Recent content by desmeran (emeritus)

our kids' school has a listserv and announcements get posted there but on top of that i probably get 20 pages a week of hard copy notices among the four kids (lots of that copies of the same notice). does anyone live somewhere where they've gone solely to computer notifications? if so, are you...

so the iphone question made me wonder what would be the perfect iphone app for a family with kids. i'm thinking i want mine to track who had their strep medicine at what time; whose turn it is to sit at the head of the table and the prized seat in the car; and how many cookies ought to be left...

Purpose. What kind of dumb program doesn't let you fix typos.

well, yeah, i am, but the conversations i've joined aren't about how perfect anybody's children are or the contents of a nappy. a lot of these women i've now been friends with for close to a decade and we have other things to talk about.

individuals should be treated as individuals.

i think debate done respectfully is great, interesting, and useful. i generally assume (admittedly sometimes incorrectly) that if somebody asks a question on here then opinions on the subject are not "unwanted". the problem is not when we debate; it is when we attack, condemn, and fight. and...

i think debate done respectfully is great, interesting, and useful. i generally assume (admittedly sometimes incorrectly) that if somebody asks a question on here then opinions on the subject are not "unwanted". the problem is not when we debate; it is when we attack, condemn, and fight. and...

crusty's answer was so much better than mine was going to be. what crusty said.

crusty's answer was so much better than mine was going to be. what crusty said.

both of my girls hate having anything in their hair. i hate having hair in my face. we are mutually baffled by one another, but i doubt any of us are weird.

i know i was judged b/c people made comments to my face. i was also one of those people who wanted to breastfeed, couldn't, cried my eyes out about it, and really didn't need any criticism from anybody. however, as i think this question reflects, those who are judgmental about it are in the...

you know what doesn't hit the newspapers? the many thousands of times more people to whom those things don't happen. i know it's scary but i think the solution is to keep a good perspective. i certainly teach my kids how to look out for themselves and make smart decisions, but ultimately i...

you forgot to add that we also annoyingly like to complain about how many of them are trolls.

i would teach my 14/15 year old to cook and i would have them do it often enough that they became capable at it. i think that does them a favor. i would not expect them to do it every day, and i would be with them when they cooked, setting the table or providing company, moral support, and...

my husband travels a lot. the kids do miss him when he's gone. my advice is skip buying them stuff. the only thing they want is dad, and it just muddies the waters to throw presents in the mix. do as much as you can with them when you are home, talk to them on the phone or skype them while...