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My sons both learned that lesson the hard way

Posted By: academia on 2007-10-23
In Reply to: Our teenager learned a valuable lesson today about cell phones.... - Educating mom

One had 1200 text messages in a month (I pay for 300) and the other did the same download thing. I wish there was some way you could block their phones after a certain amount of $$. Needless to say, both had a nice chunk of money to pay mom back.


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Lesson learned I guess but ..
I do not know how close you are with her and I would not want to start a family feud but I would buy a new one and present her with the bill and ask for half.  I also would never loan her another thing.  I would have asked for it back way before that time though.  Even with family members I trust I always ask for things back after about a month or so just because of that.  When I do loan things out I also tell them you break it you replace it.   But you do need to speak up.  
My teenager has learned a text messaging lesson...sm

A couple of weeks ago while at drama practice one of her peers asked if she could use her cell phone both days of practice as she didn't have her cell phone with her.  My daughter let this other kid use her phone and didn't pay attention to the fact she was staying on it the entire time of the practices (the other kid only had a couple of lines).  When my daughter walked over to her her phone she saw the other kid texting - and we don't have text messaging as part of our plan.


The bill arrived yesterday and this other child ran up $63.40 in text charges because there's a 20 cent/kb/message fee.  My daughter isn't happy that she has to pay this bill out of her babysitting money but I reminded her that her phone is her responsibility and I'm not paying her bill.  She swears she'll never let anyone use her phone again.  I do hope she's learned her lesson!


Our teenager learned a valuable lesson today about cell phones....

She got a new cell phone last month and downloaded a bunch of ringtones, even though I reminded her that each one costs money + the transfer fee, which the system prompts you for as we don't have the internet plan for the cell phone (don't do text messaging either).   Well, she ignored the prompts about the 3 cents per kilibite fee and size of the files alert when she accepted the downloads she selected.  To make a long story short..... her bill for her downloads is right at $60. 


She is crying that she has to pay this bill but I'm not working overtime because she ignored my telling her about the costs and accepted the charges.  This will teach her a lesson on responsibility.  She was expecting the bill to be about $20.  She'll be babysitting up a storm this next month to pay this bill!


Daughter's phone is daughter's responsibility. Valuable lesson learned.
It should be between the daughter and the friend if the friend is going to pay any of the fees. They are teenagers, not preschoolers.
I have to take care of myself and learned this the hard way sm

I used to push and push and push.  I tried to convince myself I only need 4 hours of sleep a night, that I CAN work two jobs full time or nearly so, that I could not go to bed with a messy house.  It came to a point where I nearly died because I got too sick and had a near-fatal drug interaction.


The upshot of all that mess was that I have SLE and later found to have celiac disease.  My kidneys leak protein, my face has started to scar with the rashes I get.  I can't enjoy the sunshine from any place other than the shade, and even then not much of it.  At times the fatigue seems neverending. I didn't get a clue about proper rest, exercise and most importantly SLEEP.  


I am on chronic steriods and they help, but they are not a cure.  I am better, but I am not well.  I have been working some odd hours over the past couple of months and it has come to a point where I am sick and having trouble regaining some ground here.  I will make it, but it is going to take time and I am feeling impatient.


Because of the celiac, there are all sorts of things I can't eat.  I have to have a low protein diet so that I can preserve kidney function (the drugs don't do all the work), and then I am hypoglycemic.  Oh yes, meal preparation and eating is a nightmare! The special celiac flours for bread making are pricey and hard to find, and most of the bread is awful at that. 


I end up spending a lot on food, and I am a cheapskate. I have to sleep at least 8 hours a night and watch every thing I do.  I end up feeling better, but I HATE having to do so much for myself just so I can function!!!!


You have to take care of yourself along, not have a wake up call in your late 40s.  If I had been better when I was younger, I would not be in such bad shape.  Hindsight is 20/20.


My life lesson would be to say "I love you" to
your family every chance you get as you don't know when they won't be around anymore, take nothing for granted.
May be she'll learn a lesson?
I'm glad to hear you made an official police report.
Lesson about working in jammies . .

