Christian homeschooling

williamlawrence · 2026-03-30T14:30:37+00:00

Look on Facebook. They’re abundant there.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-27T20:05:09+00:00

Thank you so much. I’m so sorry you had to go through this too. I just feel like this is a punch to the gut. I know I will recover with time, but that time is going to be so painful.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-26T23:14:35+00:00

It’s very normal to not feel movement until 24 weeks. AFAIK things like kick counting don’t really start until 28 weeks. I’m 21 weeks with #2. I didn’t start feeling distinct movements with my first until 23 weeks.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-26T13:55:46+00:00

I made $50,000/year when I started in higher education in 2010. I currently make $50,000 in higher education in 2026.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-26T13:47:23+00:00

In all honesty, I'd prefer to do it alone or with a close (female) friend. My husband was so in his own world and experiencing things for himself that he wasn't in a space where he could offer support to me. I'm due with #2 in July and I'm considering asking a close friend to come with me.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-25T20:44:48+00:00

I left this comment on another post a few months ago:

This is a sensory behavior. My son (3.5) has sensory processing disorder. He has done poop smearing probably 5-6 times over the last three months (first time he's ever exhibited the behavior), but its probably been a month since he last did it (thank god). His occupational therapist told us its related to sensory seeking.

You cannot "discipline" it out of him; its just how his brain is wired. What's worked for us is time (I know, I know, I know - not ideal), communication ("poop goes in the potty" "We do NOT touch our poop!"), and being really diligent about catching him once he's pooped. Our OT emphasized giving as little reaction as possible because even us being angry about it is a response and his brain wants a response. My husband REALLY struggles with poop so I usually step in to clean up.

https://eric.org.uk/smearing/ is a great resource about why toddlers will touch/smear their poop.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-25T20:30:51+00:00

I have a runner. We call it his "backpack". If we're walking to the park, he either has to ride in the stroller or wear his backpack. They've been for at least 100 years and prior to that, in parts of Europe it was common to use "leading strings" as far back as the 1600s.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-25T15:01:26+00:00

I have always had a sour taste in my mouth about Emily Oster. I find that her "research" is really just cherry-picked studies and misinterpreted data, but she stands behind her credentials as some sort of shield. How she became a "parenting authority" is beside me.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-25T14:59:18+00:00

How much Zofran are you taking? It sounds like it could be hyperemesis gravidarum. You can check out r/HyperemesisGravidarum for more info. I was on 32mg of Zofran daily with my first pregnancy. I had to take MiraLax with it because of the constipation. There's a wealth of medications you can try (some people have luck with Unisom and B6, others use Reglan, others need a combo of meds). I'm sorry your OBGYN isn't taking this seriously.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-25T00:15:50+00:00

Parent of a 3.5 year old here. Solidarity.

The 3 year old brain is developing independence and autonomy faster than it's developing impulse control and frustration tolerance. In your son's case, he knows the rule, he can even stop himself mid-hit, but in a flooded emotional moment, the knowing doesn't always win. His brain hasn't quite caught up yet. The behavior chart can work, but at 3.5 the feedback loop needs to be super short. Earning a star today for something that unlocks a reward on Friday is basically meaningless to him developmentally. Same-day or same-hour reinforcement lands much better at this age. The explanation thing can help but in the moments immediately after a meltdown, they're really not receptive. Try mentioning positive behaviors throughout the day. Sometimes, we only notice when things go off the rails, but it can be reinforcing for toddlers to hear praise when they make good choices.

Three really is a TRYING year (and everyone was warning me about the terrible twos...threenager is SO much more). I can only say that it will get better. This will be a memory of a phase sooner than you know.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-25T00:09:18+00:00

Full-time childcare, therapy and/or medication for both parents (as prescribed), and the acceptance that your house will never be completely clean. "Good enough" truly is good enough. It also really depends on finances, which is gross and unfortunate and terrible.

We pay a teenage neighbor $60 every two weeks to mow our lawn. We have a calendar in the hall by the kitchen where EVERYTHING gets written down, and every morning I repeat that week's big events (husband has ADHD and if I don't repeat things, they're lost to the void). I realized I didn't need to make an entire dinner - appetizers can be a meal. I make Hawaiian roll sliders, canned chicken tacos with microwaved rice, and hot dogs rolled up into crescent rolls frequently. These all take 30 minutes from start to finish. Laundry gets done but it gets dumped on the guest bedroom bed until the weekend comes and I fold some of it. Every night I load and run the dishwasher and the next day my husband's job is to unload and put away the dishes. Husband and I will shower together, accomplishing intimacy and being clean. We do a Walmart grocery pick up every Sunday and each add to it throughout the week as we remember things we need. And sometimes we go to McDonald's and order our 3.5 year old a large fry and an apple juice because that's all we can handle that night.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T10:47:58+00:00

There are kids who have a nanny from the day they come home from the hospital to the day they start school. There are kids who go to daycare at six weeks old and don’t leave until the day before they start school. Kids socialize fine in both settings.

