Why take your kids?

[MyLittleAngels]

I was at MK the other day, and was in line for the teacups. Ahead of me in line was a woman with her daughter (aged 5 or 6). She was on her callphone. The ride went two cycles, and she was still on her cell phone. She boarded while talking on her cell, then as the ride ran, she remained on her phone. Never once did she spin the cup. Her daughter just sat there, looking dejected. I wanted to go up to her and slap the phone from her hand. Would it have killed her to get off the phone and spin the cup a few times? What on earth did they go on ride for? I felt terrible for that poor kid. Why even take them there if you can't spend the time there with them?

[darph nader]

Apparently the phone call was more important than her kids. The bigger question is,Why be in the park at all? :eek:

(do you get the feeling I hate cell-phones?):o:

[Honda Enoch]

Apparently the phone call was more important than her kids. The bigger question is,Why be in the park at all? :eek:

(do you get the feeling I hate cell-phones?):o:

I agree I HATE Cell phone drivers.

I carry a cell. I use it when I need. if I am driving I will NOT answer. When we went on vacation to WDW. we took our cells so that we could split up and still call to meet up. other then that, no calls.

Some people are born with a cell attached to their head.

The worst I saw was a friend of mine her father passed away, she asked me to go to the funeral with her. during the ENTIRE service, one of the guest was on the phone, even when that guest went up to view the casket. I was :eek:


Some people I swear.

[hobie16]

What on earth did they go on ride for? I felt terrible for that poor kid. Why even take them there if you can't spend the time there with them?
She was probably telling all her friends about the great time her daughter was having.

[turkeyham]

If Disney Cast members had a magical remote control?

Hit 1 to make cell phone drop call.
Hit 2 to make Tea Cup spin out of control while the SG is on the cell phone.
Hit 3 to make a phone ring during a safety speil.
Hit 4 to make a water attraction soak the phone.....:D:

[Teddykeiko86]

I see many people who feel it is okay to dump a small child off at the exit while they ride the ride. The child left alone is always too short to ride and between the ages of 2 and 7.
Yes, TWO! I refused to let the parents let their TWO year old wait alone at the exit. They were pissed when I made one of them wait with the tyke. "But we want to ride together!"
The nerve of some people. Why take your kids some place if you aare just gonna ditch 'em.

[luckylady]

I see many people who feel it is okay to dump a small child off at the exit while they ride the ride. The child left alone is always too short to ride and between the ages of 2 and 7.
Yes, TWO! I refused to let the parents let their TWO year old wait alone at the exit. They were pissed when I made one of them wait with the tyke. "But we want to ride together!"
The nerve of some people. Why take your kids some place if you aare just gonna ditch 'em.

OMG someone wanted to leave a TWO year old!!!!!! Sometime I think people need to take a test before they are allowed to become parents.
Some guy did that at the pool the other day, On phone 2 girls maybe 4 and 6 went into pool alone. Younger girl wasn't a great swimmer and for the first time in six years a life gaurd had to go into the water to save her. Dad still on phone didn't even see it. Later older girl wanted to go off diving board dad walks over with her opps sorry kid phone ringing. Anyway that poor kid. I think disney should ban cell phones from the park.

[MyLittleAngels]

"But we want to ride together!"

My husband and I didn't ride together for years. We have recently been able to, as my girls are getting a bit older (9,7,5). They know what behavior is allowed on rides, and they also know if they misbehave, the privilege of riding together will get revoked. Being a family of 5, we often get split into two vehicles/rows. The only ride I'm still not comfortable with them riding alone on is Peter Pan - while I'm sure they'd be fine (I know they would, really), I don't want to push it. I can't imagine the thought process of leaving a 2 year old just so you can ride ... I doubt mine would have even let me walk 10 ft away!

[Syndrome]

I'd love to order one of those illegal blockers (which can be gotten from overseas) and watch the cell phone jerks suddenly go slack jawed in confusion as their signal disappears. :twisted:

I refuse to ride the teacups with Mr. Syndrome as I would be puking. He took our nephew to MK and between the two of them I'm surprised they didn't spin that think off its base. I'm a wimp girl...Primeval Whirl spins more than enough for me.

In my my younger, more durable days I was just as sadistic tho'. Once we went to Wisconsin Dells with two of my nieces and were on a Tilt-A-Whirl. No one else was waiting in line, so the carny kept that sucker going. Three of us were having a blast, but one niece was turning green and ready to blow chunks. However, her screams for mercy were drowned out by our yells of "Keep it going! Keep it going!" When he finally stopped it and saw her, he felt so bad. I just it's kind of sad that my family has less compassion than a carny!

[DisneyMom]

LOVED Tilt-A-Whirl the most of any rides as a kid. Flash-Forward to the day I
could finally take my kids on it........
Sick.As.A.Dog.:eek:
Getting Older Sucks.:rolleyes:

[Sarah Magdalene]

He he he ... When Stitch is in a particularly ornery mood, he really gets miffed by cell users. He simply takes the phone, hangs it up himself, and gives it back to the owner.

[joanna71985]

He he he ... When Stitch is in a particularly ornery mood, he really gets miffed by cell users. He simply takes the phone, hangs it up himself, and gives it back to the owner.

Ho!! I would love to see that! :hysteria:

[BRWombat]

He he he ... When Stitch is in a particularly ornery mood, he really gets miffed by cell users. He simply takes the phone, hangs it up himself, and gives it back to the owner.I'm extremely the wrong size, but if I weren't I think I'd love to work with Stitch. The things he can get away with, just because people expect him to misbehave...

[ktulu]

I'm extremely the wrong size, but if I weren't I think I'd love to work with Stitch. The things he can get away with, just because people expect him to misbehave...

Same with Chip and Dale. I wish I had video of the antics at the Plaza Inn between Chip and Dale. I felt sorry for the CM who had to clean up their mess, but nothing like watching a chipmunk who is larger than life shoot dinner trays at another chipmunk. Picture Chip putting a tray between double doors, then smacking it to shoot it out the other side. Ah, good times...

[Sarah Magdalene]

Yup, you gotta be very careful around Stitch with your cell. When it comes down to it, hide it when you meet him. You will either lose your call or he will consume the phone. Both ways, you are screwed. We finally got him to stop eating them. Trust me, you do NOT want to know how we had to them back!

Oh good lord those Munks can be handful! They have locked Minnie in a boom closet, locked each other in a broom closet, played fetch with Pluto using bread rolls, pummeled each other with pixie dust, their attendant with pixie dust, shoved handfuls acorns down the back of the shirts of their attendant .... oh, and the night the "churro fairy" dropped off a nice big helping of treats, they consumed 5 churros each, oy, can you say CHAOS!

[DisneyMom]

Yup, you gotta be very careful around Stitch with your cell. When it comes down to it, hide it when you meet him. You will either lose your call or he will consume the phone. Both ways, you are screwed. We finally got him to stop eating them. Trust me, you do NOT want to know how we had to them back!




Hmmmmmm. THAT might explain why Stitch had so much gas when Susi and I had breakfast with him at Paradise Pier!;):stitch:

[ktulu]

Hmmmmmm. THAT might explain why Stitch had so much gas when Susi and I had breakfast with him at Paradise Pier!;):stitch:

Are you sure that was Stitch?

