Online Parent Support Chat

Am I being stupid...

Should I allow my teenage boy (13) to go to Lincoln Park concert with 18 yr old girl?
Crystal and my son LOVE Lincoln Park and they have been saving for the special event. They are buying great seats. They will both have cell phones. Am I being stupid to allow this?

4yr. old diagnosed with adhd/odd...

my daughter has cp, got married to man who's family has mental disabilities, he does but now he's gone she and i are left with two children. the 4yr. has been diagnosed with adhdodd.the 10 month old has been showing signs of anger and is slow in learning even tho he has not been diagnosed. my q? how can i help ggranddaughter? i dont know how to deal with the odd. i want go into detail about me but i will say that i am her caretaker and I need help.so does her mom please advise me.HELP. there's more but not enough room. HELP PLEASE.

im worried...

im worried about my 16 year old G-DAUGHTER SHE IS TROUBLED HAS BEEN BEATEN UP/IVE BEEN THREATENED BY THE PEOPLE SHE HANGS WITH BUT SHE HAS NO SELFWORTH SHE WAS ATTACKED ON THE BUS/SHE IS SAD ANGRY/IM AT A LOSS I TELL HER DAILY I LOVE HER

8 year old keeps running out of lessons...

I have an 8 year old that keeps running out of his lessons. He's diagnosed with ADHD maybe ODD (not convinced). He recently started taking concerta (last three weeks). He found it hard to swallow and was biting it until yesterday. He still bunks most of his classes or walks out of them.

We also have a psychiatrist that is trying to deal with his anger management. Through school he gets a lesson once a week an art therapy lesson with two other boys from his year. This is the only lesson he never misses.

My husband and I are at our wits end. We have another boy who is now 11 and has calmed down a lot (he takes Ritalin since 4th grade) but is def. ODD, when the two of them are together they fight and hurt each other. There is an older daughter in the family (13) and she gets beaten up by the little one.

One more thing. Although I work 4 days a week I work horrible hours (its a temp job for a couple of months) but it means that I see him twice a week before bed for about an hour and twice a week I dont see him at night. In the morning I'm in charge of getting him to school and it takes him forever to get ready.

Please dont suggest that I look for another job it's not very realistic and my Husband sees him much more than he did before because he has to come home early on account that I come late.

Thanks for reading all the above any suggestions?

Sleeping with a 30-year-old man...

What would you do if you found out your 18-year-old daughter was sleeping with a 30-year-old man?

Christmas problems?

Every christmas i have the same problem, my parents are divorced and my mum lives alone. my mum is very ill with arthritis and can hardly move, i have a brother but may aswell not when it comes to helping out with my mum.

My husband is very caring and understanding when it comes to my mum, but i think as the years have gone on and weve spent each xmas with my mum hes patient are starting to wear. Hes parents live in manchester and where down south, last year we tried to do the two in one day (xmas day) but it just didnt work,so we always see them boxing day. There also very understanding but i still feel guilty.

I have to spend xmas with my mum, im all she has and shes understandably suffering from depression so not being there isnt an option. I suggested this year my husband go to his parents with the children and i stay at my mums, but he doesnt want to be without me!

i know there isnt really a solution, just wondered if anyone was looking forward to next week as much as me!!

Help!

help! I have a 17 year old junior in high school who has to control everything, wants to graduate early because she hates high school and thinks she is ready for local college her senior year, driving on her own, etc. while her father and I thinks she lacks maturity and don't know why she wants to speed things up. She isn't a spectacular student, is very stubborn. We are trying to meet with her school counselor but she sees no need because she has to control everything and won't listen to reason to anyone. Help!

I'm scared to let him go...

My son wants to go on Ski trip with the church youth group the day after christmas, keep in mind we live at the bottom of Georgia and this trip is to West Virginia for a week, I have never let my son go anywhere without me out of town, Im scared to let him go and cant quit thinking about what could happen like car wreck, getting hurt without me there oh I could go on and on....He is 15 now as of 2 weeks ago!

He says Im being paranoid am I?

Determined to flunk out...