One very cold sunny Michigan winter day I needed to run outside to get something out of the truck I had forgotten the day before.  I grabbed the extra key kept by the door to unlock it and out I went in NOTHING by pink flannel jammies (no bra or underwear) and fluffy dog slippers, yep ladies, I was stylin . . well, the dog went after his ball which had rolled behind the door and the door slammed shut just as I went out the door!  Now, we live in a rural area with no neighbors close by, it was about 8 degrees out, and I had chicken cooking on the stove to make chicken and dumplings!!  I had already turned it down and covered it and it had to cook for about 40 minutes.  Luckily I had the key to the truck.  I had to drive around to neighbors trying to find someone home so I could call my mother or husband, who both have house keys.  The only neighbor I could find was standing out working on his tractor with his brother and his dad.  I pulled up and asked to use a cell phone.  When he walked over the truck, imagine the look on his face when he realized I was in my pajamas at 3:00 in the afternoon!  LOL, that was one of the most embarrassing minutes of my life!  The guy and my husband have been friends since high school.  But I did get a hold of my mother, who came with her key and I got back in before the chicken burned, otherwise I was going to have to break a window to get in so the house didn't burn down. 


Video lesson with a British accent. (sm)
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-apply-foundation-to-mature-skin
My sons are 18 and 20.
One lives at college and the other is living at home while attending college. When they were both at home and under 18 I had the same rules as you, basically. During the week, except for their activity obligations of school, sports, scouts, they didn't do any "hang out" time. It did help that their high school was in the next county, and most of their school friends lived some distance away. When girlfriends came along, life was a little different. My oldest dated a girl who lived down the street. My youngest dated a girl who lived a good 30-minute drive away. Lucky for me, their parents had the same rules for hanging out. It was pretty much weekends only. My boys accepted it all in stride. But I have to say that I've been pretty strict about their attitude all of their lives. Since they first began to speak, they learned not to give attitude to their parents. In return, we always treated them with respect. The few times that they did raise their voices as teenagers, our conversation came to an end, and their requests were denied with no chance for a reversal of that decision. Worked nicely. But, again, I have to say we were very lucky in that most of their friends weren't right in our neighborhood and their girlfriends had the same rules.

The payoff is that now as responsible young adults, they've developed a good work ethic. Even my son living at college does well managing his free time, and will be an RA in his dorm next year, partly because he's shown maturity and isn't goofing off at college. (And I'm glad not to have to pay all of the room and board! Hooray!)
Sons
Boy this is sounding real familiar.  I have a son who is a lot like yours.  He is 16, very smart, but no motivation or willingness to work for good grades.  I have wondered if part of his problem was that school came too easy for him in the early grades.  He never had to study for spelling tests, etc.  Now that he is in high school, he doesn't have the habit of studying.  It is almost as though he doesn't even think about it.  When I remind him that he has a test, he will study for a few minutes and get an A or B.  If he really works at it, he can Ace the test.  He doesn't really think grades are all that important.  (I was used to my daughter's straight As and am trying to refrain from comparing the two kids.)  I'm looking for ways to motivate him, and so far a lot of positive reinforcement is starting to help.  Maybe visiting with the school counselor would help.  My son is also looking for a job--I think he has too much time on his hands!  The more time they have, the less they get done.  Good luck.
Sons in Military - Thank You
Thanks, next time I hear from either one of my children, I'll ask them about this. I wonder why the military just doesn't supply them with it ????? Thanks so much.
Both of my sons are in college now.
It's very easy to become overwhelmed quickly during the search. My husband and I approached the process a little differently. We didn't do anything like the other parents and high school juniors/seniors were doing. We did pretty much... well nothing. We let our kids lead in the process. We didn't even look at the applications unless our sons asked us to. We felt that our job was to guide them and to keep them from getting caught up in the college search mania that seems to grip everyone during those last two years in high school.

