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Has anyone here had the painful problem of having to place their parent in a nursing home? SM

Posted By: Cyndiee on 2008-11-08
In Reply to:

My beautiful dad passed away last year.  My mother and father were devoted to one another, my mother always "taken care of" by my father in every way, married 67 great years.  My mom has always had excellent health, but after about 1-1/2 years, she has deteriorated to the point where I do not know her and I am scared, she is frail, not eating, almost unable to walk, struggles to dress herself or do for herself, will not accept a home health aide, we are trying to cook and clean for her at home but it is getting very scary, she just turned 90 and she seems to be failing fast.  I am so sorry this is so long, but it is all so complicated, it is like she gave up the second my dad died.  Anyone go through this yet????


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I had to place my mom in a nursing home

temporarily when she broke her hip the first time. It was very hard. (I had made a promise to her that I would never put her in one when she got older.) I visited her every day and every day she begged to come home. She didn't realize that it was only temporary. She was in a good home with great PT and activities but she wouldn't join in on any of the activities. In fact, she was almost afraid to walk at all. I would go during her PT and encourage her to keep up because the sooner she could walk with little assistance, the sooner she could come home. The PT team was great, too, always encouraging her, and she did her best.


I found out that they had a hairdresser that came in every week and I paid to get her a haircut and style. After that, she kind of settled in a little bit, but still begged to come home.


Thank heavens, she was only there 2 months. I don't think I could have stood it much longer. Then when it was time to come home, she wanted to bring the furniture with her. LOL They had cherry dressers and headboards. It was almost like a regular bedroom.


Mom's boyfriend was also in a nursing home after suffering a stroke a year after mom died and I went to visit him every day. They were not as good as the one mom was in. They would wheel him into the hall and he sat there for hours. No one came to see if he needed anything. The room was awful, so small and cheap furniture with old iron hospital beds. Reminded me of a regular hospital. Talked to his son and that's all the insurance company would cover for him so he was stuck.


As the other poster said, research the homes as much as possible. Go when the activities and/or PT is taking place and just watch. Talk to the people that live there if possible. Talk to activity director, DON, etc. before deciding. Check the rooms. Watch to see if the CNA's or nurses check on the patients to see if anything is needed. Check to see what happens after private insurance runs out; i.e., where the patients go after that. Mom would have been transferred to the first (MediCare)  floor, but she came home before that.


 


 


nursing home decision
I am living this as we speak. My father died in March of 2007. My mother became bedridden in June 2007. I had hospice come in to assist, Home Health and Hospice to be exact, and they are wonderful. They actually have their own private nursing home-type facility in the next town over. With hospice, on an occasional basis and when a bed is available, they offer the caregiver a 5-day respite at their facility. After momma went for the first time she was offered a bed there and I immediately accepted. The facility is very small and only for the 3HC clientele, with only 12 private rooms divided into 2 sides - one side with 6 beds for the terminal clients and one side with 6 beds for "residential" clients. Momma was able to stay on the residential side for 7 months; however, her condition was "stable" and Medicare would no longer pay the fee. Momma came home after that and I have again been her primary caregiver since January of this year. She is contractured, bedridden, and rarely speaks or opens her eyes. I do have a sitter that works during the daytime hours M-F so that I can actually work, run errands when I need to, and get the kids to and from school because otherwise I cannot leave the house at all because momma cannot be left alone.

I feel blessed to have found this line of work not quite 6 years ago. I have a 4-1/2 year old and a 6 year old and momma to care for so working from home has been a lifesaver.

I, too, made the promise to momma that I would not "put" her in a nursing home and I will stand by that. It's all there is left that I can do for her. Not to mention, the fact that she owns a home and has income from my late father's investments, it would cost upwards of $6,000 per month to have her placed in one, and even though the estate could pay for that, I think it's ridiculous for the type of "care" most of the public places provide.

