isnYou won So when did parents stop teaching kids these basic rules of conduct, and when did parents forget to really teach children about respect for others and respect for themselves? IMy boy scouts are great kids! Unfortunately, the 12-year-old boy scout who called my attention to the loitering kids saw most of the exchange above. But later he came to me and said, You know what? Now I know why you are constantly on top of us about our language and our behavior at scouts. Really? Why Those kids don Now there's a kid who will go far! And it was one of my payoff moments in scouts!

They need it all - Love, attention and Discipline (sm) [2007-09-13]
Not saying my two will never do anything wrong - they are 10 and 7 - but I shower them with love and attention - However, they know what lines not to cross too. However in the case above, it just sounds like pure out neglect -my 10 year old would not be somewhere without me knowing it to begin with (nor when he is 12 for that matter)and it would not even cross his mind to do something like that. I would think he had gone totally insane!

I blame the parents. Children are not getting the love and attention [2007-09-12]
xx

Pay attention to post above hypothyroid too [2007-07-07]
because I, after taking Synthroid for years and having the excessive hair loss among other things, came to this board and was told about Armour and I went to my physician and told him that was what I wanted and got onto that. The itching immediately went away, the coldness stays with me as soon as the temperature dips, have cold extremities always in the winter months and as I said before, still have moments of absolute exhausation where I take time to just recline and spend about 30 minutes there. I told my daughter about my diagnosis but could not find on my maternal side a previous diagnosis. Asking my father, he was unable to give me any history on his side so I figured we just ought to do a DNA. Just kidding. Good luck!

yup - back and CRAVING attention, as usual...n/m [2007-05-25]

THANK YOU for bringing that to my attention [2007-05-03]
I totally agree, and I signed the petition. I wish they would pass a similar bill about childbirth. Some women can only stay in the hospital 24 hours after their child is born (or it may be 24 hours total, I'm not sure). Or at least that's all their insurance will pay for, if it is a healthy birth with no complications. I am currently fighting with my HMO about a medication that I desperately need. At the moment I am buying it through a Canadian pharmacy (based in New York state) and it is sent to me from Mumbai, India. In the U.S., the medication costs $10.00 a pill!!! Through this pharmacy, I get it for $1.77 a pill. But it is still more than twice what my normal co-pay would be if the $#@%#$ HMO would cover it. So any kind of insurance reform bills that ANYONE knows about, PLEASE pass the info along. Thanks!

Media and attention seekers...sm [2007-04-19]
There is nothing wrong with children today anymore than children of any other day. Half the problem is the media and all the attention they are giving this and other similar things of this nature. The media are reporting every shooting, every violent act they can get their hands on and grouping them together because people watch this crap. Bad things happen every day and will continue to happen. It The more media attention things like this get, the more people wanting attention will copy it.

She's getting waaaay too much attention [2007-03-08]
I heard she was offered a half million dollar contract to be a spokesperson for an adult DVD company.

Most likely it was done for attention, like [2007-02-17]
everything else she's been doing. That's what you have to do when everybody has already seen your shaved nether-regions, I guess.

People should pay attention and put posts on [2007-01-27]
nm

ya really think the cashiers even PAY ATTENTION???? [2006-12-19]

I think someone liked the attention [2006-12-01]
The I act is just that, an act. I can't imagine being that needy of male attention beyond high school or college age, but that's what I'm reading into this one.

And I think someone is jealous, what's wrong, no male attention for you? lol [2006-12-01]
I totally agree with the OP. I too have been inappropriately treated by men, uncomfortable staring or smiling or flitatious comments and it gets a little tiresome. The problem is that men never grow up. They would do this into their 90s if they could still see!

Imagine that men are checking me out? Hardley the case! Starved for attention? Nope just asking a qu [2006-12-01]
other people's intelligent comments, I was not looking for ignorant assumptions! Starved for attention? Not exactly. Is that a problem that you yourself are facing? Had you have read all of my posts (OP) you would see that I was only looking for comments from others to see if this was odd behavior or not...and I thanked everyone for their comments regardless of their answers! I was not looking to start a fight here! Please do not be nasty! It is not necessary! We are all adults here!

