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Meredith Quill

By Meredith Quill
in My 600-lb Life

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mmecorday
mmecorday

I call this "My 600-pound Still Life" 😄

Bunnygirl
Bunnygirl

So, this afternoon I was playing my favorite game: Gin Rummy Plus on my phone. And you never know who you’re going to be playing with, Just how many coins you’re willing to play for. Anyway, who shoul

IOU Payne
IOU Payne

I adopted a rescue kitty from the SPCA yesterday.  He's a 22-pound purring machine!  He was listed as a humanitarian adoption because of his obesity, although his "fighting weight" will probably be ar

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MsVixen

MsVixen

On 10/25/2017 at 4:56 PM, Anchorabu said:

Thank you all for your kind comments about Mama Anchorabu. She loved watching the show and commenting about it. You all, and this forum, provided her much joy. Today was her funeral, and I’m grateful she had so much joy here before she declined. God bless you. ❤️❤️

I'm so sorry for your loss, Anchorabu.  Momma A will be missed.

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auntjess

auntjess

So to follow up on the Body Bizarre, it was a man in Mexico who weighed over 1000 lbs. 
He had some excuses (thyroid), but had been in a really bad accident for a long time.
He had a good attitude, when the doctor told him he had to lose  200lbs before surgery, he ended up losing 374.
Could stand, and walk a little, and had a bicycle wheel rigged up to do arm exercises.
James K could learn from him.

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auntjess

auntjess

OK, now watch the Body Bizarre with a title about ants in ears.
There's man in Mississippi who has the huge belly hangdown (calls it a tumor rather than lympho/lipo dema) and a Dr. Dev, in Bakersfield says he'll remove it.
Trip made with people fitting his recliner in back of van to be road-safe.
Dr.Dev uses laser knife, which seems quicker than Dr. Now.
All goes well.
Would love to have seen an entire episode just on him, but there was also girl with ants and woman with tumors.

Maggienolia

Maggienolia

(edited)
On 10/20/2017 at 5:19 PM, Anchorabu said:

Hello all. Just wanted everyone to know Mama Anchorabu passed away this morning in Hospice. She died peacefully in her sleep. She had such fun watching My 600lb Life with you all. Thank you for your prayers and for bringing her such joy. God Bless. 

Just reading this forum after a LONG hiatus. I'm so sorry to read this. She will be missed here and remembered fondly. Prayers for you and your family. God bless you all. 

Edited by Maggienolia
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notyrmomma

notyrmomma

Questions - "Family By The Ton" starts tonight at 10pm EST (probably right after My 600 pound life - like Skin Tight used to - thank God that isn't on) and it will have six episodes.  Are we allowed to discuss it here, maybe make a new thread?  Or should I go to the thread that has the general TLC one-off show discussions?  Who else is watching tonight?

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Scarlett45

Scarlett45

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

This is an interesting theory about there being just as many morbidly obese people who are from a higher socio-economic background.  I wonder if there are any statistics on it anywhere.  I'd be interested.  I can think of reasons why those from a lower socio-economic setting might be more prone to stay that way and why those with more resources might have more options for treatment, better nutrition, medical care, etc.  Still, as I have commented before, just about every type of programming that you see on tv, online stories, photographs in magazines, news publications, and even real life events, you almost always see obese people.  It's very odd, imo.  When I was growing up, there might have been 1 or 2 students in the class who were considered overweight, but, normally, only slightly.  NOW, many of the children seem to be very overweight.  I see it at graduation ceremonies, weddings, showers, shopping, church, etc.  There are a lot of very obese people.  Oh, I'll have to go over to see if there is a thread on the new show, Two Ton Family or something like that.  I only got to see a little of it. 

Hi Sunny- I’m not a medical professional but I have a lot of theories on this (being someone who was a fat child and a small end of the plus size spectrum adult- 16/18 at 5’7). My dad was one of the rare “1-2 fat kids per class” you speak of back in the 1950s. 

Most things are a bell curve- you’re going to have ppl on each end no matter what, but when an entire population shifts it’s not just “personal choices” any more. The people that used to be “normal plus sized” aka the “big momma” and “fat funny uncle joe” 100yrs ago were at the high end of the bell curve and more likely to be rich. Now the entire bell curve has shifted and those who would’ve been slightly obese 100yrs ago (before processed foods, and sedentary lifestyles for anyone that wasn’t super wealthy) is now a potential candidate for My 600lbs Life. Throw in an addictive personality and there we go. 

I also enjoyed Family By the Ton. 

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ChristmasJones

ChristmasJones

Here is one research article that focuses on the role of genetics on childhood obesity...

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/87/2/398.full

The results in the present study are broadly comparable to findings from earlier cohorts of young adults, which indicates that the balance of genetic and environmental effects is much the same as that before the external environment became so obesogenic. Therefore, although contemporary environments have made today's children fatter than were children 20 y ago, the primary explanation for variations within the population, then and now, is genetic differences between individual children

  • Love 3
SunnyBeBe

SunnyBeBe

12 minutes ago, ChristmasJones said:

Here is one research article that focuses on the role of genetics on childhood obesity...

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/87/2/398.full

The results in the present study are broadly comparable to findings from earlier cohorts of young adults, which indicates that the balance of genetic and environmental effects is much the same as that before the external environment became so obesogenic. Therefore, although contemporary environments have made today's children fatter than were children 20 y ago, the primary explanation for variations within the population, then and now, is genetic differences between individual children

Thanks. It looks good. I don't have time to read right now, but, will tomorrow.  

