Mom's braggin' board!

[jane taylor]

My son and daughter have had 9 weeks' tests this week. My son is a sophomore and my daughter is in the 7th grade. They have both felt the burden of the financial stress we've been all endured. Since my husband and I filed BK, we all feel some relief. The kids are doing much better in school! My daughter made a 94 on her pre-algebra exam and a 104 on her English exam!!! I am so proud of her. My son has brought up his grades as well and is moving right along in his karate class.

Just had to brag!!!

[Minnymouth]

HEY - ALL MOM'S HAVE 'BRAGGIN RIGHTS'.............

Sounds like they are adapting well to the after bankruptcy crisis.....

Hopefully things will smooth out and start going better for all of you....

You be Proud, that's what Mom's Do!!!!

[SinkingFast]

That is sooooooooooo GREAT, Jane!!

You should be proud!!

And I'm so glad you shared it with us.

The problems we go thru as parents have HUGE impact on our children. I know we've seen ours put thru the wringer quite a bit over the past couple years. Coming to the realization that BK was necessary was a bit of the last straw for everyone in our family.

Overall, 2 of our kids are doing real well. One, however, is having problems. She started going downhill at school almost the minute Hubby left home and moved for his job. The actual move was crushing for her. We had teenage kids follow us in their cars, to say Good-Bye, for a hundred miles. It took several months here before she wasn't chatting on her cell phone with friends back home for hours on end every night. She hasn't gotten "into" school here either. She was very active and involved at their old school. Not here. We don't know what to do for her or with her. We know she's gonna pay big time, down the road, for the mistakes she's making now in school. Fussing doesn't work. Taking priveledges doesn't work. Telling her she's gonna pay doesn't work. She's in her own Lah Lah land right now. Not into drugs or drinking or anything like that. Just doing poor work in her classes at school.

[debtisbad]

My 3 boys are the light of my life. I am going back to school so currently taking prereq's in the medical field. Anatomy and Physiology. My 11 year old is now acing his science tests because he helps me with my flashcards. He came home with a 100% on his last science test. Said it specifically helped him because mom working on same things. I get on my kids often because they are so materialistic. I go to their school and all the kids have these picture cell phones, ect. At the end of the day though, the "stuff" doesn't matter. I just love them to death!

[jane taylor]

Good for you!!! I want to go back to school as well, but am not sure what I will do. Do I get my PhD or go into health administration? I don't know yet.

I was just talking at lunch about a kid my son works with who drives a brand new Jaguar!!! How crazy is that? Even if I could afford something like that I wouldn't do it and my kids know that. I would love for my son to be able to even have a vehicle so he can get to school, church, and work.

So glad to hear your kids are doing well.

[debtisbad]

Jane,

It seems like there are so many options in healthcare. I read you are concerned about your current job. Sorry to hear about that. I also like the idea of healthcare administration, but I starting in nursing this fall (and I am in my 40's YIKES!!) Anyway, I called our local university and they are seeing all ages in students due to economic changes. If I were a little bit younger, I would go get my nursing degree which I am. Then I would go on to become an AA or CRNA. That is considered to be one of the fastest growing career choices over the next 20 years and the average salary is over 100k. Do a google search and you will see what I am talking about.

Good luck with your career choice (and BK), but we have to think post BK, right????

[Minnymouth]

Congrads on going back to school.........
And I think its GREAT that son is helping Mom and by him helping Mom he is helping educate himself......
Good combination..............

Sad, but the boy who drives the "jag" - well daddy may just be "buyin his love and affection"... AND hopefully that "jag" will not cost him his son's life in the future!!!

SinkingFast, your girl will adjust eventually. Sometimes it takes longer for girls to adapt (its a thing about loosing their friends and that special boy, etc).... It'st starting all over again in a new place, new people, new everything.
She'll be okay after a while - all it'll take will be the right boy to wink at her and excite her day!!! Remember MOM???

Don't worry, she'll be fine... may take a little while longer than with the boys...

[Minnymouth]

OKAY YOU YOUNG CHICKS................

Go back to school and get educated on how to take care of "old folks" like me............. cause we are all fixing to SIT DOWN.............. lol

[jane taylor]

Minny, we will take good care of you

Debtisbad, congrats to you for having the courage to go back to nursing school. I have taught psychology classes for several years now and my best students are returning adult students.

Sinking, hope your daughter is doing better. I have a conference tomorrow with my son's teachers and counselor. His grades are terrible even though he is very capable. I try hard to not worry, do what I can, and let God take control. But that's hard for me!

[jane taylor]

Oh, I'm fortysomething, too!

[13inOR]

Jane, I know what you mean, my son is smart as a whip but has had a terrible time getting work turned in and focusing in general. His problem is ADD, and the medication helps a lot, but its still so frustrating to worry that they aren't working to their full potential!!
He has practically a photographic memory and wrote a whole A+ paper on the Vietnam War with no reference material, just from memory from what he read and watched on the history channel, and he is in Honors History. But then the next week, he loses or forgets to turn in some huge packet that worth
half his grade, and ends up with a D!! GRRRRRR! these boys can be so frustrating.
PS: Im fortysomething as well....we could have a club or something,, HEE HEE

[debtisbad]

Ladies,

Here is what worries me. Many in our generation are not going to be able to retire. First off, even if we could, healthcare costs would eat us alive. I just really worry about the future here and I am not trying to be negative. I have always been the most optimistic person. My husband and I had great salaries, beautiful big home, nice cars, ect. Even a fat 401k. It all went downhill since the year 2000, like so many others. I tend to over analyze everthing, but I just cannot help but wonder what the US will be like in 10 or 20 years. I know I am on a financial diet!!

[jane taylor]

I try not to worry either, but can't help it sometimes! Today I am so tired mentally and physically. My allergies are kicking my tail! I had a meeting yesterday at my son's school and agree with the counselor that he is depressed. I will be making an appointment for him to see the pediatrician as I want him to feel better. I know exactly how it feels to be depressed--no fun whatsoever!

This is just a tough season in all of our lives, but thankfully, "This, too, shall pass!"

[Minnymouth]

The retirement thing - yep, I don't even see it in my future either.....
Limited income after retirement almost won't pay the bills....unless your home is paid for. And even then the money can get extremely tight because of health care expenses.....
I'm glad a wheelchair will fit under my desk at the office, cause I have a feeling it will be need in a few years down the road for me............ (Main thing I will have to worry about is THAT AFTERNOON NAP that seniors take - will my boss allow that??)...

Yes, the future hold little hope for retirement for many.... that's one reason why you see a lot of seniors at wallmarts and other places. They can't retire completely without working somewhere parttime also.....

Sad situation...

[SinkingFast]

This is the 2nd time we've had to cash out our retirement IRA/401K. No retirement savings here. We do get to start again in Hubby's new plan in April.

But I've resolved myself not to worry about it. I had an aunt and an uncle who lived for years on SSI. Maybe not as well as they would have liked, but we loved them none the less. It wasn't about their money, it was about who they were.

So if that's where we wind up, so be it. We can always dig a hole and live in a cave somewhere. Hubby says that what guys would do anyway. They aren't much into the phoo phoo of decorating a house.