This one has struck a chord with me. [2008-07-03]
I have been an assistant scoutmaster for 8 years now. Yes, I am a mom, and there are women scout leaders out there! My job with our troop was Webelos-to-Scout Transition Coordinator. My job was to help our youngest boys and their families become part of our troop and to make sure that the boys have fun and get all that they can from the scout experience. Summer camp was always the make or break time for the youngest boys. You didn't say if your son is a new scout, but I assume this is his first time at summer camp. Homesickness and living in the outdoors are always the biggest hurdles during the first summer camp. You are not over-reacting because your son is having a bad time. That's a simple fact, and he deserves to have those feelings validated and addressed. Since I'm female, I tend to approach the first-time scout's misery in a different way, and over the years, a lot of men have disagreed with my methods. But, they work. Men seem to like the stick-it-out approach, and I've seen some of the worst leaders actually tease and belittle homesick boys or boys who don't take easily to the outdoor experience. That really finishes off the boy for scouting. He quits. Do you think that is what is happening with your son? At summer camp with our first year scouts, I always listen to them, validate their fears, and then try to help them overcome their fears with knowledge. If spiders or animals scare them, we go to the nature lodge and find out all about them. We do a good cleaning of their tents or lean-toWell, it I and my fellow adult leaders have spent a lot of nights sitting around picnic tables talking to scouts, sometimes making a game of listening for owls or watching spiders crawl across the table in the lantern light. And if boys do call home, I would run like crazy to the camp phone to call the parents first to let them know what was going on and to tell them to expect a call from their son. In that way, parents were prepared, and we could coordinate our efforts to help their son. Basically, it just takes some compassion. The hard core approach doesn't work. Why do I go through all the trouble? Because I know the value of the scouting program. When it's done well, it goes a long way to help parents raise up honorable men. In our troop, our scouts learn to be compassionate, because we've modeled that sort of behavior for them. They learn about living in the outdoors, and learn to take care of themselves and others. That gives them a sense of accomplishment and makes them feel capable. They learn problem-solving skills and teamwork. These are all important life skills, and when scouting is done well, boys who come through are lightyears ahead of most of their non-scout peers by the time they are 18. But that only happens when it's done right. There are great troops and adult volunteers in the BSA, but there are unfortunately some real losers, as well. It's true that scouting is not for everyone, but there is no reason for so many boys to be pushed away because of issues that just need a little careful thought and attention. This is one of my most passionate issues with scouting. Even the BSA knows that the first year scout is the most likely to quit, and they spend a lot of money and time training volunteers on this subject. It seems that some adults don't learn as quickly as others, though. And there is a core of leaders who like to remember what it was like when they were boy scouts, and won't move ahead or adapt their techniques for the boy of today's times. A new 11-year-old scout should not be expected to act like a man and tough it out. He's still a boy, and living in the woods is usually a totally new experience for him. MOST boys are scared at first, but the men and other boys hate to admit it. A new scout just needs some patience, understanding and time to mature. He needs to feel safe even when he's struggling, and he needs to know that he is supported. I don't know all the details of your son's experience, but if you think that what I've said might apply to him, you might consider looking for another troop, one that will provide him with a good, supportive program. Not all scout troops are the same. Each has a different personality, so perhaps another troop would suit your son better. If that's not possible, or if at this point he is completely turned off by scouting, there are certainly other activities out there that can teach him the things that are learned through scouting. Encourage him to find out what his talents are and help him to explore all of the possibilities that life has to offer. I'm so sorry to hear that your son is not enjoying scouts. It really breaks my heart when I hear such stories, because I know that the adult volunteers could handle the situation better. My own sons had a hard time the first time they went to camp, which is why I got involved. I knew there was a better way to deal with such a common problem. My oldest, who is now 20, still works with scouts, and my youngest will receive his Eagle Scout rank in just a couple of weeks. I have seen many, many boys' lives changed for the better by the scouting program, including my own sons. I hope that your son can also have a great experience in scouting. I'm always happy to talk about scouting, and if you'd like to send me a private message, I'd be glad to share more of my thoughts on the subject.

Gah...some people... [2008-07-02]
My ex-SIL used to say all the danged time that she was pregnant, once with twins, then a single, oops...twins again, on and on. Inevitably she'd always end up *miscarrying* for one reason or another! For this situation, however, I wouldn't believe it til I see it...some people just really get on my nerves with their attention-seeking behavior...I think they need therapy. Do please let us know when she stars on Jerry Springer, this sounds right up his alley!

Big bunch of lies...look at all the inconsistencies in ages/virgin when married 14yrs ago, but has a [2008-06-30]
Please see a psychiatrist. You are obviously seeking attention by posting lies.