[Sarah Magdalene]

Are you sure that was Stitch?

If he did his "Pull my finger" antic ...

[turkeyham]

I could see attractions going 101 with a SG using a cell phone.

I waited 45 minutes to get on and now it breaks down. Sorry, your cell phone did it!!!!

If Emergancy Rooms are not allowed to have cell phones, neither should they.:eek:

[DisneyMom]

Are you sure that was Stitch?

Hmmmmmm. Maybe it WAS Susi........
She ate A LOT of fruit tarts during Fireworks the night before!:eek:

[turkeyham]

What I hate is when you are in line and some SG is yacking on the cell phone. You are getting food, this is not your home. Get off the phone and buy the food and leave!!!:eek:

[CptnSkippy]

What I hate is when you are in line and some SG is yacking on the cell phone. You are getting food, this is not your home. Get off the phone and buy the food and leave!!!:eek:

I kind of wish they would just leave and take their cell with them.:rolleyes:

[Sarah Magdalene]

What I hate is when you are in line and some SG is yacking on the cell phone. You are getting food, this is not your home. Get off the phone and buy the food and leave!!!:eek:

And that is not only specific to Disney parks as well. But in general. Seriously, get off the phone when in a check out line!

[Lasolimu]

I generally don't have a problem with people on their phone in line, but they should be away by the time they get to the front. Back when I was working at Arby's, we would occasionally get customers who would order for several people over the phone, this is annoying because we were required to double check the order with the customer before completing the transaction and this left no way to do so. I have occasionally called in line to see what people want, but I am done before I get to the front of the line so there is no problem. If I was still at Arby's and had someone come up to me on their phones I think I would pull mine out and tell them that my call was a matter of life or death:twisted:.

[DisneyMom]

Cell Phones are supposed to be prohibited in our back clinic areas, so whenever someone answers one while I am talking to them, I usually walk away and find something else to do:twisted: I'll return after I've accomplished whatever urgent task I needed to do elsewhere. I also am watching to make sure they are not taking pictures with them( other patient's privacy issues).
Have asked kids to put away the hand-held video games while I am speaking to them or taking their vital signs more than once. I blame the parents for that one.:cool:

My favorite was EMO kid who decided that the nurse (not me) was not worthy enough to speak to/answer and would instead write notes to his Mom saying how stupid we were including the Doctor.....No, he was not mute or otherwise disabled/ mentally ill. Just EMO.:rolleyes:

[MyLittleAngels]

My favorite was EMO kid who decided that the nurse (not me) was not worthy enough to speak to/answer and would instead write notes to his Mom saying how stupid we were including the Doctor.....No, he was not mute or otherwise disabled/ mentally ill. Just EMO.


His mom is raising him to be a winner! Do you ever wonder how kids like this really function when it comes to getting a job, or functioning in normal society on their own?

[hobie16]

My favorite was EMO kid who decided that the nurse (not me) was not worthy enough to speak to/answer and would instead write notes to his Mom saying how stupid we were including the Doctor.....No, he was not mute or otherwise disabled/ mentally ill. Just EMO.:rolleyes:
The EMO needs a RIN.

[ktulu]

My favorite was EMO kid who decided that the nurse (not me) was not worthy enough to speak to/answer and would instead write notes to his Mom saying how stupid we were including the Doctor.....No, he was not mute or otherwise disabled/ mentally ill. Just EMO.:rolleyes:

I would written him a note that said "I'll give you a reason to be EMO."

[Sarah Magdalene]

Ugh, Emo Kids ... A little link to learn about these mysterious creatures.
http://www.luv-emo.com/emo-kid.html

[DisneyMom]

The EMO needs a RIN.

Hobie-Wan, You're my only hope!:p:
What is a RIN?

[hobie16]

Hobie-Wan, You're my only hope!:p:
What is a RIN?
It's a acronym from one of Joseph Wambaugh's cop books. Rap In Nuts.

[DisneyMom]

His mom is raising him to be a winner! Do you ever wonder how kids like this really function when it comes to getting a job, or functioning in normal society on their own?

Well, parents like that are usually rewarded by their children choosing to never get a job and leave home:rolleyes:

I like Hobie's and Ktulu's ideas........:twisted:

[hobie16]

My brother-in-law has two kids. Meredith is a highly motivated kid who gets all A's, excels in soccer, and just started college at St. Johns in NY, NY with a full ride.

Her older brother determined, half way through high school, the world owed him big time. He got tossed out of the first college he enrolled in, has bugged his parents about setting up a trust fund so he can wander through Europe playing music, took acid and determined only suckers pay taxes, decided to "take some time off" from school and wander the Western states with two other bums and pay their way by getting dish washing jobs, it goes on and on.

He called me to announce the three wanderers had decided to sail to New Zealand. They wanted to fly to Maui and borrow a boat for the trip. None of them had ever sailed before. I told him that:

1) There was no way in Hell anyone would loan a boat to rookies and

2) Hit him with some horror stories about dismastings, rogue waves, becalmed for two months, pissed off whales sinking boats, all the regular stuff.

The kid needs a daily RIN to keep his brain focused.

The funny part is he thinks I'm the only sane one in the family. Muuwwaaahahahahahahahaha!! :twisted:

[DisneyMom]

Make him watch that movie, "Into the Wild":rolleyes:
Intriguing movie. Shows what happens when you totally reject going mainstream.
Of course, relying on your relatives' resources isn't really asserting your independence much.......:p:

[hobie16]

Make him watch that movie, "Into the Wild":rolleyes:
Intriguing movie. Shows what happens when you totally reject going mainstream.
Of course, relying on your relatives' resources isn't really asserting your independence much.......:p:
Is that the one about the dope who lives with grizzlies and eventually is converted from neighbor to lunch?

[DisneyMom]

Is that the one about the dope who lives with grizzlies and eventually is converted from neighbor to lunch?

No-although that is an alternative ending!:eek:

Into the Wild is a true story about a young man who, despite a College Education and normal type background, decides to chuck it all and live wandering the country. He ends up in the Alaskan Wilderness......you kind of admire it but ........I won't spoil the ending.;)

[felinefan]

Pardon the old bag barging in, but what is with these kids today? When my generation was preteen to teen, we were concerned more about zits, the environment, saving the world from pollution, nuclear annihilation, and flunking algebra. We had Nixon in the White House (nightmare stuff right there), Watergate and the Vietnam War to worry about. The nightly news was so frigging boring--if it wasn't Watergate, it was Vietnam. We were like, WHO CARES, let's focus on other problems. That's what my generation wanted to do--fix the world's problems. We got the ball rolling on lower pollution, organic farming, and recycling.

Kids today are hopelessly self-centered, negative, and think they are the center of the universe. Guess what, kids? The universe existed millenia before you did, and it will continue to exist long after you're gone. Why not use some of that youthful energy to get off your butts and work on solving current problems? Oh, yeah, that's right--the 80's taught everybody to be greedy and self-centered; if that continues another generation, this country is toast. But then, that's what our parents thought....

[SpeedFreak]

Guess what, kids? The universe existed millenia before you did, and it will continue to exist long after you're gone.