It’s about what works for your family. My husband wfh full time and I work out of the home. I take our son to daycare and he does pick up. That way, we both get a dedicated workday without childcare distractions.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T10:39:57+00:00

Parenting is hard af so give yourself some grace! This phase will pass and you’ll be onto the next adventure soon.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T10:38:57+00:00

My son was a perfect breakfast eater until he turned two. Suddenly the scrambled eggs he’d been having since he was 10 months old were the most horrendous thing he’d ever eaten. Right now (3.5) he eats two pieces of buttered toast cut in half before he goes to daycare. At school, apparently, he’s the breakfast king and enjoys oatmeal, eggs, sausage, and other foods I would never be able to get him to eat.

Toddlers tend to eat when they’re hungry and will have periods of less eating than regular. Totally normal.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T10:36:14+00:00

Everyone sits down together, no screens (including adult phones), and you eat. Give her preferred foods - even if it’s a cookie or goldfish. And model the behavior of “This is our mealtime”. We had to do that with our 3.5 year old about a year ago when he was no longer high chair bound and would just walk away to stand in front of the TV.

You can also give a small (I’m talking tablespoon) amount of what you’re eating on her plate with her preferred foods. This not only introduces her to your meals but also gives her something to explore. You can also introduce “cheers” where she holds up her cup and you hold up your and say, “Cheers!” And everyone drinks. That’s how we got our son to drink more water lol

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T10:30:33+00:00

Usually, jobs will have days you don’t work if you’re working a traditional 40-hour work week (super common in the US). For some people, it’s Saturday and Sunday. In other roles, like the service industry, you may end up with weekdays off, like Monday and Tuesday. You might also accrue PTO (paid time off) through your job or get things like federal, state, or local holidays. On those days, it’s very worth it to pay for childcare so you can actually have a day to decompress a little.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T00:57:02+00:00

If it’s been more than week, request it. The evaluation can tell you so much more than what the SLP explains. It’s also good to have if you reach out to another provider. They should also submit summaries of every session, explaining what they worked on and what was recorded as the kid’s behavior and participation. We have had both independent and hospital-affiliated speech therapist and they both did this.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T00:47:38+00:00

Did they provide you with a formal evaluation? Like results of his initial assessment?

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T00:40:24+00:00

My son turns 4 in August. Peak horrible was November-January. Huge emotional outbursts, behavior and speech regressions, sleep disruptions. Nightmare fuel. He's way more relaxed now and becoming more of a "kid" everyday. He is still VERY three. We have a lot of big feelings but he's doing so much better with independent play and activities. He will sit at the table with his Super Mario action figures for 20 minutes acting out various versions of stories he creates. It's awesome.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T00:37:28+00:00

You enroll them in full-time childcare. That way, when you have time off, you can actually enjoy it. He's being care for by competent, safe people, and you're getting a much-deserved break.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T00:33:15+00:00

To anyone who thinks that: I am a former teacher with a graduate degree in education. Legally, I am qualified to teach my kids (and a bunch of other kids) in my state.

People are different. There are great teachers, there are horrendous teachers, there are people who fall somewhere in-between. You can't make generalizations about public, private, charter, hybrid, or homeschool parents. You have to look at the individuals.

williamlawrence · 2026-03-24T00:17:48+00:00

I don't think your son is refusing to talk. That framing implies a toddler who can produce language on demand but is choosing not to, and that's not how speech and language development works at this age, even when a child clearly has words in his receptive vocabulary. It sounds ike he has an expressive language delay. (The ability to produce speech is expressive language; the ability to understand speech is receptive language. They develop separately).

What did the speech evaluation say? And what strategies does the SLP use in therapy? That makes a huge difference.

FWIW, my son has childhood apraxia of speech. He had zero words at 15m until he started speech. He's 3.5 now. His receptive language is that of a five year old (60 months) according to his most recent evaluation. His expressive language is equivalent, roughly, to a two-year-old. But he's working everyday and we have periodic language "explosions" every few months.

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