It's a tough decision to make - even tougher if there aren't funds available like there are in our case (thanks to my great daddy) to pay for the sitter to come in and assist. But when the sitter isn't here, the kids and I must be. For the most part they understand, but sometimes they really just want to go somewhere or to the park or to McDonalds and we just can't do it. It's a huge personal sacrifice for your entire family to make to keep a parent at home. The decision isn't always just personal, though. It can be financial, too.

You will make the right decision for whatever your situation is. Whatever you decide to do, just know that your parent respects you enough to make that decision for them and that they love you.

Best of luck to you honey... hugzzzzz
A local nursing home might appreciate a visit.
xx
nursing home - hardest decision ever sm
I had also made those promises to my folks, Dad was kept home on hospice 14 months, he had suffered brain damage from not being found for hours and was awful to all of us but we managed with a hospital bed, hospice and nurses, however, my whole family fell apart, fighting, etc., until he fell so many times and was so sick, we called 911 one night for help and hospice literally threw us out of the program. You are supposed to call them (in my state anyway) and they will sit with you while you watch them take their last breaths. Could not go through with that. Then we had no choice but nursing home, they took every cent they could get their hands on without touching my mom's and he didn't last long there. The key to those places is to research them first as when they send them from the hospital, they put them anywhere there's an opening and some are awful. So research, visit, check for smells, cleanliness, staff, the usual. If it comes to that, always visit at odd hours, with them never knowing when you're going to show up, that keeps them more on their toes. I brought all the laundry home rather than leaving it with them, as they lose it or in the case of valuables, sometimes take them. It's the worst decision in the world to make and the only way you're going to feel good about it is to research, research, and "show up" to check on them. Sometimes they'll talk you into the "assisted living" scenario, and after they clean out the bank book, they put them in a nursing home anyway, so that's a crock. Went through it with my mom as well, and she didn't make it home, I still to this day question myself as to whether my transcription work was worth it, and I have to say, if I had given it up, my kid wouldn't have gone to the college he went to, many other things would have been denied. You are in the "sandwich generation" between what to do with the parent and if you have kids, what is best for them. It's the worst place to be and only you can pray for guidance as to what to do. Bottom line - research carefully and watch for smoke and mirrors, just "show up" and if you don't like it, transfer to another facility. I think everyone who has posted feels your pain. We have enough with listening to it all day; it's tough to walk that walk. Take care, hopefully you will make the right decision. In some states you can have her in a nursing home and if she qualifies, you can also have hospice go in there for special care such as you desire for her comfort. Good luck, know we are all thinking of you.
We've done that! You can bring pets to my grandma's nursing home on certain days (sm)

You have to go through a little evaluation with your animal, but they have cat days and dog days and you can bring your pets.  Walter is a huge patient sweetie - 120 pounds of shiny black fur and muscle - he is quite young and very solid and built.  Some of the residents love him so much.  He will just slowly walk up to someone he feels might be receptive to him, and when they put their hand out he gets under it and next thing you know he has his big head in their lab and they are slowly petting him, over and over and over.  It is so heartwarming when you are watching.... I mean literally your heart is so full you can feel it in your throat.  I've had to hide my tears every time. 


Sometimes a resident, usually a gentleman, will talk about a dog he used to have with the clearest memory. 


A funny thing happened when Walter was getting some attention from a women in a wheelchair and he leaned against her and I saw her wheelchair was slowly being pushed across the lawn. 


So excited, new digs at home, anyone ever have a designer to give advice on how to place furniture?
I am just so excited can hardly type. I am getting new tile throughout my home, well the living room/dining room big room and then slate for my master bath and carpeting for my master bedroom. My question is has anyone ever had a designer or room coordinator may be the name to come to their home and tell them how to arrange furniture and items in their room? I have never been satisfied with my living room. I have 2 full size leather sofas, an oversized chair, several floor lamps and I have end tables with wrought iron legs. I have some decorations but if you have this done  do they want you to buy other things in case you need to put more color in the room, say for instance a throw, new floral arrangement, and the like. Sure would like to hear from anyone who has gone through this. All this tile work starting next week and should last about a week and a half.
Have you ever had braces? They are painful
he has even had an abcess from the braces rubbing against his cheeks, had to be seen by specialists. This is his reward for putting up with the pain and I think he will definite remember that for years to come!
It's cruel. It's a very painful procedure for the cat - sm
as their paws are very sensitive. They don't just remove the claw - they remove the entire terminal phalanx. They lose their first line of defense against attack, or their ability to climb, though they can still jump.