Big bunch of lies...look at all the inconsistencies in ages/virgin when married 14yrs ago, but has a [2008-06-30]
Please see a psychiatrist. You are obviously seeking attention by posting lies. Furthermore, you said he was your prince charming...then you said he talks like he is retarded and that people have asked you if he is retarded. What was so 'princey' about a man who sounds like a retard and has psoriasis all over his body. Why would you have married him in the first place? How does a woman who was a virgin almost 14 years ago end up with a child who is already 14? You make it seem as though you are always without food but you are extremely overweight after having what you described to be a perfect body 14 years ago. How did that happen?

I thought as I read on and on this is just way too SM [2008-06-30]
much. I definitely think this was an attention seeking behavior, sad as that sounds. No one in a free world would let a ridiculous situation like that go on and on and on.

I am the only one that thinks something is up with this story.. [2008-06-29]
Things just donshe was 26 years old14 years ago, which makes her 40, but later she states she is going on 43. She had a 1-1/2 year-old, 6-month-old and 8 months pregnant..hmmm. That makes her having gotten pregnant BEFORE the 6-month-old was born. Later, she is pregnant and they are 9 months and 1-1/2 years old. Then, she stated that her 12-year-old tonight (keyword here) had a fight with her dad but later this same child is 13, just turned, so I'm guessing on the same day? which is tonight. Just a lot of inconsistencies. I'm not sure why or how someone would make this up but I just find it odd. Maybe someone needs attention.

My daughter is currently attending a private [2008-06-24]
college and she absolutely loves it. She just finished her freshman year. While she could have gone with full tuition to both state colleges, she chose the private school and with her grants/scholarships, etc. her dad and I are only paying about $2000 a year. Her school is so much smaller, the class sizes are approximately 15 to 20 students (if that many) and all the professors are very supportive and actually interested in all the students. She has told me there is no way she would go to a larger, public institution just because of the astmosphere. The entire campus is bascially just 1 big happy family. It was an adjustment for her, but she had attended a state scholars program the year before, so she had lived away from home last summer, plus she is only 90 miles away from home now, so she basically comes home every weekend. My daughter likes the school being small (it is smaller than her high school) and enjoys the family-like feel. Whatever your daughter decides, I am sure she will be happy whereever she goes, but IMO the private college is the way to go. The private college my daugher attends is ranked in the top 10 liberal art colleges in the country, and she has been told that a diploma from there does more than just get your foot in the door for job interviews. I don't know about all of the private colleges, but where she is they do help with locating employment after college and have a 95% success rate with that to. There is just more individual attention at a smaller school, which really helped her out with her freshman year which is a hard enough transition anyway.

My lab mix was pee trained in one day at about 6 weeks old, only a few poo accidents- sm [2008-06-20]
As soon as I got Walter home, the very second we got out of the car I put him down in the yard where I wanted his potty place to be and he peed immediately. Then I put him on a schedule where I religously put him in the potty place as soon as he woke up from a nap, about 15-20 minutes after eating, and before we went to bed. I also kept an eagle eye on him almost consistently for the first week or so (not hard because he was so cute)... he stayed on a dog bed in my office when I was working and the instant he started sniffing at anything I picked him up and took him to the potty place... a couple times I was running with him and he started to dribble before I got there. Sniffing means he is looking for a place to go! Make no bones about it, he is not doing anything else! As far as pooing, puppies go pretty consistently about a half hour after eating. They have really tiny bladders so you can count on this. No matter what I was doing we went outside at that time. Whever I heard a tiny whine I take him to potty place. I figured he had a belly ache just like a baby might and usually he would go number two. The few times he did poo in the house was my fault. I ignored the whining or was not paying attention. I swear to you... Walter has never ever ever peed in my house. But to be honest, when he was a puppy whenever I brought him to visit another house he almost instantly peed out of nerves. So embarrassing. When I realized he did that I had him meet my friends outside of their homes! He would wiggle in delight but pee. But for the first few weeks, I never left this dog alone at all and my big priority was to get him housebroken asap. You may not have that option if you have to leave for work or something. Walter went with me on errands and whenever I let him out of the car he would pee. So he also loves riding in the truck because he did it so much. When I got Walter he was a little under 6 weeks old... pretty young. So I think I became his mom pretty quick and he was pretty moldable. I have made plenty of mistake, though, like letting him sleep on my bed and now he is 120 pounds and still does that. I don Good luck!

