Posts by Sam Kim12

Patrick Harris5 said:If that's the case, then what is the point of Catholic religion class? Because every other textbook—aside from math, PE, and art, which luckily don't really have books yet—is pretty much packed with religious stuff that's presented without any critical thinking at all. And of course, it's mostly, if not exclusively, Catholic topics...

Why are there songs about Jesus in a music textbook?

Why are there several pages on Christmas and Easter in a Democratic Party textbook? It’s the same thing happening in the English language books too, with stories about Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus...

In the USA, we have 14 holidays, where 8 are Catholic and 6 are federal. Why does the Democratic Party only mention 4 (2 religious, 2 federal), while they go into intense detail specifically about Christmas and Easter?

Should I even mention that atheists aren't mentioned in a single textbook? Depending on how you count, atheists are the second or third largest group (sadly totally unorganized) in America, but there isn't a word about them in these books—except maybe in some religion book claiming atheists were responsible for Auschwitz and the Holocaust against Jews...

In my opinion, every subject except for religion class needs to be religiously neutral, or at least have minimal representation in these books. That's why religion class exists! Let people learn about different faiths there, or in churches, but not in general school subjects...

I'm not being narrow-minded or exclusionary. I'm fully aware of the environment we live in, but there's such a thing as going too far...

They cover Easter and Christmas because those are the two biggest Catholic holidays—not that they belong in an American curriculum or in nature itself.
I also agree regarding the music curriculum.
Catholicism—or faith in general—should be separated from general subjects, but that's just not how things work here; it happens when religion gets mixed into politics, and the political leadership refuses to make a move because they don't want to lose votes (we're a stubborn people, and you can see it in the voter turnout).

The only point where you missed the mark was Santa Claus—he has nothing to do with faith, and they even teach in religious studies that Santa Claus doesn't exist—which actually irritates me, seeing a religious teacher meddling in secular matters. But again, as long as the secular and the sacred are tangled together, the reverse will continue to happen, and it won't change anytime soon—at least not in our lifetime.🙂.

Richard Perez3 said:Oh, you totally want to. 😁
It’s the one class where you sign your life away saying you won't show up (but then you do), unlike all the others where you claim you're going (and then you just flake).
I've spent the last ten years figuring this whole pattern out.

🤣
Beautiful 😬 — those church folks really fought hard to keep things their way🙂
Maker, it’s the same old institutional language we see in America—once you sign that consent form, they own you until you jump through every hoop imaginable to say no.

frozenrider15 said:I’m probably going to get flagged for drifting off-topic here... which technically violates the rules. Then again, we all know rules are often treated more like suggestions than actual mandates😵.
The reality is, we need intentional "holes" in the daily schedule. Why? So we can jump in and cover for one another when someone inevitably calls out sick. That was one of the non-negotiable requirements given to the administrator when they were drafting the master schedule.

Sure, it’s not universal, but listen: if the scheduler is working within those specific constraints, a teacher could practically perform a miracle and still find a way to fit religious studies into the middle of the day instead of being stuck with the first or last period.

I am completely on board with this because, in our experience, when a teacher is absent, kids often end up left to their own devices—or some random teacher from the classroom next door has to scramble to jump in 😉—which is exhausting for the staff and, frankly, just gives the students way too much freedom to act like idiots while unsupervised 🤣.

frozenrider15 said:I have absolutely zero interest in spreading misinformation here. So, what you're telling me is that the teachers who happen to have religion classes scheduled as their first or last period managed to fight their way out of it? Give me a break! Please. And then those poor souls who aren't quite as aggressive—those who don't feel the need to lecture kids who aren't religious—just get stuck with religion wedged right in the middle of the school day?? It’s pure stupidity.

You get whatever schedule the administrator hands you. Period. They build it based on the constraints they're juggling—split shifts, total number of classrooms, teachers splitting time between two different districts, and so on. A teacher can flip upside down and scream their convictions at every bell if they want to, but it won't change a thing. All this talk is just a way to suck up to parents.