Bridget

Bridget

On 1/11/2018 at 1:35 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

This is an interesting theory about there being just as many morbidly obese people who are from a higher socio-economic background.  I wonder if there are any statistics on it anywhere.  I'd be interested.  I can think of reasons why those from a lower socio-economic setting might be more prone to stay that way and why those with more resources might have more options for treatment, better nutrition, medical care, etc.  Still, as I have commented before, just about every type of programming that you see on tv, online stories, photographs in magazines, news publications, and even real life events, you almost always see obese people.  It's very odd, imo.  When I was growing up, there might have been 1 or 2 students in the class who were considered overweight, but, normally, only slightly.  NOW, many of the children seem to be very overweight.  I see it at graduation ceremonies, weddings, showers, shopping, church, etc.  There are a lot of very obese people.  Oh, I'll have to go over to see if there is a thread on the new show, Two Ton Family or something like that.  I only got to see a little of it. 

Credentialed teacher here (K-12), but I've spent my career teaching grades 7-11. Nutshell: the kids are getting bigger and bigger each and every year and I'm witnessing it first hand in students from all nationalities. Students are weighed each year in PE class and the interactive portal we use for data/documentation allows us to see these things - if we're nosy enough to look - and I am! For the record, a 298 lb female 8th grader called me a "fat bitch" during an outburst in class one day. I was (and still am) exactly half of what her weight was during her temper tantrum. She had a new English teacher the next day, but I was still flabbergasted that SHE had the nerve to call ME fat. Clearly I need to brush up on how I teach irony.....

While that's definitely not the norm, there are many teens today who are getting bigger and bigger. Side note: during a staff meeting, we were taught how to recognize the physical symptoms of diabetes! Now I know what increasingly dark rings around a student's neck could possible indicate. As educators, we can't say anything to the student or their parent about going to the doctor for XYZ (for legal reasons), but it's good information to have so we can let the health office know how to handle it. 

I'm currently teaching high school (10th grade) and I can guarantee that plenty of my students are averaging out between 190-250 lbs and I'm not referring to the football players. Throw in the fact that they're on their damn phones/tablets/screens all of the time, they are the most sedentary generation of late AND the fact that failing PE seems to be an option for them, and it's a recipe for a perfect disaster. 

Sadly, many of the overweight students I have had in my classes during my career resort to extreme tactics to avoid any type of exercise, like being absent the day of the week when all classes "run the mile."  PE teachers will allow students to walk the mile, but other than that, there is zero accountability. I sat in a meeting with a student (8th grader/very overweight) and his family for a series of concerns we had, including his awful attendance. Mom said she keeps him home because "his legs hurt." We all tried to gently explain WHY his legs hurt (extra weight, those who are new to exercise are usually sore the next few days), but this kid played his mom like a fiddle. 

When I see a student has an F in the interactive portal system we use for data and documentation, I always discreetly pull them aside and ask them what is going on in PE. My students might be tardy to school all the damn time, they do not bring pencils, they can't remember my name in March, and actively fail my class because "I'm going to Continuation School after this year, so I'll just do the work then. It's a family tradition!", but bless their knucklehead hearts, they are honest with me. They tell me they "don't feel like dressing out." I then ask them about what it's like to have choices before they're 18, they smile, I smile and then I hear "I hate PE. I hate to exercise. I'm lazy. I hate sports. The teacher sucks. I hate the kids in the class. It's too hot." Lather, rinse, repeat. (The heat excuse is a valid one in my book; damn you Global Warming!) A secondary school age student can literally walk to their classes all day, not participate in PE, get a ride home and spend the rest of the day streaming TV. That is the most movement they are getting and it sickens me. 

Many young people also eat horribly, don't drink water and are exhausted all of the time because of their horrifying diet. Last year, there were kids who asked teachers to order pizza for them during lunch. Teens handed over the $, teachers ordered from Pizza Hut before lunch and two kids are sharing a deep dish pizza for lunch. Again. Several schools have had to add an addendum to the School Handbook to include "no deliveries of outside food or special meals (i.e. McDonald's for lunch) will be allowed for health & welfare concerns." When I taught middle school, parents would bring their kids pizza or fast food (with a soda) every day. The office would smell of french fries if anyone walked into it during lunchtime. These parents didn't work, so they had the time, but that doesn't make it right. They're creating monsters and don't know it...or maybe they do and let the kid call the shots.

That said, IF you ever need a sugar or salt fix, find a high schooler, and they will hook you up! Several of my kiddos have generously shared Skittles or Sour Patch Kids with me when I would randomly crave them. They even asked me if I wanted more, while holding up the Costco sized bag as if to say "it's OK, I have enough to get through the day!" They don't bring snack sized bags of chips to school either; it's the WHOLE DAMN BAG. Wash it all down with a liter of soda and that's why they're crashing in the afternoon and falling asleep in class as well. Couldn't make this up if I tried.

They think they're tired because they were on their phones until 3am, but they don't understand fatigue is a sign that their body is telling them "I need produce! I need to elevate my heart rate! I need to get eight hours of sleep each night." These are the formative years when bones and brain cells are developing. They cannot afford to miss out on any of that stuff. Their health class is a joke. They're not taught about nutrition, self care, what a BMI is and where they stand in their own BMI range and/or how to move into a healthy range to simply understand how to take overall better care of themselves. 

I want to blame technology for their laziness. I want to blame (some) parents for letting them eat the way they do and not limiting screen time. However, I know blaming people/things wont't solve anything. It just makes me so angry and hostile that it's happening. There's got to be a solution or two that will prevent more and more young people from eventually ending up even at half the weight of people that are Dr. Now's patients.

  • Love 11
Mu Shu

Mu Shu

On 1/11/2018 at 1:09 PM, Toaster Strudel said:

I am a molecular biologist which helps me understand the medical literature and research on the topic. Full disclosure, my area is not directly related, as it is the role of the cytoskeleton and genetics in development and differentiation.