Eeek [2008-06-19]
As a person who worked with a trainer for a long time, please dongame all the time. Thatdon don) etc. is all attention whether good or bad. Dogs will do what they know gets them the most attention, good or bad. I hope that she learns soon. She's still pretty little, so just take her out a lot and try to make it a fun game she's playing and be excited... I hope that helps.

It was legalized, but since it's kind of a gray area [2008-06-17]
and the federal government hasn't legalized it, medical marijuana establishments occasionally get shut down. Never could understand it. I really don't see why it's illegal. Even though I don't use it myself (just don't like smoking - period), I have no problem with my friends using it. I would prefer, of course, that they not drive a car while under the influence, but when it comes to how it affects them, it certainly doesn't make them mean, the way alcohol does to people. So especially when it comes to someone who is sick or in pain, or has lost their appetite, I think by all means they should have access to use pot to help them feel better. If it's legal for a doctor to pump them full of steroids, narcotic pain-killers, and highly toxic anti-cancer drugs, the use of a little pot to help them get through all that, or better still, do WITHOUT some of the pain meds or appetite stimulants, seems like such a non-issue. I wish our government would focus its attention on things that actually MATTER.

I've lived it, both sides and it goes both [2008-06-09]
I've been on both sides and I have seen stepchildren thrown in the middle, guilty parents on both sides. I have seen the new single mom (now married mom) want her husband all for herself and act SHOCKED when she realizes she can't have him all for herself...it's not always a fairytale ending. It does sound like the child is playing her and it's obvious why, but I witnessed first hand a grown woman manipulate her stepchildren and husband, until she had both turned against her. Instead of expecting all the attention, perhaps your time would be better spent with your stepson NOT expecting anything from your husband, since you're not getting it, it sounds but instead, go out of your way to give him attention. Take him somewhere just the two of you and eat at his favorite fast food place, go to the zoo, something without dad. When he has to depend on just you and dad isn't there for comparison and pity, you might see an improvement for the better.

Do any of you have probs with your stepkids? [2008-06-08]
I absolutely cannot stand my stepchild. I know it sounds evil but that is the most spoiled, selfish brat I have ever come across. I did not know that marrying someone with a kid would be so difficult. I married my husband after having known him for only 2 months so we moved fast, but his little boy seemed to be sweet in the beginning. After we got married, things changed. My husband makes me sick over him. He lets him do as he pleases. He is almost 6 years old and I hate to see how hateful and defiant he is going to be when he gets older. My husband never disciplines him. His son is disrespectful, backtalks, does not listen and my husband does not seem to care. I have come to the point now where I cannot and do not say anything about the child because if I do my husband jumps down my throat. It I will never be as important to him. I There are so many times that his son has done something that does not make any sense and the most recent was yesterday. My husband was in the bedroom napping and his son was sitting on the couch playing video games. A few weeks ago I got a puppy. Now his son is here Thursday evening through Monday morning and anytime he wants to play with the dog or take her outside I let him. All he has to do is ask. Well she went to the door and wanted to go out. So I put her on her leash and we went outside. I tie her up outside so she can run and play around without me having to hold her leash. I come back inside and see hubby I did not really pay that much attention to it because I thought he was playing or something. I grab the phone b/c I am gonna call my mom. My hubby gets up and goes in there and his son is crying for some reason. I could not hear everything b/c I was on the phone. I hear him asking why he is crying and he won Next thing I know, my hubby gets mad (he has a terrible temper, when he does get mad he feels the urge to hit something which really scares me), kicks something and goes outside. I tell my mom I need to go. I He comes back inside and I ask him what is wrong and he says nothing. And I tell him he is scaring me b/c he is hitting and kicking stuff and he just says he is sorry and won I go outside b/c I want to get away from both of them. When I come back inside, hubby and stepson on couch cuddling (i think it I walk by hubby and he tells me to come to him. He apologizes for losing his temper. I told him he scared me acting that way and he said that he does not like being told that someone does not want to be here. So I guess stepson implied he did not want to be here. He prolly just said he wanted to go to his grandma See my husband is so weirdly jealous over him. He does not want his son to say he cares about his real mom, or say he wants to stay at his grandma I ask my hubby why stepson was crying in the first place and he says well the dog scratched him. Wait a min. how could the dog scratch him when she is outside??? And secondly, there were no scratch marks on his son. So i tell my hubby that when I took the dog outside his son was playing video games and everything was fine, so the dog couldn But he does not say anything. Doesn I don He does it every time. I think that his son has him trained. He knows that if he does the crying crap, my hubby gets mad, loses his temper b/c his son is crying for no apparent reason, and then he will feel bad and get his son a toy or something. Early yesterday his son was asking for a toy and my hubby told him that after he goes to grandma But his son wanted one yesterday and I think that is why he did that crying stuff. I swear one time before when he did the crying stuff (he will do it for no apparent reason and I think he does it just to make my hubby feel bad) afterwards he had this look of satisfaction on his face. I don I think they are both bipolar. I can I am always the heel around here anyways when his son is here. I would like your thoughts on this though. I feel like I am going to go crazy. When it is the days that his son is not here, things are great and fine.