Justification to be emo, perhaps?:p:

[CptnSkippy]

Kids today are hopelessly self-centered, negative, and think they are the center of the universe.

Wow... do you work on a college campus too?

[felinefan]

I've been unemployed for the last 3 years, so no, I don't work on a college campus. But I've been on a couple. Yes, I do see polite, considerate kids, but unfortunately, I also run into kids --and adults--who think they're the king of the world. Listen, I had a bunch of so-called psychiatrists and psychologists tell my parents that (supposedly) I would never be able to drive, live alone, or work at anything more than menial jobs. And my mom made sure that happened. She's now dead and burning in Hell, and I'm trying to pull myself up by my bootstraps and get on with my life. It took me 35 years to find out there was never anything wrong with me, because back in the 60s and 70s there practically was no such thing as a normal child.

Now I'm hearing about how kids today are this, that, and the other. And they all have excuses as to why they behave the way they do. And parents again are listening to pop psychologists and hanging on their every word. Listen, Thomas Edison had a very high I.Q. plus he he was imaginative, but he couldn't hack regular school. Know why? The teacher thought his constant stream of questions meant he was mentally retarded. Mrs. Edison had been a teacher before her marriage, so she took Thomas out of regular school and home-schooled him. They gave him quite a bit of leeway to perform his experiments, even though they werent always successful. One result of his need to perform experiments led to a condition that he would have the rest of his life--he was earning money for buying his supplies by selling newspapers, etc., on trains, and he was allowed to set up his chemical apparatus in a boxcar. One day the train was at a siding and jerked suddenly, causing chemicals to spill, mix and ignite. Though Thomas called for help and trainmen put the fire out, a hot-tempered conductor gave Thomas' ears such a boxing (another story says pulling--both were used as punishments back then) that his inner ear was damaged, causing deafness. However, he didn't let his deafness stop him--even when he later invented the phonograph. Yeah, he could be eccentric, but look at the benefits he's given us. But though he was eccentric, when he was young he still had to conform to his parents' rules, and later to the rules of society. Now of course the revisionists are trying to tag Edison and others as being this or that, but hey, what's the use? They're dead, it doesn't matter.

Bottom line, forget the labels and work on your strengths, not your weaknesses. If I let people slap a label on me, they tend to limit me. If I want limits on me, they will be the ones of my choosing, thank you. If you feel you absolutely must follow some professional's dictum, make sure you do your homework. Because I wasn't allowed to learn new skills, or learn to drive, etc., that has made job-hunting difficult. A lot of jobs are unavailable to me because I was never allowed to learn how to drive. I did take lessons once, but me and stick shifts don't get along. And ole mom made sure I never got to practice. People say you have to do things for yourself, but it's not as easy as it seems.

[Goofyernmost]

I've been unemployed for the last 3 years, so no, I don't work on a college campus. But I've been on a couple. Yes, I do see polite, considerate kids, but unfortunately, I also run into kids --and adults--who think they're the king of the world. Listen, I had a bunch of so-called psychiatrists and psychologists tell my parents that (supposedly) I would never be able to drive, live alone, or work at anything more than menial jobs. And my mom made sure that happened. She's now dead and burning in Hell, and I'm trying to pull myself up by my bootstraps and get on with my life. It took me 35 years to find out there was never anything wrong with me, because back in the 60s and 70s there practically was no such thing as a normal child.

Now I'm hearing about how kids today are this, that, and the other. And they all have excuses as to why they behave the way they do. And parents again are listening to pop psychologists and hanging on their every word. Listen, Thomas Edison had a very high I.Q. plus he he was imaginative, but he couldn't hack regular school. Know why? The teacher thought his constant stream of questions meant he was mentally retarded. Mrs. Edison had been a teacher before her marriage, so she took Thomas out of regular school and home-schooled him. They gave him quite a bit of leeway to perform his experiments, even though they werent always successful. One result of his need to perform experiments led to a condition that he would have the rest of his life--he was earning money for buying his supplies by selling newspapers, etc., on trains, and he was allowed to set up his chemical apparatus in a boxcar. One day the train was at a siding and jerked suddenly, causing chemicals to spill, mix and ignite. Though Thomas called for help and trainmen put the fire out, a hot-tempered conductor gave Thomas' ears such a boxing (another story says pulling--both were used as punishments back then) that his inner ear was damaged, causing deafness. However, he didn't let his deafness stop him--even when he later invented the phonograph. Yeah, he could be eccentric, but look at the benefits he's given us. But though he was eccentric, when he was young he still had to conform to his parents' rules, and later to the rules of society. Now of course the revisionists are trying to tag Edison and others as being this or that, but hey, what's the use? They're dead, it doesn't matter.

Bottom line, forget the labels and work on your strengths, not your weaknesses. If I let people slap a label on me, they tend to limit me. If I want limits on me, they will be the ones of my choosing, thank you. If you feel you absolutely must follow some professional's dictum, make sure you do your homework. Because I wasn't allowed to learn new skills, or learn to drive, etc., that has made job-hunting difficult. A lot of jobs are unavailable to me because I was never allowed to learn how to drive. I did take lessons once, but me and stick shifts don't get along. And ole mom made sure I never got to practice. People say you have to do things for yourself, but it's not as easy as it seems.

Until you got to the highlighted sentences, I was cheering for your insight on this topic and I agreed with it completely. Now if they are dead, and I think that is what you said, not sure, then the time has come to stop blaming ole mom for your not driving. Stick shifts aren't required anymore and if you have the ability to learn, just do it. I agree that the labels given to you back then do affect how you feel about your abilities now.

Why, oh why would any responsible parent want to label their child as autistic, for example? It works well, perhaps, to get special treatment as a child but as an adult...the world is not going to care. Why make them think that there is something wrong with them when effort and encouragement and discipline can prepare the child for his/her life after mom and dad. Their life may not be exactly the same as others, but who's is? It makes no sense to me at all. Alas, there is so much I don't understand. Perhaps I need a label.

[DisneyMom]

Why, oh why would any responsible parent want to label their child as autistic, for example? It works well, perhaps, to get special treatment as a child but as an adult...the world is not going to care. Why make them think that there is something wrong with them when effort and encouragement and discipline can prepare the child for his/her life after mom and dad. Their life may not be exactly the same as others, but who's is? It makes no sense to me at all. Alas, there is so much I don't understand. Perhaps I need a label.

Goofyer, I personally don't know anybody who WANTS to label their child Autistic, it is just the diagnosis that Professionals are now giving to over 1 out
150 children now.:eek: I didn't tell my child to not speak to me until he was 4 years old, to bang his head HARD whenever I went outside without him for a minute to get the newspaper ,to not have eye contact with anyone, to not smile or laugh as baby unless he was being spun around, to not sleep more than 6 hours a day
until he was in first grade, to ignore people and have a plastic hanger be his favorite toy, and years later, be SO concerned that he wouldn't pass the High School Exit Exam and graduate, he tried to choke himself with his belt outside of the testing room. He did pass the next time he attempted the test.
What Special Treatment did he get? He got to be placed in classes where Special Ed students were in class with the Emotionally Disturbed students who liked to tease them/ beat them up on a regular basis. Cop who arrested my son when he was 14 because he FOUGHT BACK when several older regular-Ed students tortured him every day, and I asked for an investigation as PE teacher was nowhere to be found during entire class period. Teacher and a Principal who told me to institutionalize him. Sitters and teacher who beat him or kept him alone in a room, or just plain wouldn't take an autistic kid.
Things have been going much better now, obviously. I described earlier in this thread things son is doing to improve his marketability. He has applied for Jobs in the area, but nothing has worked out yet. I tell him not to feel bad as he has been very depressed about this, but what are we, at 20% unemployment in this state now? I just tell him to keep on learning job skills and some day he will find a job for him.
Sad thing is, there will always be people who think you can turn autism off by just saying to snap out of it......:rolleyes: There are genetic factors that cause autism, and anatomical/ physiological differences in the brains of persons with autism, it is NOT "just a label".

