Post by rootbeerfloat on Mar 19, 2024 17:03:00 GMT -5
Middle school: They were assigned Chromebooks during/right after the pandemic, but last year and this year, they weren't. There are devices to use during classes, but they don't come home, and they aren't one-to-one/individually assigned. I'd guess they're pretty locked down. DD uses my laptop to do her homework (b/c "better" Google) and the extent of her goofing off on the school Chromebook is playing Wordle/similar word games. They also aren't allowed to have their phones out at all, even during recess and lunch.
High school: They are assigned a Chromebook to use all 4 years (or as long as they're enrolled). DS takes his back and forth every day because it's used in classes, but he uses his gaming PC to do homework (most assignments are Google Classroom/app-based) because that's where he spends most of his time. Phones are a free-for-all in HS; I guess (his) teachers have given up.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Feb 28, 2024 14:01:33 GMT -5
This is timely as I've spent the last 3 nights on the couch. Prior to this, I've resisted leaving my comfy bed when he's not feeling well, and we've stuck to the outside edges of our king-sized bed. But I've learned the couch isn't so bad (no snoring and definitely preferable to the air mattress).
Post by rootbeerfloat on Feb 25, 2024 16:47:16 GMT -5
DS cares about hygiene, but not his appearance. Anyway, he shares a bathroom with his sister and uses the products she chooses: Dove body wash, some Shea Moisturizer coconut shampoo and conditioner, La Roche Posay face cleanser and moisturizer (only after he shaves, which is a weekly occurrence), and Old Spice deodorant (her preference because she's actually sweatier than he is).
Post by rootbeerfloat on Jan 30, 2024 14:28:17 GMT -5
I would be surprised, but not bothered or feel the need to send an email.
DD (8th grade) recently shared that one of the teachers showed a video that had inappropriate language. The students spoke up in a "you shouldn't be showing us this!" kind of way (not we're going to tell our parents kind of way), and the teacher apologized.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Jan 12, 2024 20:56:38 GMT -5
My kids (17 yo boy, 14 yo girl) won't share a bed, though they did when they were younger (or they would share with us). I look for rooms without a pullout couch or preferably a suite if we can afford it. DD has issues and prefers sleeping on a couch anyway. We've also taken an air mattress on local staycations, but don't do very many of those.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Jan 11, 2024 12:06:26 GMT -5
I didn't see the OP, but DD struggled with her mental health in 7th grade - anxiety/OCD, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation. She also refused therapy/meds, though going through the motions of trying them maybe helped a little. But it was rough as a parent trying to find services/providers.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Dec 20, 2023 13:53:35 GMT -5
We buy for our moms (dads are both deceased). On H's side, we buy for his 2 siblings and their spouses, plus 1 (adult) niece. On my side, my sister and I buy for the kids (2 each) and dogs; adults don't exchange.
I send gifts to BFF and her kids (until they go to college). I also do a white elephant exchange at work.
I like giving and receiving gifts, but it is also stressful. When my sister and I stopped shopping for each other, we thought we'd feel sad about it and miss getting "good" gifts, but it's been fine. (We also lowered expectations for birthdays; we exchange simple things like plants, which we both appreciate. And we don't buy for the other's spouse as our husbands don't care at all about gifts.)
Post by rootbeerfloat on Nov 29, 2023 13:19:49 GMT -5
I enjoyed all the finalists I've read: Fiction - Someone Else's Shoes Historical Fiction - The Wind Knows My Name, Lady Tan's Circle of Women Romance - Happy Place, Yours Truly Romantasy - Fourth Wing Sci Fi - The Light Pirate YA - The Brothers Hawthorne, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
I also have Pineapple Street ready to go, but haven't started it yet.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Nov 20, 2023 13:13:42 GMT -5
Definitely follow their social media. Go to ESPN and favorite Purdue men's basketball, and it will filter content for you about the team; there's also lots of college basketball articles that might be helpful. And you will learn by watching and listening to the commentators.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Oct 16, 2023 15:35:22 GMT -5
1. No, they just use cash, but this is a good idea. 2. His favorite joggers are from Costco. He doesn't wear jeans. 3. T-shirts (black, navy, gray - his goal is to dress "like a NPC"), athletic shorts or joggers, hoodie if it's cold (which is hardly ever).
Post by rootbeerfloat on Sept 11, 2023 14:44:06 GMT -5
My sister and I live in the same neighborhood. We're close, but busy, and the kids (teens for me, teen and toddler for her) have different schedules. So it might be every few weeks even though it could be way more often.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Sept 7, 2023 16:17:54 GMT -5
ny96, this is not going to be super helpful, but our boy dog is (I'm pretty sure) a shiba inu mix. The rescue called him a chihuahua mix, which is true, but he's fluffiest chihuahua you'll ever meet. Anyway, we adopted him as a senior, but LOVES to go for walks even though he's blind in one eye and has a wobbly leg. He lets his diva sister (chi-terrier mix) boss him around, and he's chill except for a few quirks that we blame on having a rough life before he came to us.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Aug 28, 2023 13:18:02 GMT -5
We go to the movies a lot.