I suggest you read up on the hormonal basis of hunger control, there are easy to understand summaries available online. It involves a very complex interplay of hormonal signals between the hypothalamus, physical stomach fullness, blood glucose levels, intestinal absorption, and even signals from your fat cells telling your body how much you fat have stored right now. We only know the tip of the iceberg. Genetics come in when any part of this system is knocked off or partially disabled by a mutation. The extreme cases on this show might have genetic defects in several parts of this complex system, on one crucial part. I don't know what the latest is on that, but there was a theory that one of the way a bypass works is by altering the hormonal signals that the stomach sends out as part of the satiety loop.

If you are slim, and your siblings aren't, thank your lucky stars that you got the better part of the genetic lottery.

It's easy to control your portion sizes when you have normal hunger mechanisms. These people are an endless pit of hunger and are never satisfied. Their struggle is real. They have to be ready to endure constant discomfort from hunger in order to lose weight.


 

Thanks for clarifying this.  There is simply no way something isn’t broken.

Except with Steven, he is possessed. 

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Mrs. Hanson

Mrs. Hanson

1 hour ago, Bridget said:

Credentialed teacher here (K-12), but I've spent my career teaching grades 7-11. Nutshell: the kids are getting bigger and bigger each and every year and I'm witnessing it first hand in students from all nationalities.

Credentialed teacher here, too - I am licensed in K-12 so I have seen many grades as well.  I was born in 1965, graduated HS in 1983 so the 70's were my prime childhood.  Fast forward to the early 2000's went I went back to work in education (previously I was not in education.)  The point?  I was AMAZED at how fat kids were and are these days.  Stunned.  When I was little were there chubby kids?  Yes but nowhere near the obesity you see now.   I have known quite a few teachers who have taught overseas in China and they all say the same thing when they get back to the USA - "Fat kids with thin parents."  I have worked with all nationalities as well, right now I am in a 92% Somali school (K-6) and yes the kids are chubbier than before.  I have kids who brag they play Call of Duty all. weekend. long.  And I believe it!

I have also read that due to obesity this is the first generation (kids born late 90's, early 2000's) that will have shorter life spans that their parents.

  • Love 8
SunnyBeBe

SunnyBeBe

(edited)

Bridget, your stories are gut wrenching. I know they are true, as I see it too.  I have some obese young people in my family and also family friends.  It's hard to believe the way it is so acceptable in families today.  I mean, to me, if your child is 100 pounds overweight, you'd be TERRIFIED and taking the kid to a specialist pronto.  But, no, these parents just start ordering clothes from plus size stores and increasing their budget for fast food.  If the parents don't seem to care (normally, because they are obese, too, but, that's not always the case.), then who will do anything?  

Edited by SunnyBeBe
  • Love 3
LordOfLotion

LordOfLotion

16 hours ago, Bridget said:

Sadly, many of the overweight students I have had in my classes during my career resort to extreme tactics to avoid any type of exercise, like being absent the day of the week when all classes "run the mile."  PE teachers will allow students to walk the mile, but other than that, there is zero accountability.

 Have you tried trampolines? At the heart of every child lies a jumper who was once stopped from breaking his arm by falling off the bed. :-)

  • Love 1
Pondlass1

Pondlass1

15 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

his is the first generation (kids born late 90's, early 2000's) that will have shorter life spans that their parents.

This is very true and very sad.

Type 2 Diabetes will be rampant in a few years.   Bedridden morbidly obese will be common place. Hope the US health and welfare systems will be able to keep up. They have enough on their plates with opiod epidemic. 

I don't know what the answer is.  Usually the human race needs a calamity before we wake up and do something.

  • Love 2
Mrs. Hanson

Mrs. Hanson

18 hours ago, Bridget said:

That said, IF you ever need a sugar or salt fix, find a high schooler, and they will hook you up! Several of my kiddos have generously shared Skittles or Sour Patch Kids with me when I would randomly crave them. They even asked me if I wanted more, while holding up the Costco sized bag as if to say "it's OK, I have enough to get through the day!" They don't bring snack sized bags of chips to school either; it's the WHOLE DAMN BAG. Wash it all down with a liter of soda and that's why they're crashing in the afternoon and falling asleep in class as well. Couldn't make this up if I tried.

Bolding mine:  I 100% believe you.  Last year I was in a middle school and some students would carry their backpack around, in front of them, like a papoose, with Gummi Worms, Fritos, chips, name it.......it was like they were dealing drugs but it was an arsenal of crappy food.  

Honest to goodness:  I do not want to work in a high school with.....wait for it.....vending machines.  Good Lord Above - HELP ME!  You get kids who take it upon themselves to find ways to be sneaky.  "Can I have a pass to the bathroom?"  Yes - who is gonna deny that?  They come back with something in their pockets and we all know it is Taki's or Flamin' Hot Cheeto's or some other crap.  They think it is SO funny to pull one one over on staff!!!  Like this is their focus.  Seriously - not studies.  I get being social and all that, that is a big part of of high school.  But Mom and Dad - your child is failing as their focus is sneaking crappy food in, trying to text in class and catching the eye of Kaitlyn.....no wonder he has all F's.  No wonder he is overweight.

I am so glad I work in a school now that because it is 97% free/reduced, qualifies for a grant where all kids eat breakfast, lunch and a snack for free.  The catch?  It is all very healthy.  No sugary cereals, no cinnamon buns, no crap.  Salad and fruit every day, no chocolate milk allowed.  

Back to when "I was little" namely the 70's:  we rode our bikes everywhere.  Our family camped.  We LOVED playing outside until dark.  We had three channels.  We had a climbing tree in our backyard - I could have gotten my mail there if I received mail as a child.  I need to go shoo kids off my lawn now.  No wait - it is  Saturday, why would kids be playing?  They are just waking up and getting settled in for their eight hour Call of Duty Marathon.

