Topic : General Advice

My daughter is in the 5th grade she has many friends but the problem is  that we moved out to the country and she no longer is able to be with her friends like she did before we moved   and is now feeling left out, she is not being invited to birthday party's or to stay overnight anymore, they are still her friends its just not as convenient .  I need the right words to say to her to build her self esteem back up.  Thanks for the help!!

My stepson has been through a lot in his life and he is only 5. More than any 5 yr old should. First off he cries all the time. I can say "why did you put that toy there?" and he would replie "I dont know" then cry. If the teacher corrects him he cries. Doing is homework is a chore for me, he is learning letters and I will correct him on how to make a letter but then he will just do it wrong again so I correct him again..which he then cries. Its like anything we say good or bad he wants to cry. Its so bad his teachers say its dirupting class. And last year he almost got removed from pre-k due to cring.

So heres his background, Im not sure if this is playing a part or not. His mother is a drug abuser and has abandoned him twice now. Once at a few months old and another at 4 yrs. She just leaves and come when she pleases leaving him when anyone thats willing to take him. My step son can tell me what drugs look like and how you use them. He tells me about cops running in the house with guns. He has done Sexual  postions to a huge teddy bear, and Im not talking just missionary but also "from behind". His mother just recently married a random guy after knowing him a few weeks which my S-son spend all summer with. Just recently this guy died from a drug overdose, which we had to explane to our child about death. She has had human services called out alot for cutting herself in front of her child. Which my s-son has showed me what he calls "the right way to cut".

My step son is very smart and very respectful. I want nothing more than for him to be happy. I beleive his mother does love him very much she just make the wrong choices in her life. We want custady of him but we dont have the money for the lawyer. We have taken him to a thyrpist (sp?) but she wasnt much of a help. Anyone have any Idea why he does this or just some advice to help him stop crying

My 16 yr old daughter puts off doing "projects" for school until the week or even days and NIGHT before they are due .... how can I get her to begin researching or working on them and continue to work on them slowly until due date vs. doing all at once when due? It, for some reason, stresses me out to the max. She is my only child so maybe that is why, SHE is all I have to concentrate on... She tells me if I am so "into" her projects, maybe I need to go back to school...ha. She's right, I guess. It's her class, her grade, her life...but it falls back on us parents.... she is a B/C student (capable of better though). I am proud of her. She is a good, respectful, young lady. I guess if her waiting until last minute is my biggest concern with her I am doing alright...just wondering WHY it bothers me so much she doesn't work on them. I am sooooo afraid she is not going to get it done, always does thouhg, but just irritates me. After writing all this, I feel kinda silly... she's right...it's HER project. Maybe she needs to stop telling me what and when things are due...???Maybe it's the junk laying all around the house that frustrates me, I see bits and pieces of things and none of it is being pulled together to make a project... the dumb insect thing for Biology... I have pinned dead, spread-winged insects on a board waiting to be put in a shadow box and labeled...DO IT and get it off my counter....geez, I feel better now. The leaf project due MONDAY, it's Saturday night....HELLO???, the leaves are drying out on the kitchen table...they need to be identified and displayed...how, when? Drives me nuts. I am a control freak, aren't I?

Again, Why does it bother me? I think I have forgotten what is was to be 16, huh?