My 14 year old son appears to be determined to flunk out of his charter program. we homeschool but a charter school provides us a teacher and a curriculum. We meet with the teacher again tomorrow. I am in the process of reading the book and have decided to make a new parenting plan over the holidays when my son will be with his Dad for 2 weeks. I have basically decided to let him flunk out of school. He is brilliant and very undisciplined. He might be bipolar, I don't know. There is some evidence that it runs in my family. But I have always eschewed traditional medical support. If he flunks out of school it rearranges my financial situation somewhat as I am single and still receive a portion of my income from his public benefits. I have decided to just find more part-time work, not a problem for me. This is very difficult but this site is helping me tremendously.

I am thinking he might be just like me, he needs to experience The School of Hard Knocks before he appreciates the value of an education. I know I have inappropriately taken responsibility for some of his schoolwork in the past, because I felt that some of his difficult circumstances were not his fault. But those days are over. The only limitations he has right now are those he is imposing on himself. I enjoy working (I work in education and child care) and I am looking forward to getting more money and more appreciation than I get from him these days.

Adopted Daughter

my daughter is 15 and we have addopted her she seems so sweet and nice. But only When she wants something. but latly she has been yelling and srceaming at me and my husband. Normaly she is scraming at me not her father she is his baby girl. she is so mad at all of us for somehing she dosn't talk she is starting to cut herself on the arm.
and we love her some much and she knows that we give her all the help we can. we told her that she can always talk to us but she never does we did every thing we can

I NEED HELP! specially parents (my 14 yr old)?

well i have a big problem with my 14 yr old actually i am using her account since i dnt have a YA! so i am usin my daughters.

anyway this is what happend her teacher came to my house and haded me the paper which my kid had done and this is how she had handed in 600 lines given to her by her class teacher

""i will not misbehave in class or disturb the class ever again and i will learn to respect my elders" x 600

it is quite funny but i cannot just let it pass she is 14 years and cnt go around behavin like this her behavior is very bad and she is very naughty espesially in school she is a bit smarter than her age but i am certainly not pleased with her behaviour.

my question is can anyone tell me a suitable punishment for my 14 year old mischievous dauhter?

Locking child in room?

My fiance's baby's mother has no control over her 3 yr old. She lives with us and spends the night with her mother once in a blue moon. (Because she lives with these random people, she does not have a permanent place to stay) Recently the mother told my fiance that she had to lock the little one in her room because she refused to listen to her and take a nap. A baby gate was not used to lock her in there, she switched the door knob around and actually shut the door and locked it from the outside.

Is it ever appropriate to lock a child in their room if they will not take a nap, or go to bed?

When the little one is with us we NEVER shut the door to her room and she stays in her bed and does as we say.

They are going to court soon to get a custody agreement and visitation figured out.
I know this is my fiance's problem and he has talked to the mother about that but had gotten nowhere with that.

I'm just looking for insight and to see if other parents or caretakers do this.

15 year old daughter...

i have a 15 year old daughter that smokes ciggarettes and pot. I also suspect alcohol. But now i fear she is having sex. my wife seems to think she is going to do these things whether i like it or not. i dont know what to do i am angry

Running Away?

I think if your kids runaway you should talk to them if they say that they are goin to runaway because there are alot of kids in the world that run and never come back.

Pro's and con's of being a teen parent???

I am doing a paper on teen parents/pregnancies. I would like it if as many people as possible could give me as many pro's and con's of being a teen parent as they can.
All answers accepted. Thanks to everyone in advance! You've all been a great help so far!

ODD

Oppositional Defiant Child need help!?

Please I don't want negative replies. I need startegies that other parents have used to help with a oppositional defiant child. She is 10 and is on Zoloft and Focalin and you can tell a difference when she doesn't take her meds. She is a honor roll student and does Cheerleading in the fall and swimming or dance in the spring. She is involved in her student council. She has been tested by different therapists and has been diagnosed with ADHD/ODD.

Trouble with the law...

I am a single mother of 2 boys 19 and 21. They are both in trouble with the law, one for dangerous driving and criminal harassment (for a girl that left him). The other is also going to be charged with harassment (about a girl again). I myself have MS and Lupus and am very stressed out from these 2 boys. Their father abandoned them at 11 and 13, but I was always here for them. What can I do? If i kick them out, they have nowhere to go, but I feel like they are killing me prematurely.

15yr old stepson...