1 hour ago, Pondlass1 said:

Type 2 Diabetes will be rampant in a few years.

I agree - it already is and I read a study that some pediatricians are seeing signs of bone loss mass (due to calcium loss, no milk just soda, thanks) and ARTHRITIS due to nutritional deficits.

  • Love 4
Caoimhe

Caoimhe

6 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Bridget, your stories are gut wrenching. I know they are true, as I see it too.  I have some obese young people in my family and also family friends.  It's hard to believe the way it is so acceptable in families today.  I mean, to me, if your child is 100 pounds overweight, you'd be TERRIFIED and taking the kid to a specialist pronto.  But, no, these parents just start ordering clothes from plus size stores and increasing their budget for fast food.  If the parents don't seem to care (normally, because they are obese, too, but, that's not always the case.), then who will do anything?  

 I have friends like this, both are diabetic and raising a son who looks to be well over 100 pounds overweight.  When I see her post online about her eye injections for diabetic retinopathy and his difficulty walking I wonder how much worse this boy will end up.  The meals she makes look like things I’d love to eat but know that my body does not handle well, although at this point he is old enough that if she tries to feel him something healthy he drives off to get what HE wants to eat.

  • Love 3
Bridget

Bridget

2 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Bolding mine:  I 100% believe you.  Last year I was in a middle school and some students would carry their backpack around, in front of them, like a papoose, with Gummi Worms, Fritos, chips, name it.......it was like they were dealing drugs but it was an arsenal of crappy food.  

Honest to goodness:  I do not want to work in a high school with.....wait for it.....vending machines.  Good Lord Above - HELP ME!  You get kids who take it upon themselves to find ways to be sneaky.  "Can I have a pass to the bathroom?"  Yes - who is gonna deny that?  They come back with something in their pockets and we all know it is Taki's or Flamin' Hot Cheeto's or some other crap.  They think it is SO funny to pull one one over on staff!!!  Like this is their focus.  Seriously - not studies.  I get being social and all that, that is a big part of of high school.  But Mom and Dad - your child is failing as their focus is sneaking crappy food in, trying to text in class and catching the eye of Kaitlyn.....no wonder he has all F's.  No wonder he is overweight.

I am so glad I work in a school now that because it is 97% free/reduced, qualifies for a grant where all kids eat breakfast, lunch and a snack for free.  The catch?  It is all very healthy.  No sugary cereals, no cinnamon buns, no crap.  Salad and fruit every day, no chocolate milk allowed.  

Back to when "I was little" namely the 70's:  we rode our bikes everywhere.  Our family camped.  We LOVED playing outside until dark.  We had three channels.  We had a climbing tree in our backyard - I could have gotten my mail there if I received mail as a child.  I need to go shoo kids off my lawn now.  No wait - it is  Saturday, why would kids be playing?  They are just waking up and getting settled in for their eight hour Call of Duty Marathon.

I agree - it already is and I read a study that some pediatricians are seeing signs of bone loss mass (due to calcium loss, no milk just soda, thanks) and ARTHRITIS due to nutritional deficits.

What you said! Don't get me started on bathroom pass abuse.  My students have 15 mins between classes and a 25 min nutrition break midday and "BathroomGate" is still something I struggle with every year. How do I pull one over on the sneaky students? 

Me to Admin/Counselor/Case Worker who isn't @Mrs. Hanson: "Johnny (who has an IEP for ADHD, not for gastrointestinal issues or any other "health" impairment like IBS or was borderline diabetic that would make sense for constant bathroom use) asks to go to the bathroom five mins after 1st period starts every day. Legally, I cannot deny him. However, when I feel like I need to take it upon myself to remind a 16 year old boy to use the bathroom before the bell rings, we have a problem. He is gone for 15-20 mins. He is missing the most important part of class and has a 3% in my class. Total task avoidance and I am worried. He has zero work to show anyone to even prove he was in class because he is so lost for the next 80 minutes and doesn't even want to ask a friend to copy their notes or makes sure I saw he did his HW (I know he never does it, but still!)." 

By November, I took it upon myself to remind the 16 year old boy to use the bathroom before the bell rang. I wasn't going to let him fail because his parents & people who make six figures did not seem to care.

Admin: "Call home and talk to the parents." Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

I called them, they blamed me, said he always has to go & doc says he is healthy.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

(By November, I sucked it up & reminded the 16 year old boy daily to use the bathroom before the bell rang. I wasn't going to let him fail on my watch because his parents & people who make six figures did not seem to care.)d

Back on topic...

I implemented a bathroom pass system a few years ago that I saw on Pinterest, along with a sign out/in sheet with specific phrasing about students needing to be back to class within X minutes. Otherwise, they will be out of class, meeting their gf/bf or friends at the vending machines for a damn snack break and then come back to class with Red Hot Cheeto fingers and expect to use a ChromeBook. I bought a ton of baby wipes bc I didn't want germs from their licked fingers, along with red powder stained keyboards, getting others sick! (Watching some kids eat is the most gross thing ever. Sorry for the visual!) 

My school is about 80% free brkfst/ lunch too, but the kids still find a way to carry money with them for pit stops at Starbucks or 7-11 before/after school. I can't tell you how many students are late to 1st period every day, but they are rolling in with a daily breakfast of a Venti Frappucino & some sort of pastry/carb filled/frosting topped confection. I have a no eating/drinking in class rule (for obvious reasons), but you would think their limbs were being cut off when I go over it on 1st day of school simply because I won't let them eat in class. 