It can also lead to litter box problems due to sore feet, and other behavioral problems.

Instead, buy a little animal toenail-clipper and clip the nails every few weeks. Cheaper, and MUCH more humane.

If I cared about the chair, I'd just put a cover over it for everyday use, so it'll be nice for company. But my cat's health & well-being is worth more than any piece of furniture.
I know someone who had a procedure because it became extremely painful -nm
:)
Shingles - most painful thing I have experienced
Have had several  outbreaks.  First one ever was on back, last two to three have been on my inner thigh.   The first two times on my thigh had an actual breakout and it was so painful I expected when I looked down that there should be this large gaping hole there and all that was present were these pesky little red spots.  It always starts out like a band is too tight and my skin is burning and then the red spots would appear.   Last year I only had the burning pain and no actual outbreak.  I can tell when it is coming though as I get very, very tired and can fall asleep at anytime.  Have tried the medication for it but hated taking just to suppress something that only came every 2 to 4 years.   They did come more often when I was going through my divorce and financial problems but have not had a breakout or symptoms for over 2 years.  But again, it is like having an open sore on your skin and  one of the most painful thing I have experienced -- above my broken knee cap, broken leg/ankle, ovarian cysts, kidney stones.  Sorry if this is your case.  But I do not have the residual neuralgia all the time just for a couple of weeks after the symptoms have gone.   
painful at first but wedge a piece of cotton
from a cotton ball underneath the corner - sometimes numbing with some topical agent like neosporin plus helps a little.  I cut mine too short because walking in tennies aggravate me and this happens.  Works pretty well - wedge it under with a tweezer.
I agree with you on declawing - it's a painful procedure -sm
and can lead to other behavioral problems. I think the scratching has less to do with the claws than their instinct to scratch. One of my cats is a front-declaw (she came that way, unfortunately) and I feel SO sorry for her. She gets so frustrated when she can't pick anything up with her front paws. She still 'scratches', too, but always uses the scratching post. They do seem to prefer that to anything. My other cat sometimes uses the rug, but it seems to be more as a precursor to a game of chase between them. I trim my clawed cat's nails frequently. The only furniture she tries to scratch on is the bedpost, which is sort of a wicker-type material I got at Ikea. But she does it rarely, and if I really cared about it, I'd protect it somehow.

You might be able to protect the furniture, at the same time enhancing the look, by getting several throws to put over vulnerable areas. Or, if it really only matters if they look good for company, I'd cover the entire piece. That way you wouldn't have to vacuum cat hair, either.

Finally, another option is a product called 'Soft Paws' - a plastic 'fake nail', basically, that is glued on over the existing claw. Kind of a pain to apply, and they do shed off when the outer nail sheds. But they look cute, come in lots of pretty colors (including clear), and they can save the furniture without traumatizing the cat.
seriously painful; research Lidoderm 5% patch to assist.
.
Con-nursing
that's too bad - because you missed some really great times if you stopped at around a year - I know that a lot of women stop when they go back to work - but that is not even necessary - your milk stabilizes to meet the child's schedule. Any other questions?
I was in nursing then pre-med.
My vet always says I should be a vet. I just have time for more school right now but maybe when the kids are older. I think this will be a great way to see if I want to go into people and animal medicine. I get to start on Saturday! :-)
nursing
There is such a shortage of nurses, I say go for it. Both my SIL and BIL got their nursing degrees in their 40s and say it was the best thing they ever did. They work together as traveling nurses now and have seen the country. Good luck.
Are you really a nursing student?
Public health 101 - THEY ARE CONTAGIOUS!!!!! No, they are not an infectious disease, but all you have to do is stand next to a child with lice, brush up against them, brush up against their jacket, use the same computer headphones, etc., and instantly they have made you head a home now!