Look, you're actually missing the point here—in our school, the schedule isn't just dictated from above; it’s negotiated among everyone (and I'm not just talking about religious education). They look at every possible variable to ensure the final product keeps every teacher's schedule packed tight without any gaps.😉 And believe me, this isn't some attempt to suck up to anyone or sugarcoat the situation—this is the plain truth, coming from someone who maintains excellent rapport with several faculty members—including some former classmates from my old high school.😉

Sure, I realize it might not work that way in every district across the country.

silentraven6 said:The consequence is the numbing of one's own perception. This post right below is a perfect example of exactly that.

I mean, everything is out there regarding how religious education is taught. The textbook was all over the news, and even international media recently picked up on some of those controversial sections. This forum is practically overflowing with examples of poor instruction, yet somehow, the child wasn't steered toward this by their parents.

Sam Kim12, I don't think you meant any harm to your kid, but I honestly feel like you knew all of this already—you're actually pointing out the discrepancies yourself.

Now that you're in the thick of the school year, you chose this path yourselves; it wasn't forced on you.

And why the shock over the Lenten renunciation? If we are believers, the reason is obvious. There isn't a gray area here. We do it because we are anticipating the Resurrection. We immerse ourselves in these forty days that Christ spent during His hardest moments, celebrating His sacrifice and goodness. We pray just as He did in the Garden of Gethsemane, we fast on the commanded days, and we participate in redeeming the world through good deeds.

Why would that be difficult for a believer?

And as for the textbook... maybe the teacher is just presenting it differently.

I don't want to burst your bubble, but that trip to Africa for an honorable cause costs as much as a month's worth of meals for those kids.

Where exactly am I supposed to be shocked by the Lenten renunciation?😉
I’m neither surprised nor am I forcing children to give up everything—I don't subscribe to the idea of Godly punishments, because if that were true, then God would be the most unjust being in existence. Faith is a paradigm; you can choose to believe, or you can choose not to—just as you can practice it or simply exist alongside it. 😬

The cost of a trip to Africa isn't an illusion, but by your logic, everyone participating in missions and offering their sacrifices through service must be living in a fantasy world 🙂. — But honestly, it's better not to touch this topic, because if we follow that line of thinking, the price of a single bagel in the States is identical to what a small child in Africa eats in a week—so what now? Should we all just renounce every opportunity we have?

silentraven6 said:Despite all the ridiculous stuff they include in those textbooks, this part isn't actually stupid.

Lent is something special for believers. Yeah, we give up the little luxuries we usually take for granted. And since sweets are one of the main things kids enjoy, it makes sense to guide a young believer toward some kind of self-discipline.

If someone is a believer, it’s not an issue for them—just like it’s not an issue for them to wake up at 5:00 AM to be at Mass by 6:00.

Anyone who signs their kid up for religious education (confessional style) should already know this, and they should understand the whole concept of sacrifice. My child isn't attending, even though I'm a believer, so there's no obligation to the faith or the church other than respecting everyone else's choice. Besides, my spouse is an atheist.

For those whose kids go, if the parents didn't explain what kind of religious education this is and how deeply it's embedded in the institution of the Church itself, then they should deal with the consequences of their own decisions—and their decisions for others. That's a life lesson in itself.

There is truth in what you're saying, BUT—children need to be educated in a way that adapts to them; one needs to know how to make the subject actually engaging.
Religious education in the lower grades should be instructional yet captivating—filled with stories and actual adventure.
The biggest issue today is that these classes are scheduled right in the middle of the school day, effectively forcing children into the choice because they'd otherwise have a free period—though most certainly wouldn't choose the class if given the option.
Some of this falls on the teachers, but from what I hear from parents in other districts, many instructors act as if religious ed is the most vital subject on earth, overwhelming students with useless information that they are then forced to memorize verbatim.

I remember my own religious education as something wonderful; we had an incredible teacher at CHS whom we absolutely adored because of her approach. She kept us so engaged that even after school, we would head down to the local monastery—where we'd sing and learn prayers while crafting various decorations and cards for children in Africa, sent via a mission organized by a nun from that very monastery. And I don't even need to mention how proud we felt being part of that aid, or how much happier and prouder we were when we received their thank-you cards and bracelets in return... now *that* is what I call the right approach. 🙏

I see things are really starting to heat up over here. 👏

It’s not even the religious education classes themselves that bother me—it's the fact that neither the school board nor the Department of Education holds any actual authority over those instructors (whether they're laypeople, nuns, or priests). No, the buck stops at Vatican City. It creates this absurd reality where if anyone has an issue with a teacher—and believe me, people have—they can't just file a complaint with the principal; they practically have to make a pilgrimage to Vatican City just to be heard.