Eating and drinking in class cause the same distractions cell phones do. Students are being asked for food by everyone, someone will spill their drink & take 20 mins (on purpose) to clean it up, crumbs & wrappers end up on the floor, which bring ants and a gross smell to the trash bin. That's another reason students are struggling in school. I pop into other rooms at times to observe and I have seen students not taking notes from the board because they are enjoying a three course meal instead. And they wonder why they are confused about the HW!

I don't know why some teens think they need/deserve to eat all day long in every class. I suspect it is similar to how some adults snack while watching TV - mindless eating has turned into a habit. 

What happened to waking up on time, eating breakfast before or at school (depending on the $ situation), eating a semi-healthy snack during the designated time and then eating lunch with friends? 

Think about those whining toddlers in public who ask for candy at the checkout line - they usually get their candy! It has to start somewhere. When the kiddos born in early 2000s are told "no", it gets ugly. Scary ugly. I think parents give their kids $$$ to eat & don't have a clue what their kids eat during the day or don't care because they don't understand what role nutrition plays in brain development and overall health.

Arthritis in kids who can't even drive a car? I believe it. Breaks my heart.

My Unpopular Opinion: parent/guardian needs to accompany kid if they want to buy junk food. Or, young people should have to be carded, just like tobacco & alcogol. It will never happen, I know, but the obesity epidemic is real and is now impacting education and student learning. 

Can you even imagine middle or high school kids trying to bribe older people to buy them a Supersize Meal @ McDonald's or bags of candy outside a gas station?

  • Love 7
Bridget

Bridget

6 hours ago, LordOfLotion said:

 Have you tried trampolines? At the heart of every child lies a jumper who was once stopped from breaking his arm by falling off the bed. :-)

I wish! Amazing cardio + increased flexibility? Sign me up! I teach English, but the PE teachers can't even request new basketballs because it's "too expensive." Then again, as it is public knowledge, we spend hundreds of dollars of our own money each year for supplies. I have never heard a PE teacher (that I know) say a word about using a penny of their own, but they have their own challenges, like having 100 girls in the locker room and there is only one female PE teacher to monitor them.  No one person should have to buy 50 basketballs, but it seems hinky that there isn't a way to subsidize PE supplies overall. Sporting goods stores typically donate services to organized teams instead of PE classes.

Any school district is responsible financially for all injuries that happen on site, including WorkComp and injuries sustained by students who are hurt on campus, unless a student broke/sprained/cracked something bc they were involved in a fight where more than one person struck another. 

Insurance company would never approve the use of trampolines in PE (even if the district found the $$$ for them) due to the endless possible accidents: broken bones, head injuries, sprains, torn tendons, dislocation of joints and road rash from falling on the asphalt. 

  • Love 2
SunnyBeBe

SunnyBeBe

(edited)

I know there are exceptions, special circumstances, health issues, etc., AND I know this is very controversial, but, I think that parents should be held accountable for their young children's health, including weight and that obesity, in a young child, should be investigated as neglect.  A 5 year-old cannot purchase and cook their own food.  To me, it's on the parents if that child is overweight and it's not due to anything but, diet. 

Edited by SunnyBeBe
  • Love 6
Mrs. Hanson

Mrs. Hanson

6 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I know there are exceptions, special circumstances, health issues, etc., AND I know this is very controversial, but, I think that parents should be held accountable for their young children's health, including weight and that obesity, in a young child, should be investigated as neglect.  A 5 year-old cannot purchase and cook their own food.  To me, it's on the parents if that child is overweight and it's not due to anything but, diet. 

You are right - and someone who works in schools that has a social worker, this has been addressed.  And I support that - if you send your child to school with filthy clothes, hungry and no boots/scarf/mittens when it is cold, it should be addressed if an 8 year old weighs 120 pounds!  If a parent was negligent with medications for diabetes, why should weifht be any different?

 

21 hours ago, Bridget said:

My school is about 80% free brkfst/ lunch too, but the kids still find a way to carry money with them for pit stops at Starbucks or 7-11 before/after school. I can't tell you how many students are late to 1st period every day, but they are rolling in with a daily breakfast of a Venti Frappucino & some sort of pastry/carb filled/frosting topped confection. I have a no eating/drinking in class rule (for obvious reasons), but you would think their limbs were being cut off when I go over it on 1st day of school simply because I won't let them eat in class. 

Did we work at the same school last year?  LOL!   Grades 5-8, and kids RARELY had paper and pencils ( I kid you not) but damn if they did not show up with a venti, pastry and different sodas/Monster Drinks (which I thought should not be allowed) or other crap.  

I will one more thing about kids today:  No wonder no one wants to go into teaching:  Try teaching a room full of 8th graders, all have cell phones and a Starbucks Frap in front of them, and now you gotta talk about......math.  And they are all tired as they were all up until 1am, talking or texting.  Yes you can take away the phones and shitty drinks, but then you have a room full of kids who have parents who think their crap does not stink.  Call them, have a conference and I promise you:  It will come back to you and your teaching methods.  "Perhaps if you engaged them more they will listen."  Promise.

21 hours ago, Bridget said:

When the kiddos born in early 2000s are told "no", it gets ugly. Scary ugly.

I agree, and kids born in 2005/2006 beyond are just as bad.  (I must insert that my kids are 1997/1999 so I saw this trend first hand through other kids.  Mine?  Let's put it this way:  I NEVER had a problem saying no.  In fact, it was the part of parenting I enjoyed most!!!  LOLOL!) 

  • Love 5
crazycatlady58

crazycatlady58

1 hour ago, DangerousMinds said:

Why do schools allow the students to have cell phones or food/drink while in class? Makes sense to forbid these things imo.

Yes, when I was in school   ( oh so many years ago) we were not allowed  to have any food or drink  in class  and that included high school . We were told it was rude to the people  who did not have anything . 