[Whazzup]

Well said, DisneyMom.

[hobie16]

Jesus! If I'd been you I'd be in jail for administering a few severe beat downs on some a-holes who desperately needed it.

[DisneyMom]

Thanks Whazzup and Hobie:)
I actually went back to edit some of the more brutal stuff out of there, then found out it was too late. Despite all the stuff that went on, we just wanted,
most of all, peace and acceptance. And I'm NEVER sorry for one second that he is mine.
But yeah,Hobie, I've had my fantasies.:mad: Got to keep a clear head and stay focused for what is more beneficial in the long run.

[hobie16]

Focus on end game. Grrrrrrrrrr.

Focus on end game. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Focus on end game. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

GRRRRAARRGGHHHH!!

[felinefan]

Goofyer, it's like Disneymom said--you can't turn off autism, etc.. I have no kick against kids who truly are in need of help, like autistic kids, because it's medically proven they are differant. They have differant needs. As I understand it, autisic children have hypersentitive senses, the least thing that comes along is huge for them, to the point where it's painful. So they shut down or react the way they do because that's how they come. Anyone, feel free to correct this.

The thing with stick shift was, at the time I couldn't afford the automatic course from the driving school, the only one I could afford. In fact, before my mom died, my sister told me she could sign mom's car over to me if I got my driver's license. So I was in a study for high blood pressure, and I had only a few more visits to go, then I was going to use the money fromt he study to take lessons and get my license. I had a good school selected, but then--mom died. My youngest sister got the car instead. Everything went out the window. The money I got from the study was added to mom's life insurance policy plus what she left me, and I'm living off of that.

If you have never been in an oppressive, dysfunctional, abusive situation, you cannot just "snap out of it", it takes time to get your confidence back, and some things require money, like driving lessons, learners' permits, and driver's licenses. Also cars, insurance,registration, gas, oil and maintenence. And let's not forget things like food and shelter, as well as laundry, clothing, etc.. I'm in a catch-22 position here, I need to get a job to earn money to pay off my student loans, as well as afford a new place to live, and get driving lessons, etc., but the fact that I don't drive cuts me out of a lot of jobs.

After thinking about it and researching, weighing my options, I've decided not to go for training as a medical biller/coder. That costs money. I will instead go into a class for office employment, which is free. My only anticipated expense is getting there by bus. Office clerks may not make as much as medical billers, but in my life I have observed that people who start off in low paying jobs, if they apply themselves to the job, usually come out better in the end than those who went for the high paying jobs in the beginning. Besides, what else is there after medical billing? Not a whole lot. Office clerks can go farther, because their generalized experience and education help them fit anywhere, instead of the specialized training of a biller/coder.

If one good thing can come of my past, it makes a great plot for a book series. Perfect revenge.:twisted:

Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention: It took me 35 years to figure out, through research, that what the so-called "professionals" told my parents was absolute guff--no scientific basis for it whatsoever. And when you have a bunch of strong personalities holding you back, that makes it that much harder to "just do it." So, before you judge somebody or try to offer your opinion on something, please walk a mile in their shoes.

[Goofyernmost]

I guess I knew that my statements would be explosive, but this topic is very difficult to express without someone getting hurt or upset.

Let me try one more time. Back in the days of old every individual was judged based on their ability to function in life. Every child (and I mean every child) has varying degrees of dysfunction in one area or another. When those degrees were identified and diagnosed a plan of action or method of coping was figured out and adopted. Sometimes by professionals, but most of the time by the parent.

Now every form of and degree of disability is categorized as Autistic. Every person that has a child that has been diagnosed with Autism now lumps each one in the same category whether it be a very mild dysfunction to a severe dysfunction. There does not seem to be any separation of degrees. Therefore if a child with minor problems is labeled in the same grouping as one with more severe problems and continuously reminded that they are "different", I feel that this makes it more difficult for that individual to find a way to cope with their problems and to a degree overcome them. For example, if one keeps telling anyone that they are not very smart, eventually that person will believe it.

Obviously, and I never cease to be amazed how people can think that I am saying that every adversity can be easily overcome. Of course it cannot. I am just saying that some problems are self perpetuating and some serious thought should be given to how that will affect later life. It is sometimes a lot easier to make excuses than to tackle the problem with work and effort.
Again depending on the degree of severity. Beat me if you must but that is my opinion. No one has to accept it.

[DisneyMom]

I guess I knew that my statements would be explosive, but this topic is very difficult to express without someone getting hurt or upset.

Let me try one more time. Back in the days of old every individual was judged based on their ability to function in life. Every child (and I mean every child) has varying degrees of dysfunction in one area or another. When those degrees were identified and diagnosed a plan of action or method of coping was figured out and adopted. Sometimes by professionals, but most of the time by the parent.

Now every form of and degree of disability is categorized as Autistic. Every person that has a child that has been diagnosed with Autism now lumps each one in the same category whether it be a very mild dysfunction to a severe dysfunction. There does not seem to be any separation of degrees. Therefore if a child with minor problems is labeled in the same grouping as one with more severe problems and continuously reminded that they are "different", I feel that this makes it more difficult for that individual to find a way to cope with their problems and to a degree overcome them. For example, if one keeps telling anyone that they are not very smart, eventually that person will believe it.

Obviously, and I never cease to be amazed how people can think that I am saying that every adversity can be easily overcome. Of course it cannot. I am just saying that some problems are self perpetuating and some serious thought should be given to how that will affect later life. It is sometimes a lot easier to make excuses than to tackle the problem with work and effort.
Again depending on the degree of severity. Beat me if you must but that is my opinion. No one has to accept it.

Goofyer-
The problem with your statements is that you are making broad generalizations about a large group of people, when the reality is that
1) There are still plenty of people being diagnosed with OTHER disabilities than Autism (Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, brain cell death due to hypoxia, Fragile X Syndrome, OCD....)
2)Even if someone IS diagnosed with Autism, it is well known in the community that Autism Spectrum Disorder is just that- a wide variety of personalities and abilities. Some of the kids in my son's program are driving and doing quite well in their college classes. Others, like my son, struggle.
I asked what was the criteria for being in his particular program, since some seem to be doing so well. The instructor told me that the criteria was an inability to be successful in a typical school setting. ALL of the kids were having real difficulties, just some were not obvious to me.
3) when you assume and put on a message board that parents label their children Autistic just to get special priviledges, you could give someone an idea that anyone who says their child has Autism is lying and taking advantage of "the system". You certainly do have a right to your opinion, just as I have the right to present what my experience with the issue is.
4) I don't have to tell my child he is different. The experiences he has had with others make sure he knows very acutely and painfully that he is. MY job is to build him up while explaining that although he was born with certain issues that can make things harder, he has so many qualities that will help him succeed as well. He is very handsome, caring, athletic, has an amazing memory, for example. Most of us who have special-needs kids are out there quietly plugging along, and only when someone needs their eyes opened, will we open up on exactly how hard it has been.