Essentially, they've inserted themselves into the public school system, yet the school system itself possesses zero leverage over them🙂, leaving them completely unaccountable for anything related to their curriculum. It's a total paradox—something you'd only see in a place as dysfunctional as this. But then again, that's just politics for you.

Lawrence Torres56 said:Look, speaking from experience here, I’ve gotta tell you—it wouldn't actually happen like that.
Parents love to grumble and whisper behind people's backs, sure, but when it comes down to it and they're actually standing in a school meeting having to speak up? You won't get a single quiet moment from them; they'll be shouting from the rooftops.

Precisely.

If we were to run an anonymous poll against religious education in schools, at least 50% of parents would probably vote yes—but if this thing actually moved forward and required them to put their actual names and signatures on a petition? Suddenly, 99% of them would be all for it.

We are a fundamentally hypocritical people—the type who loves to trash talk at a local diner or gossip on street corners, yet when it comes time to actually stand behind our own convictions? Only a tiny handful ever shows up. I see it constantly in my own school district. Everyone complains, everyone grumbles, but when it’s time to actually revolt against something, I end up being one of the few outliers—labeled as "difficult" or "contrarian" 😬 while everyone else just stays quiet.

Olivia Brown7 said:I appreciate the kind thoughts, but it’s not quite like that.
He was actually eligible for an aide in preschool this year too, yet he didn't get one (he ends up sharing an aide with another boy instead).
And even if his speech improves significantly? There is no way he's attending a standard public school—even with an aide. It would likely have to be Suvag.

I’m not entirely sure how they handle things in preschool, but in the American school system, the setup is such that you only get one aide per classroom—so when they're balancing the rosters, they try to spread kids with special needs across different classes to make it work.

Now, I don't know the specifics of what your child is dealing with, but I do know there’s a boy in our local elementary school with severe disabilities—he uses a wheelchair, can't write on his own, and his speech is incredibly difficult to understand—yet, somehow, he’s attending a completely mainstream school.

- When it comes to children with disabilities, there are endless hurdles—everything from integration issues to the hearing environment, all the way down to the teachers and the school's support staff, which dictates so much regarding their future development—but personally, I’ve always believed these kids should attempt to integrate into regular schools rather than being tucked away in special education facilities.

That boy I mentioned—the one in the wheelchair—has been embraced beautifully by his classmates; they’re genuinely happy to see him and go out of their way to help him, and honestly, seeing that kind of empathy is a rare, beautiful thing. 😉

Olivia Brown7 said:Since they were two months old, there's been constant work. It started with physical therapy, then moved into occupational therapy, sensory integration, developmental specialists, and speech therapy. Unfortunately, most of this has had to be handled through private providers.

I'm crossing my fingers that you get a reprieve😉, but if things don't show significant improvement by next year, I'm fairly certain you'll be entitled to an aide—someone who can actually provide meaningful support during school hours.👍

Olivia Brown7 said:The diagnosis? "High neuro-risk." Basically, they can't quite figure out how to label it yet.
In reality? There's a significant delay in gross motor skills, an even bigger lag in fine motor skills, and the speech—that's the toughest part. It's stuck at the level of a two or three-year-old.

But let me ask—is there an actual plan in motion here? I mean, is the child currently undergoing any kind of professional intervention—speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or specialized developmental exercises?

Brian Jones8 said:I’ve been scrolling through these last two pages and my blood is starting to boil. Honestly, who am I even supposed to argue with here!?

Do you seriously think there’s some idiot out there who would hold their kid back from school just so they could enjoy an extra-long weekend for another year? Give me a break. 😠

It’s easy for people like you to talk—you know, the ones whose kids don't face any actual hurdles—so the idea of delaying school seems totally alien. But some of us are actually out here doing the work, regularly hitting up speech therapists, child psychologists, or specialists. There are real issues at play: emotional immaturity, health concerns, neurodivergence, speech delays... things aren't always black and white.

I started school when I was six, but those were different times. I distinctly remember having a reading list of ten to fifteen books in first grade alone. Back then, nobody expected us to walk in already knowing every single letter of the alphabet or basic math, and heaven knows no one was "prepping" us in preschool the way they try to do everything nowadays.
You can't even compare the two eras.