Obviously you have never had a child with this, or you would understand how frustrating it is. We bagged all the stuffed animals, steam cleaned mattresses, pillows, furniture, washed EVERYTHING in the house, etc., did all the treatment on my daughter's hair, and we got rid of them. I don't think you understand how much work this is, but we did it willingly to get rid of these pests. However, two weeks later my daughter came home with them AGAIN, because that same child's parents simply washed her hair in NIX, did not pick out the nits, and did not treat anything else in their house. This child was infested with lice, and she was allowed to be in school. The school nurse said there was nothing they could do about it as far as letting parents know because of privacy issues.

Out of 24 kids in her class, 16 of them got lice. The only ones who did not were the boys, because most of them had buzz cuts.

I don't think the OP was critizing or ridiculing the little girl, just stating how frustrated she is at the school system for allowing this to happen. She does not need to be in school where she can spread these to everyone she comes in contact with. I don't think the OP is being a pain in their butts, and I sincerely doubt that a family who is not willing to take care of a problem their child has is going to welcome outside help!

I really hope that you never have to experience this, because it is horrible. Just imagine your child knows (and can feel) that there are hundreds and hundreds of bugs crawling around on their head, making them itch like crazy!! My daughter begged me to make them go away, she could feel them crawling constantly, and it angers me that she should have to be subject to this repeatedly because someone is too lazy to EFFECTIVELY treat their child.

Enough said!
Nursing program
I am 49 years old, have been an MT for 7 years and am thinking of going back to school for an RN degree.  Wonder what my chances of getting into the program are (I know there's always a waiting list, but of course that depends on the school one chooses too; I live in GA), and how long this all might take.....???  I made As and Bs in high school and aced the transcription program at a local 2-year technical college...................any thoughts?  Should I forget about it?  I don't want to be unreasonable, but having thoughts about doing something to make more money.  I have one child who is a senior in college and have 2 boys to put through college eventually, so more money sure would be nice.
nursing school
Yes, Wellstar is close to me, well the one in Douglasville, (very, very close) is. Wellstar Cobb is about a 30-minute drive, depending, of course, on what time of day one goes. Kennestone is further, 45 minutes to an hour. They have (or used to have) teaching programs onsite? Do they pay for one to go to school as well?
nursing homes
The most popular person in a nursing home is a man who still drives. He has all the widows he wants lined up.
I know they have nursing/rehab homes that do this - sm
My mom was to go to one to get her strength back, do rehab, etc. when she was sick 2 years go--unfortunately she died before that could happen though. My dad though had requested I go up every weekend to help him out once my mom was home (4 hours away), which I would have done. In your case I think it is pretty nervy of her family to ask you to take on this huge responsibility. They should either arrange for her to go to a good nursing/rehab home to get the care she needs, or if they want her to stay with you (why can't she stay with any of them?) and hire a 24-hour nursing service to take care of her, then fine. I suspect they do not want to pay for anything (they see you as free labor), and as she has no insurance she cannot foot the bill herself. I'd lay out for them what your day is like (full schedule) and how it would be impossible for you to do your job (and keep it) and take care of your MIL at the same time. You can always see if you can go PT and tell them they have to pay you for the difference you would be losing in pay in order to take care of her properly (if you decide to do it); or you take a leave for 3 months and they pay you your full salary, see what the cheap skates say then. Good luck.
State Nursing Boards
That's terrible!  I'm an LPN as well as an MT.  Here in Colorado there is a State Board of Nursing that licenses all nurses - RNs, LPNs, and CNAs, investigates complaints, etc.  You might try googling the name of your state along with something like "nursing board" and see if there is a similar agency.  Please be careful, and I hope you resolve this situation very soon!
Nursing Patron Saint sm
Does anyone know who the Patron Saint of Nurses is?   When I tried googling it there is more than one.  I want to get my daughter a medal for graduation that she can wear with her cross.  TIA
nursing patron saint
St. Catherine of Siena
Received a dx today of fibrocystic breast disease. Painful lumps in my breast. Going for a mammo
towards the end of the month. Anyone have any info on this disease?
A nursing uniform supply store may know or have them. nm
nm
by this point, it is called "pacifying" not nursing. sm
one of my didn't wean til after that age and it was the comfort that it was providing and her not being able to fall asleep on her own, especially since you specified mornings, naps, and bedtime. you will have to train him to fall asleep on his own without the "pacie". when mine was that old, i ended up telling her mommy had a boo-boo. yep, sounds strange, but i had tried everything and nothing worked. i had to put band-aids on my nipples for about 2 weeks. she would then try to suck beside my boo-boo at first til she eventually weaned herself off it altogether. yep, walked around with what looked like hickies on my boobs for about 2 weeks but boy was it worth it!!!!! also, try what others suggested and get someone else to help out with bedtimes/naptimes til you dry up.
Hi, Jan; used to be in nursing, still have my books, sleep paralysis....sm
along with hypnagogic hallucinations, cataplexy, and narcolepsy all fall into the same category in Neuro, it is recognized and documented. I will not go into the syndromes here, but if you Google up some of the educational articles from medical web sites, there are tons of information. It is real, and thank your lucky stars that you don't experience anything like this.