  • Love 5
LordOfLotion

LordOfLotion

1 hour ago, DangerousMinds said:

Why do schools allow the students to have cell phones or food/drink while in class? Makes sense to forbid these things imo.

I've read the posts by the teachers here, and I have to say if I had engaged in any of the behavior they're describing, I'd be posting from the crypt.

  • Love 5
Bridget

Bridget

(edited)
2 hours ago, DangerousMinds said:

Why do schools allow the students to have cell phones or food/drink while in class? Makes sense to forbid these things imo.

After the Columbine shootings, a federal law was passed to allow students to be able to carry mobile phones on their person to get in touch with parents (and vice versa) in the event a similar tragedy happened again.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a simultaneous uniform federal policy passed for all school districts to be able to reinforce how phones are used. I don't think anyone could have ever predicted how bad "phone addiction" would get, but honestly, I wish a new federal law would be passed to support the intent of the original bill.

For the last ten years (the length of my career), phone policies typically boil down to how each site (school) wants to deal with the phone use. You'd think that most teachers would be on the same page about this, but we are not. Unfortunately, I was at a high school last year that left it up to each teacher, which is ten thousand ways to Sunday kinds of wrong, to determine how they wanted to deal with phones.

I know plenty of teachers who sadly have the attitude of "it hurts them if they don't pay attention, not me" when it comes to their student/phone policy. How those teachers stand by and let students fail seems so selfish to me. They prob went into teaching for the eight weeks (not three months) off each summer. 

All I can do is reinforce a policy of common sense and know that I gave 100% to all of my students every day. Phones are confiscated in my classroom because students know they should be learning. My students also know why I have certain rules in place because I explain my decisions about XYZ to them. I'm not justifying myself or defending my choices, but when rules are explained clearly, the students might not like it, but they can't argue with statistics or a true statement. Trust me - the very last thing most students in grades 6-12 is to be making another choice for themselves. 

Eating and drinking are supposed to be forbidden too, but all it takes is one student to say "I didn't get to eat breakfast at home" and when the teacher cuts them some slack by allowing food "just this once", they start to lose any respect the students had for them. As with phones, some teachers don't care who pays attention and works as long as they are quiet. 

I don't think that students should starve all day, but it goes back to a culture of zero responsibility at home that starts with not getting up on time for school and/or parents not raising their kids to have consequences. Most students are on their phones while walking to school (I see them every day) instead of eating their brkfst while walking. During lunch, most students socialize instead of eating or using the bathroom. (Their parents clearly never taught them to "try to go, even if you don't think you need to go.") 

Get off the phone and eat your brkfst/lunch instead of even having the audacity to even think about asking to eat in class!

It is a plague that will encompass education until you have all teachers/staff on the same page and remember, regardless of the grade level, there is an unspoken duty that we have to not only teach our kids, but to remind them that they need to practice some basic social/common sense/decision making skills to even make it for five minutes in the real world 

@Mrs. Hanson, I think we were at the same site! I would jokingly ask them where my coffee was and then proceeded to tell them what my order was "for next time!" A student actually did remember my order and brought me coffee, but I still marked them tardy! 

Edited by Bridget
  • Love 5
Mrs. Hanson

Mrs. Hanson

All I can really say is I agree with everything @Bridget says - the Columbine shooting changed a lot of things.  I have a over the door shoe holder in my room where kids put any phone they have into.  I also have serious infractions for violating this rule.  But as Bridget wisely said - all it takes is one weak link and it all goes into the crapper.  

Again, waaaay too many parents have the attitude of "well golly, Mrs Hanson....it is only one kid......"  But then THAT kid becomes a HUGE distraction.   And one kid is never one, it is fifteen.  And don't even get me started on the "It's not FAIR" mantra we have to listen to all. damn. day.   I am a special ed teacher and Jesus forgive me but I want to strangle the maker of those damn fidget spinners!!!  "How come Johnny gets one?  IS HE SPECIAL?"  Me;  "Well he has an IEP....and privacy laws prohibit me from saying anything more."  Meanwhile I HIGHLY doubt the IDEA act was meant to protect kids form having what is essentially, a toy found in the you section at Target. Last year I went toe to toe over.....gum.  We were a gum free school and one parent threatened to sue us over her daughter's right to Wrigley's.  No I am not kidding.

18 minutes ago, Bridget said:

It is a plague that will encompass education until you have all teachers/staff on the same page and remember, regardless of the grade level, there is an unspoken duty that we have to not only teach our kids, but to remind them that they need to practice some basic social/common sense/decision making skills to even make it for five minutes in the real world 

Yep and as a SPED teacher I take it easy on the modification and adaptations of the IEP - my students will have to get a job someday and NOT use a fidget spinner at the Kwik Trip nor get six "sensory breaks" or eight "movement breaks" during the day.  I tell them the movement breaks will be unloading a truck in 14 degree weather.

Parents would be surprised to know we keep a log of who goes to the bathroom and when.  Why?  1) Tally up bathroom breaks.  Either your kid is very adept at avoidance or meeting up in the biffy to chat or fight with a girl or girls or to deal drugs.

  • Love 5
Bridget

Bridget

18 minutes ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

All I can really say is I agree with everything @Bridget says - the Columbine shooting changed a lot of things.  I have a over the door shoe holder in my room where kids put any phone they have into.  I also have serious infractions for violating this rule.  But as Bridget wisely said - all it takes is one weak link and it all goes into the crapper.  

