How hard can it get? Here is an example: In the state of Florida to become a Plumber you have to complete a four year apprenticeship before you are permitted to sit for the license exam. During the apprenticeship you have to work a minimum of 40hrs per week for 200weeks, which is four years less vacation time(any week inwhich you work less than 40 hrs does not count). At the end of each week you have to submit a timecard to the state apprenticeship board and the timecard details how many hours you worked in each catergory for that week. During that four years you have to also attend a four year state approved technical school or college course where you study the Plumbing Code, plumbing theory, and a little bit on OSHA, workmans comp and necessary licensing requirements. At the end of the four years you get a Diploma from the Tech school, a certificate of completion from the state apprenticeship board and a letter of recommendation from the Master Plumber that you worked under. You then pay a $250 non-refundable testing fee and you are given a list of 12 books that you must bring with you for the exam. (The books are another $500, and given that they are rewritten about every 18 to 24 months to remain current, you have to buy new books). You then have to wait until the exams are being given (Only twice a year) and you have to travel to Tallahassee or Miami to take the exam. They allow you two full 8 hour days to complete the exam and statistically, 70% will fail the first time they take the exam. If you fail, you have to wait until the next testing cycle and pay the testing fee again before you can sit for the exam. I shall never forget my first night in the apprenticeship class. I too had been a DIY'er, who became a handyman, then went on to work maintenance in 3 large motel/conference centers, two hospitals and a municipal school district where we did all the maintenance in 9 public school buildings. I walked into the apprenticeship class room feeling really cock sure of myself. I had been doing plumbing work for nearly 15 years, how hard could this be? The instructor walked in and went to his desk. He says "I see we have a couple new faces, lets all introduce ourselves" and we made with the usual introductory small talk for about 10 minutes then the instructor says, "in honor of our new students, lets have a simple quiz tonight, and as soon as your done, you can go home early" He then opened a 4"dia PVC tube, took out a stack of building prints and began passing them out, one to each student. As he was passing them out he says "You guys will note that these are all simple one story 3br 3-1/2 bath on slab and I have marked a spot in the back yard where the septic tank will be. Your project is to do a complete DWV layout and annotate all pipe sizes and cleanout locations, then do an Isometric on a sheet of typing paper. As soon as your done you can lay your work on my desk and go home". One of the guys was done in 45minutes and perhaps half the class was done within the first hour while I sat there with a total of one line on my paper and the next week when we reviewed the work, I found out that was wrong. Finally two hours had passed and the class was over, so I turned my paper in, still with my one line... and I was feeling as dumb as a box of rocks. The instructor glanced at my print and says "not as easy as one might think is it? But don't worry, if you take the classes serious in 6 months you will be going home in 45minutes too."

I hope she gets the care she needs. It's very scary as a parent to hear these stories. Even if your kid isn't on the social media, the other kids are and "talking" behind her back and she knows something is going on. Schools need to stiffen the penalties for cyber-bullying as much as physical bullying - I don't know, maybe the state has to get involved, if it takes charging kids with a misdemeanor, or issuing restraining orders to prevent driving another kid to suicide then that's what it takes! DS is 15, has always been a thoughtful, sensitive, private kid with a few close friends, not into the "popular" activities but seems to be happy, is definitely busy with Scouts, track, and church. I don't know what other kids may be saying about him, but at least he doesn't know either - or doesn't care. He is going to camp counselor training in a few weeks, and then to National Youth Leadership training for Scouts, hopefully next summer he will get a job at the Scout camp. OK, I'm bragging I guess but I think he's a good role model, and I *think* he's not at risk for depression. DD is 5 years younger and starting puberty - she has 2 very close friends, and watching others coming up to her after school concert she seems to be "popular" but again doesn't have the same interests as many her age (she's also almost a year older than everyone else in her grade, both kids are Nov birthdays and we decided to start DD later than DS since he had been in daycare/preschool and was an early reader, she was a late talker/potty trainer). She's more sensitive to peer pressure - I suppose girls usually are? I wouldn't pull her out to HS unless I thought there was a serious problem, I want to wait to see if she keeps/makes friends in middle school. I hope that keeping her in Scouts will help - if the leaders can keep a group of girls aware of the problems that bullying can cause, and keep them believing in their own value in spite of other people (peers, even some siblings and parents I know of) telling them otherwise. Girl Scouts just doesn't seem to be as organized as Boy Scouts though, and not too many girls seem to keep up with it through middle and high school, from what I can tell by the size of the troops in our town. But "mean girls" start early - DD ran into one her first day of kindergarten. Add a mean teacher, and in 1st grade she was begging me to HS her! At least 2nd - 4th she has regained her love of school, is actually disappointed to have only a few days left this year.

I also believe you should go see her. Five years ago, when my 29 year old niece was dying, she called in all of her family and friends one-by-one to say goodbye. It was so hard for us but it gave her strength and closure. She was such a rock of strength for all of us - we had to keep our minds together to be there for her and to match her incredible strength. My 2 youngest got some great advice - finish high school, keep on being the good clean kids you always have been, go on and have a good life. They keenly remember her words to this day and will always remember. She reminded me of many things, especially the days when she was little and we used to play Atari games. She told me whenever I walk past a blank monitor or TV screen, she'll be playing Atari with me from heaven. I'll never forget that. Okay, I'm crying again just remembering my darling baby niece. My oldest was going to wait to visit until her funeral, but I told her to forget the funeral, her cousin needed to see her while still alive so DD#1 drove for a whole day to come back to visit. Her eyes were so red from crying the whole drive back. DN told DD that she was full of sh## for bawling and to knock it off! I was 15 when my niece was born and she was my "heart" child, more like my own child even though I have 4 of my own. Maybe your friend Donna needs to say goodbye too. Prayers and best thoughts to Donna, her family, and all of you who love her.

I have three sons, one of the hardest things I've ever done is tell my youngest son he had to move out. After several years of up and downs with him, one night he never came home, I was scared to death driving around the next morning looking for his car. Finally he walked in the door, I was relieved he was alive but angry and screaming at him. I removed myself from the situation for several hours, then lovingly and calmly told him he needed to move out, I think I gave him five days. It was very difficult, but knowing it was the right thing gave me confidence to stay the course. After he moved out, we rarely spoke, his brothers kept me informed how he was doing. I called him inviting him to thanksgiving and Christmas, he'd decline, I'd politely hang up then cry. One time I called him inviting him over for dinner, I was surprised he accepted, over time he was part of our family again. The end of the story is he has told us our kicking him out was the best thing we did for him.