Hurt and Upset? Naaah. Maybe Frustrated and Irritated.:rolleyes:

[Goofyernmost]

Goofyer-
The problem with your statements is that you are making broad generalizations about a large group of people, when the reality is that
1) There are still plenty of people being diagnosed with OTHER disabilities than Autism (Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, brain cell death due to hypoxia, Fragile X Syndrome, OCD....)
2)Even if someone IS diagnosed with Autism, it is well known in the community that Autism Spectrum Disorder is just that- a wide variety of personalities and abilities. Some of the kids in my son's program are driving and doing quite well in their college classes. Others, like my son, struggle.
I asked what was the criteria for being in his particular program, since some seem to be doing so well. The instructor told me that the criteria was an inability to be successful in a typical school setting. ALL of the kids were having real difficulties, just some were not obvious to me.
3) when you assume and put on a message board that parents label their children Autistic just to get special priviledges, you could give someone an idea that anyone who says their child has Autism is lying and taking advantage of "the system". You certainly do have a right to your opinion, just as I have the right to present what my experience with the issue is.
4) I don't have to tell my child he is different. The experiences he has had with others make sure he knows very acutely and painfully that he is. MY job is to build him up while explaining that although he was born with certain issues that can make things harder, he has so many qualities that will help him succeed as well. He is very handsome, caring, athletic, has an amazing memory, for example. Most of us who have special-needs kids are out there quietly plugging along, and only when someone needs their eyes opened, will we open up on exactly how hard it has been.

Hurt and Upset? Naaah. Maybe Frustrated and Irritated.:rolleyes:

Knowing that this discussion will only deteriorate let me end my participation by just saying this...I know that there are "other" diagnoses out there and I am certainly not speaking about those with "severe" problems. However, what I am saying is that that same broad brush is presently being used by society to identify a broad spectrum of problems. I just feel that if someone must be labeled, it needs to be more specific and less grouped then the current "Autism" one is now. It is over used, over diagnosed and over reacted too, in my opinion. 1 out of every 150 children diagnosed with it seems like a situation that is worse than any flu or even a plague. It is almost as if humankind is evolving and whatever is happening is quickly becoming the norm. For what it is worth, that is my observation. It isn't intended to irritate or frustrate, just express my observation. No one needs to convince me or even pay any attention to what I am saying...it's my opinion.

I do take one exception to what you said...

3) when you assume and put on a message board that parents label their children Autistic just to get special priviledges, you could give someone an idea that anyone who says their child has Autism is lying and taking advantage of "the system".

I don't believe I ever said or implied that at all. All I have ever implied is that I felt it sometimes resulted in over-reaction and over-expectations. I never said that anyone intentionally claimed anything for special privileges. Sorry if you thought that!

[Syndrome]

As a professional in the psychology field, I can tell you that there are some parents who will indeed get their child labeled autistic or ADHD or whatever in order to get special treatment for the child. It's disgusting and an insult to kids who really have these disorders. The ADHD thing is commonly done to get kids to be able to take standardized tests with no time limit. The autism label is useful in certain states to get certain therapies paid for that parents just want for the kids. For example, in CA there was (maybe still is) a program that would pay for horseback riding lessons for autistic kids. While animal therapy is absolutely legitimate, the parents were just doing it to get the freebie. Sad.....

[Syndrome]

Addendum to my post above:

http://autismdiva.blogspot.com/2007/07/california-autism-epidemic-gold-rush.html

[disneyprincess1988]

Syndrome, I have to agree with you. That behavior from parents is despicable and guaranteed to make the child hate them later in life. And they're just teaching the child to be dishonest and deceitful as well. How horrible.

[Sarah Magdalene]

My biggest reason to be annoyed with the Label of "Autism" is that is often used as an instant forgiveness for whatever the child does wrong or bothers people. Be it hitting, bites, steal, annoy others, tantrum throw, etc. I once saw a kid wearing a button that said, "I'm not misbehaving, I have Autism. BE UNDERSTANDING!" Whoo hoo, another shoo in if Jr. smashes a plate at the restaurant or stomps on little Katie's barbie doll. The kicker for me was the guy that was involved with the shooting at Virginia Tech. was labeled with Austim, Aspergers to be more specific, and a few people were talking about his "now knowing any better" because of it.

Or of the mom and the kid who were kicked off a plane because of his behavior mommy thought was "Oh So Adorable" when he proceeded to say "bye bye clouds, bye bye people, bye bye airport, bye bye other planes, bye bye trucks, bye bye runway, ..." And would not stop even when well into the flight. It bugged people, they complained, and they let them off at the next stop over. So now mommy said she was going to look into getting her kid tested for Autism and will sue the airline for discrimination.

It's hard to figure out who is being honest and who isn't. I tend to think the ones who are truly honest are the ones apologizing for Jr.'s behavior and taking the kid aside and telling them otherwise, "it not nice to hit Minnie - you made her cry. Now you go back give her a hug and kiss ..." I have seen it done and I applaud those parents.

[felinefan]

Talk about disgusting--does anyone here remember that really sad case of the boy who had a twin sister, when they did the circumcision they used an electric device with the power turned on too high, and the resulting disfigurement led a doctor to suggest maybe they should raise him as a girl. Then they were referred to a psychologist who believed gender was flexible, and he pushed the parents to make their son a daughter, and when he started getting into adolescence he was made to take female hormones. That kid had an uphill battle. Worst of all was he and sometimes his sister would have appointments with this quack, and he would actually force them to commit incest with each other. He would also molest them, the boy especially. Finally, the boy broke free, but the damage had been done. He got a new, more knowledgable psychiatrist, had a doctor restore what he'd lost, at least partially, and found a nice lady with kids from a former marriage. He could be a husband, but not a father, so he became a stepfather. But despite all this, that stupid quack couldn't be convicted, and to the day he died he refused to recant or otherwise admit he was wrong in his beliefs. Unfortunately, despite all the good that was finally coming his way, that young man committed suicide. You can imagine how the parents thought.

Another sicko was this woman who was caught for welfare fraud--she trained her son from the time he was small to act retarded so she could get special welfare benefits. Her son was in his teens when she was arrested and convicted a few years ago. I hope that boy has a better outcome.