My husband and I went to the same, very large university (Temple U). Back all those years ago, it just seemed that there wasn't quite so much pressure on kids and parents when it came to college searches. We both chose Temple because it offered degree programs that we wanted and that we could afford. The campus wasn't pretty and it was a commuter school then, which meant that the "college experience" for us was living at home and going to school. College was more of a practical work-and-study experience for us. And we received very good educations.

Fast forward to our own children. We told both of our sons that they should think of their college experience as the preliminary work for their careers. They didn't look at it as a means to move away from home or be on their own. (No college student is really on their own when living in a dorm, anyway.) They needed to determine what area they were interested in studying and then choose a school that offered a good program and that we could afford. The affordability factor was a big one for us. No one wants to have huge loans at the end of this "experience".

Our oldest son was not quite sure what he wanted to do, so he wisely chose to spend a year at the local community college. We were thrilled! It cost us less than his high school tuition! He checked out different options and settled on a meteorology major. With that decided, he discovered that there was only one school that we could afford and that had a great program. He applied, was accepted, and his community college credits transferred. He is now a junior.

Our younger son wants to be an engineer, though he's not sure what kind of an engineer. He is leaning towards civil engineering. He decided to live at home to save money. That narrowed his decision down to just two schools, Drexel and Temple, both a short train ride from our home. He applied to only those two schools, was accepted at both, and received decent scholarship offers from both. In the end, Temple was far more affordable, and so now our youngest walks the campus of our alma mater. Our friends and neighbors were shocked that our oldest applied to just one school, and our youngest applied to just two. They were amazed that we weren't on constant campus tours or worried about "options" and "fits".

Why such a long post that seems a bit off-topic? Well, because I see so many people stress over this decision. It really isn't the end of the world. It's four short years of a person's life. They're important years, to be sure. But they don't have to be make or break years. Most college students will change majors at some point, many will transfer to other schools. These decisions can be re-made later on. You are in the market for a product, just as if you were shopping for a car or other big ticket item. Try to keep calm about it so that your student doesn't pick up on the stress. It is stressful, but if you keep it all in perspective, the stress doesn't have to feel so overwhelming.

And for the short answer: We liked visiting the schools at open house to get a general feel for the place. At that point you can usually tell if the school is a viable option or not. If not, no reason to revisit. If yes, then visit again and make an appointment for a personal tour and/or interview.

Don't worry! You'll survive!
We only buy for our two sons, and they are older.
The youngest (18) wants a decent digital camera, so I think about $250 to $300 range plus some stocking stuffers. Oldest son is easily pleased. He's big into hats, and I bought him a leather "Indiana Jones" style hat, and a book so far. We may round out his gifts with cash, since he's a starving college student. Husband and I do not exchange gifts. My birthday is the day after Christmas, and that is just dinner out for the two of us. Our 24th anniversary is in January, and I already know that I want to get him an iPod. His 50th birthday is in April, and I would love to have a party for him. I'm definitely saving up for that, but it will be a relaxed party.

