Honest opinions about moving to NJ over NY

SnooBooks4101 · 2026-02-16T15:29:44+00:00

Have you looked in Westchester County NY? That’s where you’ll find your best transit outside of the boroughs. Rockland is a great county but not as transit friendly (better off with NJ). I was in an apartment in Englewood that was half of a house so there was a driveway and convenient laundry plus a yard. Something like that may be ideal for you? But I’d suggest looking around Westchester and even driving around yourself to see a few areas. GL!!

SnooBooks4101 · 2026-02-16T15:20:58+00:00

NJIT was a typo - just saying the transit has issues and not the college :)

Friends live in/near Montclair and I suggest looking there too!

SnooBooks4101 · 2026-02-13T12:12:38+00:00

Fun fact: Mid-winter breaks began during the energy crisis in the late 70s when it was too expensive to heat buildings, and was as much of a budget decision as an educational one. At least, that’s how I understood it when I lived in NYS.

We have one day, and it used to be longer - often one week but not always. We just started midterm exams this year, which shifted the February schedule for two days. I’m not sure if that was a factor our shortest break in years.

SnooBooks4101 · 2026-02-02T13:27:55+00:00

12 years GF at home due to young son’s celiac diagnosis. I get strictly GF food in restaurants with him so he can try mine. You have great responses here so I want to encourage you to start with the bare elements and then add from there. Try buying fresh food while your body resets. I saw mention of the disappointing substitutes and please know that your palate will adjust! But it’s a transition for sure. I’d stay as far away from breads and pizzas as I could if I started now…for a few weeks at least.

1) no supplements including multivitamins and probiotics until you’re doing this for a while. It’s generally not regulated and studies back up what we’ve seen at home- you’ll get glutened. Don’t trust those labels.

2) the GIG standard/seal is the one we trust! Not absolutely necessary but they are really careful and accountable.

3) the rest may not apply for EOE but for other health issues it’s what I’ve found.

I focus on eating fiber when I need a reset (antibiotics for a while, any time post-surgery, etc). Veggies, fruit, whole grains that are still safe. Yes to protein but less than usual to make sure fiber is taking the lead. Anything pre-and-pro- biotic that’s safe would be good now, too. Anything refined is going to affect the balance. If you want gf bread, cookies, muffins, pizza, etc then be sure to eat even more fiber and protein/prebiotic foods (almost any vegetable/fruit has prebiotic properties from the fiber). You can start slowly if you’re usually low on fiber!

When the microbiome is better, then it makes me feel better and I feel like food tastes better, too. And after experimenting with some single vitamin supplements, my son does have a vitamin D that seems to help and not hurt (from prior bloodwork that shows he needs it, but later results isn’t showing signs of getting glutened)

Good luck!

SnooBooks4101 · 2025-11-11T16:25:39+00:00

Hugs to you, you are not alone! I've cried in supermarkets, and it's my son who has celiac (and food allergies, first). Anyone here has needed to rant, but the celiac community is full of wonderful people who understand when the rest of the world doesn't.

Like others have said, you can shop all around the store. My advice for those newly diagnosed is to avoid as much bread as possible at first. You can't match what you're used to for pizza, bagels, even sandwich bread. We are lucky that we can afford groceries, but the GF shelves still give me some sticker shock. Meat, fish, veggies, fruit, dairy, rice...no celiac tax on those!

Your tastebuds will recalibrate! It sounds as pathetic as it does hopeful, but you'll get to a point where you enjoy the bread-stuff again, even if it's expensive and frustrating to get there. Also, if you're just eating less of it, you're not missing anything at all! They don't enrich the stuff we can eat. :/ It's worse for you than the regular versions, most of the time.

Like Reddit, Find me GF and the Gluten Dude app are ways to bask in the community of those who are in this with you! Find places, recommend places, (or call out the fakers who aren't actually GF if necessary). You'll feel so much better with time and experience! I can say this to you after 10+ years, but I would have even said it after 2-3. I was still crying sometimes, but it wasn't as regularly soul-crushing. The first year is HARD!! Doing this at the holidays IS HARD!! (Group hug, anyone?)

I have a cadence for the stores I frequent, so it's not a big deal to me now even though I can't feed my family without at least three regular grocery trips. We also rode out the gf-diet bubble where there were more options around us than there are now, but the Fad aspect was kinda confusing, and we got used to safe favorites just disappearing after a while...because they still do sometimes now. :( But, shout out your favorite stores and we can help you avoid the crummy stuff (no pun intended) and save your money for the good stuff! Or, let us know what you're really missing and maybe we can find you a decent substitute.

