Michigan

[1muttsfan]

Olive, I have a friend who was camping one time, and stepped out in the woods in the dark, forgetting to take TP with her. Used some leaves.

You guessed it...

 

[Juise]

Quote:

Yeah.... see. I consider myself a rather adventurous individual, but there are parts of me I really, really would not like to have poison ivy, IYKWIM.

 

[Olive Hill]

Olive, I have a friend who was camping one time, and stepped out in the woods in the dark, forgetting to take TP with her. Used some leaves.
You guessed it...

 

[Juise]

I can't believe how often people do that!!

A couple different boys on my mum's landscape crew have given themselves poison ivy on their vulnerables because they stepped off behind a tree to relieve themselves, while in the middle of clearing poison ivy.

 

[Olive Hill]

I can't believe how often people do that!!

A couple different boys on my mum's landscape crew have given themselves poison ivy on their vulnerables because they stepped off behind a tree to relieve themselves, while in the middle of clearing poison ivy.

Seems deserved in that case.

 

[taprock]

I'm with Opa, consequences are a great teacher. We homeschool also and I do give them free time in the morning. But no computer, tv or video until the school work is done. I never wanted to homeschool, but my son has Sensory Integration Dysfunction and Childhood Apraxia of Speech so we chose to keep him home. I saw what the school system had to offer and thought I could do a better job. I'm also the odd ball because my kids don't have a list of chores, but they also do not get an allowance. I got tired of nagging to have them help out. Now if they want money they go to the job list and pick out what I have to offer. They do still have to keep their rooms clean and laundry taken care of and clear the kitchen but everyone has to do that.

Momma broody left her babies tonight, they were in the small coop she in the big. I was worried it might be too cold for them and tossed her back in with them. Do you think they could handle freezing temps on their own? They're 7 weeks today.

 

[sarah92480]

Well, I almost posted a picture of a certain political figure, but I figured my butt wasn't too long out of hot water, so I didn't want to plunge it back in just yet.

Nothing wrong with being in hot water. It's called a hot tub.

Ohh tjat sounds great right about now. I cant seem to get warm!

I'm sorry about Gomer, but what a fighter! Poor guy.

My favorite way to eat kale is kale chips. Just like potato chips but with kale.

OMG I have to try this! Are there any other vegs that make good chips this way??

Sadly a large percentage of parents don't have the slightest clue about what it takes to be a parent. I was constantly taking my sons hunting, fishing, skiing, rock climbing & rappelling, and just about any outdoor activity imaginable. But in order to do all of the things that understood that school work need to be done first, that chores around the house had to be accomplished. Some of my neighbors once commented on how hard it seemed my sons were working while the other neighborhood kids played. They seemed to think it was better if they did all the tasks around the house while they wanted their kids to enjoy being kids. My boys would often take care of the routine lawn maintenance while I was on duty so that when I got home we could head for the woods or lakes. They realized that playing with Dad was much better than goofing off with other kids. Through this they learned work ethic.

However, in spite of all we did together I was still quite strict. Honesty and integrity were at the forefront of their education and the best way to instill those values is by example. I never had a rule for them that I didn't have for myself. I tried to instill in them a sense of pride in any endeavor they undertook. That there wasn't anything they couldn't accomplish if they believed in themselves; and should anything fall short of the intended goal could still take pride in the fact that they had tried. Not reaching a goal isn't failure as long as you believe that it was a learning experience that will make you a better person. Winning isn't as important as experience.

When my oldest decided to go in the Army, the company he had been working for wanted him so stay and tried to dissuade him enlisting. His boss told him you have no idea of what you are getting into. Just wait until those drill instructors get a hold of you, you will wish you were still working here. With that Joe burst out laughing a informed him that his dad had once been a DI and he had just completed 18 years with me so 8 weeks of basic training would be a piece of cake.

My middle son also went in the Army and when he got out he worked construction with me for 8 months before going off to school in North Carolina. One evening, about 2 months later, he was telling me he was really surprised by how much he missed me. That the separation seemed more pronounced than when he was in the military. I told him I thought that was probably because when he left for the Army I was his father and his friend. Now I am his friend who also is his father.

Be parents first. Maintain rules that never vary. They have to learn that every action has a consequence. Be there to help and guide them but don't worry about whether they like you. If you are fair and even with all things in your life when they become adults they will be as proud of you as you are them.

I know I probably sound like a jerk. Thats ok. This is how I feel. If the kid had been bitten before, I might be more sympathetic to that. But he hasn't and I am not.

No you didnt sound that way, I rather enjoyed your story! Sounds like something I would have done too.

Olive, I have a friend who was camping one time, and stepped out in the woods in the dark, forgetting to take TP with her. Used some leaves.
You guessed it...

OMG OUCH!!

Im pretty tired tonight, so I dont have much to contribute this evening. lol

 

[EeyoreD]

The stuff on his thighs... well, we'll just say it is NEVER exposed other than when he's nekked. LOL! (He's going to KILL me for typing that.)

Awesome. Um, please tell me he won't be around tomorrow, it will make things awkward.

I, also, agree with Opa on the consequences - both good and bad. One thing I will say is that, were I a parent, I'm not sure I would want schools teaching my kids their morals and manners. Though I also agree that that doesn't seem to be coming from the parents as much as it was when I was a kid (or I'm turning into one of those

GET OFF MY LAWN crotchety folk...) I'm still not sure that should come from the schools.

Aside from their encouragement with trying new foods, two things that my parents did that I think were awesome:

While they had their own political/religious/whatever beliefs, they would frequently play Devil's Advocate with us. They didn't want us to just accept things, they wanted us to know why we believed what we did.

The other one's a little harder to explain but... I had friends who were total Daddy's Girls. Tears and pouting got them everything. Know what got me everything? Spreadsheets (um and this was before computers - like on graph paper). And logical arguments. Sometimes those would work and I would actually get what I wanted. But when that didn't work it was not "because they said so" but because they picked apart my, for lack of a better word, presentations. Or brought up additional scenarios to my arguments. I'm sure that, in some things, they ended up caving to me where they didn't necessarily want to. But I also know that going through that whole exercise has proven invaluable to me throughout my life. And I'm sure they were glad to cave into a few things to teach me that incredibly useful lesson.

 

[Opa]

Quote:

Bang! Another nail hit on the head. And by a carpenter too.

Excellent advice, Opa!

Opa, well said.
Quote:
Originally Posted by taprock

I'm with Opa,

Occasionally I will post something that a few people agree with. I would be willing to bet that they feel that way because I wear cowboy boots that are older than Juise.

 

[EeyoreD]

OMG I have to try this! Are there any other vegs that make good chips this way??

You know, I hadn't really thought about it but now I'm going to have to play. I think part of the issue is that with most veggies, they contain too much moisture to make this as easy as you can with kale. But, now that you mention it, I'm thinking that maybe salting to draw moisture or ... other things might make this work. I'll be trying it with the stuff from the garden and will let you know!

Also, Nova, I don't think you're a jerk about the "just deal with it" attitude. I mean I might if the kid had been bit or otherwise traumatized. But absent that, it's like trying to comfort a scared dog. It really just reinforces the behavior. "If I'm shaking I get looooooove! I'm just going to be scared of everything!"