While are Christmas will be fairly simple, looking ahead, I'm trying to budget for some other things.
Trained my sons to help sm
Since I was a working mom, I always told my sons to expect to help around the house. They didn't do it for me that often, but now that they're married, they cook, iron, babysit and go to the market without complaining. I think I did a good job. My husband also helped around the house, so they had a good example of what it takes to make it work when mom has to work. Whether you pay someone to help or ask for help around the house, it doesn't matter. I could not have offered my kids a college education if I did not work and save for it. Some men think it demasculinizes them and that's sad. I also shoveled snow,did what I could to help without gender bias if no one else was home. I did not feel strange doing what I could to help my husband either, as long as I could lift it, I did it. It takes a village. I used to sew, but I was lousy at it and that's why I quit. I never felt like what I did was good enough and wouldn't wear it. Curtains and drapes were okay but now you can buy them cheaper than what the material costs. Just IMHO.
I understand your fear! I have three sons between
17 and 20 years old. Now and then they talk about enlisting, and of course I worry about the draft. For selfish reasons, I want them always to stay close to home, where it seems to be safe. But it's a very high calling to serve one's country, and I would support that decision if my sons decided upon it. If the draft were brought back, I'd be terrified. I do not support this war. I don't think it was the right thing to do. But I do support the people who serve and respect their decisions and am incredibly grateful to them for their sacrifices. I will also continue to support them by doing whatever I can, small though it may be, to help bring them home AND keep peace for us all. I wish it were a simple thing.
As for our children, the fact is, once they are 18, they can make the decision to join without our consent. Talk to each other, love her and appreciate her. If she decides to serve her country, you do not want to part in anger, and trust me, you will want to support her in any way you can.
Prayers for your sons and all our soldiers! nm
!
LOL! Love it! Thanks. I'll be using this on my 3 sons! nm
///
My sons have been in Scouts for some time now...sm
My youngest (11 years old) was in Cub Scouts for about 3 years and crossed over into a newly chartered troop. My oldest son (17 years old) joined the troop also, mostly out of necessity (we needed his warm body in order to have enough boys to charter). My youngest loves it and my oldest is kind of lukewarm about it. I have also been a leader at the pack, troop, district and council level for over 4 years now. We are basically a scouting family and love it.

With that said, however, I will say that scouting is not for everyone, and everyone does not get out of scouting what is there for them to learn simply because everyone is not interested in learning those things or because of poor leadership within the scouting unit. In your case, it sounds to me as if the latter may be true.

You didn't say how old your son is or how long he has been in scouting, but it sounds to me like he has a very poor leader if he makes them camp this way. Some overly self-glorified scout leaders try to turn scouting into junior Army training which is not what it is meant to be. If there is another pack or troop in the area, you might consider changing and see if that improves his scouting experience by a new leader and better camping conditions. When we camp, each boy has his own tent (can be bought at Walmart for about $15) and we always have a campfire in a designated fire ring that burns pretty much all night. Each boy is safely enclosed in his own tent that zips up which greatly reduces the chances of spiders, snakes, bugs, etc. Of course the boys have to be trained to keep their tent flaps zipped closed at all times so that nothing gets in.

My advice from a scouter's viewpoint is to talk to your son and then you and your son and husband talk to the scout leader and see what can be done to improve the scouting experience for your son as well as the other boys in the unit. If the leader does not want to chanage his ways to more closely follow the scouting ideals, then find another troop or pack to join. Sounds like there is a LOT of room for improvement here.

Here is a link that may help, too. http://netcommish.com/askandy.asp
Those total sons of you-know-whats.
My situation was not QUITE the same.... It turned out I was the other woman; the guy I was dating and thought I was exclusive with turned out to have a fiance he didn't bother to tell me about. Looking back, there were a few hinky things I should have noticed, but they weren't the usual things, so I was thrown off my guard.

I do have a very good male friend whom I call my adopted big brother. (He's married, has been for decades, and his wife is aware that we are friends/business associates.) I asked him flat-out why men cheat, and he said (a) because they can, and (b) the thrill of the chase, or some bullhockey like that, that we testosterone-deficient females can't seem to understand, I guess. He also bluntly told me that I probably was not the only one, i.e. the only "other woman." I would not be surprised if that were true, but I never actually found out, since the SOB (and I do NOT mean 'short of breath') married the fiance and left town.

My best friend put it rather succinctly, when we were discussing another topic:

Men don't change, and women just learn to be abused gracefully. (Because this too is a form of abuse.)