Im not even sure how to do this. I have a 15yr old stepson who is out of control. He runs away from home for up to three days without us not knowing were he has been or what he has been doing? I hear when he is out he is out breaking windows of other peoples car windows. He thinks that he can physically fight with both his father and I. He is constantly picking on and hitting his yournger brother. He has a therapist that he talks to but all he does is lie to her. He lies to us steals his fathers money. He is failing most of his classes and the ones that he is passing he is barily passing. And for some reason with all this going on he really believes that he is doing nothing wrong. Please if someone has anything they want to say or know of any programs (which wont break my bank I dont have alot of money) I would really appreciate it. Thank you

Son Arrested

Hi my son got arrested this morning? I'm not a bad mother or anything and i do try my best but i find boys will be boys. This is the first time he's been arrested and has been there since 9.00 am and i just need help with info on how long they can keep a minor? he's 15yrs.

I am torn...

Since I have begun working the program with my 15 yr.old son, He is emphatic about going to live with his Dad. Of course at Dad's house there is very little structure and even less accountability. I am torn between fighting the good fight,which is accelerated due to this and just letting him go and learn he hard way. But at what cost? Anyone with any insight please speak up.

Asperger's Syndrome

I have a 13 year old boy who has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Recently he has been having a lot of anger issues at school and keeps tearing up whatever he has in his hands. Today it was his lunch box because his routine was interrupted. Most of the time it is his school work or folder or book. I don't know what to do anymore. Any suggestions?

Turn the table...

He always trys to turn the table and make it to be my fault ...why?

How do I get through what will be the toughest Christmas ever?

How do I get through what will be the toughest Christmas ever? This will be the first Christmas since our daughter passed away from leukemia and I have NO idea how I am going to get through it. I love Christmas and I have been trying so hard to push these feelings down so that our other kids can enjoy, but today it all came back. My 3yr old asked me if his sister would be back for Christmas(he hasn't mentioned her for a while) and it broke my heart to tell him no. I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of many more questions. Any ideas on how to deal with one of the worst times of my life while making it a fun and joyful one for my kids?

I do see a therapist and medication is available, but I'm trying to minimize it.

Out of control teen...

I have an out of control teen what do i do? She gives her teacher a hard time but yet her grades are all B's. She doesn't listen to me and she things every thing I tell her is up for agreement.

Spanking at 16?

Is spanking a child at 16 years old too old? ...what other punishment can be used?

Out of control 16 year old...

I have an out of control 16 year old son who defies us on everything, we ask him to do something as simple as walk the dog and it turns into a full fledge argument and he states "we can't make him" What do I do?

Moving out?

my daughter intends to move out of the house to a friends -is there some way I can stop her?

SHE IS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL

YES IM HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY 14 YR OLD STEP DAUGHTER ...SHE IS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL ...DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO ...WELL I HAVE A STEP CHILD OUT OF CONTROL IM LOST WONT GO TO SCHOOL I EVEN TAKE HER IN PERSONALLY AND SHE LEAVES. DOES POT LIES MAKES UP STORIES TO THE SCHOOL. SHE EVEN PUNCHED HERSELF IN THE FACE AND SAID SOMEONE CAME IN THE SCHOOL AND PUNCHED HER TO GET OUT. POLICE AND EVERYONE WAS INVOLVED AND SHE LIED

Dating

I have a question about what age people let their kids or teens date?
Why do people think its cute letting their little kids date or have little boyfriends or girlfriends. In my opinion you guys are just screwing with their heads.

Parent's have you heard about SB777?

To keep this kinda brief... SB777 is a referendum that was signed into law by the Gov in Ca. This bill is gonna pave the way for one-sided views on sexual orientation to be implemented in the classroom, while at the same time deeming contrary views as fostering a " discriminatory bias". If this gets passed into law then as early as 2008 grades K-12 ALL SCHOOLS WILL BE FORCED!

To positively, teach about homosexuality, bisexual and transgender student issue's. If it's not stopped.... SB777 is clear that... NO TEACHER INSTRUCTION and NO SCHOOL ACTIVITY, could "Reflect" or "Promote" a "DISCRIMINATORY BIAS AGAINST ANY PERSON...." Who is homosexual, bisexual or transgender...

What SB777 Does... IS SILENCE ALL OPPOSITION TO IT... and Teacher would be "FORCED" to "PROMOTE" homosexuality!

I'm not against anyone and the life that they choose, But I am against them teaching that to my 5yr. old