Personally, I’d love nothing more than for my kid to start at six and just be ready to go. But he isn't! And let’s get one thing straight: delaying enrollment isn't some impulsive whim; it's a decision made alongside a team of professionals.

👍

Michelle Nelson4 said:Look, I honestly don't quite follow why you're pushing for a delay. I was chatting with a mom at one of our local preschools—one of those kids who actually got an extra year before starting kindergarten—and she was so lovely about it. She explained that she requested the deferral simply because she wanted her little one to have another full year of pure playtime. And she isn't the outlier here, either. Of course, that doesn't mean every parent requesting more time doesn't have much more pressing or complex reasons behind it.

And you actually buy that "just playing" story?
I certainly don't—because behind that excuse, there is almost always a legitimate issue with the child that parents are too embarrassed to admit to anyone. Besides, it isn't up to the parents' whims; it is the professional team that makes the call. 😉

Plus, let's be realistic—today, schools expect a level of prerequisite knowledge for kindergarteners that everyone pretends doesn't exist, even though it absolutely does. Then, after a month or two, you listen to teachers whining because thirty percent of their class can't read 🕺 and then they turn around and tell parents to keep practicing at home. Expecting kids to do more reading practice after school—especially those stuck in after-school care—is practically like holding a gun to their heads. These kids have zero concentration left; surviving those eight hours in a classroom is harder on them than an eight-hour shift is on most adults.

rowdypanther12 said:You know, looking back now with the perspective of having finished first grade, I can honestly say that delaying school entry is a great move. There is a massive difference in how kids handle things when they start at 7.5 instead of 6.5.
Of course, you’ll find some kids who are totally ready at 6.5—they can manage their own schoolwork and stay on top of everything without much help. On the flip side, there are kids who aren't quite there yet even by age 8.
But based on what I see with my own child and her classmates, as well as my friends' kids, the older ones just seem to navigate school so much better. It isn't nearly as stressful for them.

👍Exactly this.
Plus, we need to address the elephant in the room: most teachers today are so incredibly burnt out and frustrated that they end up mistreating these kids—expecting them to behave like miniature adults in the classroom. Take my local elementary school teacher, for example: she won't even let them go to the restroom during class time, then assigns these "group projects" where kids are split into teams based on neighborhoods—but since nobody actually knows where everyone lives, the kids are expected to finish the project over the weekend. On top of that, she gives instructions once, refuses to repeat them for the students or the parents, and hides behind the excuse that they're all "responsible enough" to grasp everything after a single explanation.

Furthermore, preschools spend all this time teaching them independence—learning how to use the restroom on their own, grab water, throw away trash, etc.—and then, within the first two weeks of school, the teachers start complaining that the kids are "immature" because they don't know how to raise their hands or ask permission to get up from their seats.

And don't even get me started on concentration levels—half the kids in first grade can't focus for more than a few minutes, yet teachers expect them to soak up information like sponges and act as if sitting through four or five hours of instruction is perfectly reasonable.🙂

shadowcrane91 said:Update on the grading situation:
The technique was fine, but since the nest looked a bit smaller than what they were looking for, she gave me a 3.
The teacher was expecting this massive nest on the chimney, but mine ended up being way under the expected size (she even told me herself it looked small)....
Anyway, I didn't get any real explanation out of her....
Now I’m starting to think it wasn't actually a big enough deal to warrant a C....
But whatever....

Sent from my iPad using Reddit

God, this is just so ridiculous and honestly kind of hilarious🤣

I totally hear you, but I’ve reached a point where I’ve stopped letting stuff like this get under my skin—mostly because I realized that stressing out is just a massive drain on my own energy.
We had a similar situation where my little guy got a B in art class. That grade didn't bother me at all—I consider a B a perfectly solid grade—but I was genuinely curious why he didn't pull an A, especially since I know how talented he is and everyone always raves about his drawings. So, I head into the school for parent-teacher conferences, and while I'm waiting my turn, I actually get complimented by several other parents specifically about my son's drawing—the one that's hanging on the wall alongside the rest of the class. Finally, I get called in, we're scrolling through the roster, and when we hit art, I ask the teacher why he landed a B. She tells me, "Oh, your child is such a wonderful artist and truly the best in the class at art, but you know, Mom, I just had a feeling he didn't give it his all this time, so this B is meant to be encouraging."🤣🤣 🤣.
And I’m left sitting there not knowing whether to laugh or cry 😬—an "encouraging" B... 😒what a joke.