Mary, I offer my prayers for the safety of your sons. SM
I thought brothers could not be in battle zones at the same time. Did they choose to?
Deeni, I respect your opinion, but I held both my sons during circumcision......sm
my dirtly little secret, I used to be an LPN and CMA, used to surgical technology. It takes seconds, and while I had silent tears and I worried and fretted, but they were fine, and Nola is not misinformed here, being in clinical practice for years, and working for general surgeons, I saw many men, some in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, who had infection after infection because they could not retract the foreskin the right way, phimosis is painful and can become precancerous, and yes, we had some gentlemen with penile cancer. As I said, I was able to snuggle and nurse my baby boys both times right after circumcision, no problems. Men's anatomy is so different (!!!!) from female's (duh), so you cannot compare the unsterile, crude labial circimcisions done in third world countries with what is done in hospital for our baby boys. Anatomy just dictates this. I was so glad when my daughter was born, it was not even anything to worry about!
I think she has learned
Sounds like she has learned. . I think you did the right thing. .
Maybe you have never learned how to
relax and you don't realize how you sound when you talk to people. Have you ever recorded one of these conversations to play it back for yourself later? Exercise like Pilates or relaxation therapy with biofeedback might really help you sound more relaxed when you converse with people.
I'm 48 and this is what I know/learned
I can quilt, clean, bake and my cooking is so-so. I'd prefer to bake. I grew up in New England in the 60s when in winter we'd have huge ice and snow storms, and depending on the season we learned different things. My mom taught us how to quilt, sew (plus I took sewing in home ec, girl scouts & 4H - I have lost touch and want to learn again). We learned how to can food for the winter, garden in the summer/fall. We lived in the country and mom would take sis and me into the woods in our backyard and she would point out plants, flowers, types of trees etc teaching us which is edible, poisonous, etc (however if my life depended on it now I'd surely be dead). She taught us candle making, kitting and she tried some crotchet but I couldn't get the hang of it. Her aunt taught her how to TAT (if you can't get crotcheting you certainly won't get tatting) :-). My dad taught us cooking, baking, morse code, and cleaning (he was a cook in the service and also learned morse code, and he would not let us get our drivers licence until we knew and could prove two things. We had to be able to change a flat tire by ourselves without help and he would drive us in the middle of nowhere (there was lots of nowhere in New England) somewhere we were not familiar with and he'd distract us along the way, and then hand me a map and told me to find my way back home shortest route possible so as not to run out of gas. Even my grandmother taught us things (she lived a 2 minute walk from our house). She taught us how to darn socks (I asked why she didn't just buy new ones and I thought she'd fall over in a fit HA HA), she taught us mending, patching, ironing (she had the most crisp and well ironed bed sheets :-). Even though my mom didn't have to say it we knew these were life skills we may need to fall back on. There has been a lot of knowledge I've lost along the way, my interests have changed and there are new things I'd love to learn. I do think more and more people are so used to just throwing things away, but with times like they are I think everyone will start making due with what they have and learn to repair.
I have learned
to stay out of it and I learned this by experience.  I had a very good friend (widowed) who got involved with this guy who was 30 years older than her.  At first like everyone else I assumed that money was involved but being her friend, I decided to talk some sense into her.  I gave her the usual reasons why she should NOT marry this guy.  He was older than her mother, what would people say, he probably could not have kids and even if they did have kids, he'd probably die and leave her a single mother.  I really cared for her and felt that I was looking out for her because obviously she had lost her mind.  She told me that although she loved her mother, she could not live her life to please her.  She said that she did not care what people thought because people will think what they want to no matter what you did in your life.  She said that she was a widow and that had she had children with her first husband, she would be a single mother anyway.  So like any good friend would do, I supported her.  Today, years after, they are one of the happiest couples that I know.  Her mother thinks the world of her son-in-law (especially since he treats her daughter the way she deserves) and her real friends (me included) get the joy of spending time with a couple who makes you smile every time you visit them and you feel the love and respect that they have for each other touch you.  I am blessed to be considered a friend by both of them.  It is not for everyone, but for those who do enter into a May/December relationship good luck to them. 
Ah but most of us learned the language! lol
x
I learned from my grandma's and we did that for my FIL.
His service was the best...just friends telling stories about him. I think the reason for the "saving" is because my grandma's funeral was in Iowa. Plus, honestly, I didn't expect that. It was horrible.
yes and they learned more about the shooter

Such a shame but in Korea they teach in the schools all kinds of antiamericanism...though he did come here when he was 8 years old...1992.