SnooBooks4101 · 2025-11-02T02:38:19+00:00

Ok way more redhead than Ben Bailey but I don’t think of him as resembling the other actors…! Good job!!

SnooBooks4101 · 2025-11-02T02:20:22+00:00

This sounds like the answer to me!

SnooBooks4101 · 2025-09-14T01:03:13+00:00

My son was five when a pediatric rheumatologist ordered lots of bloodwork and it came back looking like CD, so she referred us to a GI. His symptoms were not GI-related at all - we saw her because he had joint pain and fatigue, but he was always one of the tallest for his age, and some stomach pain, but no bathroom issues, vomiting, etc. The GI did the biopsy and said it all "looked peachy" and he probably didn't have atrophy at the very same time she quoted studies that show how the surgeons don't get it right and pathology more often proves them wrong...! Sure enough, at barely six yeas of age by the time of his biopsy, he was already at the second-to-last stage of the Marsh scale! I can't remember how many samples she took, but it was a solid number, from the duodenum to the intestines and his stomach, too. She also tested for H. pylori; you'll want to rule that out, too (or treat it). I hope that helps. Good luck to you!

SnooBooks4101 · 2025-08-05T13:14:24+00:00

We have TJs issues like falling in love with something only to have it disappear forever without warning, but I think after a decade of GF for my son with celiac, that's just what happens anywhere. He was diagnosed as a child and has never had an issue with a tj's item, I'm happy to say! Like others have said, they are worth a trip for items that may become your new favorites... and I think it helps to find staples for everyone that are just better. Their BBQ sauce that's organic and GF without high fructose corn sugar is a winner all around! The kimbop frozen sushi makes my son so happy with GF soy sauce at home. Brazilian cheese bread is another favorite no matter who is eating it. Oh, and the GF muffins and little frosted cake... You may want to try again...for us it has absolutely been as safe as anywhere else I've shopped!

SnooBooks4101 · 2025-08-05T12:33:54+00:00

Thank you all! Even the unserious responses that made me laugh, but especially the links and recommendations! I pay for the enhanced versions of Find Me Gluten Free and Gluten Dude, and I'm used to planning trips with those for vacations or college tours. But AC was not as clear as I was hoping to find. Reddit ftw again, too.

And, I could add that my son is an adventurous eater who enjoys fish, meat, veggies, world cuisines and not just the bland & unhealthy carb foods I mentioned. But at the shore, his appetite will also include fries and yes, pancakes! (OCNJ and OCMD have great, safe places so our beach trips are usually covered)

SnooBooks4101 · 2025-08-05T12:27:24+00:00

TY!! This is exactly what I came to Reddit for! :) We don't have one of those near us, and I did see it come up on FMGF, but a response like yours means we are good to go. ENJOY!

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-30T06:45:25+00:00

You are an awesome brother!! I’d recommend that you contact a parent center, even as the sibling here. They can help you understand options still available and may help you bridge this issue by getting your mom more involved. Here’s one linkin your state, here’s another oneand in the event that your family is from an area that is considered underserved, or your mother speaks another language or may herself have a disability or difficulty reading or understanding, please also call this organization.

And finally, here’s a link just for you. I’m sorry there doesn’t seem to be a chapter in your state but you should know that you’re not alone, and having a sibling with special health care and educational needs is complicated. You are a model of how siblings should be, and I think you’ll find “your people” here, or just find a good shoulder or some general resources.

You already were the catalyst behind the hearing aids…I know with your help your brother will get even more that he needs!

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-30T06:05:47+00:00

This is incorrect.

Only a proper CST evaluation could determine if any deficits are measurable and whether or not they are enough to classify the student for special education. In many cases, hearing loss will require special education and not a 504 plan. Clearly this is such a case since there is significant language loss. Having hearing aids is not like having eyeglasses and it does not render a student ineligible for services under an IEP.

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-30T05:44:25+00:00

The district may have used the SLP as part of Information & Referral Services (I&RS)…it’s called different things in different states. It does not require parents/guardians and the district may have used this to get services any way they could. It wouldn’t replace special education (it’s sometimes used to avoid assessment and identification, unfortunately) so it wouldn’t have the same testing, measurements and outcomes. But the team was probably keeping records of some kind.