[Widget]

Wow I never knew being and Aspie had benefits. I was never told when I was diagnosed that I would be able to do anything I wanted and get away with it. :banghead:
Instead I just try to get through each day without majorly screwing up. Especially socially. I just don't get people. It's not an excuse either. Not that my boss gets that I don't do things just to piss him off. Well, not usually. ;)
One thing I will never understand is why people tend to start conversations this way (especially at work):
"Good morning." (or insert phrase of your choice)
"Morning. How are you?"
"Good. And you?"
"Good."
Once this ritual is done then the real conversation begins. Why bother with the how are you crap? Does either party actually care how the other is doing? Probably 99.9% of the time the answer is no since people don't tend to wait for the answer. They just expect you to say good or something similar. So I see no reason to play that game. Just tell me what you need to tell me and let me do my job. After all that is what I am paid to do. Not stand around and chit chat. At least that is what I was taught growing up. When on the clock you work. If you want to socialize do it on your own time.

[Sarah Magdalene]

Another sicko was this woman who was caught for welfare fraud--she trained her son from the time he was small to act retarded so she could get special welfare benefits. Her son was in his teens when she was arrested and convicted a few years ago. I hope that boy has a better outcome.

Now THAT is eligible for a one way ticket south via handbasket!

[DisneyMom]

Wow I never knew being and Aspie had benefits. I was never told when I was diagnosed that I would be able to do anything I wanted and get away with it. :banghead:
Instead I just try to get through each day without majorly screwing up. Especially socially. I just don't get people. It's not an excuse either. Not that my boss gets that I don't do things just to piss him off. Well, not usually. ;)

THANK YOU WIDGET:)
In a couple of paragraphs, you have described things from the other side.

I dislike the sensationalism whenever someone who may have a form of autism commits a crime........once again, that translates into "Everyone who has/ says they have autism either is dangerous because they have it, or
lying and using it for an excuse":rolleyes:

Like I said, I don't personally know anyone who is lying about their child's diagnosis. I sincerely doubt that a large percentage are. As Syndrome said, any who are are doing a HUGE disservice to people who are really suffering.

[Mayonnaise]

Some ADHD diagnoses are bogus (since that's been brought up here now too), but some of us really have it, and it's not fun, and it's not an excuse and it's not a joke. There's a reason bipolar kids often get misdiagnosed as ADHD cases and visa versa. The mood lability is a pain in my ass. I don't go to parties or concerts because I know I'll just wind up overstimulated, with the exception of cast parties at my theater troupe, which follow a prescribed pattern so I know what to expect (they play certain songs and certain party games in a prescribed order.) I never drink at these parties, because the one time I did, I got overstimulated anyhow and wound up crying when someone tried to make me dance, and had to remove myself from the situation and miss the rest of the fun.

My mother still asks me when I'm going to "grow up and stop overreacting" when I cry over things she doesn't understand. My brother (you remember him, the financially irresponsible one) calls me a freak, and frequently opines to my family that he's their only hope for "normal grandchildren."

I frequently miss subtle social cues and wind up saying the absolute wrong thing, and now that I'm aware of that, it's translated into trouble talking to other people in tense or dire situations lest I offend them. It's why I tend to post very succinctly in sympathy threads. Something like "Condolances" or "*Hugs.*" I don't know what else to say, and I'm afraid of offending someone.

I get snarky remarks for using "big" words, because I have a hard time determining, beyond the obvious (many many letters) what constitutes a "big" word. I once had a co worker take me to task for "apt" as in "apt to happen" as that was a "big" word. I've mostly given up on even trying in that department. People usually figure out after a while that I'm not trying to be condescending and leave me alone about that, as long as I rephrase if they don't understand me without any fuss. Most of my Real Life friends understand anyway... I hang with alot of academics.

One of my favorite people is a Cognitive Science Professor who happens to have Aspergers. I never took his classes, he's also a Doctoral Student, and I met him student to student in the theater troupe. He's easy to talk to and fun to be around for me because what he says is what he means. Period. I wish more people were like that. I mean... sarcasm is funny too. I have no trouble with sarcasm, most of the time. Some people don't use a sarcastic tone when they're being sarcastic tho, which is a pain. I'm talking about people who just plain lie, and doublespeak, which a lot of the time is girls. Most girls are hard as all hell to understand.

That all being said, I'm not asking for any special treatment. It's MY responsibility to remove myself from situations when I'm overstimulated. It's MY responsibility to find ways of making sure I don't forget to pay my electric bill... or more often MY responsibility to pay the late fee when I finally remember to pay the electric bill. It's MY responsibility to deal with MY problem. The only one I ask for any special treatment from is my Significant Other, who sometimes has to deal with me when I'm coming home overstimulated and need to decompress, and all I ask of him is that he give me some time alone to do it.

Sorry that's long... just... yeah... things aren't always fake, and not everyone's asking for special treatment.

8^S

[DisneyMom]

Thank You to you, too, Mayonnaise:)
Again, it is good that people know that so many are quietly just doing their best everyday.

Hearing what your brother says makes me so angry! That kind of treatment within the family is outrageous, yet I have heard so many stories like that. Remember he is just doing that to get the focus off of his bad behavior.

[DisneyMom]

Addendum to my post above:

http://autismdiva.blogspot.com/2007/07/california-autism-epidemic-gold-rush.html

Syndrome- I read the link. Very interesting, but I think the focus was more on
Doctors who might diagnose Autism to get services/therapy rather than say PDD-NOS diagnosis that has traditionally not qualified. All of this is to supposedly line the pockets of therapists who provide early childhood intervention. the Blogger stated that many of these children end up not having any deficits at all. So did the therapy change the outcome for these kids? We'll never know. There is a huge movement to catch Autism by the medical community, I think infants are being screened for it a minimum of 3 times in their first year. I'd like to think that is for the patient's benefit, not the therapist's.
All that being said, I think these cases are different than "parents lying to get special priviledges". I really don't know where to stand on the therapy fence, since my son never got ABA,etc, just normal Special Ed services that public school provided at the time, such as they were. I wonder if he would be much improved if he got them, but I kind of doubt it, he seemed to make his strides spontaneously, if late in the game.
Other than SSI, which provides him with approximately $600.00 a month to support himself on, and we are grateful for that, I am not aware of any special programs out there for him. The case manager at SSI explained that the money is intended to keep disabled living with their families.
If he gets a paying job, that amount will be adjusted down. Either way, he will probably always live with me, as California is horribly expensive. Hope I can figure out a plan for him after Hubby and I die.

[hobie16]

I get snarky remarks for using "big" words...
One of the better lawyer's in San Francisco philosophy was, "Why use a small word when a big one will do." I always thought it was an intelligent was to go.

[Mayonnaise]

One of the better lawyer's in San Francisco philosophy was, "Why use a small word when a big one will do." I always thought it was an intelligent was to go.

Did you read the rest of the paragraph? The point is that not all "big" words are actually long. "Apt" is three letters long. I caught flack on another message board for "whilst." From what I gather, "big" words are just words the speaker doesn't know, or doesn't normally hear, regardless of size. The trouble I have is knowing which words other people are likely to know, and which ones they aren't, aside from the obvious (scientific terminology, trade jargon, etc.)

8^)

[BRWombat]

One of the better lawyer's in San Francisco philosophy was, "Why use a small word when a big one will do." I always thought it was an intelligent was to go.Eh, I'm not so sure. I'm all for proper use of words great and small -- and from my posts here you guys know that I don't shy away from the big words myself. ("Sesquipedalian" is my all time favorite word. Look it up.)