Very said, indeed, and I pray for all the victims, their families, the town of Blacksburg and students, families alike, and for the heroes of this HORRIBLE incident, especially Professor Librescu, an Israeli teacher who helped the kids and died in the end and who was a Holocaust survivor himself. 


GOD BLESS THEM ALL!


Lessons learned
Believe me, I knew absolutely nothing when I looked at houses on my own for the first time. Oooo! Pretty kitchen! Nice carpet! Love the color of the living room! Then when I had the home inspection done which cost me a good chunk of change, and boy did I learn fast. I had a 35 page report from him. I passed on the house, but I took that report to every house I looked at after before calling him to come look again and dishing out more money for the inspection. I cringe when I think of what could have been had I bought that house without his expertise. I would be in financial ruins trying to keep up with the repairs or selling it at a loss.
I am not always, perfect with it, but have learned that
a whole week or a month. Enjoy yourself now and again and have what you want is also the key for me.

Will power and determination, and prayers, coming you way !!
I learned a lot from biofeedback.
I don't have any pain issues anymore, and I think learning to relax was key. I had no idea what my muscles were doing until I started getting massage from a physical therapist, and it felt great, but the effect didn't last because I couldn't stop the muscles from coiling back up on me. That's why I did the relaxation therapy with biofeedback, and I learned a lot.
I recently learned that among those who are into -
New Age beliefs (which I'm not particularly), a personality type called "Indigo" exists. The 25 traits that make up an Indigo fit me and my authority-questioning ways to a T. It was quite a shock how exact the match was. Even more interesting was other people's descriptions of their lives, etc. as an Indigo. You might check that term out, cuz you just might be one, too!

According to the teachings of that group, Indigos often lead difficult lives because they spend much of them swimming against the current, but that they are ultimately the ones who will save the world.

Food for thought, when it comes to the differences between leaders, and followers!
Wow --- here's a few tricks we learned

about Dish -- maybe it will work with Direct TV, too.  We wanted a better deal with our Dish.  Our original contract was up and we were free agents.  We stayed with them for about 5 years after the contract ended.  That was when they came out with the extra boxes for a few dollars more a month.  Originally, you couldn't do that.  I called them up and asked them if we could get in on that deal.  They said no.  So we switched to Direct TV.  I had already signed a contract with Direct and they were scheduled to come out the next day.  I called Dish and told them I was cancelling our service and then they switched me over to a "cancellation specialist", who then proceeded to offer me the very offer I requested originally.  Well, it was too little too late.  We were already signed up for Direct TV.  We stayed on with Direct TV for our 2 years.  At the end of the 2 years, I called Dish back up and resigned as a new customer.  Somewhere during that time, my remote broke.  I didn't have the warranty coverage.  The Dish rep told me that I could sign up for it for $6.95 a month and then call back in tell them I needed the remote replaced.  She said you could cancel the warranty plan at any time.  $6.95 for a new remote sounded good to me.  I've done that twice now in all the time we've had Dish.


Then about 2 or 3 years later (still with Dish) we decided to add additional TVs in the house.  I called in and asked about it and of course was told the deals were only for new customers.  I said okay.  Cancel me as a customer.  They switched me over to the "cancellation specialist" who then proceeded to offer me what the other rep couldn't.  I asked her why they couldn't just give me that deal to begin with and she said they weren't "authorized" to.  I figure it's just their way of trying to make money however they can. 


Not long ago, we had a disaster happen that ruined our Dish boxes/remotes/outside dish, everything.  We called Dish up and told them and their rep worked every angle he could to get us the best deal with the least responsibility for the destroyed units. 


Maybe we didn't like Direct because we were so used to Dish -- the programming setup, etc.  I do know one thing I like about Direct (my friend has it) -- you can still get East/West coast channels for little to nothing.  Dish took them away for a long time and just recently brought them back, but I think it's expensive. 


We can't get cable either where we live now, but when we were able to get it, we went with Dish because our cable company sux.  I don't know if anything above will work the same with Direct, but it might be worth a try if you ever need to. 


