<p>Dear Oaklandmom,
Get a life. Stop obsessing about what your dear son is not doing. If he doesn't get his problem sets done, that is his worry, not yours. You are the one that asked him to watch Numb3rs to see if you heard right - the star slipped and refered to the fictional school as Caltech not Calsci. But really, there are boxes needing to be packed. A house to clean. It is long past time to get out of Dodge. The neighbor across the street murdered, the one behind you shot in the head while parked in the drive way. Yes, you want to help the kids that go to the neighborhood school, you could spend a life time trying to "fix" this neighborhood but the issues are bigger than you. Yes, you've lived in this house since before your son was born. But its time you took charge, got a life and got out of this city. Stop obsessing about your son, stop coming to CC to read what is happening at his school. Get those boxes packed, get the for sale sign up. Take care of yourself. Now.</p>
<p>Oakland- I was about to type a note telling you to back off Oakland mom, she's really nice and doesn't need to be dumped on for posting here...then I realised you were posting to yourself!</p>
<p>But still, be nice to yourself, you deserve it.</p>
<p>Somemom</p>
<p>As far as telling people to their face what they've done that's GOOD -- </p>
<p>I have a hard time doing it to their faces, but I do it in thank you notes.</p>
<p>I sent a note to my son's third-grade teacher. Selections for the gifted program were made before third-grade, and my son wasn't selected. His third-grade teacher thought he WAS gifted, and she pushed, and she pushed, and she pushed to get him recognized. I sent her a note.</p>
<p>I also sent a note to my son's guidance counselor. She read me portions of the recommendation she wrote on him for college, and I'm certain it was the tip he needed to get him into his first choice school. I thanked her for the awesome things she said.</p>
<p>This one, though, is for the record books:</p>
<p>About four years ago, I ran into a man I know who's the father of three wonderful, awesome, accomplished children (now all grown). I told him how much I admired his children, how they had all turned out so wonderfully, and how he and his wife had done a wonderful job raising them. I was being truly sincere and genuine. His response? "Well, I guess the beatings worked, then."</p>
<p>I kinda walked away from that choking a little . . . I wasn't expecting fall-on-the-floor thank yous, but I thought it was a bizarre response.</p>
<p>I presume he was joking and it was his way of deflecting a compliment, something a lot of people have trouble knowing how to respond to (see the thread about this....)</p>
<p>i never know what to say when people (occasionally!) praise my kids. i'm trying to just learn to say 'thank you' and change the subject.. i'm not good at taking complimants for me or my family-but i dont have trouble giving them.go figure!</p>
<p>I agree with Booklady--of course, the proof of how well you raised your kids will be in seeing how they raise their kids.</p>
<p>OK - I really have to post here. </p>
<p>This occurred many, many years ago - and annoys me more now than it did then. (I admit that I was pretty clueless... which in this case was probably a good thing!)</p>
<p>To the Catholic school teachers, who in organizing a Spring musical, decided that my 13 year old self, should sing that <sarcasm on=""> "great classic song" <sarcasm off=""> from the musical Oklahoma, "I'm just a girl who can't say No." It surely did not improve my conversations with my male classmates.</sarcasm></sarcasm></p>
<p>What were the teachers thinking? And how come my parents didn't object? (Well I guess I know that. Back then, no one argued with the nuns.)</p>
<p>And the other teachers who outfitted me in a skimpy costume while complaining that I didn't fill it out. What message was that supposed to send?</p>
<p>Arrggh! So glad to vent that!</p>
<p>To the men at my office: if you insist on using handicapped bathroom, please take your bifocals with you and use them! Your aim is terrible.</p>
<p>Springfield Mom, </p>
<p>That is horrible and also funny (the way you phrased it, I mean)! Why don't you print out a sign saying the exact same thing and put it up in the handicapped bathroom at your office??</p>
<p>NotReady4Purple's last point reminded me.</p>
<p>This is going to sound stupid, but dear Friend,</p>
<p>I understand that you're proud of your C cups, and you do have a great body, but that doesn't give you the right to make comments like "she's really not that pretty; she has no boobs" when most of your own friends would love to fill out a B. I like you otherwise, and most of your friends probably aren't as insecure as I am, but I still think it's unnecessary and insensitive.</p>
<p>Oh, and by the way, you really don't need to lose any weight. I'll always need to be skinny as hell, but only because no matter how much I gain, I'll never have your figure.</p>
<p>I'm jealous. There, I said it.</p>
<p>MOT: Somebody did put up a sign. The ones with horrible aim tore it down. Needless to say, their aim is still terrible.</p>
<p>Dear Mom,
I'm sorry that I freaked out at you, and told you to leave me alone when I got that last straw rejection. I know you were just trying to be a good parent. I'm sorry I got so concerned with college stuff; I should have listened to you and not put my eggs in all the wrong baskets. I'm sorry, because no matter what, no matter that you never pushed me, I still feel like I disappointed you. I'm sorry I didn't earn more scholarships, and money, and I'm sorry everything costs so much. I'm sorry you guys tried to help me with the SATs and I still blew.</p>
<p>To the Parents who said...
"Well public school is fine for kids like yours, but it's just not the right fit for my child....(insinuating that my kid is so average that a public school will be fine - but your superstar genius would just be bored)".
Well guess what - our kids got into the same college and students from my kids average public school got into Ivys and top LAC, and received fantastic scholarships to many fine schools. And - we haven't spend over $120,000 in tuitions already.</p>
<p>And... to the parent who told their kid that if a mutual friend switched from a private school to my kid's public school he would get beat up all the time... Have you ever set foot into the school to see what goes on there? Yes, there are kids of many ethnic backgrounds, yes there are occasional fights- things are going to happen - yes there are drugs -But there are also teachers and students who are doing great things.
Don't tell me that your toney private school doesn't have an alcohol and drug problem. Everyone heard about the parties that went on a few weeks ago with kids from your school. Just because you expel a few kids doesn't mean the drugs and alcohol disappear.</p>
<p>And - even if my kids public school isn't the right place for your kid - do you have to badmouth it to everyone else?</p>
<p>Or are you just one of those people who have to build yourself up by putting others down?</p>
<p>Wow - that does feel good!</p>
<p>K,</p>
<p>You can't have lunch with me tomorrow because you'll need the full hour of your free period to compose a bibliography? Because you're, in your own words, too "lazy" to do any work tonight? I thought I was bad, but you have an entire year before you can even blame senioritis. I'm more incredulous than annoyed, honestly. I never see you anymore, and you're blowing me off for a bibliography? Are you joking?</p>
<p>No love,
E</p>
<p>timewaster: AMEN!! there's a school for everybody, even before college and i've learned that the hard (and expensive) way!</p>
<p>Todays complaint: To all the adults that choose not to wear seat belts- don't be shocked when your kids have an accident and fly out of the car because they weren't buckled. What does uncomfortable mean to you?</p>
<p>KATHIE - NJ GOVERNOR CORZINE was just in a terrible accident last night and apparently he was NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT!!!! He was in the front passenger seat and his driver was a STATE POLICE OFFICER!!!</p>
<p>UNBELIEVABLE!</p>
<p>I'd love to rant and rave about the double standards when it comes to political correctness, consequences for saying stupid vs rude things and the multitude of double standards when it comes to pulling the (fill in the minority of choice) card... but I won't. It would be politically incorrect...</p>
<p>To vast numbers of CCers:</p>
<p>Not every public high school in America can be "a top public high school." In fact, half of them aren't even average!</p>
<p>WashDad--but the below-average schools are all in OTHER places!</p>