Certain drugs CAN do freaky things with your sleep/wake cycles like vivid dreams and such, but it is usually self-limited to the med, and when the med is stopped, the problem goes. I have had some of these syndromes going back to childhood, and have had them documented with sleep study EEGs and such because they were so disturbing, seems to happen in clusters and then go away for years, don't know why. And NO, I am not currently on tranquilizers or sleep meds, I take vitamins and supplements, but someone is not a "whacko" if they need them. I don't mean to preach at ya, here, but feel bad for some of the above posters, they need answers and compassion.
Buy a home of my own - not a palace, but more of a smallish home on a large piece of land. (nm)
.
Anyone move from a single family home to mobile home? sm

I own and live in a house in a midwest city in a bad neighborhood (wasn't that bad 11 years ago).  I spent the day waiting for the plumber to come and jackhammer the foundation (slab house, no basement) to find a leaky pipe that is flooding my DD's bedroom. Last week, it was the electrician with quotes for costly repairs.


In the meantime, I've really been thinking about selling out and moving into a mobile home.  Has anyone done this before?  Is a mobile home in a decent park less of a hassle than a regular house?  I'm so tired of cutting the grass and spending $$ to fix things and tired of old flooring and cabinets, etc., that are just too costly to replace.  I'm single with no man to do these things for me and I can't afford a mortgage on a newer house in a good neighborhood.  Some of the pictures I've seen of the mobile homes look really nice and modern on the inside. 


Any advice and comments appreciated.  Thanks!