I have learned that in these types

of situations, it is impossible to get all the information you need to figure out exactly what is going on.  Too many people gossip and pass on bad information. 


On the other hand,  maybe I am missing something, but it sounds like you are saying that your son broke up with this girl because he couldn't be alone with her.  If that is what you mean, then I can see why she would be upset and hurt.  That would look like he tossed her aside because of what he was not getting.  


 


OMG! I just learned my son was on drugs

What do I do? He's going to be 40 this year. I had heard years ago that he started on majjuania when he was over in Japan in the service, but didn't believe it. He and his wife broke up (supposedly) over her use of of meth and cocaine, but I didn't believe that either. Lately, he 's been bringing some "not so nice looking"  friends around here for approval and not recieiving that, so I have not seen him since Christmas Eve. Tonight, I heard he is on heroin. This is absolutely the straw that broke the camel's back. He always denied he was on meth or cocaine, but tonight's "revealation" is absolutely too much if it's true.


I'm broken-hearted and devastated over this latest "rumor/truth" (from more than 1 person) and don't really know how to bring the subject up and/or confront him with this. I'm so disappointed [in my son] and thought he was smarter than this. Now I understand why he is not actively trying to find work (unemployed since May last year).


Any suggestions? Forget rehab unless it's free. We can't afford it.He's my only son and he had a very tough life trying to live up to my husband's idea of a (step)son, but he really looks up to him now. We have another son (my stepson) who never got into drugs, why my son? Could his life been so bad?


I love my son but am thoroughly upset with this latest revelation. I just don't know what to do, and would like to stand behind him, but if drugs are his first love, I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm not really a confrontal person and don't want to lsoe my son, but if he gets caught, I'm afraid I won't/can't bail him out of jail.


Your thoughts?


I have learned to move on.
I gave both my kids everything including all the love I could, taught them the right way to treat people, cherished them beyond belief, worked hard to give them what they needed growing up (just me raising them, divorced). In talking with DH yesterday I really do not feel that either 1 of the kids loves me like they should. I do not see nor talk with my son now due to a falling out we had in 2005 and my girl, well she is a me type, all about her. If you cannot change things, just learn how to live with them the way they are or wish them well in their lives.
This is what I learned in training...sm
If you do not believe in rewarding good behavior with a tiny treat, then stop reading here. We started on very short walks first.  When Shadow would pull on the leash, I would say no, stopped abruptly at the same time, then made him sit before starting again. If he walked without pulling, I would give praise and slip him a treat while walking--do not stop walking.  It took a lot of patience, but he now stays close by without a leash (well, most of the time).  Good luck.
Nah, don't need proof, was just curious what you learned.
Nah, don't want proof, was just curious.
I learned so much when I bought and then refinanced (sm)
that I was astounded.  I've probably forgotten a lot of it and will have to retrain myself for the next time!!  Your 'loan boy' as you call him will probably tell you he needs this info so the underwriter will not turn you down automatically - that's a ploy they use to get everything they can out of you.  If they ran your credit you have a right to have a copy of it and you can take it to your next place, give it to them and ask for some numbers.  Then if they look good to you and you want to go with them - they can run the credit again.  And like someone else said - it is not at all unusual to check with several mortgage companies when doing something like this and those are not big dings on your credit.... inquiries for the same thing are lumped together.  You would not believe how aggressive you can be and how much you can get if you get pushy - they act like they are doing you a huge favor when in fact they need your business - go where you get treated well - you will never be sorry.  Go to a credit union if at all possible - the closing costs are really minimal and if they can take directly from your checking account - you can usually get a better rate also - they like knowing they can count on the same amount each month on the same day.  Get your credit scores and call around - tell them your score is say 725, you are self employed, you want $300,000 and want to pay less than $2,000 in closing costs.  I bet you would be surprised.  Good luck!!
exactly! Hate is learned from home too.....