Again, waaaay too many parents have the attitude of "well golly, Mrs Hanson....it is only one kid......"  But then THAT kid becomes a HUGE distraction.   And one kid is never one, it is fifteen.  And don't even get me started on the "It's not FAIR" mantra we have to listen to all. damn. day.   I am a special ed teacher and Jesus forgive me but I want to strangle the maker of those damn fidget spinners!!!  "How come Johnny gets one?  IS HE SPECIAL?"  Me;  "Well he has an IEP....and privacy laws prohibit me from saying anything more."  Meanwhile I HIGHLY doubt the IDEA act was meant to protect kids form having what is essentially, a toy found in the you section at Target. Last year I went toe to toe over.....gum.  We were a gum free school and one parent threatened to sue us over her daughter's right to Wrigley's.  No I am not kidding.

Yep and as a SPED teacher I take it easy on the modification and adaptations of the IEP - my students will have to get a job someday and NOT use a fidget spinner at the Kwik Trip nor get six "sensory breaks" or eight "movement breaks" during the day.  I tell them the movement breaks will be unloading a truck in 14 degree weather.

Parents would be surprised to know we keep a log of who goes to the bathroom and when.  Why?  1) Tally up bathroom breaks.  Either your kid is very adept at avoidance or meeting up in the biffy to chat or fight with a girl or girls or to deal drugs.

We are sisters from another mister! I hate gum! I have never seen a "real" gum free school. Can I come visit? Can we co-teach together? I will move!

I keep all my bathroom logs for as long as the kid is at the school. Yes - parents are shocked when we show them, in their kid's handwriting, to clarify and explain (non-verbally, thank God): "Your kid is failing because they spend 20 mins in the bathroom every day instead of being present to take important notes or have the lesson clearly taught to them, with examples provided. It's also a safety issue too; we don't know where your kid is during a fire drill/lockdown because they did not want to respond to a writing prompt." Boom! Mic drop!

Because of the huge gap in learning that was being missed by Johnny Pees A Lot and friends, I implemented a "no one leaves the room" policy for the first and last 15 minutes of class. I also created my own non-transferable bathroom passes (Thx Pinterest!) and hand out X number of passes to each student per term to use as they see fit. Unused passes = extra credit during the final. It's usually only 10 whole points though. (I don't believe in extra credit unless it's equitable and everyone can participate/attend.) Typically, 36 out of 40 kids turn their passes in, which I also keep in a file in case Admin ever calls me out. Lost passes = sorry, not my problem. Of course we have a few who still abuse it, but this way, they know we are onto them.

I am 100% with you re: having 2638495 breaks in the day. Ahhhhh! Who came up with those modifications? I have seen parents demand some crazy stuff like "Student can turn HW in for full credit as late as they want to", but the stream of breaks is something I don't understand in terms of how it helps the student.

l tell my students, IEP or not, to let me know if they just need a minute alone outside and that's worked out well to avoid them abusing classroom time. My kiddos are older than Mrs. Hanson's, but to a 16-17 year old, their world could have changed at lunch or they might be going through legit bad stuff and grammar isn't their #1 priority and I understand that.  2 mins of fresh air to "re-set" or take some deep breaths is sometimes all they need. I do it myself at times at work (while standing in the doorway), and I hope they see it as a "real world" coping technique instead of engaging in a 20 min leisurely stroll around campus. If Johnny Pees A Lot is being dramatic about "neeeeeeeding to go"  (we can tell who is being truthful), I have been known to say, "if I can't leave & use the bathroom, you can't either." 

  • Love 1
Mrs. Hanson

Mrs. Hanson

(edited)
1 hour ago, Bridget said:

We are sisters from another mister! I hate gum! I have never seen a "real" gum free school. Can I come visit? Can we co-teach together? I will move!

Oh my gosh...we are sisters from a different mister!!!

 

1 hour ago, Bridget said:

I implemented a "no one leaves the room" policy for the first and last 15 minutes of class.

Me too!!  You have to hear my expectations of the Reading lesson and listen to instruction.  I will cut a little slack for my kiddos I see right after lunch but if it becomes a serial event then we have a private talk.

 

1 hour ago, Bridget said:

I am 100% with you re: having 2638495 breaks in the day. Ahhhhh! Who came up with those modifications? I have seen parents demand some crazy stuff like "Student can turn HW in for full credit as late as they want to", but the stream of breaks is something I don't understand in terms of how it helps the student.

See, I never (and I do mean never) leave it that open ended.  I will say "student can have extra time at the discretion of the regular education teacher" as to not toss you under the bus but to give you full authority over YOUR CLASS.  I also say "frequent breaks at the discretion of the teacher" but only for state/district testing.  Your IEP is in place because you are EBD or Learning Disabled, not that you have a bladder the size of a kernel of corn.  

And I have taught in a high school and I do get "I need a minute my world just changed at lunch."  Works wonders!!!

Sounds like you would be a great teacher to work with, too!!  Not sure you want to come to Minnesota, it is 10 degrees right now, a high of three degrees tomorrow.

One more peeve?  Teachers who let more than one student out at time to the bathroom.  Even when I was subbing, I was like, "Nope, one gender at time.  Sorry."  My rule?  One at a time and you have three minutes.  And you use the bathroom on THIS floor!!!  LOLOL!

Edited to add:  I really like my job - I do!  Parents are the hardest part, most teachers will agree to this.  If you have good admin you can FLY and do wonders for your kids and yourself professionally.  I can forgive and deal with the odd behaviors of a middle schooler - they are 13/14 and their frontal lobes are not developed, and again, they are 13/14 - most kids are trying at this age.  But grown ups wanting to sue over gum?  Forgive my internal eye rolling.