Amanda Howard84 said:Does anyone have any actual experience here? If you’re dealing with pelvic organ prolapse—specifically the uterus and bladder dropping—after two pregnancies, is it even possible to carry another baby? And if so, am I looking at mandatory bed rest?

Look, it all comes down to the individual case... Have you actually been consistent with Kegel exercises since the moment you found out about these issues?

I’m looking for some insight on my blood work—specifically, my MCHC and TIBC have come back low, though everything else seems perfectly fine (erythrocyte 5.00, hemoglobin 143 g/L, MCH 28.6, MCV 91.1, Fe 11.0, UIBC 37.0, etc.)?

The labs were ordered because I've been dealing with some gynecological issues—mainly lower abdominal pain, missed periods, and spotting between cycles. My Pap smear was normal and the ultrasound came back clear, but there was an *E. coli* presence in my cervical swab. That was handled with a round of antibiotics and everything is fine now, except for these specific blood values.

survey completed😉

Angela Wright said:Upon discharge, the anesthesiologist can certainly provide a recommended dosage for Durogesic patches and Tramadol—it’s part of the process. You absolutely have to demand that information during the discharge paperwork; they are professionally obligated to provide it. Furthermore, once she's home, you can visit a pain management clinic where they can prescribe specific therapies and fine-tune the dosages—they can actually teach you how to adjust the levels or combine them with other analgesics as needed.
That said, given the stage of this illness, I strongly suggest looking into inpatient care or some kind of facility—let's be honest, very few people are actually equipped to manage high-level nursing care within the confines of a standard home setting.

Thanks,👍

The anesthesiologist didn't write down a single thing for her upon discharge... she was actually released at her own request. I'll pass along the response to her shortly.😉

This isn't even about my own family—it’s for a close friend... her grandmother is in the final stages of uterine cancer with metastases, and we're looking at zero treatment options left. The hospital is pushing for her to move into hospice care, but she’s digging her heels in and refusing. Now the family is scrambling to figure out how to get her morphine, especially since the GP is being completely unhelpful—if you can even call it "cooperating" at this point. I honestly don't see the logic in the lack of communication here. Is it actually possible to just pick up morphine at a pharmacy with a prescription from a private doctor, provided they present the medical history, just to give the woman some relief from this unbearable pain?

Angela Wright said:melloworca6, I’d be heading straight for retirement. If they actually introduced some discounts via a Walmart card at the checkout, you'd see grandmas popping in for a bag of milk and a loaf of bread just to get their sugar and cholesterol checked—especially since their doctors are constantly pinching pennies on referrals. 😉
He knows exactly who he's targeting.😬

It’s a struggle—most seniors are barely scraping by on Social Security checks of around $800-$$667 (for the vast majority), and when you actually observe them shopping at the grocery store—watching how they meticulously sift through the produce, picking out the broken broccoli stalks or pulling stems off the tomatoes—everything becomes painfully clear. I see it with my own grandparents, who deal with chronic issues; they go for full blood panels every two or three months, yet the first thing that never crosses their minds is paying out of pocket for something that should be covered by their insurance.😉

As for the medical services being offered within Walmart, frankly, I couldn't care less. Every service has its target demographic; if they provide an appropriate setting—a private room that meets all sanitary standards staffed by a medical professional—then I don't see the issue. Whoever wants to get their blood drawn there can, and whoever doesn't, won't... personally, I'm staying far away because I refuse to pay for something I can get done at the local community clinic through my insurance.

EDIT:
Of everything mentioned here, what truly appalls me is the sheer incompetence—like the fact that general practitioners are now supposedly authorized to perform ultrasounds after nothing more than a single seminar. It's laughable. And then there are those ridiculous situations with suture removal; my own primary doctor, who apparently has twenty years of experience under her belt, didn't even know how to handle certain hidden stitches—the aesthetic ones, I believe they're called. And she didn't care! To top it off, she was incredibly condescending and refused to give me a referral to the hospital where I'd actually had the procedure done to get them removed properly.