Just got home from the theatre [2008-05-31]
I gotta say, I was a little disappointed. Most of it was sorta what you would expect. It did start to feel like a low-budget film. At 1 point during the scene where Big At first I thought it was supposed to be in there, but then realized it wasn I can't believe they didn't catch that on the previews, but I guess someone in editing wasn't paying attention.

Thank you! [2008-05-27]
Thank you for this warning. Do not pay attention to the naysayers...............

Potty training puppy [2008-05-20]
I just gota new puppy yesterday. It was a stray that someone put up on craig It looks as though she was abused by her previous owner because she is so shy and scared around my husband (she does not like men), but is not that way with me. In fact, she follows me around all day long. I can She is peeing everywhere. What are your tips on potty training a dog. I do not want to scold her because she is already very shy and afraid. And what about tips on when I am trying to work. If I do not give her attention for a short while, she starts to whine. It is like having a baby here. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Well, [2008-05-20]
hopefully it is nothing major. I think you (and your son) did the right thing. Atleast you know that it will be brought to her parent's attention. I am sure the counselor will probably speak to her teacher's as well to get more information. If they feel that there is a problem it should not slip through the cracks because it is the end of the year. They will most likely follow her next year - unless of course she is a senior.

Please tell me I am not the only parent to feel this way [2008-05-10]
I am a mother of 3 children a boy 18, a girl 11, and a boy 5. In my home, driving is not a right of passage, it is a privilege. You must obey house rules, keep your grades up, and you have to purchase your own vehicle. You must also have a job to pay for insurance and gas, as we are not a bank or an ATM machine at your disposal. If you cannot follow the above, umm sorry Am I the only parent out there with children that sees no point in cell phones for kids, especially for the younger ones. I swear most of the kids my daughter Am I one of the few who monitors what their children watch on TV? Am I the only parent that makes their children earn time for video games and then has a set time limit for it when they do get to play? Am I the only mother in the world who thinks its horrible to let your daughter run around in clothing with words across the behind?? Seriously who do you think is looking at this and why do you want to draw attention to your child Ooohhh ya and all the parents who sign their kids up for little league things and dump and run. These practices and events are not free babysitting!!! I honestly know of a few mothers that take their daughters to gymnastics and leave them there and go down to the bar and grill and have a few drinks while they wait for their kids! Okay, so I know it sounds like I am whining, but I have had enough! I am tired of being told by other parents that I am a prude, I need to catch up to the times, and the one I hate most of all is our kids need us to be their friends! I have a responsibility to my children to RAISE them. My children and I all have good relationships. We talk about everything under the sun. They come to me with most of their troubles or questions and know they have nothing to fear, I will hear anything and answer them openly and honestly. That can be done without letting the tail wag the dog so to speak. Are ppl to busy or so self-absorbed anymore to take the time to raise their children?

I would just let her cry it out. Same thing as [2008-05-09]
when you put them to bed at night and they cry because they don't want to go/don't want you to leave. Just let her cry it out and eventually she will realize that she is not going to get the attention she wants.