Edited by Mrs. Hanson
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Calicocats

Calicocats

(edited)

I grew up a few houses away from "the overweight girl" (one of two or three overweight kids in the whole class).  I've known her and her family my entire life.  It's generational in that house- there was junk food galore over there (I would have enjoyed this as a kid, but the house was also filthy, so I didn't want to eat when I was there!)  Fast food for us was maybe once or twice a month (we were poor, so eating out meant going to Arby's).  This family ate fast food EVERY DAY.  Literally every day.  

Fast forward- she was around 300 when we graduated.  By the time we were 21, she was having medical problems.  She has been in and out of NURSING HOMES- this all started happening before age 30!  She has the weeping legs like the people on the show, and they get infected.  She has diabetes.  She did go to college and get a decent job, but she's had a hard time keeping jobs because she cycles in and out of the hospital/nursing homes so often.  She is limited on how much she can stand and move at work, also.  We are not yet 40.

THIS is the life people are signing their kids up for!  I don't get it- don't you have want your kids to be healthy and have longevity?   

Edited by Calicocats
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Mrs. Hanson

Mrs. Hanson

4 hours ago, Calicocats said:

I grew up a few houses away from "the overweight girl" (one of two or three overweight kids in the whole class).  I've known her and her family my entire life.  It's generational in that house- there was junk food galore over there (I would have enjoyed this as a kid, but the house was also filthy, so I didn't want to eat when I was there!)  Fast food for us was maybe once or twice a month (we were poor, so eating out meant going to Arby's).  This family ate fast food EVERY DAY.  Literally every day.  

Fast forward- she was around 300 when we graduated.  By the time we were 21, she was having medical problems.  She has been in and out of NURSING HOMES- this all started happening before age 30!  She has the weeping legs like the people on the show, and they get infected.  She has diabetes.  She did go to college and get a decent job, but she's had a hard time keeping jobs because she cycles in and out of the hospital/nursing homes so often.  She is limited on how much she can stand and move at work, also.  We are not yet 40.

THIS is the life people are signing their kids up for!  I don't get it- don't you have want your kids to be healthy and have longevity?   

That is how is was for us too; we weren't poor, it just wasn't the "thing" it is now.  I remember it being a HUGE deal to get McD's - it was a true rare treat.  (Now I want to disclose we ate out with a bit of frequency but it was sit down restaurants, equivalent to going to Applebee's or Red Robin.)

It is really too bad about your friend.  Obesity seems to be like poverty - generational and very hard to get out of,

  • Love 5
kj4ever

kj4ever

4 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

That is how is was for us too; we weren't poor, it just wasn't the "thing" it is now.  I remember it being a HUGE deal to get McD's - it was a true rare treat.  (Now I want to disclose we ate out with a bit of frequency but it was sit down restaurants, equivalent to going to Applebee's or Red Robin.)

It is really too bad about your friend.  Obesity seems to be like poverty - generational and very hard to get out of,

My Mom always said that McDonald's was "poison" when I was a kid, and that was back in the 80's!  We were only allowed a shamrock shake when they came out, and a happy meal.  That's it.  Once a year.

Then we all grew up, moved out, society changed, and fast food became the norm.  I started getting bigger and my brother and sister exploded.  They ate/still eat that crap all the time.  I woke up and did something about it because I did not like living life as an overweight person.

My poor nieces don't stand a chance.  Their Mother, my brother's wife, was a stay at home Mom who pretty much just drove through the drive thru their whole life.  I remember taking DQ blizzards over there when they were little and I got them a small.  They were like 4 and 6 years old and had tantrums because they weren't larges.

They are all super overweight and always looking for the reason "why". *insert huge ass eye roll*

  • Love 3
Mrs. Hanson

Mrs. Hanson

1 hour ago, kj4ever said:

My poor nieces don't stand a chance.  Their Mother, my brother's wife, was a stay at home Mom who pretty much just drove through the drive thru their whole life.  I remember taking DQ blizzards over there when they were little and I got them a small.  They were like 4 and 6 years old and had tantrums because they weren't larges.

I knew a woman a long time ago whose daughter had to take a roundabout way home from daycare as her four year old would see the McDonald's arches and throw a tantrum if he didn't get McNuggets.  I wish I were kidding.  I have to share:  my younger son REFUSES to eat McNuggets.  He heard that there is butane in the batter and he was like....Nope.  No. Way.  In all fairness I never gave them McNuggets as little ones.  (We got the two cheeseburger meal and shared two burgers between the three of us if anyone is curious!)  My older one doesn't care for McD's either, neither son drinks soda pop.  Now I am going to get of Riteous Mountain.......thank you for listening!!

PS  - I also offered then $1000 each if they made it to age 25 without starting to smoke or getting a tattoo.  So far, so good.  (Social and responsible drinking after age 21 is another thing, that is different to me than smoking.)

  • Love 4
kewpiedolls

kewpiedolls

(edited)

This is kind of old but Penny's husband has GoFund Me page up with a picture I can't make sense of. It's the first result if you google Penny Saeger (yeah, I wanted to see what she was up to, lol) It's titled 'Help' and the description simply says "Yards tadv". What does that even mean?

Edited by kewpiedolls
LordOfLotion

LordOfLotion

3 minutes ago, kewpiedolls said:

This is kind of old but Penny's husband has GoFund Me page up with a picture I can't make sense of. It's titled 'Help' and the description simply says "Yards tadv". What does that even mean?

I know what it means, but site rules forbid me from posting the translation.

Brooklynista

Brooklynista

10 hours ago, kewpiedolls said:

This is kind of old but Penny's husband has GoFund Me page up with a picture I can't make sense of. It's the first result if you google Penny Saeger (yeah, I wanted to see what she was up to, lol) It's titled 'Help' and the description simply says "Yards tadv". What does that even mean?

 

9 hours ago, LordOfLotion said:

I know what it means, but site rules forbid me from posting the translation.

Well now we MUST know!!?

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