Well I figure I can make my own hours & be home when the kids are home (sm)
I worked PT in an office for a while but spent most of my money on childcare in the summer. Full-time in an office was just a nightmare and I felt like I missed a whole year of my children's lives. I want to be in control of my schedule so that's why I'm looking into the cleaning thing. Never thought I would want to do that but live and learn! Some of the most intelligent people alive work as carpenters and similar things because they have learned what's really important in life. Whew....off my soapbox now :-) Good luck to you!
Daughter just passed her state nursing boards. Whoopeee!!!! (sm)
She worked weekends only while she was in school and had 2 children 8 and 5.  Child support was fairly regular to the big tune of $329 a month.  She did get state assistance on daycare for the youngest, her friend owned a mobile home and let her use it for free, just paying lot rent.  We helped with utilities, clothing, and food. Her sister did the babysitting weekends while she worked and helped out while she studied at night.  All in all, it was a combined effort and we are all so proud.  She worked hard to get to the point where she can now buy a nice home and support her children on her own. So proud, just had to brag. 
I had a fellow nursing student way back with a Jamaican patois who
s
Make sure his Will is made out and pray. I've seen too many people like this in my nursing career
s
I loved the maya wraps. google them and see. wonderful for nursing cover ups as well so multifunct
@
No! Not if you are not their parent! (sm)
I think that it is better for the parents to tell the children from the very beginning that they were "chosen" and tell them how much they were wanted and how much they are loved. Since they didn't do that, it certainly is no one else's place to do so! If someone slips and the kids go and ask the parents, that's one thing, but for someone else to sit them down and tell them behind the parents' back would be really, really traumatic for them and very wrong!! Please don't do it!!
i am not even a parent, but
i have been blown away by the violent video games, trashy clothes and rude behavior of children and the parents who allow this.  kudos to you!  what you are doing is wonderful.  keep it up. 
I am a parent and it seems to me...
that if there are no consequences for her actions, she will more likely do whatever she wants in the future, not think about it and do the right thing. In the real world, she will have to do what superiors tell her to do, or there will be consequences. I think that it is a parent's responsibility to prepare children for that. Of course, I assume that this is an active parent who already speaks to her child and knows what is going on. I believe in obtrusive parenting.
And it should be...why should one parent
bear the brunt of all expenses. It is not too much to ask for the other parent to chip in.
Did you ever think maybe NEITHER parent

Nobody is guaranteed that their parent HAS to pay for their college.  It is an option, not a requirement by law.  However, if the child got a job and is putting themselves through school, and NEITHER parent is contributing, in Indiana, even if the child is away at school but uses the custodial parent's address as the place they go when school is on break, non-custodial is still forced to pay child support to custodial.


IMO custodial parent should lose that title AND child support when child reaches legal adult age of 18.  Then if child support MUST be continued by law merely because child is a student, it should be paid directly to the 18+ year old adult!!!!


Your doctor says this, but you are the parent
and you are going on the theory that she will not become sexually active nor show up with sexually transmitted diseases up to the age of 17. That is your responsibility, not the physicians to choose or not. There are a lot of girls sexually active way before 17 What makes you think your daughter is different?
I think depends a lot on the parent.
My mom does nothing but preach about how horrible girls are and how she wishes that she had only boys. (I am her only daughter, so imagine how that makes me feel.) Let's compare my teen years with my brother's. Me: Straight A student, preferred books to running with friends, worked from age 14, saved my money, bought my own clothes, received scholarships and paid my way through college. Brother: Drugs, parties, bad grades, skipped school, finally quit and joined army and cursed mom out as he left home. Beyond the teen years, I've been married 23 years to a wonderful man, have three great kids (boys). Brother has three ex-wives and who knows how many children. Oh! And the cherry on this sundae... when I was 16, my brother tried to kill me. Beat me nearly half to death, choked me and police came to take him away. Still, in mom's eyes, he can do no wrong and girls are all evil.
OK. Just a little vent. We all need one now and then.
Noncustodial Parent
Children pay dearly when adults act like this. They need their mom, dad, grandparents, and family members in their lives on a REGULAR basis. Withholding visitation for any reason will come back to haunt the custodial parent one day ... and their children will pay the price.
As a parent of an adopted
child, I would definitely say the answer is 'no" and it is for this very reason that my husband and I have from the beginning talked to our son about the fact that he is  special because he is adopted - we wanted to be the ones to tell him the truth rather than him hear it from someone else.  This is definitely something that the parents should do and should do so when they feel comfortable talking about it with their children...My son is 6 and he knows he is adopted.  He understands that he came from someone elses belly (he's my heart baby as we have told him.  We answer his questions when he asks them and tell him just want he asked for - divulging nothing else to confuse him - take for instance at 4 is when he noticed my SIL's pregnant belly and knew the baby was there - he at that point put 2-n-2 together and realized something was up - which prompted us to talk about him being from someone else's belly.  Then a few months ago he asked about this other person - why she didn't keep him, what was her name....(yes we were very surprised as our social worker said little boys are usually much older before they really inquire!)...but we answered his questions reinforcing the positives of being adopted because he had brought us so much happiness and that this other woman did love him enough to know she couldn't raise him and loved him enough to give him to us -making us a family! Sorry for rambling....adoption issues usually get me on a soap box sometimes!! Either way the answer to your question is definitely not your place to tell - leave it up to the parents.
Need some advice whether you are a parent or not