I've dealt with this on both sides. [2008-05-07]
I have 3 boys. My oldest son is very giving and caring (sounds like your daughter). He Different responses apply to each individual bully. Some bullies can be dealt with best by the school or their parents. These are usually the kids who come from good homes and their parents don I generally deal with the parents if they If not, I go straight to the school. Other bullies come from parents who donthey do. These kids are the hardest to deal with.I have had to face these bullies myself. I flat out told them if they continue to pick on my son or bully him, I will call the police and they will be dealt with as a juvenile deliquent. This seemed to stop things pretty quick. I also followed that up with the letting school know what was going on because I had a feeling the child might pick on my son when I The school was great about this and were well aware of this bully It alerted them to keep a closer watch on my son at recess when this kid was around. The other side of the fence is my 7-year-old son. I had gottena call from his teacher early in the school year that he was bullying a couple of smaller kids. My son had a late birthday, so I held him for kindergarten, making him a year older than most of his peers. There didn From that first call I got from his teacher, I made it very clear to him that I would not tolerate bullying from him. I also told him the school would be watching him and if I hear any reports of him bullying others, I would punish him at home as well. Other than a few minor kid things, he I even explained to him that because he was bigger than the little kids, he needed to protect them and watch over them like a big brother. He I was very proud of him and needless to say, he has a lot of girlfriends now. My point here is that not all parents know what their kids are like outside of the home. It Unfortunately, she was already hurt and angry when you talked to her and it probably didn I would suggest sticking with the teacher from now on with this one, and in the future, bring any problems immediately to the teacher Most importantly, I have also taught my children to stand up for themselves, use a firm voice, but walk away if it The only time I allow my children to hit is if they Our school has a zero tolerance for fighting, and it just wouldn Hang in there. She It goes on and on. In that case, I They get less catty as they get older (I hope).

My husband was doing me a "favor" by helping me hunt down [2008-04-23]
a new ergonomic keyboard a few years ago and he called our local Office Depot... Asked the person on the other end if they had any erogenous keyboards. I was choking back the laughter and trying to get his attention to correct him but he's the kind of guy that HATES to be interrupted for ANYTHING so he held up his hand to me and gave me a dirty look, then repeated the question to the person on the other end who was no doubt having a fit of laughter themselves, transferred him to another department, where he repeated the question AGAIN. By this time, I could not control myself any longer. I was laughing hysterically and he finally hung up the phone because he was mad at me. Then I explained to him what he was asking for and he was really mad. I just said, aren't you glad they didn't say that they had some and you reserved one to be picked up later today? I could just see him walking to the service counter to pick up the erogenous keyboard he had set aside! LOL

me too -- i can't help but pay [2008-04-18]
attention anymore. all due to costing too much to move it across country i guess. i just visited my folks in CA and gas was 3.79 to 3.99 there, dep. on grade. Good time to shop for local growers of eggs, meat etc -- much better for you anyway!! my egg lady just upped her price to $1.00 a dozen.

I agree [2008-04-18]
Religion should be a personal thing. When you are doing something like that, praying on your knees in a public place, the only possibly reason for it is to make yourself feel superior (or some such nonsense). It reminds me of flamboyant gay people. Why must they plaster rainbow stickers all over their cars? To get attention. They want the whole world to know what they do behind closed doors, just like religious people want everyone to know that they worship god. News flash: We don't care! It's a private, personal thing. Keep it to yourself!

Thanks - I sympathize with the birthday deal too (sm) [2008-04-10]
I feel like my birthday is barely acknowledged. You know some people seem to get lots of attention...I wonder if we just don't act like we deserve it so people figure we don't? I went on a Girl Scout campout this past weekend and one of the moms had a monogrammed makeup bag with her name embroidered on it and overnight bags and such with her initials embroidered and I thought to myself - someone treats her like she is special. And I could tell she felt good about herself. I wonder if we acted more like we deserve better - not complaining but just seeming to presume - if others would treat us better or if it is just that she is lucky?

Internet Chat Room.... [2008-04-08]
It was actually the screen name that initially caught my attention. It was the name of one of my favorite albums from a guitarist I admire. And the rest, as they say, is history

Trose, please do not take this [2008-04-08]
lightly. A few posters thought it was nothing to worry about. WHENEVER someone talksabout being unhappy and suicide....DO NOT TAKE IT LIGHTLY. Yes they may be trying for attention or doing one better than the other...you are doing the RIGHT THING..take him to a therapist or psychiatrist. He needs to express his feelings but unfortunately, not with his parents. Do not feel bad about that...it Keep up with all that you have been doing and even if it turns out to be nothing - YOU ARE GREAT PARENTS....some kids just need attention and not from their parents. Hang in there...things will turn out!!! Good luck, hugs, and my thoughts are with you. You are doing the right thing - don't take this lightly...please.