But one of my biggest pet peeves as a lawyer is the use in our profession of big words when smaller ones will work as well. Too often I see this being done when it's not necessary, and it's usually because either (1) the lawyer is trying to make himself or herself sound important, or (2) it's to confuse or conceal the true meaning of the words from someone.

Given that language is intended for communication, the trend across the legal profession is plain English and has been for decades, but you still get some who are proud of their "legalese" and use it wherever possible. Granted there are times I have to craft some pretty inelegant sentences and use some big words to remove the possibility of misinterpretation, but for the most part I try to write clearly so that anyone can understand.

[Mayonnaise]

("Sesquipedalian" is my all time favorite word. Look it up.)
My 6th grade English teacher assigned us 5 Sesquipedalian words to look up and learn the meaning of each week. We had to put the word, it's definition, a picture from a magazine representing it, and use it in a sentence on a page of looseleaf and put it in our "Sesquipedalians" binder. On Friday she'd call on 5 students to define each of the 5 "Sesquas", and heaven forbid you didn't have yours done and you got called on, you'd get marked a 0 for Sesquas for the week.

8^)

[darph nader]

Sesquipedalian?:confused: When in the heck would you ever get to use that? Scrabble maybe. :D:"Yes Alex,I'd like sesquipedalian for $1,000". :rolleyes: (yes,I looked it up)

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Did you read the rest of the paragraph? The point is that not all "big" words are actually long. "Apt" is three letters long. I caught flack on another message board for "whilst." From what I gather, "big" words are just words the speaker doesn't know, or doesn't normally hear, regardless of size. The trouble I have is knowing which words other people are likely to know, and which ones they aren't, aside from the obvious (scientific terminology, trade jargon, etc.)

8^)

You should do what I do went someone complains at wrokd about BIG words. My reply is "You don't understand the word?, I'l use smaller words and more pithy statements when I am talking with you, and I will talk slower so you can comprehend"

Usually shuts them up.

Eh, I'm not so sure. I'm all for proper use of words great and small -- and from my posts here you guys know that I don't shy away from the big words myself. ("Sesquipedalian" is my all time favorite word. Look it up.)

But one of my biggest pet peeves as a lawyer is the use in our profession of big words when smaller ones will work as well. Too often I see this being done when it's not necessary, and it's usually because either (1) the lawyer is trying to make himself or herself sound important, or (2) it's to confuse or conceal the true meaning of the words from someone.

Given that language is intended for communication, the trend across the legal profession is plain English and has been for decades, but you still get some who are proud of their "legalese" and use it wherever possible. Granted there are times I have to craft some pretty inelegant sentences and use some big words to remove the possibility of misinterpretation, but for the most part I try to write clearly so that anyone can understand.

hehehehhehee

Reminds me of when DW was considering going to law school. She became a para-legal for a few years to see if she would like the work.

When some of the lawyers would speak in latin terms, she would correct their latin. (she went to a private school in Boston and had six years of latin!)

(yeah, I got her to write out some "bad" sayings for me! hehehehehehe)

[DisneyMom]

Reminds me of when DW was considering going to law school. She became a para-legal for a few years to see if she would like the work.

When some of the lawyers would speak in latin terms, she would correct their latin. (she went to a private school in Boston and had six years of latin!)

(yeah, I got her to write out some "bad" sayings for me! hehehehehehe)

Even geniuses like to have fun!:p:

RUM? (you said I could invoke it anytime!;))

[Alyssa3467]

Talk about disgusting--does anyone here remember that really sad case of the boy who had a twin sister, when they did the circumcision they used an electric device with the power turned on too high, and the resulting disfigurement led a doctor to suggest maybe they should raise him as a girl. Then they were referred to a psychologist who believed gender was flexible, and he pushed the parents to make their son a daughter, and when he started getting into adolescence he was made to take female hormones. That kid had an uphill battle. Worst of all was he and sometimes his sister would have appointments with this quack, and he would actually force them to commit incest with each other. He would also molest them, the boy especially. Finally, the boy broke free, but the damage had been done. He got a new, more knowledgable psychiatrist, had a doctor restore what he'd lost, at least partially, and found a nice lady with kids from a former marriage. He could be a husband, but not a father, so he became a stepfather. But despite all this, that stupid quack couldn't be convicted, and to the day he died he refused to recant or otherwise admit he was wrong in his beliefs. Unfortunately, despite all the good that was finally coming his way, that young man committed suicide. You can imagine how the parents thought.

I think what you're trying to describe is the so-called "John/Joan case," involving David Reimer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Reimer) and Dr. John Money (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Money). The twins were boys, and as stated, a circumcision did not go as planned, and Dr. Money suggested raising the boy as a girl, thinking that nurture would win over nature. And despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Dr. Money continued to call his work on Reimer a "success." :mad:

It always bothers me seeing a little boy going for the princess toys, or the Minnie or Daisy plush, and being told he can't have them because they're for girls. I think kids should be allowed to play with whatever toys they want. And if little Timmy says he wants to be a girl, deal with it appropriately. Beating the snot out of him and making him play with boy stuff isn't the way to go and will only make him distance himself in the future.

I'm going to stop here rather than ramble on...

[Widget]

I hear you. At work we are told to ask professionally. There are days when I think that I am the only one who listens. I often see 'official' paperwork filled out with partially spelled out words. That annoys me no end. It is one thing to leaves notes to yourself and use abbreviations but when it is something that anyone, including customers, can see it should be done correctly.
My biggest pet peeve had to be the use of self mute for self mutilation. (I'm a licensed veterinary technician and sometimes see animals that have chewed open sites.) Every so often I'll have another person come up to me and say so and so is a self mute. I've gotten to the point where I will ask "It doesn't make any noise?" I usually get a blank stare back for a few seconds and then get a sarcastic "No. Self mutilation. You know what I meant."


Did you read the rest of the paragraph? The point is that not all "big" words are actually long. "Apt" is three letters long. I caught flack on another message board for "whilst." From what I gather, "big" words are just words the speaker doesn't know, or doesn't normally hear, regardless of size. The trouble I have is knowing which words other people are likely to know, and which ones they aren't, aside from the obvious (scientific terminology, trade jargon, etc.)

8^)

[hobie16]

DisneyMom, you'll be interested in this.

Disabled Students More Likely to Be Spanked in School (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/education/11punish.html?hpw)

[felinefan]

I think what you're trying to describe is the so-called "John/Joan case," involving David Reimer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Reimer) and Dr. John Money (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Money). The twins were boys, and as stated, a circumcision did not go as planned, and Dr. Money suggested raising the boy as a girl, thinking that nurture would win over nature. And despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Dr. Money continued to call his work on Reimer a "success." :mad:

It always bothers me seeing a little boy going for the princess toys, or the Minnie or Daisy plush, and being told he can't have them because they're for girls. I think kids should be allowed to play with whatever toys they want. And if little Timmy says he wants to be a girl, deal with it appropriately. Beating the snot out of him and making him play with boy stuff isn't the way to go and will only make him distance himself in the future.

You're right, that's exactly what I was referring to; saw the documentary in college. I thought how appropriate that guy had the last name of Money, because he sucked enough of it out of his parents.