I remember a song from South Pacific called "You've Got To Be Taught" (To Hate and Fear)......


it is learned behavior whether it be at home or from the schools


One thing I have learned in life--sm
is to never mix business or money with friendship. Always put everything in writing. It avoids confusion such as this down the road and everybody knows up front what is expected of them, not to mention having all your ducks in a row and the laws on your side when you have to go to court to collect what is owed you. I know that you meant that you were giving her the extra time to come up with the money and not that you were just letting her stay there free out of *friendship* and so does she. *Friends* do not try to take advantage of their friends, like she is doing to you. If you have not already done it, write up an agreement stating all the terms clearly and make her sign it. Also keep VERY good records on what she pays you and when. You will need that when you have to go to court. If she does not want to sign the agreement or becomes offended, then consider the fact that she intends to stiff you again in the future and that she is not truly a friend, but looking for a free ride. I am sorry if this sounds harsh, but you have to protect yourself in this world these days. Actions speak louder than words and her actions have already shown you what direction she is taking. The writing is on the wall...heed it, and good luck to you.
our poor cat children have learned sm

To duck and cover when mommy and daddy reach out to pet their heads, especially our oldest boy.  The ears and the nose seem to be the most sensitive.  If the 'kids' come into the office to visit me while I am working and I leave my headphones on, I can actually hear the static crackle!!!


Also, I noticed that if I stroke the cats from head to tip of tail, it seems to complete a circuit of some sort and the tails will actually spark sometimes.  Doesn't seem to bother them, but the ears and nose- that is another story. 


hc


He's learned to push your buttons

and boy is he pushing them.  The hardest thing you have to learn to do is not argue with him.  Don't try to reason with him, don't try to make sense of a situation for him or with him.  If you want him to do option A and he argues, give him option B, but make option B so completely horrific that he has no choice but to go for option A.  Have this conversation with him once.  If he still argues, explain that Option A is still on the table, but in addition to that he'll get to do Option B as well. Or something like that.  And then follow through.  Whatever you promise/threaten, you have to follow through.  They figure it out really fast when you dont' mean it.


The point is you can't argue with him.  He's figured that out and he's probably figured that if he wears on you enough you'll give in to him in some fashion.  Pull out the "because I'm the Mommy and I said so" card if you have to.  Don't, don't, don't argue or discuss things with him.  That's where he's figuring out where your cracks are.


I'm good with the going to bed hungry deal, too.  If he complains, give his dinner to the dog and he can have breakfast in the morning.  Again, he would get one warning and then he'd see me give Fido the plate.  I don't think that will take more than one or two times for him to figure it out.  The other key is to make sure that any snacks that are in the house are put away in places he can't get to.


Once you and hubby are consistent with these types of rules, if he is still having this kind of behavior, then I would absolutely look into therapy.  Especially if this is new behavior and hasn't been growing for a while.


I learned to disrespect authority. -(nm)-

I started craving ice and soon after learned I was anemic.
k
I believe they just chew it. I learned when I purchased a plastic
xx
Basic skills best learned at home
It's kind of hit and miss as to whether kids learn to cook, sew, etc in school. Although I HATE using a sewing machine, I think basic handsewing is a life skill and taught my teenage girls to sew on buttons and mend rips. They also know how to do basic cooking, ironing, and have done their own laundry for years. My college daughter lives with two other girls, 19 and 20, and neither one of them can sew on a button (my daughter does it for them). Apparently their mothers never taught them.
Learned to smoke, drink, cut classes
Graduated in the 70s. Took dancing lessons and big big big into disco. Almost entered in the show Disco Fever. I was a little overweight, certainly not popular in the "cliques". Had friends from grammar school, scouts & 4H I hung around with (those are still my friends today). I was shy and stuttered when having to speak in front of groups (still do). I wasn't a "studier" - received mostly Cs (failed science, gym & history - or barely passed). No boyfriends. Pretty boring overall, but I'd trade everything in now and do it all again.
Learned to hate snobby rich kids.
jj
The bell is a great idea! My niece's cattle dog learned to SM
ring the bell in 2 days and has done it ever since. It is adorable. If no one lets her out right away she looks around and takes that leg and swings it and hits it the second time.  It is a wonderful idea.