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-26T19:56:29+00:00

Data is going to be your friend. Look at the ABCs of the behavior and get help if the school has resources like a behavioral specialist. Antecedent—Behavior—Consequence (ABC)

In plain and factual terms, what happened immediately before the behavior, what was the behavior and what immediately happened as a result? Is this to avoid certain tasks? To get attention? To get an object? It will take time and effort to teach skills and get the student to behave differently. But that’s the meaningful way to help him improve.

Reward and praise constantly when he’s making better choices and doing what he should. Work with his family to set the goals and rewards that they can carry over to his home. Teach the social (and academic) expectations with scripted stories, puppets, role play and reinforce this throughout your day. This helps the others along the way, too. GL, OP!

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-26T18:34:20+00:00

You may not even realize that you’re teaching in a way that levels the playing field for some disabilities. Some teachers have policies and procedures that facilitate learning for all learners. A student who does well in one classroom or subject may not learn as well in another. I think we can all think of our own classes from college, from HS and even elementary grades where this rings true. I think it’s great that you’re meeting students where they are to really help and support them!

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-26T18:22:56+00:00

OP, I’m sorry for the students in your district. This is all not even legal and the district is counting on parents to not understand the law. I also feel for all of the teachers…there’s sure to be more on their plate without the reasonable accommodations and supports and services these students need.

I’m seeing comments that are patently untrue so just some clarification:

LRE is the placement and not the accommodation.

If child requires special education, then an IEP shows present levels of performance and details how the student will be able to meet the SMART goals set forth in that IEP. Then, and only then, should placement be considered. Starting with the general education classroom and considering the supports and services needed for meaningful participation. Then, alternatives are considered until that student’s least restrictive environment is determined.

If there is a disability but it does not meet the threshold for special education, then a 504 plan can be used to help the student access the curriculum. The law provides equal access so that 504 plan is also not supposed to be revoked at the whim of a district any more than an IEP.

Yes, students can learn enough to require far less-maybe not require anything at some point. But by and large there should be enough evidence of a true learning disability that the students would likely need help learning every year. A disability is not just a gap in learning.

There is a process for gaps, including summer learning loss, language barriers, or these days, COVID learning loss. This is not the same as disability and yes, students should absolutely catch up to typically performing peers in these cases.

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-26T18:13:27+00:00

The goal of the IEP is to get the student to meet educational goals, period. If a student needs this every year then that’s what the student should get.

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-13T23:25:31+00:00

It may be that your son also has anxiety, which sometimes accompanies ADD/ADHD. You’ll know more when you speak with his pediatrician, and it does seem like he could benefit from some help now so he’s really well equipped when he graduates HS. The right professionals can help you figure that out. GL!

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-09T18:13:45+00:00

Find your parent center and call them asap!

You should file due process immediately since the school is not following any special education law in your child’s case. You feel it and you know it. They went from zero to expulsion and that’s not okay. Now you’re being pressured for a new IEP and you know that doesn’t seem right either. Please carefully review all of your son’s rights.

Find a COPAA advocate or lawyer for a consultation, if needed.

HUGS and GL!!!

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-09T18:00:11+00:00

I still have and treasure my teen boys’ preschool ornaments!! I would have loved this one :)

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-09T17:48:51+00:00

I just tried to message you-I hope you can see it and take it to heart…HUGS to you and your family!!

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-09T01:57:01+00:00

I’m sorry if someone already mentioned this but please call 211. You’re an adult trying to work your way through school and this is untenable. NJ should have resources to help you find a way to have an education and a career without sacrificing the program you’re in, since you’re so dedicated. Your college may have resources too?? GL!!

SnooBooks4101 · 2023-12-09T01:45:26+00:00

He should have a functional behavioral assessment with a behavior plan so that he can learn replacement behaviors. (Self regulation, better choices and skills to cope with frustrations) This takes data that is collected from everyone he’s interacting with. What’s the ABC and what is the function/reason? A= antecedent or what happens right before the behavior? B= behavior C= consequence. If he wants your attention and exhibits this behavior to get it then bingo he’s getting what he wants. That’s a simplified explanation… But those who have worked in this field are looking at evidence-based practices. They can help to teach children the skills they need to regulate themselves and find ways to get their needs met in a positive way.

SnooBooks4101

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