I grew up playing with weather stations--whose instructions invariably depicted boys using them--microscopes, a Mr. Machine robot (the 1961 model you could assemble/disassemble, even though at 5 I was too young for it, as it was recommended for children 8+), a Visible Woman figure (right before they were yanked off the market), and a toy fire engine that you could use to pump water through its hose--had a lot of fun with that. I had dolls too, but I had lots of books, mainly about my big three interests--medicine, weather, and astronomy. You didn't see too many girls in the early 60s with those. Got a lot of the How and Why Wonder Book series, and other books for when my parents couldn't answer all of my questions.

I once lived for a few years in Pennsylvania, at my mom's behest, and I kept running into people who had a hard time understanding me when I talked. They joked about the "big words" I used. Hey, sorry, when your I.Q. is in the gifted range, and you've been reading at college level since junior high, you can't help it. One of the "big words" I used was "feral", to refer to a animal that was descended from domesticated stock. I had to stop and explain what the word meant. * Sigh* It's not easy being geek.;)

I'm going to stop here rather than ramble on...

[felinefan]

Could one of the mods fix this? I put my reply between the quote and the "I'm going to stop here rather than ramble on..." The end of the quote was how kids shouldn't be beaten up for choosing toys that don't fit their gender, and the start of my reply was "You're right, that's what I was referring to; saw the documentary in college."

Thanks. I just couldn't think of how to do it without erasing what I just said.

[GaTechGal]

Mayo, you keep using those big words. I do it all the time. It helps my kids as well - by the time they get those SAT words in school, they already know them and how to use them appropriatly in conversation. Let's RAISE the IQ of our fellow citizens not lower it. That's why Reader's Digest has had that Word column in there for years.

Your professor friend sounds like John Forbes Nash Jr., the guy from the movie "A Beautiful Mind". Great movie.

And as to girls being hard to understand - you are DEFINLTY not the first one to make that observation. It's really our secret weapon (she says sarcastically). ;)

[MyLittleAngels]

keep using those big words. I do it all the time. It helps my kids as well

I do this .. My husband's least favorite is "expeditious". If we're walking along, and a couple of my girls are lagging, I'll call out "Ladies, expeditiously, please!", and they'll speed up accordingly. It works wonderfully because not only did they improve their vocabulary by understanding the word, no one else says it, so they always know I'm talking to them. I have had a few other parents look at me strangely, or ask about it .. I've always just found that it works for us.

[Syndrome]

I was scarred for life in school when I used the word "repast" and the teacher questioned me because she didn't know what it meant and went so far as to look it up before conceding that I had used it properly.

Of course, I was given an F on my book report on "Animal Farm" in the fifth grade because my teacher said a 10 year old couldn't possibly understand that it was an allegory for Communism. Pissed me off to no end. My mother may have been a psycho harpy who made Joan Crawford look like Donna Reed in the parenting dept., but she was big on vocabulary and literature and I sure as hell DID understand what that book was about.

[DisneyMom]

I do this .. My husband's least favorite is "expeditious". If we're walking along, and a couple of my girls are lagging, I'll call out "Ladies, expeditiously, please!", and they'll speed up accordingly. It works wonderfully because not only did they improve their vocabulary by understanding the word, no one else says it, so they always know I'm talking to them. I have had a few other parents look at me strangely, or ask about it .. I've always just found that it works for us.

It is a good word.......
but I don't know if I could say it without spitting!:o:

[Mayonnaise]

Mayo, you keep using those big words. I do it all the time. It helps my kids as well - by the time they get those SAT words in school, they already know them and how to use them appropriatly in conversation. Let's RAISE the IQ of our fellow citizens not lower it. That's why Reader's Digest has had that Word column in there for years.
Thank you! I actually didn't have to study for the verbal end of the SAT by the time I got there... though I hear they've removed the analogies. That's sad. The analogies part was fun.

Your professor friend sounds like John Forbes Nash Jr., the guy from the movie "A Beautiful Mind". Great movie.
Not sure I see the connection. My Professor friend is an aspie, and John Nash was a paranoid schizophrenic. The only similarity I see is both study game theory.

And as to girls being hard to understand - you are DEFINLTY not the first one to make that observation. It's really our secret weapon (she says sarcastically). ;)
Apparently the secret decoder ring it's one of the many weapons in the female arsenal I did not come equipped with.

8^P

[DisneyMom]

Apparently the secret decoder ring it's one of the many weapons in the female arsenal I did not come equipped with.

8^P

Pssssssssst! Mayonaisse!
There's a REASON why they are called "princesses":rolleyes:

I didn't come with the decoder ring, either;)

[GaTechGal]

Not sure I see the connection. My Professor friend is an aspie, and John Nash was a paranoid schizophrenic. The only similarity I see is both study game theory.

8^P

Actually I was thinking more that a lot of his social behavior was inappropriate (not due to his schizophrenia), but that he was still an interesting person that inspired love and loyalty in those that bothered to get to know him.

[Mayonnaise]

Actually I was thinking more that a lot of his social behavior was inappropriate (not due to his schizophrenia), but that he was still an interesting person that inspired love and loyalty in those that bothered to get to know him.

Ahhhhh... there's the confusion. He's not socially inappropriate in any sort of bombastic way. When I first met him, I took him for a timid neurotypical. Shy. Between the two of us, I'm probably more socially inappropriate than he is. *Giggle.*

8^)

[SandrA9810]

Working in Photopass, if a family ever walked up to me with some one on the cellphone, I would take it out of their hands, put it in my pocket (of course it was usually mom who was ok with the whole idea of getting the stupid thing stuck out of the kids/dad's ear). Then at the end of the picture taking, I would hand it back to mom and tell them, it's a family vacation, you're stuck with 4 others I'm sure you can think of things to talk about for a day!
I got a lot of laughs from the other family members that I was picking on the one who wanted to the farthest away from Disney.

[Andover82]

The only time I use a cell phone in the parks is to coordinate meeting with the rest of my group, to make a last minute dining reservation, or to take a photo. I have a friend who calls me all the time when I am on vacation (doesn't she realize that I am also on vacation from her?!?) and I never answer when I'm in a park. It isn't really even about consideration for my family....I want to have fun, not talk on the phone!

[hobie16]

The only time I use a cell phone in the parks is to coordinate meeting with the rest of my group, to make a last minute dining reservation, or to take a photo. I have a friend who calls me all the time when I am on vacation (doesn't she realize that I am also on vacation from her?!?) and I never answer when I'm in a park. It isn't really even about consideration for my family....I want to have fun, not talk on the phone!
You've learned that the operational part of vacation is vacate. :D:

[TTARider]

Ahh, Cell phones.. The pedestrian roadblock of happiness... Strolling through MK today I encountered a soul 'hanging out' in one of the 'single door wide' entrances to Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe.. The man saying (very politely) "excuse me" behind her looked like he was going to blow a fuse .. He just wanted to get in the door afterall... Wouldn't want to interrupt her call though...


Had a strange afternoon at the park.. witnessed a frustrated guest shouting at a CM at the turnstyles... Too bad he was too busy shouting irrationally toward the CM, instead of watching his step... Nearly took-out a wheelchair rider in the process...

While I don't condone the disregard public safety, I really am saddened by the fact that I missed out on a 'Complete' SGT experience :)