Kathy I am so glad to hear how much fun you are all having. I have to say my gardening experience has hit an all new high with Jordan (3 1/2 year old granddaughter) at my side. She is so happy when we are out digging, planting and harvesting! I enjoyed my gardens before but now am at a whole new level of enjoyment. She truly has the gardening spirit and passes it on to anyone who gets in her way LOL. A month ago, we went up north and stopped at a friend's house. She stated that she had been out working in the yard and was planting flowers. Jordan jumped up and said "come on lets go dig some more flowers". The kid would not take no for an answer and the next thing you know we are all outside digging up the soil and plant over 30 transplants. She even knows that plants come from seeds and asks if she can "pick new flowers for next year" when we take walks...the kid is already a little seed snagger ROFLMBO. A couple weeks ago I took her to the zoo and again she wouldn't take no for a answer. Believe it or not this little girl talked the ear off the volunteer coordinator about her plants and they are allowing a her to plant her own little garden area at the zoo (with my supervision of course). She has been assigned a little 3'x5' area. She has already picked out rudbeckia and purple coneflowers we grew from seed this spring and of course a daylily named "Jordan". She is so happy because she can then see the "snow bear" (polar bear) whenever she wants. I'll tell you I see things is such a different light with this little girl around. The sun seems to shine brighter, birds chirp louder and the butterflies abound. Enjoy all you can with your little ones! Kim

I agree that I jumped to an unwarranted conclusion as to the reason for the licence not being changed ... but I was thinking more of the unfortunate situation if people were unskilled, rather than being critical of the lady. If she felt that I was being critical of her, I apologize wholeheartedly to her for that. Apart from that, I've been thinking of making this thread for a while. I don't feel a need to alter the main points of my story, though ... and if I implied that I thought that many kids aren't so qualified, I didn't intend that, either. All that I was saying was that I felt that all children should be encouraged and helped to learn how to look after themselves. Also that they should feel a responsibilty to do their share of chores around a household which they inhabited, as they became able to do so. I didn't refer to the money end of it, as I've said quite a lot about that before and wanted to confine this message to one simple, uncomplicated topic ... but I agree that such is a necessary skill, as well. I hope that your children and others that you know grow up developing not only the simple skills of managing their daily lives, as referred to, but also a number of the potential capabilities and skills which lie semi-dormant within their being. One of the wonderful opportunities in being a teacher is to engage with their students and to become sensitive to the talents which each possesses, then to encourage the child and parents to awareness and to develop those potentialities as they are able. And of being a parent, as well, to be sensitive to the potential which each of his/her children possesses and encourage the child to develop their possibilities. ole joyful

dcrowex, hopefully your ds's bedwetting is resolved by now! I wanted to point out, though, to those who said not to be concerned, that bedwetting IS a matter of concern for a child who has been dry at night "for a long time". I would definintely see a doctor to rule out UTI, stress, illness, etc. My son, age 7, still wets the bed. But I am not concerned, because he has never been dry at night for any length of time. Dh (and several of his cousins) wet the bed occasionally until middle school, and it still happens every now and again to my 10 year old - apparently, the bedwetting gene just runs in dh's family. And for those whose kids are just bedwetters, with no medical issues: my ds is really embarrassed that he still wets the bed, and, convinced that he is too old for pull-ups, refused to go to camp or spend the night away from home. His pediatrician gave him a prescription for Desmopression, which has worked out great for him. It is a nasal spray, taken at bedtime, which decreases urine production. I let him use it when he will be sleeping away from home, and he hasn't had an accident during a sleepover since. So many kids have allergies or asthma that his friends must just assume it's for that (I'm sure he doesn't tell them!) It's not a "cure", just a temporary fix, but it has been very useful for him for occasional use.

I can't help but feel that since your older boys have left for college, then your place ISN'T really their home any more since they can surely only be "home" for short visits. And after a few years of short visits, they'll be out in the world on their own and won't be coming "home" any more anyway. They can't claim it as their territory forever, though of course you will be glad to have them come to you for visits, as I am with my adult daughter. Similarly, since they aren't "home" to see you "favouring" the younger nephew, unless your "favouring" directly affects them (Mom, can you send me $100? Sorry, I gave all our money to your cousin), it's hard to know how they justify their objections. Make it clear to the younger one (I wouldn't call him the "little one", to me it kind of sets him up to behave like a "little one") to leave his older cousins/brother alone when they are at your place unless they specifically invite him. He has to respect their space. Encourage him to make friends of his own- maybe join the scouts in your area or take up some kind of sport or similar activity? I admire your kindness in taking in your nephews.