Sorry that this is a bit long....One of the doctors I work for is also my step-uncle.  He is my step-mother's (been married to my dad for 29 years) brother.  He is an ENT doctor and goes to Africa a couple of times a year to do cleft lip and palate surgeries.  Each trip is 2 weeks long and has been put together by my uncle and a couple of other christian doctors to also bring the message of christ to the patients and their families.  Well, my uncle just called me to tell me they are working on the trip for July of next year and would like to add my son to the team.  He will be 17 by then and getting ready to start his senior year in high school.  I have often talked about my son on this board and always said he was very responsible for his age.  My son, my DH and my uncle have discussed this in the past and my son really wants to do this.  He is defintely planning on going into medicine and is a strong christian.  I know this is a chance of a lifetime but I can't help but worry if letting him go is the right thing to do.  Normally if anyone under 18 goes they have to have a parent with them but my uncle will be his legal guardian for the trip since they can only take a limited number of people. 


Here is one of the reasons I am having such a hard time with the decision.  My son was at VA Tech on a high school field trip the day of the shootings and this is where he plans on attending college.  Since then I have kept a bit of a tighter grip on him.  I know he would be devestated if we said no (actucally my DH is all for the trip).  Has anyone had any experience similar to this or any opinions on my situation?  Thanks.


Another Husky parent!
Wow!  A lot of you guys have this breed of dog!  They sure are gorgeous!  Who is the brown "dude" in the lower left corner trying to sneak in on the shot?  Too cute!  :)
I have right to my opinion, same as you. Parent job
x
Do think being parent alone protects someone from
x
any parent who ever let their kid idolize her should be.....
nm
were you a single parent
x
Please tell me I am not the only parent to feel this way

I am a mother of 3 children a boy 18, a girl 11, and a boy 5.  In my home, driving is not a right of passage, it is a privilege.  You must obey house rules, keep your grades up, and you have to purchase your own vehicle.  You must also have a job to pay for insurance and gas, as we are not a bank or an ATM machine at your disposal.  If you cannot follow the above, umm sorry 'bout your luck! 


Am I the only parent out there with children that sees no point in cell phones for kids, especially for the younger ones. I swear most of the kids my daughter's age DO have one and she is 11.  Am I one of the few who monitors what their children watch on TV?  Am I the only parent that makes their children earn time for video games and then has a set time limit for it when they do get to play?  Am I the only mother in the world who thinks its horrible to let your daughter run around in clothing with words across the behind?? Seriously who do you think is looking at this and why do you want to draw attention to your child's rear end?  Ooohhh ya and all the parents who sign their kids up for little league things and dump and run.  These practices and events are not free babysitting!!! I honestly know of a few mothers that take their daughters to gymnastics and leave them there and go down to the bar and grill and have a few drinks while they wait for their kids!


Okay, so I know it sounds like I am whining, but I have had enough! I am tired of being told by other parents that I am a prude, I need to catch up to the times, and the one I hate most of all is "our kids need us to be their friends"!  I have a responsibility to my children to RAISE them. 


My children and I all have good relationships.  We talk about everything under the sun.  They come to me with most of their troubles or questions and know they have nothing to fear, I will hear anything and answer them openly and honestly. 


That can be done without letting the "tail wag the dog" so to speak. Are ppl to busy or so self-absorbed anymore to take the time to raise their children?