Food plays a big role in our outings. DS (16) is learning to drive, so we'll plan a route based on somewhere outside of our neighborhood that he wants to eat. Even with the stress of driving, we (including DD, who often comes too) have fun conversations.
He's not a shopper or sporty, but we run/walk together several evenings per week, and this is where we get a lot of QT. We also go to the gym together, but he prefers that we pretend not to know each other there lol.
DD (13) and I grocery/Costco shop (she's a cook), Target/Ulta shop (she's into skincare, makeup), watch shows (lately House, LOST, some reality show about aspiring k-pop stars), etc.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Jul 18, 2023 14:31:22 GMT -5
1. I don't know what others do, but I'm sure DS won't want one. 2. We don't know yet where he will go to college, but he's taking drivers ed this summer and plans to get his license this year. He doesn't like driving, but we agree it's better for him to get learn now. (He has a bit of baggage about learning to ride a bike "late.") 3. I don't know, but it's gone too fast.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Jun 22, 2023 14:18:03 GMT -5
jinkies , H has terrible health anxiety. If anyone else gets a cold/headache/nausea, he immediately has the same symptoms, but WORSE. But then he actually got cancer. I can no longer complain because the treatment side effects are terrible, he might actually die, and cancer just sucks. But the years of man colds (in addition to the more recent years of having to carry more of the burden of everyday life) have taken a toll on my capacity for sympathy. I'm sure I sound like an asshole, but I can't really say these things out loud.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Jun 19, 2023 20:09:53 GMT -5
I use my daughter's name when I order. I tried using my son's name one time DD wasn't with us, and substituting a typically male name was also confusing, so I stick to DD's.
I will say my name is easy to understand when read (just not when spoken), so using apps is also helpful.
Post by rootbeerfloat on Jun 15, 2023 12:48:46 GMT -5
16 y/o old finished the classroom portion of driver's ed last week and will continue practicing. One of his friends is visiting from out of state later this month, so his group will be busy doing touristy stuff for a bit. We've also been strongly encouraging him to get a job, but he has resisted.
13 y/old skates a few evenings a week, has a couple baking mini-camps lined up, and is planning some sleepovers with her BFF. She cooks, too, but that isn't a summer thing. Honestly, she sleeps half the day, then stays up late watching Netflix.
A high school acqaintance still takes monthly pictures of both of her kids with the same stuffed animal and posts them on Facebook. For some reason, when, on occasion, I log in there, it shows them to me.
The kids are 17 and 13.
I side eye.
As a parent of teenagers, I'm amazed. One of mine doesn't allow photos at all, and the other does sparingly, but won't allow me to post them.
My lab had been on a diet for a while (and actually lost the weight...the vet was amazed and was like, I don't think I ever had a lab whose owner I told they needed to lose weight, and then they lost the weight!) but we made it a game to see what 'healthy' foods she would eat, and she will eat almost anything. She LOVES watermelon and almost any fruit. She literally comes running when she hears me cutting anything on the cutting board because she knows I'll usually give her a slice (I cut up apples for my kids' lunches every day and she loves those), but she eats cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, pear, peach, pineapple, strawberry, any berry actually, loves blueberries especially, green beans, etc. I think the only thing she really won't eat is lettuce that has nothing on it. I actually had to talk to the vet about increasing her food because she's been garbage can surfing and has resorted to eating my daughter's bloody-nose kleenexes, ugh.
My (small, non-Lab) dogs eat lettuce. We have a tortoise, whose diet consists of romaine lettuce, grass, and the occasional hibiscus. I have to lock the dogs in the house when I feed the tortoise because they will steal his lettuce. I think they mostly like to be naughty, but they do eat it.
They like apples, carrots, and watermelon, too. I let them finish the papaya the other day, and they scarfed it down. I don't think there's a human food they won't touch.
Post by rootbeerfloat on May 8, 2023 13:23:15 GMT -5
I have one in MS and one in HS, and both say kids are always vaping in the bathrooms.
Last year a student in one of DS's classes threw up because she was drunk, but he didn't think drinking at school was all that common. He did joke about a former friend being a drug dealer, so the opportunities are there. I asked if the friend sold weed or harder stuff, which he didn't know, but it was an opportunity to talk about fentanyl, etc.
After DD's mental health struggles, we don't really keep alcohol in the house. She wasn't drinking, but we were concerned she might start.
I am trying to decide if a capybara encounter is worth $400. I feel like we got our sloth encounter for a steal ($150 split two ways) seeing these prices.
Where is this $400 capybara encounter? To answer your question, in my family, the answer to your question would be yes.
Post by rootbeerfloat on May 2, 2023 13:29:54 GMT -5
DS also does not really hang out with his friends outside of school. He's an introvert and a big gamer, and his main hobby is something none of his friends are interested in (in fact, it's mainly adults). He's mentioned that his core friend group from elementary has branched out a bit due to different interests (baseball, band, etc), so they don't always hang out together at lunch etc, but still play online. It sounds like he's made more acquaintances so he's not really lonely at school, but none that he considers to be good friends.
On the other hand, DD has one BFF (who is awesome), but refuses to make any other friends.