Ask Me Wednesday Thursday

Happy Thursday, Peeps.

I worked all day yesterday and then hung out with A & M and the boys until I came home and fell alseep. Thus, today is now "Ask Me Thursday". It's a good thing you're pretty used to this, huh?

Tomorrow I have MOPS in the morning and then am heading out for a wedding this weekend, in which Daughters 2 & 3 are singing. I plan to take my mini video camera and record every lovely song bird second, so hopefully that will go as planned and then I can share it with you!

I will now answer yesterday's questions and then leave you with one to discuss, per usual.

kikibibi said...

J - do you ever watch the Biggest Loser? OMG it's on right now and I am totally bawling!

Hi Kiki ---

Nope, don't watch it. My mom does, though, so when she's over here I'll watch it with her.

I hope you had enough Kleenex!!!!

RJ said...

As I drink a diet coke, following on from a morning Latte, I have a question for AMW.

When did you allow your children to drink Coke, tea and coffee?

We were raised with "Coke rots your guts, my grandfather used it to strip the rust off a nail" so it was absolutely OUT for us until we started spending our own money and went to university. Our mother was a health-food nut anyway so we didn't have fizzy drinks (what you would call soda) in the house, except for Dad's drinks cabinet supply for guests. Lemonade (US=Sprite) was a special treat - no more than once a week, more like Birthdays and Christmas.

My parents drank tea, rather than coffee too. We generally didn't want tea, but were allowed really weak tea when little - mostly milk with a dash of tea.

As children my mother had enough milk delivered for the family that each child would drink a pint of milk a day, so we normally had milk

Anyway - what was your family rule on soda/coffee/caffeine?

Hi RJ --

It was quite a while before we let the kids drink sodas, and then only non-caffeine drinks. I'm sure the older kids were older than the younger ones before we cracked on this. It wasn't until each child was in middle school that we'd let them drink soda on a school night (unless it was Sprite) and then it was only if we were going out to eat or something special. I didn't keep it in the house.

If I keep it here now the 2 boys drink it like water, which I hate, but like so many things I have relaxed way too much on.

The only time they drank coffee was when they went off to college. None of them ever asked about it and I don't think the older ones drink that much of it.

Good question.

p said...

AMW:

Has your dentist ever commented on the inside of your mouth from your chewing? Have you talked to either dr or dentist about it, and do they have any advice? Yes, I'm guilty of it too.

Hi p ....

No, he hasn't. It seems to be something I've only started since Jim died and I must not do it much before an appointment because he hasn't noticed. But he has noticed something else I've evidently started ..... grinding my teeth at night. sigh ......

So I need to go in and get fitted for one of those things to sleep with ..... wonder what the odds are of swallowing/choking on it during the night?!

Anonymous said...

Did you ever take a child out of an extra-curricular activity due to time/money?

Lisa B.

Hi Lisa....

Yes .... I had a nervous breakdown one year when the kids were in way too many activities and we had to take them out of some things, which rightfully upset them, but when we sat down with them and explained how Mommy was going totally insane with all of the running around they seemed to understand. We then limited how many activities each child could do. At that time they were doing a couple of sports each and a music lesson. Multiply that times 6 and you get one certifiably insane mom.

Anonymous said...

Do you think you'll make any major lifestyle changes once all of your kids are off at school? Have you thought that far ahead?

Hi Anon ....

No, I haven't really thought much into the future. It's still too painful to do that. I imagine there will be some changes .... maybe I'll travel more, especially since the odds are good that they'll live all over the country. But other than that ..... the future is still too grey and foggy and painful ...... for now anyway.

But it's a great question. : )

Angie said...

Have any of your kids seem to have zero motivation? Our 19 year old son seems to have no motivation in life? He doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. Isn't in college but is working full time with his dad (who complains about how little motivation he has at work too). I'm not sure that I'd call him "lazy" but he's sitting close to that line. He's still living at home but thinks he should be allowed to come and go as he pleases. I wonder if making him get a place of his own or paying us rent will motivate him any....any thoughts?

Also, not a question, just a statement....You amaze me!! I check in daily, even though I've only commented once. A few weeks ago when you wrote about having to let certainly friends go touched me more than you could ever know. I've been there for about 3 months, so your words meant a lot to me.

Take care.

Hi Angie .... thanks for your kind words and for reading. :)

Our middle son was so hugely unmotivated that I sent him to military school last year. It did wonders for him, though now that he's back at our regular high school I sometimes wonder if he'll slip back into that. I hope and pray that he doesn't. He still seems much more motivated than he used to be.

As for making your son get a place of his own ..... I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. I think that's what I'd do. Or at the very least I'd make him pay rent.

And as far as coming and going as he pleases .... he is living in your house and he needs to obey your rules. If he were at college he wouldn't have a curfew (and so my college kids don't have one when the come home, but they do have to call and give me an approximate time to expect them ... just out of respect). But since he's not in college a curfew would be appropriate ... maybe that would be some extra motivation to light a fire under him. Just a thought. : )

Good luck. Parenting is SO hard ..... sigh.

Anonymous said...

Hi Janine, I might be a little late for AMW so you can answer next week if that works. My question is how do you handle the house rules when your kids come home from college? My son has just started school 5 hours away and will only be coming home about every 6 weeks. I know he has total freedom where he is right now which I am okay with (What I cannot see cannot hurt me LOL). I feel that when he comes home our house rules still apply. I don't go to my mother's house and ignore her wishes and I am 44! I think no matter how old you are or what your living arrangements are you are still required to respect other people's rules - it is disrespectful. I am preparing for the first homecoming because I know this will come up. It came up before he left with "in a few days I will be able to do whatever I want".

Thanks

Kim

Hi Kim,

Well, you probably read my answer to Angie about curfew.

Other than that, the same rules apply in my home. The kids have to help with the dishes when they're home, they do their laundry, clean their rooms, take out the trash, etc. Everything they did when here full time they still do.

You are absolutely right about this being a matter of respect, no matter your age. It's your home and he is still your son, thus a member of the family who still has responsibilities .... unless he wants to pay for college and everything else in his life on his own! :)

Thanks again, Peeps.

This has been a good week.

And now I'll leave you with something to discuss:

Tell me the name of your favorite movie of all time ..... and why.

There you go ..... now discuss amongst yourselves.

:)